Everyone knows that French people always dress in striped tops and berets, except when they're naughty French maids. They carry onions and snack on snails and frogs' legs. The women all look like Brigitte Bardot and sing like Edith Piaf, while the men all have moustaches like Inspector Clouseau's. They supply us with French letters and naughty French postcards. They make arty films with subtitles. As George Bush told us, the French don't have a word for "entrepreneur", and they probably don't have a word for "cliche" either....
Each year at this time, Bastille Day gives us a chance to indulge in a some ritual stereotyping, and here some of us are - indulging (Madame Defarge in the foreground):
Since she wasn't dressed up, who'd have recognised this person as the genuine French article?
A non-genuine article, with some French letters hung round his neck:
And the chalk talk, given with the aid of a French loaf (we had to eat this afterwards, too):
Our hares had set some great trails, full of interest and challenges, through Mitchelton and beyond. The runners' one was a full 10 km, with plenty of hills to get the blood pumping - and the runners took well over an hour to complete it! Here are some of Snappy's shots from the walk (note the Eiffel Tower, BTW):
Back home at the hares' place, we were treated to some tasty vats of Boeuf Bourguignon with accompaniments. Three bottles of wine had gone into the stew and it was yum! Many thanks to our hares, and to the guest chef they'd flown in especially!
Here are a few more of Snappy's shots from the occasion:
Upstanding's joke in the circle recalled the following Parliamentary anecdote about the late Gough Whitlam. A Country Party MP, Sir Winton Turnbull, once interjected in a debate "After all I am a country member-", to which Whitlam responded, "I remember" (amid laughter from both sides of the House....)
Finally...Miss Demeanour has found her perfect bar in inner-city Brisbane. Whenever you drop in, drinks are on her:
Next run details
When: Sunday 16th July, 4 pm.
Where: John Scott Park, Samford Village
Hares: M. Promptu will set the trail; Potluck will cater (please bring something to share).
On, on!
