NovemberJanuary 2013 2012 $4$49595

TODAYThe Magazine of French Travel and Culture

The New -Lens Volcano Skiing in Auvergne A Young Designer Flying High VolumeVolume 26, 28, nO.. 111 www.francetoday.comwww.francetoday.com Jura Wines on

the Upswing Inside:

2013 Travel Study Guide Journey into the Wild World of Blue with Magellan Gin Handcrafted using fresh, exotic botanicals from around the globe, in the spirit of Magellan’s travels. Distilled four times, Magellan Gin is infused with the iris root and flower, giving it its true blue hue and crisp taste. Our fresh distillation method offers a refreshingly smooth gin of clean, balanced character, unmatched in the world.

Magellan Gin © 2013 is 100% grain neutral spirit, 44% alc / vol (88 proof), Imported by Crillon Importers Ltd, Paramus NJ Contents january 2013

4 CALENDAR 17 Skiing theVolcano What’s On & What’s Up Schussing Down Craters in the Auvergne 6 FAVORITE TABLES A Restaurant Roundup 21 WINE & SPIRITS by France Today On the Upswing: Contributors Wines of the Jura 10 The Ciel de restaurant

8 BOUTIQUE BEAT 25 FRENCH KITCHEN A Cheeky Proposition 10 DESIGN NOW Design Star 27 FILM PICKS Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance Top Five French Action Movies 12 ROOM SERVICE Marseille Mama! 28 RENCONTRE The New Mama Film Director Shelter Hotel Jacques Audiard

13 The New Louvre-Lens 30 TRAVEL STUDY GUIDE The Louvre’s New “Wing” in Northern France 39 LE MARCHÉ & CLASSIFIEDS

4 Vase, c. 530 BC, at the Cluny Museum, Paris

17 Le Mont Dore in Auvergne 28 Director Jacques Audiard and actress Marion Cotillard

Journey into the Wild World of Blue with Magellan Gin Handcrafted using fresh, exotic botanicals from around the globe, in the spirit of Magellan’s travels. Distilled four times, Magellan Gin is infused with the iris root and flower, giving it its true blue hue and crisp taste. Our fresh distillation method offers a refreshingly smooth gin of clean, balanced character, unmatched in the world. Mont Dore © OT Sancy; Ciel de Paris © Vincent Leroux-Temps Machine; vase © London, British Museum, Greece and Rome; Audiard © Tim Whitby/Getty Images for BFI Images for Whitby/Getty Tim © Audiard British Museum, Greece and Rome; © London, vase Machine; Leroux-Temps Vincent © Sancy; Ciel de Paris Mont Dore © OT

w w w . francetoday . c o m l j a n u a ry 2013 l f r a n c e t o d a y l 3

Magellan Gin © 2013 is 100% grain neutral spirit, 44% alc / vol (88 proof), Imported by Crillon Importers Ltd, Paramus NJ TODAY France Calendar TODAY The Magazine of French Travel and Culture & Publisher Louis F. Kyle What’s On What’s Up

Editor-in-Chief Judy Fayard FOR YOUR NEXT TRIP TO FRANCE Associate Editor/Web Manager Vivian Thomas Editorial Assistant Claire Senard Art Direction Joey Rigg Contributors Julien Bisson, Andrea Bolitho, Lanie Goodman, Jeffrey T. Iverson, Jennifer Ladonne, Susan Herrmann Loomis, Jean Bond Rafferty, Thirza Vallois, Ellen Wallace Travel Study Guide: C.C. Glenn, Richelle Harrison Plesse, Kaylen Baker Consulting Photographers Bob Peterson, Guy Marineau, James O'Mara Copy Editing & Translation Martha Fay, Elizabeth Bell, Wendy Taylor Marketing and Digital Coordinator C.C. Glenn, [email protected] Subscription Fulfillment Manager Ahjin Kim, 646.792.2157 [email protected] Advertising Katie Fuller, 646.792.2148 [email protected] Hall of the Château de Ferrières, c.1860, by Eugène Lami, in the Rothschild exhibit at the BNF, Paris Classifieds C.C. Glenn, [email protected] Subscribe to France Today PARIS Displayed in the ruins of 2nd/3rd Call: 800.901.6560 or log on to www.francetoday.com Les Mille et Une Nuits century Roman baths beneath the $45/one year in the U.S. $80/one year outside the U.S. More than 300 paintings, 15th-century Parisian mansion To subscribe, renew your subscription, submit change drawings, manuscripts and that houses the museum, some of address or report missing issues, contact: Sneek Hesmerg, Erik - photo Netherlands The Rotterdam, Wereldmuseum © 2012 Moses Collection; © Private Rothschild France Today Subscription Services: illuminations, books, photos, 250 examples of the games of 1 West Street, Ste 100, New York, NY 10004, film clips, costumes and chance and strategy that were part Tel 800.901.6560, [email protected]. Major credit cards accepted. Allow 6 weeks for first objets d’art illustrate Western of daily life in Greek, Roman and issue to arrive and for change of address. To order back issues and for all other inquiries, contact: interpretations of the celebrated Middle Eastern antiquity and in FrancePress, LLC, 1 West Street, Ste 100, Persian, Arab, Indian and Asian the Middle Ages, including dice, New York, NY 10004, Tel 646.792.2203, tales of The Arabian Nights— chess, checkers, backgammon, Fax 646.792.2144, [email protected] Scheherazade, Sinbad et al. tarot cards and board games. France Today (ISSN #0895-3651) is published monthly except bi-monthly in July-August by Institut du Monde Arabe, 1 rue des Musée de Cluny, 6 pl Paul Painlevé, FrancePress, LLC, 1 West Street, Ste 100, New York, NY Fossés Saint Bernard, 5th, Métro: 5th, Métro: Cluny-La Sorbonne, 10004. Periodical postage paid in New York, and at additional mailing offices. Jussieu, 01.40.51.38.38. 01.53.73.78.16. POSTMASTER: send address changes to France Today, www.imarabe.org www.musee-moyenage.fr 1 West Street, Ste 100, New York, NY 10004 €10.50 Through Apr 28 €8.50 Through Mar 4 Copyright 2012 by FrancePress LLC Moses Hitting King Og, 16th century, at All rights reserved. France Today is a registered trade- the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris mark of FrancePress LLC. Les Rothschild en France Des Fleurs en Hiver: society in Paris—city mansions, au XIXe Siècle Delacroix–Othoniel– This publication may not be reproduced in whole country châteaux, art, music, or part without prior authorization of the publisher. Nearly 200 paintings, drawings, Creten France Today occasionally makes its mailing list philanthropy and power. available to carefully screened companies whose photos, books and manuscripts An exhibit of Delacroix’s little- products and services may be of interest to our documenting the history of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France/ known floral paintings and readers. If you do not wish to receive these mailings, Richelieu, 5 rue Vivienne, 2nd, send instructions along with a copy of your mailing French branch of the Rothschild watercolors, painted mostly label to the address above. Métro: Palais Royal, 01.53.79.59.59. family, starting with the 1812 www.bnf.fr €7 Through Feb 10 toward the end of his life and arrival in Paris of James, one of inspired by his own garden outside Cover: The Galerie du Temps at the Louvre Lens/ Photo©Musée du Louvre-Lens/Philippe Chancel. the five sons of Frankfurt banker Art du Jeu, Jeu dans L’Art, his atelier, his country house in Co-authors Musée du Louvre-Lens:©SANAA/Ka- zuyo Sejima et Ryue Nishizawa-IMREY CULBERT/ Mayer Amschel Rothschild. A de Babylone à l’Occident Champrosay and George Sand’s Celia Imrey et Tim Culbert-MOSBACH PAYSA- Médiéval GISTE/Catherine Mosbach; Muséographe:Studio portrait of newly industrialized, Château de Nohant. Flower- Adrien Gardère grand bourgeois 19th-century The setting couldn’t be better. inspired works by contemporary

4 l f r a n c e t o d a y l j a n u a ry 2013 l w w w . francetoday . c o m Artemis of Versailles, Diana the Huntress with a Doe, 4th century BC, at Versailles

Nice, Black Notebook, 1918, by Henri Matisse, at the Hermitage Foundation in Lausanne

artists Jean-Michel Othoniel and director Pier Luigi Pizzi, Johan Creten offer contrast. assembling for the first time more Musée Eugène Delacroix, 6 rue de than 200 sculptures, paintings, Furstenberg, 6th, Métro: Mabillon, drawings, engravings, tapestries, 01.44.41.86.50. furnishings and objets d’art from www.musee-delacroix.fr former royal collections—all €7 Through Mar 18 Greek or Roman antiquities, 18th-century copies or works Léonard de Vinci, Projets, with ancient mythological Dessins, Machines themes. An exhibit of 40 scale models of Château de Versailles, Place d’Armes, machines designed by Leonardo Versailles, 01.30.83.78.00. all year—exhibitions, concerts, the recurrent motif of windows da Vinci, constructed in the www.chateauversailles.fr theater, dance, circuses, in Western painting, as symbols, 1950s from his extraordinarily €15 Through Mar 17 gastronomic celebrations, sports elements of perspective and clear and precise drawings by events and more. sources of light, from the 15th to PROVINCE Milan’s National Museum of www.mp2013.fr the 20th century, with 150 works Science and Technology. Cool for Marseille-Provence 2013 by Bonnard, Matisse, Mondrian, kids, fascinating for everyone. Capitale Européenne de la SWITZERLAND Vuillard, Vallotton and others. Culture Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie, 30 Fenêtres Fondation de l’Hermitage, 2 route du The city of Marseille, founded ave Corentin Cariou, 19th, Métro: Subtitled “From the Renaissance Signal, Lausanne, +41.21.320.50.01. Porte de la Villette, 01.40.05.70.00. circa 600 BC, together with seven www.fondation-hermitage.ch to Today: Durer, Monet, www.cite-sciences.fr smaller Provençal cities—Aix- 12 Swiss francs Jan 25–May 20 Magritte…”, the exhibit tracks €11 Through Aug 18 en-Provence, Arles, Aubagne, Gardanne, Istres, Martigues ILE-DE-FRANCE AND DON’T FORGET and Salon-de-Provence—is a Paris, Feb 17 Versailles et l’Antique these events and their closing dates: Les Couleurs du Ciel Musée designated European Culture Carnavalet, Feb 24 A spectacular exhibit, designed PARIS Capital for 2013. The festivities Le Cercle de l’Art Moderne Musée du Et l’Homme Créa…le Robot Musée by Italian theater and opera kick off Jan 12–13 and continue Luxembourg, Jan 6 des Arts et Métiers, Mar 3 Raphaël, Les Dernières Années Musée Van Gogh/Hiroshige Pinacothèque de du Louvre, Jan 14 Paris, Mar 17 Bohèmes , Jan 14 Dalí , Mar 25 Canaletto–Guardi Musée Jacquemart- Cheveux Chéris Musée du Quai André, Jan 14 Branly, July 14 L’Impressionnisme et la Mode Musée PROVINCE d’Orsay, Jan 20 Fables du Paysage Flamand Palais des Mary Cassatt à Paris Mona Bismarck Beaux-Arts, Lille, Jan 14 American Center, Jan 20 Babel Palais des Beaux-Arts, Lille, Six Siècles d’Art du Livre Musée des Jan 14 Lettres et Manuscrits, Jan 20 L’Automobile Dans Tous Ses Etats Les Enfants du Paradis Cinémathèque Hôtel des Arts, Toulon, Jan 20 Française, Jan 27 Renaissance Louvre-Lens, Lens, Mar Fleuve Rouge au Mékong, Visions du 11 Viêt Nam Musée Cernuschi, Jan 27 Le Temps des Collections Musée des Edward Hopper Grand Palais, Jan 28 Beaux-Arts, Rouen, May 26 Chypre entre Byzance et l’Occident SWITZERLAND Louvre, Jan 28 Edgar Degas Fondation Beyeler, Basel, Canaletto et Venise Musée Maillol, Jan 27 Medusa 2, in the exhibit Under the Sea, A World... at the Feb 10 Villa Méditerranée, part of Marseille-Provence 2013 L’Art en Guerre, France 1938–1947 For more Calendar events: Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de www.francetoday.com Matisse©photo Reto Pedrini, Zurich©2013, Succession H.Matisse/Hahnloser/Jaeggli-Stiftung, Villa Flora, Winterthur/ ProLitteris, Zurich; Artemis©; RMN-Grand Palais (Musée du Louvre)/Hervé Lewandowski; Medusa 2 © Olivier Ernst

w w w . francetoday . c o m l j a n u a ry 2013 l f r a n c e t o d a y l 5 FavoriteA roundup of top picks by France Ta Today contributorsbles and it’s usually packed with the bobos who populate the neighborhood. The food is definitely less authentic than the traditional Indian fare found in the small canteens clustered around the nearby , but there’s a fine selection of fusion cuisine, mixing classics—curries, tandoori or massala chicken, Punjabi lamb—with such quirky innovative dishes as an Indian burger wrapped in a naan. You might sometimes wish for a heavier hand with the spices, but even the milder sauces are still tasty, especially the one that accompanies the butter chicken. Kudos to the desserts, too, notably the kheer (a rice pudding flavored with cardamom) and the kulfi (a dairy dessert served with almonds and mango). The tab is quite reasonable for such a sophisticated spot, and for diners in the front, it includes the pleasure of contemplating the view of the canal from the comfort of the leather club chairs. 90 quai de Jemmapes, 10th, 01.42.03.57.20. €25. Wines start at €24. Chef Patrice Gelbart at Youpi & Voilà —Julien Bisson Paris Paris atmosphere where diners can enjoy one of Truly old favorite Time for pleasure sommelier Jean-Philippe Morice’s selection It’s no wonder Woody Allen used Polidor as Opened last spring, Youpi & Voilà is just one of excellent natural wines while savoring one of the locations for his time-travel fantasy, of many neo-bistrots and wannabes that have four courses of instinctive, incisive cooking. Midnight in Paris. Stepping through the door recently popped up on the Paris scene, but it A few examples: lightly pickled mackerel is stepping back in time. Founded in 1845 as stands out from the crowd with its genuine fillet with fresh horseradish; pumpkin soup, a crémerie—its full name remains Crémerie southwest-style conviviality. In recent years, raw foie gras and mushrooms; scallops with Restaurant Polidor—selling dairy products French restaurant guides from Gault&Millau Jerusalem artichoke emulsion and botargo, or and the occasional omelet, it had become to Omnivore have raved about self-taught chef poutargue (Mediterranean cured fish roe); and a full-fledged restaurant by the end of the Patrice Gelbart and his village restaurant near Limousin beef with celeriac purée, anchovy 19th century. Little has changed since then: Toulouse, Aux Berges du Cérou, where he and fresh walnuts. For dessert? Black radish a golden glow from glass-shaded lamps shines served a cuisine based on artfully elevated “rice pudding style” with chicory ice cream. on burnished wood paneling, mirrored walls farm-direct produce. In moving to Paris he 8 rue Vicq d’Azir, 10th, 01.83.89.12.63. are scrawled with the wine of the month, a brought along his grandmother’s wooden www.youpietvoila.fr. Lunch €20/€25, fixed blackboard announces that the restaurant no table and a philosophy involving what he calls price 4-course dinner €38. Wines start at €25 longer accepts checks or credit cards “since la cuisine philanthropique. —Jeffrey T. Iverson 1845”, and the rows of little wooden boxes “It’s about preserving small farmers and a on the back wall once held the serviettes of diversity of flavors,” he says. “It’s working with Paris regular clients. products that have a face behind them, and And an illustrious lot they were: Boris Vian, having the fairest prices possible.” Gelbart can Cool fusion Jean Jaurès, Verlaine, Rimbaud, Hemingway, tell stories about the men and women who You might be fooled by its old-fashioned Joyce, Gide, Ernst, Valéry, all frequented produce every herb, fish or wine he serves— Gallic name and its neo-bistrot decor, but Polidor for the simple, satisfying dishes it still and there’s time to listen to them. In a city Marcel is really a Franco-Indian fusion offers today: pumpkin or lentil soup, confit de all too rapidly forsaking its own tradition of restaurant. Opened two years ago on the left canard, pintade with cabbage, tarte Tatin. dining pleasure, with restaurants packing in bank of the Canal Saint Martin, amid the Service is brisk and no-nonsense, and diners elbow to elbow before rushing them trendy cafés and boutiques, it can be spotted you’ll be seated at long tables with other out the door to make room for a second from afar thanks to the big industrial glass clients (great for solo diners), but the food service, Gelbart serves only single sittings windows of its facade. Inside, there’s no faux is good, sometimes even excellent—a recent P. Charlier © Gérard Photo for both lunch and dinner. Indian kitsch to be found, just a cool, classy dinner included succulent, perfectly cooked “Parisian life is hectic enough already,” he contemporary interior with wood paneling, coquilles Saint Jacques. And with prices says. “You don’t need that when you go out to colonial-style tables, leather club chairs, starting at €4 for entrées (oeufs mayonnaise), eat, too.” He may seem a bit gruff at first, but oriental rugs and a big black-and-white bar. €11 for main dishes (boeuf bourguignon), and Gelbart and his team strive to create a relaxed The subdued lighting adds a romantic touch, €4 for desserts (baba au rhum), it’s as great a

