Travel another way

Women from Canada and from the USA have joined me this week to tour Provence. Provence is known for its breath-taking sceneries, its historical hilltop villages and its art. We saw all that, but its natural beauty was at the heart of this week’ s delights.

Camargue is always a highlight, with the visit of Thibaud Ranch, where Olivier and his friends always put on a show just for us.

Roussillon with its ocher walk is a kind of fairy land, with magical colors.

In Les Baux, houses are nested in cliffs around the medieval castle, or down below the village walls.

In Saint Remy de Provence, Van Gogh also discovered the beauty of nature and depicted it on many of his paintings. We visited the hospital where he stayed and painted a few months before his death.

We took pictures of all of that, and we will again tomorrow, when we will admire the Pont du Gard, one of the most impressive roman ruins in Provence.

To find out more about our coming trips, visit www.frenchescapade.com

We are having a new tour, this time we are not in Belgium anymore but in Provence, France.

What comes to mind to everyone when talking about Provence? Lavender…

So, since there is no lavender in Sept, we went to the lavender museum. They taught the group the difference between lavender and lavandin because guess what? What you see everywhere, in your garden, in the fields, is lavandin, not lavender.

The main variety of Lavender cultivated in Provence is in fact not Lavender, but a sterile hybrid plant called Lavandin.

Lavandin is very rare in the wild and results from the cross-pollinization of True French Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and Spike Lavender ( Lavandula latifolia ). This rarity is because both True Lavender and Spike Lavender grow in distinct territories with little overlap,  between 500 and 600 metres where both plants can grow and the opportunity for Lavandin to occur.

Not only does the Lavandin produce 4 to 6 times the essential oil of True Lavender (though not of the same high quality required for perfumery or aromatherapy), it can also growth at lower altitude (easier to cultivate everywhere) . Therefore, most farmers decided to adopt this new plant as their crop of choice. They therefore decide to clone it and reproduce it by hand.

While lavandin is a hardy plant, it is also sterile and therefore must be reproduced with cuttings rather than seeds. These plants have larger leaves, longer stems, and larger flowers that are pointed at the tip. Because the flowers are beautiful, vibrantly colored, and long-lasting, they are often used in herbal crafts and potpourris.

Here are a few pictures of our group at the Lavender museum:

Our group in front of the old lavender distillation alambics (Sally, Sheila, Susan, Aimee, Brooke, Angellea, Katura and in front,Nancy and me.  I am wearing  a lavender shirt of course!!!).

Sheila and Anjellea were the biggest shoppers!!!!

Ok, this is not a woman from our group but a mannequin with the outfit that women were wearing in the 19th century when harvesting  lavender by hand. Women would harvest 700kg of lavender a day!!!!!

That is it for now, more tomorrow: stay tuned!

If you want to be part of this adventure yourself, check the itinerary at www.frenchescapade.com

Based in Namur for 3 days, we gave  our four guests (Mary, Holly, Bernice and Barbara) a tour of Wallonia out of the beaten paths.

                                                                       In the visitor house of the American cemetery

On day 1. even though we visited the well-known museum of the battle of the Bulge in Bastogne, we spent the afternoon at the home of Germaine  (a survivor of WWII) who was 11 in 1944, and spent 6 weeks in a stable when the German army took over her farm. She talked about her experience of the war and treated us with Belgian cakes and coffee. We later paid a tribute to the American liberators by visiting the American cemetery in Neupré.

                                 Translating Germaine ’s stories about WWII

On our second day, we attended a speculoos workshop at the Chateau de Harzé; our pastry chef was  tough about the shapes of our cookies but we all passed the class :) ! In the afternoon, we went to Hermalle for its Cramignon festival where couples dressed in prom oufits, dance in the street, drinking beer and fighting musicals feuds between loud  bands. But first, we had a decadent pastry feat at Annick and Fernand’s, 2 locals who had invited us in their home. They even offered each of our guests , a basket full of Belgian treats.

                                                           Cramignon girls in Hermalle

                                                             Speculoo workshop: the pastry chef and Bernice.

As for today, Monsieur and Madame Bouvier demonstrated the art of making chocolate pralines, in their family workshop near Dinant.

For more information about our tours, visit our website at www.frenchescapade.com

Our favorite tour of Bruges starts at the beguinage, the medieval quarter for women who wished to live alone without having to be locked in a convent. We then walked the tiny winding streets bordered by lace or chocolate stores.

