R and I had a quiet Valentine's Day morning chez nous, each studying our own subject (him Cisco, and me my new Canon). Surprisingly, I was not as sore as I expected to be, a day following the 3.5 hour randonnée in Le Vuache. On Vday, gray clouds and lack of sun didn't deter us from going out for our daily walk. I felt a need to stretch out my leg muscles a little, not to mention my DSLR trigger finger too. For our walk, we chose nearby Grésin, where we had taken a fateful motorcycle ride last fall and gotten stuck in some muck and stones. This time, it was just our two feet that carried us across the Rhône onto le chemin des Espagnols (crossing the river via le pont de Grésin).
Un peu d'histoire: Le chemin, dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries, was used by the Spanish army to travel South to North (and back). Spanish soldiers used this route to travel from the Mediterranean to the Netherlands without ever touching French territory, thanks to an alliance between the Spanish King and the Dukes of Savoie and Lorraine!
From the 15th to 17th centuries, the Spanish empire was vast, comprising of the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium, most of Italy, parts of Germany, parts of France, territories in Africa, Asia and Oceania, as well as large areas in North and South America. In this era, there was not yet the modern French state as we know it today. Back then, the King of Spain was also the King of the Netherlands, the Duke of Burgogne and Nantes, and more, and he probably spoke French as well as Spanish.
2011 French National Public Holidays
Yes, Saint Valentine is celebrated in France on February 14th too...as is Halloween which is becoming increasingly popular every year. R and I even got a handful of trick-or-treaters last year! Though Vday and Halloween (among other holidays) are celebrated, they are not considered bank holidays.
France has the following National Public Holidays, or les jours fériés:
- January 1st: New Year's Day (Jour de l'an)
- April 25th (for 2011): Easter Monday
- May 1st: Labor Day (Fête du premier mai, or Fête du travail)
- May 8th: WWII Victory Day (Fête de la Victoire 1945; Fête du huitième mai)
- June 2nd (for 2011): Ascension Thursday (40th day after Easter)
- June 13th (for 2011): Whit Monday (Lundi de Pentecôte)
- July 14th: Bastille Day (Fête nationale)
- August 15th: Assumption of the Virgin Mary (Assomption)
- November 1st: All Saints Day (La Toussaint)
- November 11th: Armistice Day (Jour d'armistice)
- December 25th: Christmas Day (Noël)
Other important days
- April 22nd: Easter Friday (known as Good Friday in U.S.)
- April 24th: Easter Sunday (Pâques)
- June 12th: Whit Sunday (Pentecôte).
- December 26th: Second Day of Christmas (In Alsace Lorraine only)
In France, school vacation holidays happen 5 times a year, and the dates differ depending on the région you live in. The different regions are allocated to one of three zones: A, B, or C. I believe French authorities stagger the school vacations in order to better manage the flow of French vacationers. If you are planning a visit to France around the school vacation holidays, expect traffic, long queues, perhaps increased travel and eating expenses (same as in the U.S)! Bring your patience and a good sense of humor with you.
The Rhône-Alpes région where I live is allocated to Zone A and has the following school holidays for 2011:
- 18/12/10 to 02/01/11 - Christmas Holiday
- 26/02/11 to 14/03/11 - Winter Holiday
- 23/04/11 to 09/05/11 - Spring Holiday
- 02/07/11 to 05/09/11 - Summer Holiday
- xx/xx/11 to xx/11/11 - Autumn Holiday (Toussaint; All Saints holiday)
Paris, part of the Paris Île-de-France région, is allocated to Zone C with the following holidays:
- 18/12/10 to 02/01/11 - Christmas Holiday
- 12/02/11 to 28/02/11 - Winter Holiday
- 08/04/11 to 26/04/11 - Spring Holiday
- 02/07/11 to 05/09/11 - Summer Holiday
- xx/xx/11 to xx/11/11 - Autumn Holiday (Toussaint; All Saints holiday)
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