6 l f r a n c e t o d a y l j a n u a ry 2013 l w w w . francetoday . c o m The back room at Marcel

bargain for today’s traveler as it was for garret- amazing atmosphere of Les Halles—a food- in the eating, and we ate, and approved. We dwellers of the past. And it’s open daily, for lovers’ paradise with the best of just about went right back two weeks later with the next lunch and dinner, every day of the year. It’s everything from fish to fromage and oysters batch of visitors. n certainly not inventive contemporary cuisine, to olives on sale. 102 cours Lafayette, Lyon, 04.78.60.15.98. but it’s a charming, almost magical, piece of That particular day we all ordered the plat Lunch menu €16.50 (without truffles); à la Paris history. du jour—chicken with a morel sauce and carte €70. Wines start at €19 41 rue Monsieur le Prince, 6th. 01.43.26.95.34. potato gratin. The chicken was tender and —Andrea Bolitho Menus €25/€35. Wines start at €16. No credit the sauce was creamy, rich, with just enough Alexander Lobrano is on temporary leave cards. —Vivian Thomas morels to give it that earthy taste without from his regular A La Carte column to finish becoming overpowering. Desserts were Lyon his forthcoming book, Hungry for France, to either a simple fromage blanc with cream or be published by Rizzoli next fall. a decidedly more decadent chocolate fondant, Lunchtime fun crusty on the outside with a perfect melting For all our restaurant reviews see Lyon’s central Les Halles de Lyon-Paul Bocuse middle. They say the proof of the pudding is www.francetoday.com is the largest covered market in France, and it’s not just for buying food, wine and other provisions. It’s also home to several restaurants. One favorite is Passionnément Polidor Truffes, a small restaurant-plus-gourmet- grocery-shop at the Cours Lafayette end, which serves the best chicken I have tasted in years. As its name suggests, the specialty is truffles, which are served in a variety of ways, including truffle-based risotto, pastas and beef filet with truffle sauce, and some of them can be very expensive indeed, for example, brouillade de truffes (scrambled eggs with truffles) at €68. But there is a set two-course lunchtime menu—without truffles—that is both delicious and good value. On the Sunday I took some family guests from Britain there, the restaurant was packed; there were no seats inside but the waiter rustled up a few tables for us, complete with bar stools, just outside, in the corridor. Initially we were skeptical, but it didn’t take long for us to realize we had possibly the best seats in the house: we really felt part of the market, able to watch shoppers

Marcel © Gérard Charlier; P. Polidor DR selecting their lobsters and basking in the

w w w . francetoday . c o m l j a n u a ry 2013 l f r a n c e t o d a y l 7 BOUTIQUE BEAT In The News by Jennifer Ladonne

The new perfume boutique Nose

ith zillions of perfume brands spice, floral, citrus, musk and others—and came up out there, who has the time, or with five recommendations from the shop’s 50 niche the stamina, to make the switch fragrances, which he sprayed onto smelling strips for from the old tried-and-true to my approval. Customers rate each recommendation something newer, bolder or according to preference—and if you still haven’t more expressive of who we are now? The partners hit aromatic gold the specialist will make further Dress from the W recommendations until you do. The basic process behind Nose, Paris’s new fragrance concept store, new Repetto takes about 25 minutes, but clients are welcome to collection set out to tackle the dilemma with a personalized

spend all the additional time they need to browse, Davidson © Eric-Ray Labo Nose; Courtesy shop perfume Repetto; Courtesy Dress service designed to identify your ideal aroma. The sniff or take a walk around the block while a perfume bright, 2,000-square-foot loft space is a develops on the skin. According to Cloutier, some world away from hectic department store 20,000 people have been “diagnosed” since the counters. Cozy up to the zinc bar for a boutique opened last June, both in-store and via complimentary cup of coffee, tea the online service, where samples of your top five or mineral water while a friendly fragrances can be ordered for 3€ each. bilingual specialist takes you through Nose also carries top-of-the-line and hard-to-find a seven-step diagnostic to deter- body lotions and bath gels, candles by Cire Trudon, mine your olfactive profile. Mine fragrant laundry soaps by The Laundress and a cosmetic serum called Oh My Cold, by Codage, to was done by Nicolas Cloutier, one of soothe winter-ravaged faces. Fans can keep up with Nose’s several partners who spent in-store events and new products via the monthly nearly three years compiling a vast noseletter. 20 rue Bachaumont, 2nd, 01.40.26.46.03. database of nearly every fragrance on www.nose.fr the market. By analyzing my three most recent Simply sexy Le Labo fragrances favorite perfumes Cloutier identified In a picturesque corner of Saint Germain des Prés, the my preferred notes—a hierarchy of minuscule rue Bourbon-le-Château is undergoing a

8 l f r a n c e t o d a y l j a n u a ry 2013 l w w w . francetoday . c o m Silk and cashmere scarves at Iki Galerie Le Labo and can be dressed up or down. The flowing skirts come in four lengths, mid-thigh to mid- calf. A long-sleeved, meticulously constructed cardigan called Esprit Corset fastens up the front with real corset hooks. It’s a timeless wardrobe, with pieces that will never go out of style. 22 rue de la Paix, 2nd, 01.44.71.83.12; 51 rue des Francs Bourgeois, 4th, 01.70.79.89.37; 51 rue du Four, 6th, 01.45.44.98.65 and others, also department stores. www.repetto.fr n For more of the best French boutiques and shopping: www.francetoday.com

quiet renaissance, with a handful of beautiful The ten basic scents have also been Bright coral is one new shops including the recently opened Le incorporated into shower gels, massage oils of seven colors in Labo. and body lotions, with packaging that can be the new Garde- Part laboratory, part parfumerie, Le personalized for gift-giving. Six luscious soy- Robe collection by Repetto Labo’s no-nonsense approach to fragrance based candles—with their own fragrances, is a breath of fresh, delectably scented air. different from the perfumes—burn for up to Like many newer niche perfumers, Le Labo 70 hours (Figue 15 is sublime). There’s also positions itself as an alternative to the high- scented laundry soap and a sturdy carryall pressure and overtly commercial circus like those used by the rose harvesters in the that is today’s perfume industry. No glossy fields of the southern French perfume capital packaging or sex-fueled ad fantasies here, Grasse. Perfume prices start at €45, candles just ten straightforward fragrances “lovingly are €57, lotions and massage oils €50. 6 rue formulated by hand”, with names that mean Bourbon-le-Château, 6th, 01.46.34.37.65. what they say. Rose 31, for example, has rose www.lelabofragrances.com as its primary natural essence and uses a total of 31 elements to build the final composition. Classic grace But simplicity does not mean they lack sex French dancewear giant Repetto’s breakout appeal. Formulated by some of the world’s mainstream success with its celebrated ballet foremost noses, and designed to be worn by flats led to an expanded footwear and handbag both men and women, the perfumes range line, introduced late last year, followed very from the smoky and provocative—Labdanum quickly by its first ready-to-wear collection, 18—to the voluptuously floral Jasmin 17. La Garde-Robe Repetto (Repetto’s wardrobe, Each of Le Labo’s principal boutiques—New or closet) launched in Paris in December. York, London, Tokyo, Paris, Los Angeles— But in seeking a larger audience the has its own exclusive fragrance, unavailable company clearly has no intention of straying anywhere else. For Paris it’s Vanilla 44 that too far from the ballet theme. The new line you’ll have to travel to try. capitalizes on Repetto’s long expertise with Dress Courtesy Repetto; Labo © Eric-Ray Davidson dance apparel, whose defining features are construction, ease of movement and Compounding a fragrance at Le Labo gracefulness. Each of the 19 pieces in the ultrafeminine new Garde-Robe collection looks as if it could go twirling right off the stage and into the street, or vice versa. Handmade in France or Italy, the collection’s six dress styles, five skirts and eight tops are offered in seven colors ranging from the classic powder pink, black and rose chausson—that indefinable rosy-beige color of new ballet slippers—with touches of ecru, lilac, coral and silver. Versatile and classic, the pieces are easy to mix and match and go brilliantly with jeans or tailored suits. The basic tops are form- fitting but designed for maximum comfort,

w w w . francetoday . c o m l j a n u a ry 2013 l f r a n c e t o d a y l 9 Design Now Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance Jeffer- by Jean Bond Rafferty oung French designer Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance is fly- ing high. In 2012, he imagined son in such lofty perches as Megu, the new Japanese restaurant in the Alpina Gstaad hotel, and the Ciel Yde Paris bar, the pinnacle of Parisian panoramas Paris on the 56th floor of the Tour . His latest is three-star chef Yannick Alléno’s epicu- rean summit, the Yquem Private Dining Room at Paris’s Hôtel Meurice. In all three, alluring curves and warm, natural materials delight the eye and soothe at TGV-speed, explained what’s behind his three or four years on it, but I never had a real the senses. His head-turning furniture designs idea of design. title, and the plan was catastrophic. In the end, include the Manta desk for Ceccotti, an airy it turned out alright. And I realized I wanted structure with the elegance and sleek lines of What is the role of design in the world to create my own company—Neonata— and a vintage racing yacht; Calla, a seductive and today? be alone with my computer. I started doing sinuous leather-and-wool-upholstered chair Function is fundamental. Industrial designers furniture for Ceccotti, and that led to the for Zanotta; and the polished ergonomics must follow the advances in the rail, aeronautic Alain Senderens restaurant in 2005. But it of the Corvo armchair for American or electronic fields. But in furniture design, was when I was named designer of the year manufacturer Bernhardt Design—a complex the first thing that starts me off is the poetic for Maison&Objet in 2007 that it all really industrial tour de force based on the tension dimension. The chair has not really evolved in a took off. between different thicknesses of wood, all hundred years. Yes, there are spectacular chairs, assembled by hand. but there has not been a real revolution. Do you see a difference between design and Tracked down in art, or between design and sculpture, since his off-the-beaten- Is there a style or school of French design with your father is a sculptor and you studied track studio in an characteristics in common? metal sculpture as well as furniture design? unmarked passage What we have in common is that we all The difference is fundamental. Design is near the Bastille, have very developed egos, and we all have linked to reproduction, mass production. Art the soft-spoken, an individual desire to do something away is the unique piece, and that is what creates 38-ye ar-old from a collective movement, contrary to the its value. A designer is obliged to make things designer, whose English and Dutch. We don’t have a school, that function, and he isn’t about to make a words whizz but we have a real, anchored tradition in the €100,000 mold to produce one or two objects. decorative arts. We don’t have a contemporary Design is a vocation in which you are happy furniture design industry like the Italians, to have commercial success. An artist doesn’t but that gives us more liberty to imagine, need his work to tell a story; a designer expects to dream. his objects to speak for him, and it must be in a language everyone can understand. You had success very early with the celebrity restaurant Sketch in London in 2002. Did Yet there seems a real sculptural link to your that change everything? design, and you do describe your furniture Not for me. Just recently I met someone as being on the brink of abstraction. The Bamby chair for Marcel By who thought Marc Newson and Ron Arad Yes, my Manta furniture is like a functional had created the space. In fact, Arad did a sculpture. I used to have a large desk full of desk for the entrance and Newson did the objects everywhere—it was real chaos. But with food trolleys. Two other architects and I the Manta desk, everything can be organized in

did 80 or 90 percent of it. I worked for an hour. Things almost arrange themselves. Portrait © Virgil Jubero; Bamby © Théo Baulig

10 l f r a n c e t o d a y l j a n u a ry 2013 l w w w . francetoday . c o m Ciel de Paris The Calla chair for Zanotta

The elegant and sleek Manta desk for Ceccotti

For me, the eye caresses each object before of Tuscan hills at sunset and the sun setting My parents were always respectful and the hand does. After clothing, furniture is on the sea. attentive to nature and the environment. I the second thing that interacts directly with learned to respect those things, and look at Ciel de Paris © Vincent Leroux-Temps Machine; Calla chair for Zanotta Courtesy Silvera; Manta © Riccardo Bianchi © Riccardo Manta Silvera; Courtesy Zanotta for chair Calla Machine; Leroux-Temps © Vincent Paris de Ciel the body, and you can have a sensory relation Haven’t you always used a lot of natural them differently. I spent years walking on the with it. I’m inspired by nature, not necessarily materials like wood and leather? beach, diving and looking. Now, to hold onto in the exact form—making a wooden Yes, but now I also adore Corian, and Soft that, I go back to the sea when I can. chair leg in the shape of a tree branch, for Touch paint that looks like velvet. I used it I’m nourished by my childhood—the sea, example—but in a more general way, so that for my Naturoscopie exhibition at Galerie BSL the rocks, the horizon, the life of Brittany— like a tree with a superb bark you will want [in Paris]. For that I didn’t work with natural not always precise moments, but diffuse to touch it. elements, but with materials that responded emotions, like a perfume. best to the emotion I was trying to translate. Sometimes I do a project without knowing Doesn’t your Borghese banquette quite For example, I used carbon covered with a what’s behind it and sometimes there is a literally reflect nature? Soft Touch paint to make a velvety contrast direct connection—but both come from The Borghese banquette is very figurative, with the honeycomb aluminum of leather- the long-term memory anchored in your with a dose of abstraction. The back is a metal covered shelves. They were inspired by the unconsciousness. It’s something older, network of branches that supports cushion kind of molecular structures you see under a something you know, and that I can find forms inspired by the parasol pines of the microscope, in a cell or a slice of wood. sometimes when I am drawing. Villa Borghese in Rome. I always like to design things from both Your 2008 Marée Noire au Clair de Lune (Oil You draw everything by hand. Is there sides, front and back. I’ve never understood Slick in Moonlight) show at Pierre Bergé’s something emotional in the paper, the someone who says it’s all right to push the Brussels gallery was an unusual tribute to pencil? bed against the wall and not see the back. I nature. Completely, I need the dimension you get think the Buonanotte Valentina bed I did There was a black platform with big waves, when you’re working by hand. You don’t have for Ceccotti is the most interesting when it’s as if it had been extracted from the sea. My the same emotion in front of a computer. n viewed from behind—the curved back made grandfather was a professor of soil science—as of wooden slats was inspired by the horizon a child, I used to make core borings for him. For more on Design: www.francetoday.com

w w w . francetoday . c o m l j a n u a ry 2013 l f r a n c e t o d a y l 11 room service ● Marseille Mama! ucked away in a quiet residen- tial neighborhood, Marseille’s latest two-star boutique hotel might be mistaken for a mod- ern office building. But right insideT the door of Mama Shelter, the discreet The restaurant throb of electro music and sculptured silver octopi atop glass cases of edgy gift items tell a very different story. The new southern sister One of the 127 bedrooms of Paris’s wildly successful, low-cost Mama and suites Shelter has an identity all its own, dreamed up by the same founders: Serge Trigano (of Club Med fame), urbanist philosopher Cyril Aouizerate, and designer Philippe Starck. Call it resolutely regional: you can bone up on your Marseillais slang in the elevator, wallpapered with local dictionary terms (agassins, balletti, cagnard) or sample 40 kinds of pastis (pastaga) at the sun-drenched patio bar. The 127 rooms are all luminous and deeply comfortable, whether you choose the most affordable cozy attic rooms or the spacious family suite with a foldout sofa. Along with stylish beds, thick duvets, glowing headboards, scribbly-print linoleum floors, and fragrant Kiehl’s products in the shower-only bathrooms, other fun amenities abound, from superhero masks draped on the light fixtures to large iMac TV screens, Wi-Fi, internet maps, free films and a device for shooting in-room photos to make your friends envious. The long steel bar has colorful kiddie inner tubes strung overhead; in the convivial restaurant and music lounge, the menu planned by chef Alain Senderens offers tasty comfort food classics and Mediterranean dishes including fried squid, crusted cod and mussel soup with chorizo fingers. And in keeping with the vibes at this low-cost

luxury hip haven, the young designer fashion Shelter Amiand/Mama © Francis photos All boutiques and cafés of the trendy Cours Julien are just a 15-minute stroll away n 64 rue de la Loubière, 04.84.35.20.00. Rooms start at €69. www.mamashelter.com —Lanie Goodman

For more French hotels and B&Bs: The terrace with its giant chessboard www.francetoday.com

12 l f r a n c e t o d a y l j a n u a ry 2013 l w w w . francetoday . c o m ● THE NEW LOUVRE-LENSby Thirza Vallois