We watched a lace-making demonstration on our way, before reaching the canal area and finally the Markt plazza.

Not much painting today; only a few people sketched in the afternoon. The beauty of Bruges is overwhelming to pick the perfect place to paint in one day. We will go back there 2 more days  at the end of the week.

                                                        Lace demonstration

                                                                                      Lunch time … and Belgian beer tasting!

                                                                                                        Follow the guide !

Lance Armstrong, seven-time winner of the Tour de France, is about to turn 38, and this may be his last entry in the Tour de France.

When he signed up for this year race, he wanted to make a point and show the world that all the past allegations about drug use were not founded. And he is about to prove himself right, as he is currently ranking #4 in the race that is to end on Sunday in Paris.

Lance was born in Texas in 1971, and his last name was first Gunderson. He then took his mother’s second husband’s name. His first sport of choice was triathlon, but it became clear that cycling was his strength. He then participated in many international events: the 1992 Summer Olympics, the Tour of Ireland, the World Road Race Championship and finally, his first stage win at the Tour de France in 1993. In 1996, he was diagnosed with cancer and had to drop out of the Tour, on the 7 th stage. He only came back to cycling in 1998 and then won the Tour seven times in a row, from 1999 to 2005.

He has now 4 children, 3 from his first wife whom he divorced in 2003. After dating  singer Sheryl Crow, and then actress Kate Hudson,  Lance met Anna Hansen with whom he had a son in June 2009.

On Friday 24th, the 21th stage of the Tour de France will pass through La Côte Saint André, Valérie’ s village and my “headquarters” when I am in France, for my tours in the French Alps . So I hope you can get a pick at the village and the area when they go through.

For information about our tours in the French Alps (painting tours, cultural tours and women-only tours), check www.frenchescapade.com

For the past 2 years I have been escorting visitors in Belgium, on painting workshops and cultural tours.

It has been a special treat for me, a native from  Belgium, to introduce Americans and French people to the culture, the history and the traditions of my country. Designing the tour was  an enlightning experience for myself, as I learnt a lot of things about my own roots, my fellow-citizens and most of all, about the essence of what makes Belgium so special.

                                          Pictures:  fine dining or sharing pastries at the home of a local

We started in April 2008 with a “Guinea pig” tour with French people (friends and family, as we always do when we have new tours). France is a neighbour and cousin of Belgium, but it was still very exotic for them when it came to speaking Belgian-French or eating “French” fries which are not French. We then had a cultural tour for Americans in August 2008. They loved learning about history (from medieval castles to WWII battle fields), tasting the incredible Belgian beers and chocolate, and meeting locals ( baking with a local baker or sharing memories at WWII survivor’s home).

                                                               Pictures: local festivals

Indeed, our tour of Belgium offers a great deal of diverse attractions. On our cultural tour, you have the opportunity to discover both Wallonia and Flanders, as well as Brussels. First of all, our goal is to introduce you to authentic  local activities that you could not do on other tours:

• attending a local street festival in a small Wallonia town
• baking speculoos (cinamon cookies) with a local baker
• chocolate tasting in a small family-owned chocolate factory
• having tea at the home of a WWII survivor

We also want to show  Belgium through history, architecture and gastronomy; here are samples of our daily trips:

• Bastogne and the Battle of the Bulge Memorial
• the medieval city of Bruges with its canals and romantic atmosphere
• the beaches and harbour of Ostend by the North Sea
• Brussels: the  Grand Place, Manneken Pis and its world famous museums

We are offering 3 tours this summer / fall 2009: 2 painting trips and 1 cultural trip. Only 4 spots remain available out of 18 overall. Our stays are 8 days, for 8 guests only, fully escorted by bilingual guide from your arrival at Brussels airport to your departure at Brussels airport. Comfortable van and quaint guesthouse.

We hope to see you in Belgium ! For our next availabilities and discount, check www.frenchescapade.com

Hikers, climbers and trekkers have searched and found paths of serenity in the French Alps for decades. But before the 19th century, mountains were not friendly to anybody, when local tales and customs were full of dreadful stories about deadly mountain encounters with scary creatures  living at the top, awaiting for daredevils.

But this empty space was also a heaven for those who really wanted to escape the human world, with its corruption and material wealth. In 1084, Bruno, a monk from the North of France, found that “desert” he was looking for, in the Chartreuse range near Grenoble, and he built the first monastery of what was to become the Cartusian order.

