Experience Language: Experience Life!
Newsletter - April 2005

Bonjour and welcome to our April newsletter. Bonne lecture!

In this issue:

• Why 'Soixante-dix'?
• 'La Joconde' Déménage!
• The Kouign Amann
• Le Printemps de Bourges

Why 'Soixante-dix'?

Why do the French use 'soixante-dix' and not 'septante' like the Belgians and the Swiss? Well, in the Middle Ages, people counted in twenties: 30 was 'vint et dis', 40 was 'deux vins', 60 was 'trois vins', etc. This system is called 'vicésimal' (vigesimal) and it was used by the Celts and the Normands. Towards the end of the Middle Ages, 'trente', 'quarante', 'cinquante', 'soixante' became more popular, but it stopped there. The French Académie adopted 'soixante-dix', 'quatre-vingts' and 'quatre-vingt-dix' in the 17th Century. Nobody really knows why these were preferred to 'septante','octante' and 'nonante'.

At least it makes learning French numbers interesting and challenging for all!

Click here for the explanation from the 'Académie Française'

Click here for more information on the vigesimal system.


'La Joconde' déménage!

The famous portrait of the "Mona Lisa", "La Joconde" in French, has just moved into her new home in the 'Salle des Etats' in the Louvre museum in Paris. The 850 square metre room had been closed since 1991 for renovation. The room, now also known as the 'salle de la Joconde' gives visitors more room to watch this amazing 500-year-old painting. The portrait is hung alone on a false wall about two-thirds into the room. Designed by Peruvian architect Lorenzo Piqueras, the repairs have been virtually all paid for by a Japanese television network. Before the renovation work, visitors had to crowd around the painting in a very limited space.

Click here for more information on the "Mona Lisa" (La Joconde)

Click here for the Louvre website


The Kouign Amann

Kouign Amann is Breton for 'gateau de beurre' (butter cake). The Kouign Amann is a delicious and very rich cake created in 1865 in Douarnenez in Brittany. It is quite a tricky cake to make but it is worth all the hard work.

Ingredients:

• 300 grams of flour
• Two bags of baker's yeast
• 20 cl of water
• 250 grams of sugar
• 250 grams of butter
• 1 egg yolk

Préparation

1. Dissolve the yeast with a glass of tepid water and a teaspoon of sugar. Leave to rest for 5 mins.
2. Put the bowl in a large bowl. Make a well into the centre and pour in the dissolved yeast mixture. Work the dough until it hardly sticks to your fingers.
3. Leave the dough to rest for about 30 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven at 210C
5. Put the dough on a flour surface and roll it as a big pancake.
6. Cover it with the soften butter and then with the sugar.
7. Gently fold the 'pancake' in four. Roll it again and fold it again in four.
8. Roll it once more and put it in a cake dish. Brush the top of the cake with egg yolk.
9. Bake for about 25 minutes.

Bon appétit!


Le Printemps de Bourges

Since 1977, the Spring Festival in Bourges has been a major event not only in France but also in Europe. The festival seeks to create a link between different forms of culture: poetry, comic strips, cinema, street performers, humour as well as rock and song. There is something for all tastes. Its success lies in the balance of French and international stars, established artists and little or unknown performers. The festival takes place this year from 19th to 24th April in Bourges in the Cher department.

Click here for the Official website of the Printemps de Bourges

Click here for Bourges tourism office


We wish you all a happy month of April.

The Experience Language Team

Experience Language is not responsible for the content of any external Internet links from this newsletter.

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