The entrance to the new building of the Louvre-Lens museum

t’s a shock to see the names the Art Deco Apollo Theater, where Josephine Saint Barbe's Day Louvre and Lens side by side. The Baker had once performed. In short, the Sec- The project was launched in 2003. Strangely, Louvre needs no introduction, but ond Division soccer team was all Lens had the Nord-Pas de Calais was the only region unless you’ve lived in France, you left to hang on to other than the unenviable that responded to the Ministry of Culture’s are unlikely to have heard of Lens. national poverty record held by its départe- tender for the proposed annex. President Situated deep in the coal-mining ment, the Pas de Calais. selected Lens because: a) the Icountry of the Pas de Calais département in But on December 4, 2012, the new Louvre city had an available nearly 50-acre site within northern France, Lens’s only claim to fame annex in Lens was inaugurated, bringing with walking distance of the railway station; b) it’s has so far been its soccer team, France’s it new hopes and prospects. The date was cho- centrally situated within the distressed region; national champions in 1998. That year, Lens’s sen for a symbolic reason: it’s the feast day of c) it has excellent rail connections, and is only 41,650-seat stadium—a capacity larger than Saint Barbe, the patron saint of miners. an hour from Paris on the TGV; and d) it had the town’s entire population—played host Taking a cue from Bilbao’s Guggenheim no museums. The response among ordinary to the World Cup; it was a short-lived glory, Museum, which replaced the city’s metal people in the region, however, was mitigated. and the team has since dropped to Second industry as an economic engine, and follow- Some €88 million of the €150-million project Division. ing the Pompidou Center-Metz in Lorraine, will be supported by the region—taxpayers’ Reduced to a heap of ruins during World with some half-million visitors per year money that local people thought could be War I, and plagued with massive unemploy- since its 2010 opening, the directors of the better spent. But on Saint Barbe’s Day 2012 ment following the gradual closure of the Louvre-Lens are targeting similar numbers and they visited the new museum in droves, and mines, in 2000 Lens also lost its only cinema, hoping to regenerate the region’s economy. celebrated it after nightfall with a display

The glass walls make the building transparent from one side to the other Photos © SANAA/Kazuyo Sejima et Ryue Nishizawa-IMREY CULBERT/Celia Imrey et Tim Culbert-MOSBACH PAYSAGISTE/Catherine Mosbach. Photo © Hisao Suzuki

w w w . francetoday . c o m l j a n u a ry 2013 l f r a n c e t o d a y l 13 La Galerie du Temps

of fireworks and, it’s said, some 600 tons of French fries. Architects worldwide were immediately more enthusiastic, and sent in more than 120 applications. The project chosen was that of the Japanese SANAA agency, whose princi- Baan / Iwan © SANAA hall entrance Chancel; / Philippe Louvre-Lens du © Musée Galerie pals, Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa, won the coveted Pritzker Prize in 2010 and are currently engineering the conversion of Paris department store La Samaritaine. In Lens they carried minimalism to the extreme, producing a luminous masterpiece of glass and aluminum so transparent it looks as if it might disintegrate and melt into air. The aim was to open up the building to the outside and bring in the light, creating a seamless continuity between inside and out, between the museum and the recreation park surrounding it. Vestiges of a former mine have been integrated into the landscape— the haulage routes, for example, are now the The main entrance hall park’s winding paths. From the inside looking out, the museum

14 l f r a n c e t o d a y l j a n u a ry 2013 l w w w . francetoday . c o m Louis-François Bertin by Jean-Auguste- Dominique Ingres, 1832, in the Galerie du Temps

La Galerie du Temps The Virgin, Infant Jesus and Saint Anne by Leonardo da Vinci, 15th century, in the Renaissance exhibit offers panoramas of the northern country- light filtering through the perforated alumi- side and its mining past—rows of little red num ceiling, with more diffused light reflected brick houses and two UNESCO-listed slag by the polished aluminum walls. The effect heaps that look like dark twin volcanoes. The is glorious, everything shining and white, structure itself is simple, basically a succes- enhanced by the blurry reflections of artworks sion of boxes with subtly curved walls that and visitors on the walls. create a fluid effect. Two rectangular wings All the works on display come from the run in opposite directions from the central Louvre’s collection. The initial selection is hall, which contains La Grande Galerie, the scheduled for five years, with a yearly rota- backbone of the museum, and a smaller tion of about 20% of the content. Delacroix’s gallery for temporary exhibitions. famous Liberty Leading the People, for exam- ple, will be replaced after the first year. The Seducing the audience rotations will take place on December 4, to Adjoining them are the Glass Pavilion and keep the symbolic date alive. an auditorium, La Scène. From above, the The first theme chosen for this semi- box-like sections look like glistening pieces permanent collection is time, so for the next of a domino game, delicately floating on the five years the Grande Galerie is also La Gal- fragile soil above the town. Henri Loyrette, erie du Temps. From the entrance, visitors the Louvre’s President and CEO, insists that journey through some 5,000 years of art his-

this is “the new wing of the Louvre”, the latest tory, starting around 3,500 BC and ending Erasmus by in the long succession of wings grafted onto around 1850 (the cutoff date for the Louvre Hans Holbein the Younger, undated, the illustrious monument over the centuries, itself, beyond which the French national art Renaissance exhibit starting with the original medieval fortress collection takes up at the Musée d’Orsay). (now part of the Sully Wing) and ending— until now—with the museum’s underground Delighting the eye entrance beneath I.M. Pei’s glass pyramid. Along the route are 205 sculptures, paint- Now the far-flung “wing” in Lens car- ings, drawings and other works of art—each ries over the transparency of the Pyramid, a magnificent on its own and all magnificently transparency that’s also conceptually driven. displayed on freestanding plinths or in room- In order to embrace and seduce the audience, like clusters of panels. The eye delights in the nothing is hidden from the eye, whether it is eclectic choices, representing all the Louvre’s the “bubbles” in the main hall (one of which departments and all the periods, territories contains the bookshop) or the glass-walled and techniques in its collections—ancient conservation area and restoration workshops sculptures, Roman mosaics, Islamic ceram- down in the basement. Lens is probably the ics and paintings by Raphael, Rembrandt, only museum anywhere that offers visitors Rubens, El Greco, Goya, Georges de La Tour continuous behind-the-scene views. and so many others—including Fragonard’s The 32,300-square-foot Grande Galerie— famous portrait of Diderot, which recently long and narrow at 393 ft by 82 ft—provides a made headlines when, after all these years, it

Galerie © SANAA/Iwan Baan; Ingres and Holbein © 2010 Musée du Louvre / Angèle Dequier; da Vinci © RMN (Musée du Louvre) / René-Gabriel Ojéda single, uninterrupted space awash in natural turned out not to be Diderot.

w w w . francetoday . c o m l j a n u a ry 2013 l f r a n c e t o d a y l 15 July 28: Liberty Leading the People, 1830, by Eugène Delacroix in the Galerie du Temps Lens in the center of Europe, with hopes it will draw international visitors, especially from near neighbors Britain, Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg and Germany. Scheduled for summer 2013: Rubens and Europe. Day tripping The temporary exhibit schedule is also set in collaboration with the region’s plethora of excellent museums—there are 46 in the Nord-Pas de Calais—and samples of their collections will be displayed in the tempo- rary exhibitions and in the Glass Pavilion. Rather than compete with the surrounding area’s museums, it is hoped that Louvre-Lens will serve as a new spearhead for the mutual benefit of all. Beyond culture and education, museums today are an economic venture, generating jobs and tourist traffic. Thanks to its central position in northwest Europe, the quick and easy access from neighboring countries and major cities—not least Brussels and London— is likely to add to its appeal. There is every reason to believe that the Guggenheim effect will take off. The city’s hotel infrastructure is also being improved—among the projects under- way is the conversion of the Art Deco Apollo Theater. For the time being, with Lens only an hour from Paris on the TGV and the new The Empire of museum’s pleasant scale, a visit can be handled Time on the World, 16th in a leisurely day trip. Many might prefer it century, in the to the exhausting queues outside Pei’s Pyra- Glass Pavilion mid and the overcrowded, noisy atmosphere

underneath. Here’s wishing the Louvre-Lens Didierjean / Adrien Louvre) du (Musée © RMN Empire Lessing; / Erich Louvre du Musée © 2009 Delacroix a grand future. Let’s hope it won’t become a victim of its own success. n

Thirza Vallois is the author of several books on Paris and France. www.thirzavallois.com Da Vinci and Dürer revolutionary and innovative aspects of the Find them in the France Today Bookstore: Unlike the Paris Louvre, where works are Renaissance. The Mona Lisa didn’t make the www.francetoday.com/store confined to their respective departments, trip to Lens, but Leonardo da Vinci’s The Vir- the uninterrupted space here makes it pos- gin, the Infant Jesus and Saint Anne is a superb Practical information: sible to compare and confront works from substitute. Botticelli’s Venus looks ravishing Rue Paul Bert or Rue Georges Bernanos, different eras and civilizations, an innovative after three years of restoration, just for this 03.21.18.62.62. approach reflecting our increasingly global- exhibit. Dürer’s Triumphal Arch of Emperor www.louvrelens.fr ized society. Maximilian I, a single monumental image Somewhat smaller—19,400 sq ft and divided into 191 woodcuts, each nearly 9 ft Opening times: 262 ft x 74 ft—the temporary exhibition high, is usually presented in separate albums Open daily except Tuesdays, from 10 am to 6 gallery will host two shows every year. The but is assembled here on one wall. pm (to 10 pm on the first Friday of the month first,The Renaissance: Revolution in European These and all the other gems on display except July and August) Arts 1400–1530, illustrates once more the dispel the fears that Louvre-Lens might be desire to bring down barriers and explore art a poor man’s version of the one in Paris. Entry fee €9 horizontally. With over 250 artworks, orga- Furthermore, the subject matter of future Free admission to the Grande Galerie and nized around 13 themes, it embraces all the temporary exhibitions aims to place Louvre- Pavillon de Verre through 2013

16 l f r a n c e t o d a y l j a n u a ry 2013 l w w w . francetoday . c o m SKIING THE ● VOLCANO

by Andrea Bolitho

kiing on the slopes of a volcano sounds like a risky pastime. Hurtling down an erupting mountain at break- neck speed while dodging balls of burning lava seems more like a James Bond sort of thing. But no need to worry. Although there are more than 80 separate volcanic craters in the Auvergne region—the highest concentration in Europe—they are all dead or dormant. Although the last eruption was only 7,000 years ago—a blink on theS geological time scale—the big ones all blew their tops about 100,000 years earlier. The Auvergne has three main ski resorts; Le Lioran in the Cantal département, and Super Besse and Le Mont Dore in the Puy-de-Dôme. They lie on either side of the 6,188-ft Puy de Sancy, the highest mountain in central France and part of an ancient vol- Photo © OT Sancy cano. (The wordpuy , much used in the region, means mountain or

Skiing at Le Mont Dore w w w . francetoday . c o m l j a n u a ry 2013 l f rnear a n the c e Puyt o dde a ySancy l 17 The summit of the Puy de Sancy volcano

summit.) By Alpine standards all three resorts are small, but small also means fewer people, shorter lines and less expensive lift passes. Le Mont Dore is an old spa town—its hot springs were used by the ancient Gauls before the Romans turned up—but its faded 19th- century glamour is a long way from the ritzy resorts of the Alps. Happily for the rest of us, the Auvergne is not yet on the jet-setter’s itinerary. One of France’s oldest winter sports resorts, opened in 1907, Le Mont Dore is still a lesser-known winter holiday destination, although it offers great skiing, both downhill and cross-country, and a host of other quirky, snowy pastimes in the heart of l’Hexagone— both geographically and metaphorically. The early 19th-century spa building is worth a peek for its ornate Byzantine-Romanesque interior, and a cable-car ride to the top of the Puy de Sancy offers a spectacular view. Le Lioran and its modern adjunct Super Lioran sit between the volcanic peaks of the Puy Griou and the Plomb du Cantal, near the Font de Cère, the source of both the Alagnon and Cère rivers. Extending over neighboring communities, it’s the biggest ski area in the region, covering a total of some 370 acres, with nearly 40 miles of downhill ski runs and many miles of cross-country trails. Like Le Mont Dore, it also offers snowboarding, snowshoeing, skating, dogsledding and other winter sports. And skiers arriving at Le Lioran by train (about six hours from Paris) can hit the slopes directly with a surface lift (téléski) leaving right from the station. Harder and more fun Super Besse is located at an altitude of 4,430 ft. While it has a reasonable selection The village of Besse of downhill pistes, it also offers 77 miles of superb cross-country or Nordic ski trails. Cross-country skiing—in French, ski de fond—is a world away from its daredevil downhill cousin. You can enjoy nature, and the surrounding sights and sounds of the snowscape, in a way that is just not possible when you are slaloming downhill at top speed. All of a sudden you are aware of the forest, the birds in the trees and the gurgling streams. It is more like hiking in a winter wonder- land, but a little bit harder and a lot more fun. Cross-country skiing uses every major muscle group, and it’s one of the sports that burns the most calories per hour—although, to be fair, probably not if you keep stopping every few minutes to enjoy the view. Cross-country skis are much narrower than normal skis. Although they have bind-

ings to keep your feet attached, your heels Sancy © OT Photos are not fixed to the skis, allowing you to push forward with a more natural movement. On the flip side, it also means you are liable to slip and slide around a lot more—at least if you

18 l f r a n c e t o d a y l j a n u a ry 2013 l w w w . francetoday . c o m Cross-country skiing in the Fontaine Salée glacier valley in Auvergne

are a complete beginner like me. Getting into motion is relatively easy. Stopping is less so. The required movement The volcanic Lake Pavin is a cross between skating and walking with near Super Besse slightly bent knees; as you get the hang of it, you can glide further with each “step”. As we pushed off on the easy, green-coded cir- cuit called Le Madalet, things seemed to be going quite well. But poised at the top of a gentle incline I realized I wasn’t sure about the mechanics of braking. It turns out you do a one-sided snowplow, with your downhill leg doing most of the work. But holding a snowplow is not easy when your skis keep slipping from under your feet, and my ini- tial efforts probably gave my instructor a few (well-disguised) giggles. After I appeared to have mastered the basics, we moved on to La Biche, a medium- level red circuit. (Cross-country uses the same color coding as downhill.) La Biche was considerably longer than Le Madelet, and the slopes much steeper, leading to a new difficulty—going uphill. Better cross-country skiers skate up, using their poles for an extra boost. The less-than-expert neophyte always has the option of sidestepping up the slope.

Cross-country © CRDT Auvergne / Joël Damase; Pavin © OT Sancy Cross-country skiing dates backs to

w w w . francetoday . c o m l j a n u a ry 2013 l f r a n c e t o d a y l 19 Besse a mysterious, slightly otherworldly atmosphere. The centerpiece of the village is its 12th- century church, Saint André. Inside is a black Madonna carved from cedar. Each July, with much ceremony, the statue is carried up to the chapel of Vassivière in the mountains, and each September it is brought back to Besse. The Virgin’s annual pilgrimage stems from a local legend: The statue’s original home was the mountain chapel, but in the 16th century it was decided to bring her down to the vil- lage. Clearly she wasn’t happy with her new home and made her way—by herself—back to the chapel overnight. This apparent miracle happened three times before it was decided that the Virgin would thereafter have both summer and winter homes. Say cheese For a small village, Besse has a surprising number of cheese shops. But the Auvergne is justly proud of its regional cheeses and boasts five that are certified Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée or AOC—the most AOC cheeses of any region in France: the Bleu d’Auvergne from the Massif Central; Cantal from the Cantal mountains and foothills; Fourme d’Ambert, made in the Livradois-Forez area; Salers, a summer cheese from the heights of Cantal; and Saint-Nectaire from the Massif du Sancy. A soft, silky cow’s-milk cheese, Saint-Nectaire has been made in the Auvergne since at least the 17th century and was presented at the court of Louis XIV. Various farms near Besse, including the Ferme la Clef des Champs run by Nathalie et Philippe Grampeyre, offer tours of their cheese-making operations Off-piste skiing in a coulee near the Puy de Sancy and the chance to buy some top-quality fresh produce. For real cheese enthusiasts, there is a Route des Fromages AOP d’Auvergne to prehistoric times in Sweden, Norway, the ski area several times a day. Super Besse follow, taking in some of region’s best cheese Denmark and Finland, and well into the 19th is a pleasant enough place, a purpose-built producers. century it was one of the main ways to get ski station with blocks of rental apartments, For many visitors to France, their only around those countries in winter. In fact it plenty of parking and numerous shops sell- glimpse of the Auvergne is from the car is still a way of life for some in Scandinavia. ing ski equipment, ski clothing and regional window as they head down the A75. They It’s the second most popular winter sport in specialties. But Besse is the real thing. are missing out on a remote and beautiful France, after downhill skiing. And, as lift region. But while the Auvergne may be rural passes at some Alpine resorts approach €50 Mysterious aura it is not primitive; you can holiday in style a day, cross-country offers a refreshingly in- With its narrow streets between slate-roofed here in the growing number of boutique expensive way to get out and enjoy the snow. houses built with dark grey volcanic stone, hotels and guesthouses such as the Datcha While a downhill pass in Super Besse is €28.70, Besse seems a world away from its sunny Anastasia in Besse-et-Saint-Anastaise and the a pass for the Nordic trails is just €6.80. Of mountaintop cousin. For a start, in win- Lac du Pêcher eco-lodge in Chavagnac. But course there is much less to maintain in terms ter there is almost no one there. This, our nature will always be its biggest draw, and of high-altitude lifts, but the trails themselves guide assured us, is not the case in the sum- of course all those volcanos—in summer the must be kept snow covered, even if it means— mer, when the village is extremely popular view from one of the puy-tops is a stunning n as it frequently does—bringing in buckets of with vacationers. Combined with the low expanse of craters in vivid emerald green. Sancy © OT Photo snow from elsewhere. January sunlight and the rust-red shutters— The medieval village of Besse lies just a few originally so colored because they were not For more about the Auvergne: Of Castles and miles below the resort of Super Besse, and painted but stained with blood from the Kings, France Today July/August 2007, and a shuttle bus runs between the village and butcher’s—the nearly deserted streets give www.francetoday.com.