Today, 40 monks still live in the original location, whereas the order has spread all around the world with 22 other monasteries. Its survival lays in its ability to find new ways of maintaining its living, and its major success was the discovery of the recipe for the world famous Chartreuse liqueur, the green of which gave also the name to the colour. 

The recipe dates back to 1605 and the liqueur contains 130 different plants.  The Chartreuse Liqueur is also known for being aged in the longest liqueur cellar in the world.

Even though the liqueur is often drunk “on the rocks”, it can be part of more elaborated cocktails:

• Episcopale : one part of Green Chartreuse + 2 parts of yellow Chartreuse
• Chartreuse Royale: with Champagne
• Shuttle: with whisky
• Alaska: with vodka
• Sunburst: 1 part of green Chartreuse + 5 parts of orange juice and a dash of lemon juice

Remember, to enjoy Chartreuse, a small quantity is advised!

It can also be used in cooking: chocolate mousse, baked ham, apple crumble, hot chocolate, etc…

For tours in the French Alps, check www.frenchescapade.com (women-only tours and painting workshops available)

This part of France is mainly known for its white wines, and yesterday, this wine country lost a legendary figure. Jean Hugel, producer and wine specialist, died at the age of 84. He had played a major role in promoting Alsace wines abroad and in writing regulations about  appelation laws.

Alsace is  mainly known for the following wines:

• Riesling
• Gewurztraminer
• Pinot (noir, blanc, gris)
• Sylvaner
• Cremant d’Alsace

But Alsace is also a wondeful place to visit. Its  quaint villages, surrounded by vineyards, have kept a medieval atmosphere.  Castles, such as the lofty Haut-Koenigsourg, keep reminding the visitors that this area was an essential keystone  in European history, not to mention all the war memorials and  battle fields to be seen in the whole region.

Alsatians still speak a German dialect, beside French (the official language). After all , they only became  French for good after WWII. The capital, Strasbourg, is the seat of the European parliament, that it shares with Brussels. The TGV line between Paris and Strasbourg was inaugurated last year ; it only takes 2h 20 minutes to link both cities.

Alsace is also known for its Christmas markets, its sauerkraut dishes and stork nests! It is a delightful area to discover. Alsatians are warm-hearted people that will share with you their taste for partying.

For tours about France and Belgium , visit www.frenchescapade.com

To watch a video about Alsace, click here.

Visit Belgium and you will understand why chocolate is essential in the life of this tiny country: you will find a chocolatier in every village, in every main street, and in big cities such as Liege, Brussels or Bruges, there will be an infinite choice of  chocolate makers displaying their beautiful pralines all around you!

So why is it so delicious? Well, the best ingredients are used and the traditional techniques still prevail. Most belgian chocolates are made by hand in small workshops, by people who love their job and are very proud of their specialties. They receive their chocolate paste still warm and liquid in heated tanker truck and not in solid cold paste like in other countries. This way, it keeps its original flavor longer.

Why is it different? Well, Belgian chocolate became internationally known thanks to the invention of   “pralines” (not the same as the sweet treats found in the States). This technique was invented in 1912 by Jean Neuhaus, a swiss man who had moved to Brussels. Praline-making consists in moulding a cold chocolate shell that can then be filled with any flavored chocolate or other ingredients (nougat, creams..). Neuhaus were also the first to use “ballotins”, the chic box to carefully wrap pralines.

Our favorite Belgian chocolate?

Pralines

• Neuhaus -   The original Boutique in Galleries de la Reine in Brussels.
• Leonidas - check here to order some from the States
• And many small chocolatier like Bouvier, in Anseremme near Dinant.

Chocolate bars

• Galler, made in Namur.  Check here to order some in the USA

For tours of Belgium including chocolate tasting and praline-making demonstration, check www.frenchescapade.com (50% off on August trip to Belgium).

The video below is a praline-making demonstration from Planète Chocolat.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WflQgQ7NV9g

                                                                               Views of Cannes and Festival Award

From May 13 to 24, international film stars will take over the glamorous Mediterranean resort  where they will meet in the prestigious Palais du Festival but mainly in lavish parties in the luxurious hotels .

