 You might call strikes in France a tendency with a traditional recurrence at this time of year. They are exasperating, crippling… but I’ve lived here long enough to grin and bear them. I actually found myself wondering today whether I would miss strikes if the new French President actually succeeded in curbing their thrust. At least this time there is a reason to strike: the special privileges of all railway employees are to be levelled. “Massive, indefinitely prolonged strikes” are announced, starting tonight. My plans to see my daughter and the Paris Photo expo are jeopardized. Is it worth taking the car when gas has gone up to $10 per gallon? Grrrrrrr (not Brrrrrrr!).
 November 11th, Armistice Day has always been a most solemn, steadfast celebration in France when the ubiquitous war monuments are laden with flowers. This year, I happened to be staying with friends in a village of 28 inhabitants deep in the heart of Burgundy where the tiny church was turned into a hall where several lecturers gave talks and projections about WWI. The three speakers, too young to have participated in the war themselves, had researched it passionately. One presented documentary footage from 1917 on the American Camp of Is sur Tille (a small town near Dijon), which served as home base to close to half a million soldiers who came over to crush the Germans. They brought their highly sophisticated material: tanks, tractors, cranes, … and most of all spirit and an awesome sense of teamwork. They were truly regarded as heroes. I was very proud to be among the spectators, yet utterly stunned at having never heard of this camp before. There were about 20 people at the gathering, “but almost none at the war ceremony,” an older man lamented. “The young don’t know much about the war….”
 The Trois Glorieuses is an amazing vinicultural event, the cause of a lot of stir in this area every 3rd weekend of November. Three days of festivities include: a gargantuan feast hosted by the Knights of Wine-tasting in ancient monastic cellars, a world famous charitable wine auction in Beaune for barrels of new Burgundy wine, and a Paulée (traditionally the end-of–harvest meal the winemaker partakes with his harvesters) to which all the winemakers bring their best bottles for a sumptuous meal at the Chateau of Meursault. This is just to say: if you happen to get an invitation to any of these events, don’t turn it down.
First image by Baduzim4all; second image by Madirakshi on www.flickr.com.
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