20 l f r a n c e t o d a y l j a n u a ry 2013 l w w w . francetoday . c o m WINE & SPIRITS ●

Vineyards surrounding the village of Le Vernois in the Jura

rance’s Jura moun- Onthe It’s time to meet Jura wines, if you tains are defined haven’t yet done so. It’s highly likely by deep, secret that many Americans haven’t—the forests and rush- production is so small that even the ing streams, so it is French are often unfamiliar with always a surprise Upswingthem. The Jura is overshadowed in to suddenly come today’s wine world by the global upon snug villages edged by notoriety of the wines of its big neigh- Fmagnificent vineyards. Coming bors, Burgundy and Champagne. It down into Arbois, there is such an abrupt After nearly a century of hasn’t always been so, and happily this some- change of scenery and state of mind that what neglected wine region is now having your arrival calls for a pause. A glass of Jura slow decline, the wines the comeback it deserves, finally finding its wine is just the thing. of the Jura are making a 21st-century niche. If it’s summer, it might be a fruity, floral Savagnin, or a Jura red with surprising notes remarkable comeback Border basics of blossoming rose. If snow lies over the land, The region of Franche-Comté extends along try a deeply nutty 15-year-old vin jaune, or by Ellen Wallace France’s eastern border, sharing the Jura moun- yellow wine—deep golden in color, but dry. If you’re very lucky, you tain chain with Switzerland. The southernmost of the region’s four might find one of the extraordinary bottles of very old vin jaune that départements is also called Jura, and it is home to all six French AOC lie hidden in some cellars—although it’s unlikely to be as prestigious Jura wines, whose vineyards stretch from north of Arbois to Saint- as the 1774 bottle, harbored by eight generations of the Vercel family Amour (not to be confused with the Beaujolais village of the same

Photo © Stéphane Godin/CDT Jura before it was auctioned in Geneva in May 2012 for nearly $50,000. name, which is in fact only a short distance away in Rhône-Alpes).

w w w . francetoday . c o m l j a n u a ry 2013 l f r a n c e t o d a y l 21 Frédéric Lambert tending his vineyards near Poligny

grown variety, much of it used in sparkling wines; it accounts for at least 50% of the grapes in a Crémant du Jura, which is made by virtu- ally every local winery, and can include any of the five authorized grape varieties. Blends of Chardonnay and Savagnin are popular and often excellent. But be fore- warned: these blends, and single-variety Savagnins, are made in many styles, from completely un-oaked to cask-aged for several months. Ask when you’re sampling, to avoid unwanted surprises. Jura whites labeled “floral” are fruity wines generally served with richer foods, including cheese. Those labeled “traditional”—including the bulk of the Savagnin wines—are oxidized to varying degrees (evaporation is allowed in the barrels, without topping up), making some reminiscent of fino sherry, while others are fresh and vibrant. You can drink them with foods that pair well with any classic dry La Reine Jeanne wine cellar in Arbois white wine, including fish and white meat. Financial Times columnist Jancis Robin- son, Britain’s grande dame of wine, recently wrote that Savagnin Blanc is the most “excit- ing” wine here, “capable of making extremely tense, long-lived, full-bodied dry whites”. Robinson is one of the three authors of Wine Grapes, a tome published in November 2012 that is already being called a classic: four years in the making and 1,200 pages long, it’s an encyclopedia of grape varieties around the world, based on new DNA studies. Co-author and Swiss scientist José Vouillamoz credits Savagnin with being the ancestor of Traminer, Gewürztraminer and other grapes. Its birthplace, he writes, was most likely right here in Franche-Comté. Veiled gold Savagnin is the basis for vin jaune—renowned for the extraordinarily complex range of aromas it develops as it ages: nuts, spices, Four of the Jura AOCs cover geographic accounts for some 80% of the region’s red curry, cinnamon, dried fruits. Golden and areas: Arbois, Château-Chalon, Côtes du grape production. Pinot Noir is a demand- dry, it is justifiably famous, but definitely not Jura Joly/CDT © Michel cellar Lambert; Frédéric Courtesy Vineyard Jura and L’Étoile. The two others are specialty ing grape that, in the hands of a good grower, a beginner-friendly wine. products: Macvin, a liqueur, and sparkling gives lower yields of excellent quality. Trous- Its unusual maturing process, called sous- Crémant du Jura, both of which are coupled seau, which has beautiful red leaves in the voile, is responsible for giving it such a deep, with their geographic appellations. autumn, has a deep rich color and tannic rich set of notes. Made with late-harvest Under French legislation, wines labeled qualities much appreciated in the cellar for grapes, the fermented wine must be kept a Jura can be made from only five grape helping wines to age well. Jura reds are often minimum of six years and three months in varieties: the red Pinot Noir and white served with grilled fish or the great variety of slightly porous oak barrels that are not topped Chardonnay so famously used in nearby smoked meats for which the mountains above up, as most wines are. The amount of evapo- Champagne; white Savagnin, also called Sav- the vineyards are famous. ration—the “angels share”—is considerable, agnin Blanc, the Jura’s signature grape (not up to 40%, but the wine is protected from to be confused with Sauvignon); and the red Super Savagnin contact with the air and over-oxidization by a Trousseau and Poulsard. But it’s the white wines of the Jura that pre- thin, foamy veil (the voile) of yeast that forms Poulsard (sometimes called Ploussard) dominate. Chardonnay is the most widely on the surface.

22 l f r a n c e t o d a y l j a n u a ry 2013 l w w w . francetoday . c o m Vin jaune originated in Château-Chalon but it is made in the other three AOC areas as well, and traditionally bottled in a stocky 62-centiliter (21-oz) bottle called a clavelin. There is nothing subtle about it, and new- comers to wine generally find it hard going, but for connoisseurs it is one of the summits of the winemaker’s art. Top Swiss winemaker Raymond Paccot recounts that when he was young his father sent him across the border to meet a vin jaune producer. He found the wine undrinkable, assumed there was some mistake and refused more. To his chagrin, he later learned that it was considered one of the world’s finest wines. “As with many well-aged special wines,” he says, “you have to learn to appreciate it.” Arbois To savor with cheese But young winemakers Anne and Frédéric Lambert, whose organic-ori- ented winery is in Pont du Bourg, near Le Chateley, contend that “vin jaune is not just for specialists, and once you be- come familiar with them, you begin to appreciate the beauty of the different terroirs.” Geneva-based rare wine dealer Pierre Chevrier, who bought that 1774 bottle at Christie’s with a group of friends, said that they planned to drink it together at a dinner in a few years. Indeed, vin jaune can accompany a meal— foods with creamy mushroom sauces are the classic pairing, with the wine served at a relatively warm 57° F or so. But a bet- ter beginner’s approach is to savor it with a variety of cheeses. Recommended by the Jura winemakers’ association: Comté, Vacherin Mont d’Or, Morbier, Bleu de Gex and other blue cheeses. Clavelin bottles of vin jaune Finally, another renowned Jura specialty is vin de paille, or straw wine, so called because it is traditionally made by leaving late-harvest Millardet was part of the team credited with cess that bears his name. In 1863 Napoleon grapes to sweeten and gradually dry out on saving Europe’s vineyards with their discovery III mandated Pasteur to study the diseases straw mats for three months. These sweet that grafting stock from resistant American afflicting French wines, and his research wines, with 10-20% residual sugar, are often vines stopped the rampaging aphid-like pest. established that killing microbes at a par- served with foie gras or dessert. Millardet also invented the world’s first fun- ticular time and temperature would pre- In the 19th century Franche-Comté was gicide, a mixture of quicklime and copper vent spoiling, without changing the taste. one of France’s largest wine areas, with nearly sulfate still used in vineyards everywhere. Pasteurization, as he called his patented pro- 50,000 acres of vineyards, about the same as cess, was initially applied to wine and beer, neighboring Burgundy. Pasteur's home and only later used for milk. But the region fell victim to a number of Another local man had already made a name Pasteur never foundered in his love for the problems, starting with massive production for himself as a wine savior: Born in Dole Jura, and he returned regularly to vacation of very mixed quality. Then phylloxera moved and raised in Arbois, Louis Pasteur made in Arbois, where he had his own vineyards. in waves through the vineyards from 1879 to remarkable discoveries in many scientific His home there, on the banks of the Cuisance 1895, hitting the area harder than elsewhere. fields, including vaccines against rabies and River—his father was a tanner—is now a

Arbois © Stéphane Godin/CDT Jura; clavelin bottles Denis Maraux/CDT Jura Franc-Comtois botanist Pierre-Marie-Alexis anthrax, but he is best-known for the pro- museum.

w w w . francetoday . c o m l j a n u a ry 2013 l f r a n c e t o d a y l 23 The Planches waterfall near Arbois

Louis Pasteur's home in Arbois is now a museum

Diseases and pests took their toll on Jura vineyards, as did the two world wars, but a more important contributor to the region’s viticultural downfall was probably a new rail line that took competing wines from Languedoc-Roussillon directly to Paris. Add shifting fads and tastes plus political battles A few Jura favorites: Jura producers, has been making vin jaune that at one point made headlines when Jura continually since the 16th century. The winemakers went on a tax strike, then took MONTIGNY-LES-ARSURES family owns an extraordinary collection tax collectors hostage, in 1906. Domaine André et Mireille Tissot, run of vintage bottles, but try their simpler By 1960 Jura vineyards covered only some by Bénédicte and Stéphane Tissot, two hot Savagnin. www.cavesjeanbourdy.com 2,500 acres. The AOCs were established in young Jura producers whose biodynamic 1936-37, a good move towards quality con- wines are getting high marks everywhere. ARBOIS-MESNAY trol, but they took another 50 years to achieve Top picks: the pricey Clos de la Tour de Domaine Martin-Faudot’s award-winning clear results. Vineyards were replanted with Curon Chardonnay, and the reasonable but reasonably priced vin de paille is rich good AOC vines, quality controls put in reds Singulier Trousseau 2010 and Poulsard amber in color, with notes of pear and place. The result: a fine selection of regional Vieilles Vignes. www.stephane-tissot.com quince—it’s gorgeous with dark chocolate. wines and specialties that are sometimes www.domaine-martin.fr world-class. Jacques Puffeney, known as “the pope of Today Jura wines are a showcase for Arbois” for his traditional well-aged wines. VOITEUR France’s capacity to revive a wine region that His vin jaune is famous, but try his Arbois François Mossu, “the great specialist”, was in a long, slow decline, by focusing on Poulsard red and the classic Cuvée Sacha according to one of his fellow producers, quality. Young Jura winemakers, after decades 2010, a Savagnin-Chardonnay blend. 11 has a low public profile and small produc- in the European Union, have grown closer Quartier Saint Laurent, 03.84.66.10.89 tion, but his wines are beautiful. Try his to their excellent wine-making neighbors in Savagnin and Château-Chalon vin jaune. Alsace, Germany and Switzerland, finding POLIGNY 3 route de Ménétru, 03.84.85.26.35 new ways to improve quality. And as the Jura’s Domaine Benoit Badoz The 100% Pinot revival swings into full gear, there is also an Noir Crémant du Jura is terrific: a rosé, dry PUPILLIN Jura Loup/CDT © Michel waterfall Maraux; d’Or/Denis © Triangle museum Pasteur increasing shift to organic and biodynamic and sparkling, and at under €10 a great buy Maison Pierre Overnoy The much- n methods. from this young winemaker whose family admired organic wine pioneer, Overnoy has been in the business for ten generations. is now retired but his philosophy is car- La Percée du Vin Jaune www.badoz.fr ried on by Emmanuel Houillon. Go for the red Arbois Pupillin Ploussard, a fine An annual wine festival held the first CHATEAU-CHALON example of “natural” wine, about $35. weekend in February, celebrating the Domaine Berthet-Bondet Château- Rue Abbé Guichard, 03.84.66.24.27 percée, or tapping, of the first barrel of Chalon is the classic for vin jaune and a the new vintage with a carnival-style good one to try. The Savagnins, includ- LE CHATELET parade, costumed revelers, an auction ing the excellent Naturé, show how the Domaine Frédéric Lambert Newcomers of old vintages, a sommelier contest, same grape can give very varied wines. (1994) Marie-Anne and Frédéric Lambert wine tasting, folk dancing and fire- www.berthet-bondet.net are organic wine pioneers. Try Les Gryphées, works. February 2–3, Voiteur (9 miles a deep, rich white with apricot and licorice north of Lons-le-Saunier). €13 entrance ARLAY notes, and the classic white blend Tradition. and a tasting glass. Domaine Jean Bourdy, one of the oldest www.domaine-frederic-lambert.fr

24 l f r a n c e t o d a y l j a n u a ry 2013 l w w w . francetoday . c o m FRENCH KITCHEn

Braised beef cheeks with squash purée A Cheeky Proposition A birthday dinner takes some surprising turns... by Susan Herrmann Loomis n November a friend asked me to make a main dish for his I set about searching for cheeks, by going next door to my butcher. wife’s birthday dinner. The guest list was up to 120, he said. I had eight weeks to prepare, but beef cheeks for 150 was, I suspected, He didn’t think it would top 150. It was the sort of chal- a tall order. I realized I was more right than I thought when I saw the lenge I love, and I agreed to do it. butcher’s eyebrows hit his hairline. “Oh là là là là!,” he said. “Ça va What, I mused, would make a wonderful, elegant and être diiiiifiiiiciiile”—that’s going to be really tough. festive meal for a big group in December, when curtains I listened as he told me how scarce beef cheeks were around the and shutters close on the chime of four; fires are lit in holidays, how expensive they were, how difficult it would be to find woodstove and fireplace, and everyone hunkers down for warmth enough, and would I consider duck breast because he could get them, Iand comfort? easily, and for a fine price. Something warming and fragrant, sophisticated and different, yet I’ve lived in France long enough to let the moment pass. Initial simple and satisfying. I leaned immediately in the direction of fattened reactions here are almost universally negative. Once the declaration duck breast, magret de canard, for it is meat without being too meaty, was made and the worried look on my face registered, the cogs in the rich without being heavy and always elegant. It is without doubt one butcher’s brain began to move. of the most popular foods in France. “Let me take care of it,” he said. “I’ll let you know tomorrow.” Not long afterwards, I was enjoying a gorgeous dish of braised beef cheeks in a local restaurant. As I savored the tender meat, a light bulb Buckets and pans went off. Forget duck. Everyone does duck. I would re-create this very I was there bright and early the following day, and with a conspiratorial dish on my plate. It was a perfect fit; the surprise of such an unusual wink, the butcher assured me of beef cheeks for 150. dish would delight. After all, who on earth ever serves beef cheeks at But as life would have it, the number of guests increased daily. Soon a birthday party? it was 180, then 200. With each increase, I headed to see the butcher, who was now involved in my project. He’d pick up the phone, put The negative imperative the question and turn to me with a “C’est bon”. Where the scarcity of That I’d never cooked a beef cheek in my life didn’t worry me. Pork beef cheeks had gone, I had no idea. It occurred to me that I might cheeks are a staple in my repertoire; I figured the beefy version would be depriving all of northern France with my request, but as I try to be similar. Both are “forgotten” pieces, eschewed by a public increas- remember, I am not responsible.