It all started in 1946, and the first selection included Billy Wilder’s “Lost Weekend”, David Lean’s “Brief Encounter”, Roberto Rossellini’s “Rome Open City”, George Cukor’s “Gaslight”, Walt Disney’s “Make Mine Music”, Alfred Hitchcock’s “Notorious”, and Jean Cocteau’s “Beauty and the Beast”.

This year’s  jury will be headed by French actress Isabelle Huppert, only the 4th woman to hold the presidency for over 6 decades.

                                           Isabelle Huppert holding the Cannes Festival Palm Award

Here is the official selection of the movies in competition:

• “A prophet”, France, Jacques Audiard
• “Agora”, Spain, Alejandro Amenabar
• “Antichrist”, Sweden/ Denmark/ France / Italy, Lars Von Trier
• “Bright Stars”, Australia, Jane Campion
• “Broken Embrace”, Spain, Pedro Almodovar
• “Enter the void”, France, Gaspar Noe
• “Face”, France/ Taiwan/ Netherlands/  Belgium, Tsai Ming-liang
• “Fishtank”, UK/ Netherlands, Andrea Arnold
• “In the beginning”, France, Xavier Giannoli
• “Inglorious Basterds”, USA, Quentin Tarantino
• “Kinatay”, Philippines, Brillante Mendoza
• “Les herbes folles”, France/ Italy, Alain Resnais
• “Looking for Eric”, UK/ France/ Belgium/ Italy, Ken Loach
• “Maps of the sound of Tokyo”, Spain, Isabel Coixet
• “Spring Fever”, China/ France, Lou Ye
• “Taking Woodstock”, USA, Ang Lee
• “The times that remains”, Israel/ France/ Belgium/ Italy, Elia Suleiman
• “The whit ribbon”, Germany/ Austria/ France, Michael Haneke
• “Thirst”, South Korea, Park Chan-Wook
• “Vengeance”, Hong Kong France/ USA, Johnnie To
• “Vincere’, Italy / France, Marco Bellochio

Pixar 3-D movie UP will open the festival on May 13th, an unusual event as it will be the first time an animated movie will be shown for the opening. The results will be anounced in the evening of May 24th.

Video introducing the 2009 festival/ Film samples /In French with some English

Yes, for sure, it will be Annecy that will be the French candidate city for the 2018 Winter Olympics. It was decided on Wednesday, March 18th.

There were 4 to compete for the nomination: Nice, Grenoble, Pelvoux and Annecy. All of them located in the French Alps.

Annecy is an amazing city nested in the heart of the Alps, by a very romantic lake, and has wonderfully preserved its old town with meandering canals and a hilltop  medieval castle. Nicknamed the Venice of the Alps , its charms are endless, especially on market days when farmers come down from  surrounding villages to sell their huge wheels of cheese or flavoured salami.

The Winter Olympics were organized for the first time ever in Chamonix,France, in 1924. Grenoble was the second French city in the Alps to get that honour in 1968, and Albertville  was the last  in 1992.

But we will have to wait until July 2011 to find out if Annecy is selected by the international Olympic committee, which is to meet in Durban, South Africa. France will have to face tough competitors such as  Munich (Germany) and Pyeongchang (South Korea).

Meanwhile, you can always enjoy a French Escapade in the French Alps to discover the traditions and culture of this Alpine part of France, and visit Annecy and Chamonix (see La Belle France tours on www.frenchescapade.com)

Useful links (click title to access site):

• Tours in small groups of 8 in the French Alps
• facebook group

“Annecy for 2018 Winter Olympics”

Videos related to this post (click on title):

• Savoie- Montblanc ski resort ambiance
• official video for Annecy 2018

Pictures by French Escapade or guests (Cheese by Jan Hagan)

                                       San Francisco skyline and Bay Bridge  from Treasure Island

Before 1776

The Ohlone Indians had settled on the coast between Big Sur and the San Francsico bay where they could  take advantages of the geography and the mild climate of the area: the fog that temperates the forests, the fresh and salty water mix that diversifies the water fauna and flora and the fact that the isthmus was narrow and therefore protected them from intrusion.

Many European explorators had indeed sailed by it without seeing it in the 16th century. Sir Francis Drake was to land at Point Reyes instead. In 1769, it was Gaspar de la Portola who first mentioned the bay, which was settled by a handful of Europeans in 1776.

