Joan of Arc, nicknamed the 'Maid of Orleans', was born 600 years ago in 1412. Her birth in Domremy-la-Pucelle in the Vosges, eastern France, was according to the villagers, on January 6th.

Her death by burning at the stake on May 1st, 1431, is celebrated more widely every year throughout France, but that didn't stop President Nicolas Sarkozy from making a pilgrimage this year. He didn't go to Domremy, but to Vaucouleurs a little to the north, in the same region. It was from here that Joan began her campaign to push the English out of France during the Hundred Years War between the two countries, and put Charles VII on the throne.

But Sarkozy's mind was as much on politics as it was on honoring the great French heroine and Roman Catholic saint. Joan of Arc has been adopted by the Far Right as a nationalist heroine who got rid of unwanted foreigners. Sarkozy tried to dispel their claim to her. "Joan is the incarnation of patriotism, which is the love of one's country without the hatred of others" he said in a public speech on Friday January 6th.

Forget the politics; this year there are likely to be many celebrations of Joan all over France. But the main ones will be centered around the places most closely associated with her: at Domremy, at Orleans where she lifted the English siege on the city, and in Rouen, where she was burned at the stake.

Joan of Arc was canonized in 1920, and along with St. Denis, St. Martin of Tours, St. Louis IX and St. Theresa of Lisieux, is one of the patron saints of France.

Joan of Arc is 600 Years Old originally appeared on About.com France Travel on Sunday, January 8th, 2012 at 13:23:35.

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From November 2011 to May 2012, during the period of the UK Presidency of the Council of Europe, Strasbourg is celebrating all things British. So if you want British style, and art, and architecture, film, food, dance and, well, British culture generally, then the Alsatian capital is the place to visit.

The relationship between Strasbourg and Britain goes back to 1949, when the Treaty of London created the Council of Europe with its 10 founding member states. On August 12^th, 1949, Sir Winston Churchill recognized the symbolic importance of choosing Strasbourg . This was the city of Franco-German reconciliation.

From today until the end of April, you can't miss the connection: Tram E in the city will be decorated in red, white and blue. In February look out for a retrospective of the films of Stephen Frears at the Cinema L'Odyssee, while major works by modern British artists are on display at the Modern Art Museum. Lewis Carroll is celebrated in April.

There's an ongoing calender of events. So check out the Sooo British program

More information
Strasbourg Tourist Information
17 place de la Cathedrale
Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 88 52 28 28
Website

More about Strasbourg

General View of Strasbourg © Geneviève Engel

Sooo British in Strasbourg originally appeared on About.com France Travel on Monday, January 23rd, 2012 at 08:57:47.

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Shopping in French fleamarkets is a particular pleasure. Some cities specialize in gathering dealers together at fixed dates. Strasbourg has four brocantes or fleamarkets a year and the next two in February and April (7th and 8th) give you the chance to seek out all sorts of old items, some valuable, some possibly less so except in terms of the pleasure that an old set of cutlery, grape scissors or a vintage frock might give you .

Strasbourg, placed at the eastern border where France and Germany meet, is a particular good place for such an event. On  February 4^th and 5^th, you can browse through the stalls for old European jewelery, ceramics, glassware, clothes and general antiques, giving a far greater range than in many French cities.

Practical Information

Parc des Expositions du Wacken.
Place de la Foire-Expositions
Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 88 37 67 67
Website

Image: Streets of Strasbourg © AIRDIASOL - ROTHAN

Strasbourg's February Fleamarket originally appeared on About.com France Travel on Sunday, January 29th, 2012 at 08:12:27.

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In January the bakeries and patisseries are filled with the cakes known as the Galette des Rois. The cake is part of the celebration of Epiphany, the time when the Three Wise Men first saw the baby Jesus. Traditionally you eat the cake on January 6^th, though many people celebrate it earlier. And this being a popular French delicacy, the cakes are made and sold throughout the whole month.

Different regions bake different cakes: in the north it's a flat puff pastry cake filled with frangipane; in the south galettes are brioche rings decorated with glace fruit. Tradition dictates that the galette holds a fève, a dried bean. But like all traditions, this is subject to creative modernization. In 1991 Christian Lacroix designed seven hearts for the famous Parisian patissier Gaston Lenôtre (1920-2009), whereupon other top designers like Yves St Laurent and Sonia Rykiel brought their talents to bear on the tiny trinkets.

During the tirage des rois (pulling of the cake) the person 'pulling' or finding the bean becomes king or queen for the feast, puts on a paper hat thoughtfully provided by the shop and can choose their partner. The alternative choice is to be king for the day, but that depends on your family and which tradition you choose to follow. So buy your galette and good luck!

Christmas continues in France until February 2^nd, when the Christmas cribs are taken down. Candlemas as it's known  is the feast of the purification of the Virgin Mary. But it's linked to pagan tradition as well. February which comes from the Latin 'februare' (to purify) has the tradition of 'new fire' as Nature sheds her winter cloak and is renewed.

Candlemas is also the time for making pancakes, again with an odd tradition. Hold gold in your left hand as you toss the pancakes and you are assured wealth and prosperity for the rest of the year. Very good luck with this one!

Post-Christmas Traditions in France originally appeared on About.com France Travel on Monday, January 2nd, 2012 at 11:22:04.

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It's that time of year again, when the Carnival season gets going and people traditionally throw off winter blues to celebrate the coming of Spring. Limoux, one of the first of the year, is a remarkable festival and the longest in the world. There are exhibitions and events all through the carnaval, but the main processions take place on Saturdays and Sundays at 11am, 4.30pm and 10pm, when masked characters parade through the town.  These are the 'guilds' who play music and sing songs, but it's not as carefree as that sounds. The reason is satire, making fun of society and its rules, all conducted in the ancient Occitan language. The most impressive of these processions is the torchlit one at night, where you really do feel that the ghosts of the past are gathering.

While the bandes who lead the procession are locals, you can join in (provided you dress up and the more obscure or strange the better). You can become one of the 'goudils', followers of the bandes who go through the streets, stopping at cafes for a quick glass of wine before the final stop in the main square, la place de la Republique.

The carnaval ends after ten weeks on March 25^th, the second Sunday before Easter. This is La Nuit de la Blanquette, the night when His Majesty King Carnaval is burnt at the stake in the main square, la place de la Republique. A straw effigy, he is the scapegoat who takes the blame for the 'sins' people have committed during the festival.

It's a great event, so if you can visit Limoux then this is a good time.

Check out hotels in Limoux

More on Limoux and the Region

Limoux Tourist Office (in French)

Limoux Carnaval Jan 15 to March 25 originally appeared on About.com France Travel on Sunday, January 15th, 2012 at 13:13:58.

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