Photo © Susan Herrmann Loomis ingly accustomed to the quick and easy. When the guest list hit 250, I began to worry. But my butcher was

w w w . francetoday . c o m l j a n u a ry 2013 l f r a n c e t o d a y l 25 now my buddy, and he assured me it would do it,” he said, simply. “It started out small because now I cook beef cheeks with a certain be no problem. “Do you have enough pans?” and fun. Now it’s huge. I’ve got time to call regularity. I may have begun a trend; many of he asked. When I said I was going to buy a caterer.” my friends served beef cheeks at their Christ- them, he said not to bother, he’d loan me his. But what about the challenge? The enjoy- mas tables, so impressed were they by their Then he offered buckets for marinating, his ment? The beef cheeks in the freezer? The melting tenderness, their subtle flavor. freezer for keeping, his refrigerator the day many yet to come? Here’s my recipe, in hopes you can find beef of the party. I grabbed my checkbook and ran to the cheeks of your own. They’re truly a delight, Armed with his complicity, I forged ahead. butcher, because it was delivery day for particularly in the dark days of January— Those cheeks couldn’t sit on the plate alone, but the next batch; I hoped he could cancel easy to prepare, wonderful to share. You I had Baptiste Bourdon, farmer, and his purple his order for the rest. When I explained he may substitute chuck roast if necessary. Do carrots on my side. I ordered a small field full, shrugged. “You are right not to do it,” he said. follow the recipe, cook it long and slow, and a several dozen squashes, for a purée with star “I will try to sell all the cheeks I have. People understand that while it will be delicious, it anise. will be very happy to have them.” won’t have quite the lush texture of the cheeks. I set about testing the dish. It turned out Sainted butcher. Happy New Year! n more than perfect. Beef cheeks give definition The carrots would stay in the field. Susan Herrmann Loomis teaches cooking to the word “sumptuous”, as they transform The squash would fly off the market stall classes in Normandy and Paris. from almost rock hard to fork tender when in other directions than mine. www.onruetatin.com. Find her cookbooks in cooked long and slow in wine, herbs, some And I would enjoy the party, sitting down the France Today Bookstore: orange and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. with everyone else, to a catered meal. www.francetoday.com/store So, I was ready. The cheeks would arrive I did keep the fifteen kilos of beef cheeks For more food stories and recipes: in lots of 15 kilos (33 pounds); the butcher in my freezer. I’m delighted to have them, www.francetoday.com would trim and wrap each. I emptied my freezer, and went to take possession of my first batch. BRAISED BEEF CHEEKS JOUES DE BOEUF BRAISEES Slight snafu 1 lb (500 g) beef cheeks (you may substitute chuck roast) Then I called the farm where the event was 4 cups (1 liter) hearty red wine, such as a Languedoc to be held, to set a date to go see the kitchen 4 bay leaves there. The owner, a friend of a friend, began 10 sprigs thyme to ask me questions on the order of “How 10 peppercorns do you plan to serve the dish hot?” “Why, I 1/4 orange, preferably organic will cook it in my kitchen, then put it in your 2 carrots, trimmed, peeled, diced oven to heat.” 2 to 4 cups (1/2 to 1 liter) beef stock “There is no oven at our facility,” he coun- tered. “You will have to bring your own.” 1. Trim all the nerves and fat from the beef cheeks. I was speechless. His farm wasn’t a farm at 2. Cut the beef cheeks in three pieces, and put in a non-reactive bowl. Cover with the all; it was a “facility” for groups such as the wine; add 2 bay leaves and all the thyme, peppercorns, orange and carrots. Cover and one I was planning to feed. I didn’t believe marinate for 24 hours, or at least overnight, turning once or twice. him. “You have no oven? What do you have 3. Preheat the oven to 270 degrees F (130 C). for warming things?” I asked. 4. Remove cheeks from marinade and pat dry. Strain the marinade, discarding the herbs, “We have one microwave,” he said. orange and carrots. Place marinade in a saucepan over medium heat, and when it is hot, I held on to the phone as a thousand sce- flame it. Remove it from the heat. narios surged through my brain. No oven. No 5. Brown the cheeks in a nonstick skillet placed over medium-high heat, season with salt heat. Cold food. Hundreds starving, crying, and pepper and transfer to a roasting pan. Pour the wine over the cheeks, add the remaining angry. bay leaves and 2 cups (500 ml) stock, or as much as you need to cover the cheeks. Cover “Madame, you are proposing to climb the pan and roast in the oven until the cheeks are tender and melting, at least 4 hours. Mount Everest in your tennis shoes,” the Check occasionally, adding additional stock or wine if necessary to cover the cheeks. disembodied voice on the phone said. 6. Remove the cover from the pan and let the cheeks cook another hour, turning them I thanked him and hung up. two or three times. 7. When the cheeks are fully tender, remove them from the pan. Place the cooking Delivery day liquid over medium-high heat, and reduce until you have about 1-1/2 cups. Correct I made myself a cup of coffee, and picked up seasoning. the phone again. I called a few friends in the 8. Using two forks, shred the beef cheeks. Add enough reduced cooking liquid to moisten business to ask their advice. Answers came the cheeks. Serve accompanied by braised carrots and squash purée (see Kuri Squash back rapidly. “Suicide.” “Ruined reputation.” Purée, France Today, October 2012; also on www.francetoday.com) “I’m a caterer and I wouldn’t do it.” Then, the friend who’d asked me to do the Serves 4 meal for the birthday called. “Susan, don’t

26 l f r a n c e t o d a y l j a n u a ry 2013 l w w w . francetoday . c o m Film Picks

Box office

The top 10 movie hits in France 1 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 Bill Condon French Action Movies 2 Skyfall Sam Mendes TopWidely praised for its intellectual and avant-garde cinéma d’auteur, the French 3 Thérèse Desqueyroux film industry also has a long but lesser-known tradition in action movies, from Claude Miller the old master Henri-Georges Clouzot to the latest episode of Taken 2. 4 The Impossible Juan Antonio Bayona by Julien Bisson 5 Argo Ben Affleck 6 Comme des Frères MOST FRANTIC Riton successfully rob 50 the film’s credibility and and generational borders: the Hugo Gélin Le Salaire de la Peur (The million francs in gold bars. rhythm, as does Ennio widely acclaimed Mesrine is 7 Stars 80 Frédéric Forestier, Wages of Fear), Henri- But Riton is betrayed by his Morricone’s memorable one of them. Directed by Thomas Langmann Georges Clouzot, 1953 girlfriend (Jeanne Moreau) score. But Paris is the true star Jean-François Richet (already When an oil well catches and kidnapped by a rival of the movie, providing the known for the turbulent Ma 8 Trouble With the Curve 5 Robert Lorenz fire in South America, four gang, which demands the marvelous scenic background 6-T Va Crack-er), this two- European men—French, grisbi—slang for loot—as a for the suspenseful and part blockbuster is based on 9 Le Capital (Capital) Italian and Dutch—are hired ransom. Both parties agree athletic drama. If you liked the true story of legendary Costa-Gavras to drive two trucks packed to an exchange, but it does Steve McQueen in Bullitt, outlaw Jacques Mesrine, a 10 A Royal Affair Nikolaj Arcel with the nitroglycerine not go smoothly. A world then this movie is highly smart and violent gangster needed to extinguish it. away from comedies like Le recommended. who came to be known But the road is extremely Cave se Rebiffe or Les Tontons as France’s Public Enemy dangerous and the vehicles Flingueurs, also adapted from MOST SPECTACULAR No. 1 in the 1970s. After are not properly equipped to Simonin novels, Touchez Pas Banlieue 13 (District B13), several highly publicized carry the volatile, explosive au Grisbi is a very dark film Pierre Morel, 2004 kidnappings, robberies and liquid. The mission proves noir that greatly influenced The past decade has set a new prison escapes, the iconic BEST deadly as the rival duos engage younger directors including standard for French action criminal figure was shot to SELLERS in a furious competition. Jules Dassin and Jean-Pierre movies, thanks to one man: death in his car by the police. Released a year before his Melville. It also helped Jean Luc Besson. The director Romantic and cruel, tragic IN FRANCE classic Les Diaboliques, the Gabin to relaunch his career, of Léon and Nikita has and flamboyant, the epic tale stark and tense action film is which had been in decline, also written and produced is carried by the mesmerizing FICTION also a Clouzot masterpiece, and marked the screen debut numerous films over the Vincent Cassel in the title La Vérité sur l’Affaire Harry with gripping pursuit scenes of Italian-born ex-wrestler years, including English- role; digging artfully into Quebert Joël Dicker (De Fallois) and superb black-and- Lino Ventura, who went on speaking hits such as Taken Mesrine’s troubled psyche, Cinquante Nuances de Grey white cinematography. Its to play many roles opposite and The Transporter. But his he is at once charming and (Fifty Shades of Grey) E.L. James existentialist tone relies on his pal Gabin, and eventually best production remains terrifying. No wonder he (JC Lattès) fine acting, including a great became one of the most Banlieue 13, directed by snatched a César for his Le Sermon sur la Chute de Rome Jérôme Ferrari (Actes Sud) performance by fledgling popular actors in France. Pierre Morel, a futuristic stunning performance. L’Hiver du Monde (Winter of actor Yves Montand who movie in which Parisian the World) Ken Follett (Robert plays Mario, an impulsive MOST THRILLING suburbs are literally walled Tied for Sixth Laffont) playboy driven to failure and Peur Sur la Ville (Fear Over off. An undercover cop L’Homme de Rio (That Man Une Place à Prendre (The madness. The movie won the the City), Henri Verneuil, and an ex-con are sent from Rio), Philippe de Broca, Casual Vacancy) J.K. Rowling Grand Prix at Cannes and the 1975 into District 13 to defuse a 1964 (Grasset) British Academy Award for Star of the French action neutron bomb and take down Le Professionnel (The Best Film, and was remade movies of the 1960s and 1970s, a ruthless kingpin. Flawless Professional), Georges CDs: Classical twice in the US, as Violent Jean-Paul Belmondo is at his action, fast-paced dialogue Lautner, 1981 La Voix des Rêves Philippe Road (Howard Koch, 1958) best in this popular classic. and spectacular stunts are Nikita (La Femme Nikita), Jaroussky (Virgin Classics) and Sorcerer (William “Bébel” plays Commissaire at the core of this impressive Luc Besson, 1990 Songs Placido Domingo (Sony Friedkin, 1977). But nothing Letellier, a tough cop facing movie, which packs all the Léon (The Professional), Masterworks) beats Clouzot’s original. a vicious serial killer named lessons of the action genre Luc Besson, 1994 Mission Cecilia Bartoli (Decca) Nouveau Monde: Baroque Arias Minos, who targets young into a single film. It might not Dobermann Jan Kounen, and Songs Patricia Petibon MOST INFLUENTIAL women, he claims, to rid the be Citizen Kane in terms of 1997 (Deutsche Grammophon) Touchez Pas au Grisbi world of sexual immorality. story line, but you will hardly Les Rivières Pourpres (The Even today it is hard not to find a better source of pure Joyeux Noël André Rieu (Grisbi), Jacques Becker, Crimson Rivers), Mathieu (Polydor) 1954 marvel at director Henri adrenalin elsewhere. Kassovitz, 2000 Verneuil’s spectacular Adapted from a novel by Ne Le Dis à Personne (Tell DVDs chase scenes around Paris, MOST ICONIC Albert Simonin, the film No One), Guillaume Canet, The Dark Knight Rises recounts the story of Max involving rooftops, gutters, Mesrine (Killer Instinct), 2006 Christopher Nolan (Jean Gabin), an aging cars, moving trains and a Jean-François Richet, 2008 Trailers of most of Brave Mark Andrews, Brenda gangster, who has vowed to helicopter, among other Usually intended for young these films are on Chapman retire after he and his partner things. Belmondo did most of male audiences, action movies www.youtube.com Rust and Bone Jacques Audiard the stunts himself, enhancing can sometimes cross gender Marley Kevin Macdonald Find French films in our France Today bookstore: www.francetoday.com/store Le Prénom Alexandre de La Other possible sources: www.amazon.ca, www.amazon.fr, www.facetsdvd.com, www.fnac.com Patellière, Matthieu Delaporte To watch DVDs ordered from France, you’ll need a multiformat DVD player that can read Zone 2 DVDs.

w w w . francetoday . c o m l j a n u a ry 2013 l f r a n c e t o d a y l 27 rencontre

Matthias Schoenaerts, left, and Audiard at work

Jacques Audiardby Lanie Goodman npredictable is one word that aptly describes France’s best-known filmmakers, renowned for his polars (thrillers), director Jacques Audiard’s newest film,De Rouille the director’s emblematic nouveau-noir style is a heady mix of close- et d’Os (Rust and Bone), an unlikely romance ups and attention to unvarnished details, with elliptical flashes between two solitary characters that ricochets that evoke both a raw intensity and a lyrical quality. His dramatic from killer whales to a tragic accident and brutal approach is emotionally charged, but restrained enough to avoid bare-knuckle fighting. any hint of pathos. Loosely adapted from a story by Canadian writer Craig The physical element

UDavidson, the screenplay for Rust and Bone took Audiard and Productions Not Why Arpajou, © Roger photos All his co-author Thomas Bidegain some three years to complete. “It’s Nominated for a Golden Globe as Best Foreign Language Film, hard to summarize what happens scene by scene,” says the 60-year- Rust and Bone opens with the ex-boxer Ali, played by Belgian actor old writer-director, and that’s exactly the way he wants it. Mathias Schoenaerts (Bullhead)—homeless, broke and suddenly “When I’m telling a story,” Audiard explains, “I like to create left in charge of his five-year-old son, whom he hardly knows. He gaps in the writing. You construct narrative arcs and then you jumps on a train from Belgium to Antibes, on the Mediterranean break some of the segments. In the same way, if you give a complete coast, with the boy in tow, and persuades his sister to take them finish to the characters, it will be disappointing. If you decide to both in until he gets back on his feet. Working as a nightclub conclude all the action you’ve begun, it will be boring. Characters bouncer, he rescues Stephanie (Marion Cotillard), from a drunken should be pushed to a certain point, and not beyond.” altercation and drives her home. Audiard speaks quickly, rhythmically, much like the dialogue in Attractive and self-confident, Stephanie takes Ali’s phone his films, alternating between gravity and witty retorts. As one of number but is clearly put off by his blunt manner. But later, while

28 l f r a n c e t o d a y l j a n u a ry 2013 l w w w . francetoday . c o m

f youFGHHFJFGH- KFFJGhave to memorize the dictionary to learn the French language, think again. Learning French should be fun. No matter the goal you set for yourself, we want to make sure you enjoy the ride. IIn this guide, you’ll find several options for learni at work as an orca trainer at Marineland, she has a tragic accident and loses both lower Marion Cotillard and Schoenaerts in legs. Eventually she calls Ali. He takes her a scene from on outings to the beach, carries her on his Rust and Bone shoulders and helps her to rediscover the pleasures of swimming. The rejuvenating physicality of their relationship eventually extends to sex and a wordless, deeper bonding. “We knew that the physical element would be an important part of the film,” says Audiard. “When you write a story in which the feminine character has two cut-off legs, and there’s going to be an erotic dimension, you know the love scenes will be different,” Audiard continues. “It’s more a question of how to abandon oneself in love.” “The character, Stephanie, is terrified to give herself to another,” he explains. “When she takes off her clothes it’s an incredible striptease—she’s more than naked at that moment.” he has for his characters is so strong that it’s A dark road movie about hired killers starring very inspiring.” Matthieu Kassovitz and Jean-Louis Trintignant, Serial challenges “In one scene,” recounts Audiard, “we did the film won three Césars, including Best New In contrast to Audiard’s previous international about ten takes because Marion was playing the Director and Best First Film. success, the somber, claustrophobic prison role full on, as if she were in a Tod Browning He followed with two more features, Un drama Un Prophète, 2010 (A Prophet), Rust film. I told her to slow down. But most of the Héros Très Discret (A Self-Made Hero, 1996) and Bone creates a space for a certain intimacy time, when I bring actors in one direction and and Sur Mes Lèvres (Read My Lips, 2001), and to develop. “The two films are very different,” they take it even further, they make it their then another major success with De Battre he says with a smile. “In A Prophet there’s no own, and they’re always right.” Mon Coeur S’est Arrêté (The Beat That My woman, no love and no light. Here we wanted He first considered finding a professional Heart Skipped, 2005). A superb remake of to create a love story, with sunshine and wide boxer to play Ali, but after seeing Schoenaerts the 1978 Fingers by James Toback, the jumpy screen shots.” in Bullhead, he changed his mind. Though psychological thriller tackles multilayered As for the cast, Audiard says he was seeking audiences might not initially feel sympathy for mysteries about love and self-imposed a mix of strength and frailty in both characters. the rough and inarticulate Ali, the character— prisons. Romain Duris stars as Thomas, a “I knew in advance I wanted Marion,” he says, like many of Audiard’s male protagonists—is ruthless real-estate entrepreneur involved because he was “blown away” by her portrayal not as unfeeling as he might seem. “What in brutal, shady deals until he accidentally of Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose (2007) and had defines a hero is courage,” he says. “It’s not crosses paths with a revered music teacher been waiting for a chance to work with her. because they’re particularly nice.” and something snaps. He seeks out private He also knew that there would be some lessons with a beautiful Chinese pianist to technical challenges, given the heroine’s Western in the works? prepare for an audition—a chance to set his profession and the terrible twist of fate she Rust and Bone also explores father-son crooked destiny back on course. endures. “Marion is very brave,” he adds. relationships, a subject often broached in other The powerful prison tale A Prophet, “She has a tomboyish quality about her. Audiard films. “It’s more about a father who awarded the Grand Prix du Jury at the She’s got guts. At one point she was actually doesn’t know he’s a father,” he says, smiling. Cannes Festival and nominated for a Foreign performing with the orcas. Killer whales are “Ali is very juvenile himself, and he treats his Language Film Oscar, stars Tahar Rahim as very dangerous animals. son like a little brother. So in a way, the film is Malik, an illiterate Arab youth who winds up Surprisingly, the astonishing technical also about paternity. It’s about a guy learning in jail and finds himself at the mercy of ever- effects turned out to be less daunting than to admit he’s a father, and in the end finding present violence and humiliation. But as he expected. “Contrary to what I feared, the the words to say ‘I love you’.” learns to read and write, he builds his own tech work didn’t take too much time away Audiard’s own father, Michel Audiard, little empire to survive. from the film,” Audiard says. “Ten years was also a director, but best known as a So what’s next? Audiard smiles, leaning ago I wouldn’t have been able to make this prolific screenwriter, with some 130 films back in his armchair. “Well, Thomas Bidegain film—the special effects would have been featuring colorful slangy dialogue and his and I have a musical and we have a western. too heavy-handed. During the entire shoot I own brand of popular mordant humor. After Even while we were writing Rust And Bone, we had to remind myself ‘she has no legs’, since initially rejecting the movie business, Jacques stopped at one point to work on the musical. she was wearing green tights,” the director abandoned literature and philosophy at the I’m not really sure why I like the genre— continues. “But Marion never forgot it.” Sorbonne and went to work as an assistant to perhaps to make reality enchanting?” “It’s true that the special effects had to be Roman Polanski for the chilling 1976 drama As for the western, he says it would mark incredible,” agrees Cotillard, “but it didn’t Le Locataire (The Tenant). his English-language debut. “When you do a affect the shooting. We just did the work After writing several successful scripts during western, it has to be in English.” n we usually do, and they digitally took off the 1980s, he directed his first feature,Regarde les my legs. With Jacques,” she adds, “the love Hommes Tomber (See How They Fall), in 1994. For more Rencontres: www.francetoday.com

w w w . francetoday . c o m l j a n u a ry 2013 l f r a n c e t o d a y l 29 G travel2013 study guide ombining travel and study is a time-honored tradition, at least since the Middle Ages, when students trekked across Europe to study at the first universities, whose initial fame often rested on particular subjects—theology at the University of Paris, founded by Robert de Sorbon in the mid-13th century, or medicine and law at the University of Montpellier, officially established in 1289 but operating long before. Today, when it comes to mastering French, there’s no better way to learn than by traveling in France, immersedC in the language by everything you see and hear every day. You can study at the Paris Sorbonne or in Montpellier, or scores of other cities and regions from the Alps to the Côte d’Azur. The choice of courses is vast, from rigorous academic programs to relaxed courses focused on pleasure and practical conversation—you’ll find a few varied examples here. You can also combine your immersion in France with mastering the art of French cooking, or watercolor painting or wine tasting, as you’ll see from our listings starting on page 35.