1848 -1951

The Gold Rush fostered a demographic explosion of the city (from 1,000 to 25, 000 people over a year). Even though some newcomers arrived by land, most came by boat and many ships did the journey around the Cape Horn or from Panama. Theses 49ers would land in the Yerba Buena cove, and stay there because both passengers and crew would leave the vessels to reach the Sierras in search of Gold. The bay was soon packed with deserted boats : in the summer of 1850, it was recorded that 500 ships were anchored in the cove.                                

Many of these abandoned ships were then used as shops, saloons, hotels or abodes; some buildings were also erected in between on piles. Other vessels were broken apart and the wood and metal used to build houses. The city passed many extension bills to turn the floating city into land; as a result, the whole area was filled with sand and by the end of the 60s, the area almost looked like any other districts. However, many houses were built on ship decks and you just needed to visit the cellars  to find out! A seawall was constructed around the new area and is approximately the limit of the Embarcadero boardwalk. North Beach was not a beach anymore!

Old and recent excavations or construction works have unearthed some of these historical ships, the most famous one being the Niantic, excavated in 1977 (part of it buried under the Transamerica Pyramid).

                                                                        Golden Gate bridge

Fishermen on the wharf

When the Gold Rush started to decline, Californians turned to fishing. The salmon was an important trade as well as crab. A large Chinese community arrived and developed  an important fishery by the bay, and would sent back to China dry fish, shrimps  and shellfish. In the 1860s, Italians immigrants settled in the Norhth Beach district. The first wharf dedicated to fishing was built in 1884. However in the 20th century, pollution struck the fishing industry hard , especially regarding oysters and salmon. In the 30s, the sardine fishing industry boomed, and continued until the early 50s.

                                                            Oysters served in San Francisco

The fishing industry today

The fishing activity includes fish processing located on Pier 45. San Francisco is regarded as the fish capital of the West coast: the most important sport fishing is salmon catching, but it is now limited due to a lack of fish returning to spawn new generations. The famous dungeness crabs are still caught by the San Francisco fishermen.

                                                               Californian fishermen’s cabin

More services today                                                                                                             

The port of San Francisco stretches over 7.5 miles along the bay and offers  cargo services, a cruise dock, a fisherman’s wharf for commercial and sport fishing,   and many passenger ferry services to Alcatraz, Sausalito and Oakland.  The  cruise industry welcomes 200,000 passengers every year mainly sailing to Alaska and Mexico.

Useful links (click on title):

• Tours of San Francisco
• history of the port of San Francisco
• burried ships in SF
• port of San Francisco

                                                    On a tour of San Francisco : view of the piers

Video links (click on title):

• The Queen Mary II enters the San Francisco Bay
• San Francisco Port of Gold
• Salmon fishing in 1928 in San Francisco

This year was a very special year for the new Michelin guide, as it was its 100th edition. The first one was issued in 1900 (no issues during the 2 World Wars and in 1921) as a promotional brochure for the Michelin tires) and it is therefore the oldest European gastronomy guide. In the first editions it only mentioned addresses of car mechanics. The first restaurants  only appeared in 1920. It is now a prestigious hotel and restaurant guide covering over 20 countries and published in several languages. Over 30 millions guides were sold over all. Many city guides are now also published, Tokyo being the city with the most starred restaurants.

This year’s  edition can also be purchased in a collector box or on your i-Phone. This year’s edition only added one  new 3-star restaurant among the 548 happy few to receive stars, and of course, others have lost the prestigious award.

Too much pressure?

Many chefs have recently quit the painful race   because of  overwhelming  pressure. Celebrated chef Marc Veyrat who received 3 stars for his restaurant “l’Auberge de l’Eridan” by the Annecy lake in Veyrier-du-Lac (French Alps), declined his nomination this year. A few months ago, chef Olivier Roellinger even closed his 3-star restaurant, “Maison de Bricourt” in Cancale, Brittany. These are just a few examples that show the infernal moral and physical tension bearing on these top professionals whose business highly depends on the red  guide to succeed or not. When chef Bernard Loiseau committed suicide in 2003, some said it could be related to the rumour that he was about to lose one of his 3 stars.

Another criticism consists in tagging the guide of conservatism and of favoring traditional cuisine. For the fans of the guide, however, the biggest problems will be to manage to make a reservation in one of these starred restaurants. Indeed, the 548 awarded establishments attract gourmet clients from all over the world and are difficult to access.

