Thursday 28 October 2021
A Wedding in Galapian
We attended the wedding of our dear friends Richard and David in the tiny
village of Galapian, where they live, in the south-west of France.
This event had been postponed from May of last year due to Covid.
The ceremony was held in the Mairie across the road from Richard and David's village house to which we retired for a wedding lunch.
The food and wine were supplied by Richard and David.
Richard and David have been together for more than 50 years.
They retired to France 18 years ago.
Their wedding was a joyous and unforgettable event.
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Fifty years! Wow! Love is love, they say. Hearty congrats to the newlyweds.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting Franco-British menu. With all these wines, I bet the guests at the end of the meal ont roulé sous la table!
Did they find the Stilton in Bordeaux or did they have it sent from England?
Hi Charles-Henry
DeleteYou can buy English Stilton at Grand Frais. Indeed, you can find lots of "foreign" cheeses there.
Tony
Hi Tony,
ReplyDeleteI have a question for your friends. Is it the brandy that makes bœuf en croûte Wellington?
Now you are getting très pédant! I shall ask them (if I remember) next time I see them. Our friends have lived in France for many years and David has a degree in French, a language he loves and speaks better than a lot of locals! David has taken out French citizenship, after a lengthy and tricky process. It is a goal I too would like to achieve. The men had a restaurant in Cambridgeshire for many years before their decision to re-locate to the quiet village of Galapian. Richard, a former engineer, is an artist and wine connoisseur. We've had many memorable dinners and wine evenings with them.
DeleteThank you, Tony, for these details. The fact that your friends owned a restaurant in England explain the sophistication of their marriage lunch, Wellington or not! This kind of details make people more real.
DeleteNow, you tell me when you want me to comment in French.
To become a U.S. citizen, I had to have some English fluency, some knowledge of American history and some understanding of the current political landscape.
I suppose the French requirements are along the same line.w
Tony, did you know that one of the many nicknames of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, was .....The Beef? That’s why The Beef en croûte!
ReplyDeleteHi Charles-Henry ... I will be initiating my application to become French at the beginning of next month. One of the things I will need to learn are the lyrics of the national anthem. It was sung with gusto at the memorial service in our local village this morning. And I would dearly like to join in with the crowd whenever France plays in soccer tournaments! Such a stirring and emotion-laden tune! We are heading off to Bayonne for a a couple of nights to coincide with my birthday later this month. I hope to take some photos and blog about it. Take care of yourself. I value your correspondence more than I can say.
DeleteDon’t worry, Tony, you just need to learn the first strophe. Nobody knows any further anyway. Hector Berlioz orchestrated the Marseillaise. It is worth listening to it. You can find that on YouTube.
DeleteSo, you are a Sagitarius baby like me. I’ll turn 97yo in mid December. You’re just a kid!
I’ll be with you par la pensée when you begin the process of being a French citizen.
Do you feel somewhat fluent now? Even though the classes didn’t resume, I ptesume due to Covid-19.
Have a nice trip to Bayonne, famous for it’s ham that can be used in piperade, a delicious Basque dish.
I’ll be waiting for your telling about your experience in Bayonne. You write so well, it will be a pleasure to read you.
Hi Tony! That’s all you need know about the Marseillaise, like 99,9% of French people :
DeleteREFRAIN
Aux armes, citoyens !
Formez vos bataillons !
Marchons, marchons !
Qu'un sang impur...
Abreuve nos sillons !
COUPLETS
I
Allons ! Enfants de la Patrie !
Le jour de gloire est arrivé !
Contre nous de la tyrannie,
L'étendard sanglant est levé ! (Bis)
Entendez-vous dans les campagnes
Mugir ces féroces soldats ?
Ils viennent jusque dans vos bras
Égorger vos fils, vos compagnes
There are four “liaisons:
DeleteAux z’armes citoyens
Qu’un sang qu’impur
Allons z’enfants de la patrie
Le jour de gloire est t’arrivé
L’étendard sanglant t’est levé
So, the X and Ar = ZAr (Ozarmes)
The G and Im = Qu’im (sanqu’impur)
The S and En = Zen (allonzenfants)
The T and Est = T’est (sanglant’est)
I don’t know if this will help you. I don’t know anything about phonetics!
Five “liaisons”. I can’t count anymore!
DeleteOh, Charles-Henry! You are a font of valuable information ... I wish I could take you to the citizenship interview! I'll start practising in the shower!
DeleteTony, glad I can be of help.
Delete