language schools

Institut de Français – apartments for the duration of the course. Villefranche-sur-MER 23 ave Général-Leclerc, Villefranche-sur-Mer, With a stunning location on the Côte d’Azur, 04.93.01.88.44. www.institutdefrancais.com the Institut de Français in Villefranche-sur- —Richelle Harrison Plesse Mer is a popular choice for students of all ages who would like to combine language Accent Français – Montpellier learning with the laidback Riviera lifestyle. Whether for a brief introduction to the Housed in a traditional Provençal villa, the French language or intensive, one-on-one school overlooks the Mediterranean from classes, Accent Français in Montpellier offers its hilltop perch and is within easy reach of a variety of courses for students of all levels.

IS Aix-en-Provence Nice, Cannes and Monte Carlo. The sunny Besides general French courses, the school former village of Villefranche-sur-Mer also offers very popular specialized offerings sometimes looks like a movie set—and has combining French with cooking classes, wine often been one—with its charming small port, classes and/or cultural programs. Students spectacular natural harbor, 16th-century may also attend a mix of group and private citadel and narrow 17th-century streets. The lessons with the combined courses option. school boasts a glittering cast of past students, For those who would like to spend some time too, from former Australian Prime Minister learning the language while on vacation, the Gough Whitlam and founder of Lonely Planet The view from the balcony “holiday course” mixes study and sightseeing, of the Institut de Français Maureen Wheeler, to actress Kathy Bates and pairing lessons with city tours, movie scree- celebrity hairdresser Vidal Sassoon. nings and music/dance/theater outings. The Institut offers an all-year-round inten- tongue as children...introducing the informa- Students of all ages and many nationalities sive course that promises true immersion in tion immediately to our mouths, not just our sign up for Accent Français courses that run the language and works to develop natural minds. I believe that’s why students leave the anywhere from one week to several months. speaking ability using a concept known as the Institut actually speaking the language, not Courses include small study groups (3 to 10 “total approach”. Courses run 8 1/2 hours a just knowing it on paper.” students), two teachers per class and a focus on day, five days a week, for two to four weeks, Offering regular sessions across eight practical communication through oral training,

and combine various methods and activi- levels, the Institut de Français limits classes although all four primary language skills are Français de Institut Courtesy Photo ties—traditional lessons, games, films, songs to no more than ten students. Full sessions covered—reading, writing, speaking and list- and role-playing—all in French only—to consist of 160 hours of tuition over four weeks. ening. “I felt the immersion left me able to prepare students for everyday conversation. Shorter sessions of two or three weeks are speak more confidently,” says Linda May, “I appreciated the school’s focus on the spo- possible, for students who are not absolute a student at Accent Français in 2010. “The ken, not written word,” former student Kelly beginners. Course fees range from €1,350 teachers were encouraging, they connected McDermott, from Denver, says. “The techni- to €3,300. For an extra fee, the school can well with students and made the classes very que mimics the way we learned our mother also provide accommodation in nearby interesting.”

30 l f r a n c e t o d a y l j a n u a ry 2013 l w w w . francetoday . c o m [ Apprendre le français

MONTPELLIER – PLACE DE LA COMÉDIE – 11H53’ 26°C ON PEUT PRÉFÉRER WALL STREET. ] MAIS ICI, à ONMontpellier PEUT TOMBER

LA CRAVATE ! / © Cecil Mathieu rag - / Stylisme Novembre People’s 2012 ANATOME Office de Tourisme Officede Montpellier de / Tourisme

Une expérience unique ! Montpellier is THE spot to learn French. Immerse yourself

in the language and culture of MONTPELLIER France in the dynamic Mediterranean city of CONVENTION Montpellier. You can find top-rated BUREAU language schools such as Accent Français, Erasme, IMLS, Institut Européen de Français, Institut Linguistique du Peyrou, LSF... With a wide range of courses for every level and length of stay, we can conventionbureau-montpellier.com +33 6 70 86 72 54 [email protected] help you find the programme most adapted to your needs. More information on : www.ot-montpellier.fr/en/language-stay

www.accentfrancais.com • www.centre-linguistique-montpellier.com www.imls.fr • www.institut-europeen.com • www.ilp-france.com • www.lsf-france.com

IMLS NSTITUT I ERRANÉEN MÉDIT S DE LANGUE ET SERVICES OTM - © Anatome, G. Deschamps, Tamarillos, ADT Hérault, Sox Fox - Décembre 2012 Décembre - Fox Sox Hérault, ADT Tamarillos, Deschamps, G. Anatome, © - OTM w w w . francetoday . c o m l j a n u a ry 2013 l f r a n c e t o d a y l 31 travel study guide

Pupils are encouraged to its medieval squares, grandiose take part in the school’s regular hôtels particuliers and 300 days of A class photo at ISEFE in Chambéry extracurricular activity program: sunshine per year, the southern evenings out in local cafés, bars city remains a popular choice and restaurants, karaoke parties, with students. picnics, food and wine tastings, 2 rue de Verdun, Montpellier, workshops and sporting activi- 04.67.58.12.68. ties—all handy ways to practice www.accentfrancais.com the language in an authentic —R.H.P. French environment. Conve- niently located in Montpellier’s ISEFE de Chambéry old town, Accent Français is steps The Alpine jewel of Chambéry away from the Place de la Comé- and the surrounding region die, the city’s action central. of mountains and lakes are an The location is another of outdoor enthusiast’s dream, and the school’s major attractions. provide a spectacular setting for went the extra mile to teach us as going west, only an hour and a Montpellier is the capital of the learning French. ISEFE (Institut much as possible,” she says. Fellow half from Lyon, one of France’s Languedoc-Roussillon region, Savoisien d’Etudes Françaises student Henry Ross, also from most fascinating cities. at the crossroads between Medi- pour Etrangers), part of the Uni- Tennessee, agrees. “The teachers Domaine Universitaire terranean beaches and the hilly versity of Savoie, offers a variety use a variety of different methods, de Jacob-Bellecombette, vineyard country that produces of French courses all year round. and I think they do a good job Chambéry, 04.79.75.84.14. Minervois, Corbières, Faugères, Its general French course, span- of keeping students engaged.” www.isefe.univ-savoie.fr Saint-Chinian and many other ning a trimester, admits up to Commenting on the classes, he —R.H.P. wines. The city has a solid repu- 18 students, and features an says they are “well organized, tation as a student center—the 18-hour-a-week program. with a good balance of reading, CCFS - Sorbonne, Paris University of Montpellier was Mara LaPorte, from Tennessee, writing, listening, speaking and The CCFS (Cours de Civilisation founded in the late 13th century, chose ISEFE because students are c u ltu re .” Française de la Sorbonne) were and has long been renowned for immersed in all that is French In addition to the standard created in 1919 to endorse French its medical school—one nota- right away, even with no prior general course, a number of culture by teaching French civi- ble 16th-century medical gra- knowledge of the language. “The themed courses cater to up to lization and French as a foreign duate was Rabelais. Today, with professors were very helpful and eight students at a time and cover language. The courses, steeped in such subjects as French literature, history and tradition, at the Uni- TOULOUSE MIDI-PYRENEES French history and civilization, versity of Paris-Sorbonne have gastronomy and theater. Intensive gone from welcoming a handful 13001400 étudiants, 90 nationalités différentes. courses, focusing on comprehen- of Americans in the early days to Technologie et art de vivre dans le sud de la France ! sion and expression, are offered accepting as many as 9,000 stu- over periods of three, four or dents a year, of more than 130 Une conception de l’apprentissage seven weeks. Summer courses different nationalities. Centrally moderne et innovante are a great opportunity to learn, located on Paris’s Left Bank, the ♦ Cours de français général or perfect, the language while Sorbonne is one of the symbols ♦ Cours intensifs, extensifs et cours du soir enjoying the region’s many fes- of the French capital. ♦ Cours de spécialité : français des affaires, français commercial, préparation au DELF tivals. The school has its own While many schools these ♦ Stages d’été restaurant and library, and it days focus on speaking skills, regularly organizes a raft of cultu- Fotolia.com Launois- © Thomas Sorbonne ISEFE; Courtesy photo Group The entrance ral and recreational activities to the ♦ Centre d’examen DELF including mountain hikes; day Sorbonne ♦ Logement dans des familles trips to nearby lakes; guided tours françaises of local sights and monuments; ♦ Service « Animation » : activités culturelles et sportives cultural nights out for movies, concerts or theater; and an array of sports from rowing to rock Alliance Française Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées climbing. 9 place du Capitole—31000 Toulouse—France For fun exploring farther afield, by train—they are frequent and inexpensive—Chambéry is Tel: 0033/(0)5.34.45.26.10.www.alliance - Fax:- 0033/(0)5.34.45.26.11.toulouse.org Email : [email protected] about 45 minutes from Grenoble Internet : to the south and Annecy with its beautiful lake to the north and,

32 l f r a n c e t o d a y l j a n u a ry 2013 l w w w . francetoday . c o m

Untitled-1 1 12/11/12 12:24:52 PM the CCFS program is also a La Leçon de Français - bastion of the old school and Paris aims to devote equal time to all Opened last year, La Leçon de basic language skills and also to Français is an “itinerant Pari- shepherd students through the sian language school” for private history of French civilization from lessons founded by the effer- its origins to the present day. All vescent Elizabeth Bettencourt.

courses include language classes With a degree in linguistics and Elizabeth Bettencourt, right, of The French that delve into French grammar, an Alliance Française diploma Lesson, with a student in a Montparnasse café conjugation, spelling, vocabulary for teaching French as a foreign and literary texts, plus separate language, Bettencourt worked in Paris—cafés, museums, gardens, Vie Romantique, or include visits phonetic labs to help students a private language school for two markets and shops. to the Drouot auction house or improve pronunciation, unders- years before setting out on her Single students or small the chic concept store Merci. tanding and oral expression. own to create “the kind of school groups might meet at the Café “We definitely want students The popular “classic” four- I dreamed about, a school without de la Mairie near the church of to learn grammar and pronuncia- month course consists of 12 walls, where learning would be a Saint Sulpice and, after working tion,” says Bettencourt, “but the hours of classes a week for French pleasure, where no one gets bored, on grammar and vocabulary over most important thing is for them language students of all levels, where there are several teachers coffee, visit the church to discuss to be able to say what they want to who can choose between mor- for each student and the students its Delacroix paintings and then say, with ease and confidence.” ning and afternoon classes. The do most of the talking”. drop into the Pierre Hermé pas- Fees range from €50 an hour complete four-month course, The focus is on spoken French, try shop. A lesson at Café Select for flexible “residents” courses with 20 hours of classes a week, and programs are custom- in Montparnasse starts with a (minimum 60 hours) to €80 is significantly more intensive— designed for each student—most discussion of Ernest Hemingway an hour for one-week courses the most comprehensive course are adults, 20-somethings to and James Joyce, and segues to (min. 10 hours). 1 rue Bénard, available at the school and also seniors. Individual schedules the to Paris 14th, 06.11.86.26.31. the most in demand. Students depend on a student’s level, inte- see the graves of Baudelaire and elizabeth.bettencourt in the complete course attend rests and specific goals. A schedule Man Ray. Other lessons happen @thefrenchlesson.fr, twice-weekly two-hour French of ten hours a week might involve in the tea salon of the www.thefrenchlesson.fr civilization lectures in addition four hours of spoken French, four and the garden of the Musée de la —Judy Fayard to regular language classes and hours of French culture and two phonetics labs. Short sessions hours of pronunciation. A less are in place for students who intensive schedule might be want an intense course of less two hours, twice a week. Tea- than three months, although a ching aids include computers, cultural program is offered as an iPads and voice recordings. One option for short-session students California couple did a one-week who want to stay on. For Spring course in Paris and now keeps up Semester 2013, Feb 14–May 31, at home with weekly lessons via the fee for the classic course is Skype. American Claire Bennis, €1,490; the complete course is retired after eight years in Paris €1,740. (For a detailed list of with IBM, started with La Leçon upcoming courses and fees, see de Français last year. “I can hear the CCFS website.) my progress in real time with my There are a few downsides to recordings on the lessons, and studying French in Paris: it can having the teacher’s recordings be a very expensive city to live at home gives me great practice in, and the distractions are many. in listening. I am very pleased. On the positive side, students, It’s the first time I feel confident tourists, business visitors and in my French.” residents alike are often swept Pronunciation is taught by away by the beauty, romance and Jeanne Deledicq, an opera sin- joie de vivre of the city, and the ger who holds a post-graduate distractions are wonderful. degree in linguistics and teaches Centre de l’Estrapade, 16 bis diction to actors and singers; clas- rue de l’Estrapade, Paris 5th, ses are held in her artist’s studio. 01.44.10.77.00. Language and culture are taught www.ccfs-sorbonne.fr by Bettencourt and three other