Our selection among the new establishments in the 2009 edition:

*** star restaurants = 26 restaurants in this category (only  1  new one)

• Chef Eric Frechon , “Le Bristol”, Paris 8eme.

** star restaurants: 73 restaurants (9 new ones)

• Chef Gordon Ramsay, “Le Trianon”, Versailles.

* star restaurant:   449 restaurants (63 new ones )

• Chef Cedric Bedache, “Auberge Basque”, Helbarron (Pyrénése Atlantiques)

+ 527 bib gourmands = good value for money (meals under $45).

Clickable useful links:

• Michelin Guide and routes
• To buy the 2009 Michelin Guide / France
• Gastronomic and cooking tours in France

Videos:

• Eric Frechon in the Bristol cuisine, about his 3rd star.
• Gordon Ramsay, the chef who does not know about politically-correct !

The winners: Eric Frechon, Gordon Ramsay and the Auberge Basque team.

February is the month of parades and carnivals in France and Belgium. France can brag about Nice that hosts the most elaborated parade of floats on the French Riviera. But Belgium offers the most animated festivities for the lucky visitors who will attend the craziest carnival parades.

In Binche, Province of Hainaut, from Feb. 22 to 24, the most famous Belgian Carnival will attract thousands of people. The Gilles giants will parade in the streets, throwing oranges,  with drums resounding all around them. Fireworks will end the days, on Monday and Tuesday.

But who are the Gilles? They are the local Carnival characters, and have been around since the 14th century. They are impressive by their height and typical costume stuffed with hay and decorated with jingle bells around their waist. Their feathered headdress is 4 feet tall and can weigh 7 pounds. The costumes matching the colors of the Belgian flag (black, red and yellow) are new every year.

Eight hundred Gilles are walking every year in the Binche parade, and this event has been  listed on the  Unesco Heritage list, since 2003, as an ” oral and intangible patrimony of humanity”.

The Binche carnival is serious merrymaking and pageantry at its finest.

Videos

• Band playing in the streets
• Giants throwing oranges
• Street party at night

Links

• official website of the Binche Carnival
• Travel : Tours in Belgium

Everybody has made plans by now: whether they will spend Christmas with Auntie Paulette or with Mom and Dad, with friends or strangers, whether they will celebrate this special day in a  cold snowy resort of the Alps or in a family home by the Mediterranean Sea, they are set.

Four great feasts  will take place during the French  holiday:  one on Christmas Eve , one on Christmas  Day, one on New Year’s Eve and one on New Year’s Day ! You can imagine that it will be  a big challenge for all French livers !!!!

On Christmas Eve, or Réveillon de Noël, people generally meet with their family and first have an apéritif: Champagne and a lot of appetizers. Then, around 9pm, they start to eat and some of them leave the table just before midnight to go to the local midnight mass. Most french people are not observant catholic but they go to church to perpetuate the tradition They go to bed  around 1am, and still have to get up early for the next day lunch that will start around 12pm and end around 4pm, all these dinners being formal seated dinners of course.

On New Year’s Eve, it starts all over again, but a lot of people choose to gather with friends or  join a huge party with unknown people in a restaurant or a club.  Dinner is followed by a long dancing party. People stay up late, until around 3 pm and often show up with sleepy eyes or a hangover  for the next day lunch, that will start again around 12pm.

By now, everybody has  planned what food will be served and what wine will perfectly match these special meals. So let’s find out what is on the grocery list for these 4 important meals.

Even though the late dinners are slightly smaller than the luncheons (which last about 4 hours), all these 4 meals consist of one per category of  the following traditional dishes:

• Oysters on the shell / Seafood / Foie gras / snails / smoked salmon
• Lobster  / scallop gratin / calf sweetbreads / bouchées à la reine 
• Roast Capon / Beef Roast / goose / turkey / boudin blanc with trufles
• green beans / mushrooms / chesnut / a potato dish
• A huge cheese board
• the Yule log (the traditional pastry or ice cream shaped in a log)

If you live near L.A., you can also celebrate Christmas the French way. Check this restaurant menu , and if you do not look at the restaurant opening hours, you could think it is in France  http://www.lepetitchateau.org/events.html#

Picture credits:

1. Capon from http://www.foodavenue.fr/

2. Snails from Valerie, our chef on the tours to France with French Escapade

3. Yule log from http://venezmangerchezlaura.centerblog.net/5.html