Bits and pieces from my short break to France

http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-mas1.htm

I think you'll like this. :wink:

Thanks, osso. I did not know that.

Well, folks. When them Europeans wake up tomorrow, they'll have lots of fun seeing us do mush stuff.

I was going to sing "Too Old to Cut the Mustard", but I be too tired so this bit of info will have to do.


Undoubtedly, the mustard capital of the world is Dijon in eastern France. This picturesque city gained its reputation as the home of master mustard makers in the 13th century. The French were passionate about mustard, considering it the condiment of kings. They passed strict laws governing what could be called Dijon mustard. The French still ensure that mustard labeled Dijon adheres to "appellation controllee" standards, much like fine French wines.

Night, yall.

Hamilton - as in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada!

http://www.hamiltoninternationalvillage.ca/WhyMustard.asp

http://www.gsdunn.com/aboutus.html

mustard

we control the oddest things



http://atn-riae.agr.ca/supply/3311_e.htm



http://www.foodreference.com/html/fmustard.html

Returning to France (and not mentioned the very best mustards from the world, the Düsseldorf Löwensenf ('lion's mustard') and Coleman's mustards)

- Moutarde de Dijon (made with white wine), the Moutarde de Meaux and the Moutarde de Reims (made with champagne) are really worth mentioning on this sunny morning .... pics will come later again.

Morning, Walter
Bonjour.

Nice pics

The Colman's Mustard shop/ museum in Norwich is a nice place to visit. I've been there.

It really is - as well as the passage there, which looks extremely nice!

Back to my trip again.

You'll find a lot of station crosses along the roads and at even smallest road crossings

Which leads us to the cathedral in St. Omer

In the Middle Ages, wonders happened everywhere and on numerous occasions.



Lady of Miracles first mentioned in 636. Erected due to the deliverance of the town from invaders. Actual statue of 16th century (I think).

People are still on pilgrimage to this St. Mary statue, but more are visiting the tomb of Saint Erkembode there:



"The Saint who makes people walking"
In Saint-Omer's cathedral, on the Erkembode's grave, we can see a lot of children's shoes...

ERKEMBODE is a nickname which means "Envoyé Reconnu" (messenger), and it has become his name. This monk was from IRELAND and in 723, he became St. Bertin Abbot and Thérouanne's bishop... Then he became the 4th successor of Saint Omer (Bishop).

The Thérouanne's diocese was boundless : its length was from Belgium (Ypres) to "Vallée de la Somme". Saint Erkembode crossed it by foot in every direction... his aim was to buy some lands in order to give them to poor people. In 742, when he died, he was almost totally paralyzed.
The Saint Erkembode's grave was before at the middle of the first church, and is now near the choir of the cathedral. Everybody is surprised by those shoes. Here is the explanation : after Erkembode's death, some pilgrims came from everywhere in order to pray near this grave, and they were probably thinking :: "He walked a lot for us, now we have to walk towards him". Those pilgrims let their useless shoes on the grave, as an "ex voto" in order to symbolize their long walk.

Nowadays people pray him each time a child has difficulties in learning walking, and their mums, praying with confidence, put the shoes of their child here, on the grave.

There's an astronomic clock worth to mentioned in that cathedral and especially this wonderful Baroque organ(18th century), which towers over the 14th/15th century nave.



The baroque case was built by local craftsmen, the Piette brothers and restored in the 19th century. It still plays today.



Could the theme of 'La Marseillaise', the french national hymn, have been composed on the organ of St Omer?... A book has been written by Philippe Parès, in 1974, who speaks about an old chat about it : Who is the author of 'la Marseillaise'?

Moreover, the historian R. Poinard, affirmed that St Omer is at the origin of our National Hymn... By criticizing its warlike words, he declared that the song is not from Rouget de Lisle, but an extract of a church music !

"Before going to Strasbourg for the war, he wrote, Rouget de Lisle has been set in Saint-Omer. It is there where he heard an Oratorio composed by the Chapel master of the Cathedral, whose name was Grison. This oratorio has been played on the organ and , in the "Assurérus March", we can hear exactly the same melody of the future "Marseillaise"! He should like this tune, perhaps he sung it....In Strasbourg, he probably only put other words and this melody has become "Chant de guerre pour l'Armée du Rhin" and after the French National Hymn..."

Extract from the guidebook of the Cathedral Notre-Dame of Omer

did someone mention mustard?

great photos Walter. Looking forward to Lord Ellpus's holiday snaps too. He came in Portsmouth.

Walter, really great tour and I was totally surprised at ehBeth's tiny grains of mustard seeds info. I used to think that mustard gas was a component of mustard.

That pipe organ is awesome!

One morning (and partly the afternoon as well) I visited the "Parc Ornithologique du Marquenterre"



... a place for spotting birds on the edge of the bay in a protected area.

One of the really most astonishing places (and fortunately not at all crowded - actually it was the only place, where I saw none Brit at all) is Gerberoy, one of the hundred most beautiful villages in France and - believe it or not - the smallest French city with a bit more than 100 inhabitants.

Gerberoy part of the association " Les Plus Beaux Villages de France" is one of the gems of the department "Oise" situated in the middle of a triangle comprising Beauvais, Rouen and Amiens. Dominating at an altitude of 188 meters, the village received the designation of "City" from the King Philip August en 1202
It was besieged several times between 1079 and 1437, looted, razed but rebuilt in a way that preserved its authenticity.