Photo © E.Lennard —R.H.P. professors, and the classroom is

w w w . francetoday . c o m l j a n u a ry 2013 l f r a n c e t o d a y l 33 H travel study guide

cooking schools edge of how to transform every The Kitchen at Camont- morsel of a cochon into a bewil- Gascony dering variety of edible delights. American-born author and chef (The pundit who decreed that Kate Hill spent a decade or so those who like sausage should aboard a canal barge conducting not see it being made obviously voyages of culinary discovery never had the pleasure of visiting along the waterways of southwest Camont.) Few places in France can rival the abundance of the Garonne Kate Hill Valley or the diversity of its Making croissants at La Cuisine Paris farm produce, and Camont is a microcosm of the region, with its homegrown vegetables, fruit trees kitchen with a black-and-white approach to learning about a new and herb gardens. Classes are tiled floor. Lunch or dinner, with place is to start with the food.” intensive, six-hour affairs from wine, follows savory cooking Kathryn O’Connor, who 9:30 am to 5 pm, but everything classes, at a dining table over- returned for a second class, agrees. pauses around noon for a long looking the Seine. All classes are “That’s the way we share, through French lunch washed down with small, with no more than eight food. A cooking class helps us the appropriate wine, and there students per teacher—most of understand who we are—if you are also expeditions to local mar- them trained at Paris’s prestigious want to know someone, sit down kets and farms to meet artisan professional school, the École and eat with them.” food producers. Camont is open Ferrandi—and they all allow for Students often continue their all year, offering one-, three- and hands-on learning. conversations downstairs after five-day cooking courses; one- “We’ve taken food prepara- classes, at one of the small tables France. But in 1991 she came week or one-month charcuterie tion and made it accessible,” in the reception room. “I’ve been ashore to an 18th-century farm- programs; and three-day week- says Bertch. “The point isn’t to able to interact with a lot of peo- house in the Garonne Valley near end photography workshops. stand back and look at it from a ple here,” says Tse. “It’s fun.” the village of Sainte-Colombe- The nearest large town is Agen, distance. It’s about sharing some- “Our students go on foot from en-Bruilhois, where she created which is about four hours from thing wonderful.” here to Notre Dame, to the Bas- the “culinary retreat” that is now Paris via the TGV high-speed Indoor classes range from tille, on just an easy stroll after The Kitchen at Camont. In her train, and the airports at Tou- macaron techniques and cheese- class,” says Bertch. And moreover, cooking-studio-cum-school, Kate louse and Bordeaux are only 90 tasting to deboning and cooking after class, for example, students welcomes professional cooks minutes away by car or an hour by whole chickens, and seasonal can also meander off to nearby and enthusiastic amateurs from train. Camont does not provide options vary—there’s a Bûche de E. Dehillerin, the renowned pro- around the world to discover accommodation but Kate can Noël class around Christmastime, fessional kitchen equipment store the secrets of Gascon cooking recommend a number of charm- for making the traditional log- that is a paradise of marvels for and much more. If haute cuisine ing local village inns and hotels. shaped French holiday dessert, anyone interested in cooking, is what you are after, best to take Course rates range from €250– and a Galette des Rois class in baking or croissant-making. your toque somewhere else. But if €1,750. [email protected], January, for baking those fran- La Cuisine Paris provides you want to learn about cassoulet, gipane-filled “king cakes” with a students of all ages and all (or www.kitchen-at-camont.com Paris Cuisine La Courtesy Croissants Shaw: Monica Courtesy Hill Kate terrines and tourtes, or join work- —Chris Redman trinket hidden inside. Out- no) cooking backgrounds with shops to practice breadmaking, door classes involve market and a tasty way to enter into French rustic pastries and farmhouse La Cuisine Paris food-shop tours, from chocolate culture, with the idea that food favorites, Camont is an ideal Opened in October 2009 by boutiques to hunting provisions at is nourishment on many levels, choice. There are also lessons in Olivier Pugliesi-Conti and Jane an open street market like the Left especially in France. Some of kitchen gardening, beekeeping, Bertch, La Cuisine Paris, in the Bank’s Marché Maubert. us visiting Paris—or elsewhere food photography and, for district near the river, The variety of classes offered, in France—can’t wait to get our less fainthearted, an intensive introduces its students to the along with the short duration and hands full of dough and strip the introduction-to-butchery course technique and beauty of clas- reasonable prices of individual chicken from the bones. linked to the ancient art of charcu- sic French cuisine in a friendly, classes (€60–€150), encourages 80 Quai de l’Hôtel de Ville, terie. You don’t have to slaughter approachable environment. students to repeat. One student, Paris 4th. 01.40.51.78.18. your own pig to participate, but Classes at La Cuisine Paris last Carrie Tse, took four classes in [email protected], by the end of the program you between two and four hours, the same week: “This is my first www.lacuisineparis.com will have a head-to-tail knowl- and are held in an airy upstairs trip to Paris, and I think the best —Kaylen Baker

34 l f r a n c e t o d a y l j a n u a ry 2013 l w w w . francetoday . c o m School listings

01- Paris Find the perfect program with our Accord école de Langues From €300 for 20 hrs/wk for 1 - 4 wks. Options include intensive comprehensive listing of programs. Paris ✆ 01.55.33.52.33 classes, one-on-one instruction, summer program for families & Language programs have been www.french-paris.com teens, programs for ages 50+ & business French. For €80 fee, school will arrange accommodation. Homestays from €235/wk. organized by region, and cooking Alliance Française Paris Ile-de-France From €222 for 20 hrs/wk. Workshops for €98/wk (9 hrs). Op- and wine schools are organized by Paris ✆ 01.42.84.90.00 tions include intensive, evening & private (hourly fee) classes. www.alliancefr.org/en Thematic classes such as ”Art de Vivre à la Française“ & ”Paris, La category. Consult our key to make Gourmande“ offered as well as business French. From €695 for a sure you choose a school that meets 2 wk homestay . your needs. Check out the schools’ Cours de Civilisation Française Check website for class options & prices. General & intensive French courses & evening classes available, as well as business de La Sorbonne websites to learn more about all Paris ✆ 01.44.10.77.00 French. Courses coincide w/academic calendar. Online Registra- they have to offer. www.ccfs-sorbonne.fr tion available. Housing services upon request. École France Langue Group courses start at €230 for 15 hrs/wk + €30 fee. Short & long- Paris ✆ 01.45.00.40.15 term courses offered. Private classes available. Programs in French & www.france-langue.fr business, tourism, or fashion. Au Pair program offered. 2 campuses Key in Paris; campuses in Biarritz, Bordeaux & Nice. For €80 fee, school will arrange accommodation. Homestays from €168/wk. Setting Requirements École de Langue Française Mini-groups (max 6) start at €395 for 15 hrs/wk. Group & private classes taught. Business French, French for Teachers & French + Art/ Urban Some French needed pour Étrangers (ELFE) Paris ✆ 01.48.78.73.00 Design or Fashion available. Special courses for ages 50+ & for un- Countryside Fluency required www.elfe-paris.com der 25. Cultural excursions available for a fee (wine tastings, cooking classes). Homestays from €230/wk. Various online classes offered.. Specific start date Online École Lutece Langue €247.5 for 15 hrs/wk for 1-3 weeks + €55 fee. Programs range and length ✆ Attendees Paris 01.42.36.31.51 in degree of intensity. Evening & private lessons offered plus Available/Included www.lutece-langue.com specialized courses on French cuisine, business French. Online Adults registration. School will arrange housing (€77 fee) from €30/ Certificate preparation night in a homestay. Adults &Teens Institut Catholique de Paris Prices based on hrs/wk per semester. From €460 for 3 hrs/wk/se- Leisure activities Paris ✆ 01.44.39.52.68 mester. Check website for all prices. Semester & monthly courses Teens www.icp.fr/ilcf offered in language, civilization, business French & teacher's train- Children ing. Evening classes available. Online registration. For a €100 fee, homestays can be arranged from €1015 for 4 wks. All ages La Leçon de Français An "itinerant" language school w/focus on spoken French, pronunciation

✆ & French culture. Custom-designed. From €50/hr for flexible “residents” College level Paris 06.11.86.26.31 www.thefrenchlesson.fr courses (min 60 hrs) to €80/hr for 1-week “tourist” courses (min 10 hrs). Verlaine Langue €280 for 10 hrs/wk for 2 wks; €330 for 3 wks; €398 for 4 wks. Paris ✆ 01.45.88.05.75 Housing suggestions provided upon request. Maximum of 6 www.verlaine-langue.com people per class.

02 - northwest Centre International d’étude des Langues (CIEL) From €230 for 17.5 hrs/wk + fees.General & Intensive courses offered Brest ✆ 02.98.30.45.75 as well as business French, teacher preparation, French + Gastronomy www.ciel.fr or Cultural Heritage. Program for school groups (aged 13-18). Campus offers 3 residence halls; homestays available from €189/wk. Centre Linguistique pour étrangers €790 for 2 wks 20 hrs/wk. Classes offered in the afternoon & evening; Tours ✆ 02.47.64.06.19 small group & one-on-one courses offered. Courses geared towards www.cle.fr ages 50+. Homestays from €190/wk. CŒur de France école de Langues From €435 for 20 hrs/wk. Small group, one-on-one, family & Sancerre ✆ 02.48.79.34.08 couple's classes available. Cultural excursions. School offers a few www.coeurdefrance.com apartments onsite starting at €650/wk & can help book several France is divided into five geographical areas, nearby apartments. each with its own area code. For calls within écolangues First wk €600, then €540/wk (25 hrs/wk). Housing included, other types France, area codes use two digits: 01, 02, 03, Angers ✆ 02.41.25.73.73 of accommodation can be arranged. Small group, one-on-one & courses 04 and 05. When calling from the United www.ecolangues.com for 2 available in general & business French, French for teachers. States, dial 011 for international and 33 for Français à la Carte Small group (max 5) courses offered as well as individual, duo & France, then delete the zero in the French Tours ✆ 02.47.96.42.18 classes for teachers. From €890 for 4 wks (15 hr/wk). Homestays area code. For example, if the telephone num- www.lessonsinfrench.com from €170/wk. ber shown in the listings is 01.55.12.13.14, French in Normandy From €199 for 15 hrs/week + €85 fee. General & business French offered to call from outside France you will dial Rouen ✆ 02.35.72.08.63 as well as French & Cultural programs (cuisine, arts…) For a €30 fee, 011.33.1.55.12.13.14. www.frenchinnormandy.com school will place students in homestay. Immersion France £730/wk. Courses available June through Sept only; GENERAL SEARCH INFORMATION Suèvres ✆ 02.54.87.86.02 accommodation, meals & full board included. Cooking classes www.immersionfrance.co.uk may be added for an additional fee. CampusFrance : Website portal for Le Français Face à Face Sixty hrs of French immersion (5 days) for €1800 (40 hrs of classses). studying in French universities. Guides to Angers ✆ 06.66.60.00.63 One-on-one intensive classes for professionals. Accommodation & choosing schools, applying and living. Visit www.lefrancaisfaceaface.com meals beginning at €850/wk. Lodging à la carte. website for prices. Le Poyenval €1195/wk includes classes, meals & accommodation; €130 for day www.usa.campusfrance.org/ Bazoges-en-Pareds ✆ 02.51.51.26.85 course. School and housing in a château. In addition to small group www.lepoyenval.com classes (max 5), French + painting or photography also offered.

w w w . francetoday . c o m l j a n u a ry 2013 l f r a n c e t o d a y l 35 travel study guide School listings

03 - NORTHEAst Centre International d’études Françaises From €490 for 2 wks; €1395/semester. Intensive courses taught Dijon ✆ 03.80.39.35.60 on weekly basis year-round as well as semester courses. Campus www.u-bourgogne.fr/CIEF dorms available during summer from €391/4 wks. Homestays & student residences can be booked year-round. Cooking classes & cultural excurions offered. CIEF de l’Université de Reims €700/semester. €320 - €400 for 3 wks in summer (20 hrs/wk). Reims ✆ 03.26.91.81.95 Semester & short summer courses offered. Housing may be ar- www.univ-reims.fr/cief ranged off-campus. Centre International d’Etudes de Langues (CIEL) From €410 for 2 wks (15 hrs/wk). Small group classes start every Strasbourg ✆ 03.88.43.08.31 2 weeks year-round. Private classes & workshops available. www.ciel-strasbourg.org Evening courses, business French & French for teachers offered. French Immersion in Champagne . Individual, small group & programs for families/couples of- Verdelot ✉ [email protected] fered. Prices vary depending on program & length. Several www.french-immersion-champagne.fr charming hotels & gites nearby. "Sparkling Weekend" centered around French language & wine available. in a new culture. Institut Catholique Lille Clarife €295 for 36-hr module; €625 for 70-hr summer module. Spring Eat Lille ✆ 03.20.57.92.19 & summer courses. Homestays & housing in university resi-

Swim in a new language. clarife.univ-catholille.fr dences may be arranged. Evening courses offered. 04 - SOUTHEAST Accent Français From €220/wk for 20 hrs/wk. General & intensive French, medical & Play and learn Montpellier ✆ 04.67.58.12.68 business French, French & cooking, French for teachers & courses for www.accentfrancais.com ages 50+. Homestays from €120/wk. Summer housing on campus at a Minnesota summer camp! for €125/wk. Alliance Française Marseille-Provence From €256 for 4 wks (8 hrs/wk). Classes offered year-round. Marseille ✆ 04.96.10.24.60 French for Au Pairs offered. Homestays available from €15/ Register now for French www.afmarseille.org night. language programs! Alliance Française de Grenoble Starting at €198 for 20 hrs. Group & private courses available in Grenoble ✆ 04.76.56.25.84 general, professional & scientific French. Conversation circles & Scholarships available. For more information visit www.alliancefr-grenoble.org cooking sessions available. School can help arrange housing. ConcordiaLanguageVillages.org/scholarships. Altiplano Training From €735 for course only (15 hrs); Immersion programs (including Chamonix, Mens ✆ 04.76.34.25.15 housing) from €1150/wk (15 hrs). Intensive courses in Chamonix plus www.altiplanotraining.com immersion courses in Mens. One-on-one instruction. Cooking courses www.FrenchLanguageVillage.org available. Courses offered year-round. Family French courses offered during the summer. Cavilam Group classes from €290/wk (20 hrs) + €60 fee. Classes start every Vichy ✆ 04.70.30.83.83 Monday except for beginners, which start on specific dates. Group www.cavilam.com & individual classes + variety of other programs. French + golf, cuisine or hydrotherapy offered. French & sports for ages 12 - 16. Homestays from €18.50/night. Centre Universitaire d’Études See website for prices. General & professional French, French for Françaises de Grenoble (CUEF) teachers. Language, culture & cooking courses also offered. Housing

Grenoble ✆ 04.76.82.43.70 on campus; homestays or other accommodations may be arranged. www.u-grenoble3.fr/cuef Ceran Lingua From €2575/wk. Intensive residential program in complete Morières-lès-Avignon ✆ 04.90.02.05.00 immersion. Classes in small groups of 4 and/or private lessons. www.ceran.com Meals & evenings with the instructors. Crea-Langues From €942/wk plus housing (onsite). Weekend excursions may be Moustiers-Ste-Marie ✆ +32.51.31.97.42 supplemented for additional fee. Immersion courses in general French www.crealangues.com . or French for teachers, interpreters or expats. Open April to Sept only. Le français Eurolingua Institute From €305/wk for 4 wks (15 hrs/wk). Summer courses only. Montpellier ✉ [email protected] Long & short term programs, activities available. Homestays avec plaisir ! www.eurolingua.com available from €30/night. Ici Langue From €225/wk (15 hrs/wk). Small group classes (max 5) & pri- > High quality French courses Nice ✆ 04.93.16.94.17 vate lessons. Homestays available from €26/night. Excursions for students of all ages www.icilangue.com offered for additional fee. Institut César Langues Group (max 6), individual & telephone classes taught year- ■ Courses from one week to several months Montpellier ✆ 04.67.63.43.69 round. Special courses on wine, terroir & discovering the region ■ Small group classes, maximum of 7 students per class www.institutcesar.com offered, as well as classes geared to seniors. ■ Private tutoring Institut Européen de Français Courses start at €230/wk for 22 lessons. Courses offered in general ■ Professional and enthusiastic teaching staff Montpellier ✆ 04.67.91.70.00 French, business French & French for teachers. French courses ■ Welcoming host families or furnished apartments www.institut-europeen.com combined w/ internship also available. Student residences can be ■ In Tours in the Loire Valley, where the «finest» French booked; homestays from €138/wk. is spoken Institut de Français €2800 for 4 wks from Dec to April; €3400 for 4 wks from May ■ Direct flights from London, 55 minutes from Paris Villefranche-sur-Mer ✆ 04.93.01.88.44 to Nov. + €60 fee. 2 - or 4-week immersion programs offered. by TGV www.institutdefrancais.com Breakfast, lunch included in price. Accommodation at the school ■ Contact us at + 33 247 64 06 19 from €380 for 4 wks. Institut Français des Alpes From €240/wk for 20 hrs. Short & long term programs. Programs [email protected] Annecy ✆ 04.50.45.38.37 vary in degree of intensity. French courses plus skiing or cuisine also 7-9 place de Chateauneuf 37000 TOURS - FRANCE www.cle.fr www.ifalpes.fr offered. Homestays from €245 ; student residences nearby. Institut de Langue Française Uzès € 39.80/hr for private lessons. Price decreases as hours increase. Uzès ✆ 04.66.22.74.08 One-on-one instruction. French language courses combined www.uzes-french-school.com w/art, cuisine & history. Couple's & family courses available. 36 l f r a n c e t o d a y l j a n u a ry 2013 l w w w . francetoday . c o m Accommodation suggestions upon request.

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Institut International de Langue From €645 for 2 wks + €75 fee. Several courses available (group or Aix-en-Provence ✆ 04.42.93.47.90 private) for short & long term in all levels of French. Language courses www.is-aix.com combined w/golf, wine, painting, sailing or horseback riding classes. Business French, French for Teachers offered. Homestays from €179/wk. Institut Linguistique Adenet €230/wk for 20 lessons. French courses for all levels; programs vary Montpellier ✆ 04.67.60.67.83 in degree of intensity. Short & long term courses offered in groups www.ila-france.com &/or private sessions. Homestays from €147/wk. Immersion en français pour adultes Institut Méditerranéen de Langues/Services (IMLS) Offers French courses at the University of Montpellier as well as 3 levels of Montpellier ✆ 04.67.58.46.88 French instruction (group or private) at the Institut. French & gastronomy à partir de 23 ans. www.imls.fr/en program. From €425 for 1 wk (15 hrs). *Leçons et activités de 8h30 à 22h Institut Savoisien d’études françaises Trimesters start at €995; 3-, 4- & 7-week summer courses begin pour étrangers (ISEFE) at €390. French language and culture courses offered year round *Groupes de 2 à 4 étudiants

Chambéry ✆ 04.79.75.84.14 + French for Au Pairs. Homestays from €450/month. *Logement au château Correnson www.isefe.fr LSF French Language School Standard & intensive French courses offered year-round; French & Montpellier ✆ 04.67.91.31.60 gastronomy, French for Au Pairs & professional French. Programs for www.lsf-france.com teens from ages 11 to 17. See website for prices & housing info.

Millefeuille Provence Immersion Programs, taught year round, start at €1850/wk & Saint-Geniès-de-Comolas ✆ 04.66.50.22.05 include room & board onsite in a château. www.millefeuille-provence.com 05 - SOUTHWEST Alliance Française de Toulouse €150 for 4 weeks (4 hrs/wk); €480 for 4 wks (16 hrs/wk) + fee Toulouse ✆ 05.34.45.26.10 (€40-50). Courses offered year-round in small groups or individual www.alliance-toulouse.org lessons. Evening classes offered. Homestays from €350 for 4 wks. Contactez Dominique +33 466 502 205 Association Roussilangues €210/wk for 15 hrs includes classes, conversation circles & www.millefeuille-provence.com Bélesta ✆ 06.76.22.49.50 ✆ 06.76.22.49.50 wine tastings. Weekend sessions available. Housing sugges- www.roussilangues.com tions on request. [email protected] BLS École de Français Form €250/wk for group classes.+ €80 fee. General French taught Bordeaux ✆ 05.57.34.46.29 in varying levels of intensity; teacher refresher course & professional www.bls-frenchcourses.com French offered. French & wine; French & Bordeaux heritage. Classes offered in nearby Biarritz. For €80 fee, school can arrange housing. CAREL From €300/wk (25 hrs). Weekly courses and immersion program Royan ✆ 05.46.39.50.00 offered. Programs offered year-round for adults teens, & French

www.carel.org teachers. Homestays from €156/wk.  Centre de Français Langue Etrangère €800/semester (220 to 250 hrs). Year-round part-time courses Poitiers ✆ 05.49.45.32.94 from €100/wk (2 hrs/wk). Summer program offered for 1 - 3 cfle.univ-poitiers.fr wks. Website offers housing suggestions. L’Age Baston From £1,050 for 1-week immersion course, includes meals La Rochefoucauld ✆ +44.208.858.7705 & housing. Small group courses taught in French language, www.lagebaston.com painting, cooking, & creative writing. CIELCIEL dede Langue Onze Toulouse €420 for 2 wks (46 lessons) + €60 fee. Group courses taught in Toulouse ✆ 05.61.62.54.58 varying degrees of intensity. Business French & French for teach- www.langue-onze.asso.fr ers offered. French language + cooking/oenology also offered. STRASBOURGSTRASBOURG All inclusive summer programs for teens. Housing placement for €30 fee. Homestays from €155/wk. Apprenez le Valorme €530/ wk + accommodation. Onsite housing from €45/night. Im- français au coeur Foix ✆ 05.61.03.89.46 mersion program in a medieval town near Toulouse & the Pyrénées. de l’Europe ! www.valorme.com Price includes courses, 4 lunches & excursions. Untitled-1 1 ✗ Un centre 11/27/12 5:15:51 PM cooking and wine schools de formation moderne et 30 années L'Atelier des Chefs Half-hour lunch courses from €17; 2-hour multi-course meals & lon- convivial d’expérience... Paris and other cities ger themed classes; 1 & 2- day courses as well. See website for prices. ✗ + Une rentrée www.atelierdeschefs.fr Other locations in Lyon, Bordeaux, Aix-en-Provence, Lille, Strasbourg, En français toutes les 2 semaines ! langue générale, Toulouse, Nantes & Dijon. Sign up online. In French. + Des programmes sur Français des mesure à la demande ! Bastide des Saveurs €152 for one day Provençal cooking course w/René Bérard, includes affaires ou des ✆ + Des formateurs La Cadière d’Azur 04.94.90.11.43 class, lunch & drinks. Longer packages available which include professions : www.hotel-berard.com cooking courses, accommodations & meals. Wine tasting package expérimentés et des formules de disponibles ! also offered. English translations for courses & recipes. cours souples Le Cordon Bleu Paris Professional courses in French & numerous demonstrations & et variées ! ✆ 01.53.68.22.50. hands-on courses for home cooks, from €45 for a 2-hr demonstrati-

www.lcbparis.com on to courses lasting several days. Classes held for 8 to 12 year olds. Wine & spirits modules offered. See website for schedule & prices. Cuisine Corsaire €104 to €360. Cooking school for amateurs & professionals alike Cancale ✆ 02.99.89.63.86 focusing on seafood & fresh produce, though other workshops www.cuisine-corsaire.fr available. Family classes offered (min 2 parents/2 children) for €200/pair. Classes last from a couple hours to a full day. English translation available if requested at time of reservation. La Cuisine Paris Friendly, hands-on approach to cooking in small groups (max Paris ✆ 01.40.51.78.18 8). Courses (2 to 4 hrs) range from indoor classes on specific www.lacuisineparis.com techniques & dishes to outdoor market & food-shop tours. From €60–€150. All levels of cooking backgrounds. www.ciel-strasbourg.org École de Cuisine Alain Ducasse Half & full day courses for students of varying levels. See website for all Paris ✆ 01.44.90.91.00 types of classes. Half-day courses from €165. Oenology offered as well as www.ecolecuisine-alainducasse.com a mini-course for children ages 7 - 12. Four courses taught in English. w w w . francetoday . c o m l j a n u a ry 2013 l f r a n c e t o d a y l 37

Untitled-2 1 12/11/12 12:53:58 PM L travel study guide School listings

École du Vin de Bordeaux Practical & technical wine courses from 2 days to 1 wk from €350 to Bordeaux ✆ 05.56.00.22.85 €1092. 2 hour course everyday in summer (€25). Evening & Saturday www.bordeaux.com/us/wineschool courses offered in French. English courses taught in May & October. Gastronomicom 1 & 3 month programs combining intensive French language & cu- Cap d’Agde ✆ 09.66.98.96.57 linary training (cooking, pastry, wine service). From €3000 for one www.gastronomicom.fr month class (includes lodging). 1 & 2 year programs offered.

Institut Paul Bocuse 1, 2 & 3 day workshops & 3 or 6 week programs for amateur gourmands Lyon ✆ 04.72.18.02.20. as well as 3-year degree programs for budding professionals. Short www.institutpaulbocuse.com workshops from €145–€490. Some classes can be reserved online. The Kitchen at Camont Culinary retreat in Gascony taught by American-born author and chef Ste. Colombe-en-Bruilhois / [email protected] Kate Hill at her home "Camont". Offers year-round 1-, 3- & 5-day cook- www.kitchen-at-camont.com ing courses; 1-wk or 1-mo. charcuterie programs; 3-day photography workshops. No accommodation but several charming inns & hotels nearby. Classes are intensive, 6-hr affairs. From €250–€1,750. Ô Chateau Classes offered daily from €30 - €150. Wine & champagne tastings Paris ✆ 01.44.73.97.80 in Paris (typically 1 to 2 hrs) plus daytrips to the Champagne region www.o-chateau.com (€220). In English. On Rue Tatin Small specialty cooking classes in English taught by writer & Louviers ✆ [email protected] cookbook author Susan Herrmann Loomis in English & French. www.onruetatin.com 4 day courses in Normandy at Susan's home for €1600; 1 day classes in Paris €250. Lodging not included. Promenades Gourmandes €290 for half-day class includes market tour followed by a hands-on Paris ✆ 01.48.04.56.84 cooking class, preparing a seasonal 3-course lunch menu adapted to www.promenadesgourmandes.com students' tastes. Gourmet walking tour for two €300. In English. Teen Cooks Classes in English for teenagers from 15 to 18, no French required. One-

Saint-Pierre-de-l’Isle ✆ 05.46.24.65.09. week program includes 3 hrs of lessons/day, meals, accommodation, www.teencooks.co.uk excursions and airport transfers, £475. Courses limited to five students.

B.P. 1104 Domaine Universitaire de Jacob-Bellecombette PROGRAMS BASED IN NORTH AMERICA

73011 Chambéry Cedex-France Tél. 00 33 (0)4 79 75 84 14 FEDERATION ALLIANCES FRANÇAISES See website for locations & prices. French classes offered across the Various locations ✆ 312.431.1880 US within the Alliance Française network. Now offers e-learning pro- www.afusa.org gram for AF members for $329/semester (90 hrs of instruction). Canoe Island Camp Summer camp for children ages 9 to 16 w/French lessons in the morning Camp Orcas, WA ✆ 360.468.2329 & activities in the afternoons (French culture, cuisine, fencing, archery, www.canoeisland.org sailing, kayaking…) $1965 - $3378. Weekend family camps. Centre Linguistique du Collège de Jonquière $2,100 (CAD) for 3 wks includes lessons, housing, meals & Québec, Canada ✆ 800.622.0352 activities. French immersion programs for adults & teens in www.langues-jonquiere.ca Quebec. 3-wk, 4-wk & 15-wk sessions offered. Day & evening group courses available à la carte. Concordia Language Villages See website for program list and prices. Day camps & residen- Moorhead, Minnesota ✆ 800.222.4750 tial camps in Northern Minnesota for young people, families & www.concordialanguagevillages.org adults in 15 languages.

BILINGUAL SChOOLS French-American School of New York $22,350 - $25,820/yr. Preschool through high school bilingual New York, NY ✆ 914.250.0400 day school. French Baccalaureate track. www.fasny.org French-American School of Puget Sound Preschool through fifth grade: $16,400. Middle school: Mercer Island, WA ✆ 206.275.3533 $19,400. Strong academic program in French & English. Finan-

ECOLE INTERNATIONALE www.fasps.org cial aid available. International School of Boston $19,950 - $26,700/yr. French immersion in preschool & kin- DE LA PÉNINSULE Cambridge, MA ✆ 617.499.1459 dergarten, bilingual program throughout high school. French www.isbos.org Baccalaureate track. PALO ALTO, CA International School of the Peninsula Nursery through 5th grade: $21,100. 6th through 8th grade: Palo Alto, CA ✆ 650.251.8500 $23,050. Bilingual immersion from nursery school – 8th

• Au service de la communauté française depuis 30 ans www.istp.org grade. • Homologuée par le Ministère de l’Education Nationale Lycée Français de San Francisco Preschool through fifth grade: $17,760; Middle School: San Francisco, CA ✆ 415.661.5232 $18,850, High School: $23,300. French immersion preschool • Au cœur de la Silicon Valley www.lelycee.org through high school. College prep, French Baccalaureate track. • Un cursus scolaire bilingue ambitieux et rigoureux Lycée International Franco-Américain (LIFA) . $22,130 - $33,560/yr. Preschool through high school. Interna- • Un environnement plurilingue et pluriculturel stimulant San Francisco, CA ✆ 415.558.2000 tional and French Baccalaureate tracks.

• Des élèves autonomes et responsables www.frenchamericansf.org

Lycée International de Los Angeles $11,700 - $16,000/year. Binlingual school from preschool through (650) 251-8504 Los Angeles, CA ✆ 818.994.2961 high school with four campuses. Financial aid available. Discount for www.lilaschool.com www.istp.org multiple child enrollment. International and French Baccalaureate. San Diego French-American School Pre-kindergarten: $16,200. Kindergarten through fifth grade: La Jolla, CA ✆ 858.456.2807 $14,700. Middle School: $15,900. Bilingual program from pre- www.sdfrenchschool.org school through 8th grade.

38 l f r a n c e t o d a y l j a n u a ry 2013 l w w w . francetoday . c o m le marchÉ

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Email: [email protected] Web: www.greatfrenchrentals.com Contact: Atossa Kia Phone: 00 1 (212) 679 4200 Web: www.parisbastilleapt.com classes WWW.PROVENCEPROPERTIES.NET Email: [email protected] Your source for vacation villas since Web: www.kialawfirm.com PARIS 7TH EIFFEL 2003 VALORME Superb 1 bedroom, elevator. $1080/ Small residential school in Foix, medi- Avocat fiscaliste - New York & week. $2990/month. real estate / for sale eval town, Southwest France. Paris Phone: (858) 354 4470 Classes, visits, hiking. Avocat fiscaliste aux barreaux de New Web: www.purplevictorian.com Contact: Corine Rouleau York & Paris, CPA AFFORDABLE IRRESISTIBLE Web: www.valorme.com Planning Fiscal France - U.S.A. PARIS OWNERSHIP IN PROVENCE! Déclarations fiscales U.S. particuliers Beautiful 2 bedrooms , 750 square www.frenchpropertyshares.com EUROLINGUA ONE-TO-ONE & entreprises feet. 1929 building, elevator. Quiet. Contact: Ginny Blackwell LANGUAGE HOMESTAYS Contact: Jean-Pierre Lavielle Near metro/bus/shops. Phone: (585) 905 0849 Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Phone: +1 (203) 635-3117 Contact: Genevieve Blaise [email protected] Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Ukrainian. Email: [email protected] Phone: (415) 383 6925 Total linguistic and cultural immersion Email: [email protected] PARTICULIER VEND COTE D'AZUR living 1 to 4 weeks in the home of a general interest Terrain, 6843 m2, superficie de planch- qualified Eurolingua Homestay Tutor, Marais/ er 1050 m2 possible, haut de vallon, any time of year. Quality accommoda- Rental plein Sud, à Biot, 10/15mns Antibes. tion, all family meals, local visits and 30 square meter apartment for rent. www.unionfrancaise.org Pour belle Propriété de Prestige. excursions. Return home speaking like a 214 années de Fraternité Welcoming, comfortable, accom- Photos sur Google Earth. native!! Web: www.eurolingua.com modates 2 people. Third floor with Phone: +33 (0)6 87 34 59 84 elevator. Available now. Email: andre.fromilhague0717@ French with Luc Contact: Angie orange.fr www.frenchwithluc.com FRENCH PRODUCTS Email: [email protected] Private French Tutorials via Skype. Orleans apartment for sale Excellent References. Est.1986 FURNISHED HOUSE 10 MN CHAMPS Light and sunny. 55 minutes from Web: www.frenchwithluc.com ELYSEES Paris by train. Two bedrooms, large Rueil-Malmaison (92500) 2 min RER-A. living and dining room. Garage and PRIVATE FRENCH LESSONS ON Residential area. New-house (2 years- large storage basement situated in a SKYPE AND BY PHONE old): 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, park in downtown Orleans. Professional former French Instructor open-kitchen 500€ /weekend. 1200€ / Contact: Michele C. Morris at Alliance Française with more than week. 2000€ /2 weeks. 3600€ /month. Phone: 209-536-0828 25 years of experience in many coun- Contact: MR ROGER Email: [email protected] tries. My best method: TOUT VA BIEN- Phone: 00.336.64.10.92.92 1-2-3-4. Flexible hours and prices. Au IT’S NEVER TOO LATE FOR TRÈS Email: [email protected] Revoir, mes amis ! DAZZLING GIFTS FROM FRANCE! commercial Proposals Contact: Monsieur Ledoux Baguette Baskets, Découpage, Olive Phone: (808) 264 2627 Wood, Weekender & Shopping VACATION RENTALS & INNS MIAMI - RESTAURANT Email: [email protected] Bags, Books, French Pottery, Linens, ATTENTION ! Gourmet Treats, Glassware, CDs, Stunning location in southern Possible VISA investisseur! French Lessons online all Market Baskets, Soaps & Sachets, France - AVAILABLE FOR monthly Située en plein centre affaire de levels Deck Chairs, Holiday Décor, and Toys! or weekly rent Miami, entre 2 banques et le Palais de Contact: Jean-Luc Balland Ooh la la! Three bedroom house with large, Justice, cette véritable institution est Email:[email protected] Email: [email protected] private garden and stunning views ouverte depuis 50 ans. Web:www.myfrenchtutor.net Web: www.quelobjet.com over vineyards, garrigue and hills. $1,200,000 soit €957,000 Swimming pool, wifi, fireplace, an- www.yolandecitro.com/restaurant- services seeking a job tique furniture, barbecue. 45 minutes’ heartofdowntown/ drive from Montpellier and Nimes. Contact : Yolande Citro CPA – NEW YORK/PHILADELPHIE Available from 1st February - 1st July. Phone : (305) 968 - 1763 Comptabilité générale PMI/PME JEUNE DAME AFRICAINE $900-$1500 per week; $2000-$3500 per Email : [email protected] Déclarations Fiscales Entreprises/ Cherche baby-sitting, ménage, garde month, dependent on season. Particuliers Conseil Fiscal de personnes âgées. Contact: Alan Channer Contact: William J. Blanchet, Contact: Zenab Phone: +33466535587 CPA MS Tax Phone: (212) 376 4737 Phone: (917) 379-8347 Email: [email protected] Fax: (212) 376 4981 Email: [email protected] Web: www.blanchetcpa.com

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