Bastille Day – 14th July 2008
Shop Online 4 celebrates everything French in honour of Bastille Day. Whilst President Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni watch the parades and host a garden party, we bring you the best of French:
Literature
Check out the giants of French philosophy and literature. Rousseau argued for majority rule long before the concept was popular and helped to spark the French Revolution – the cause for today’s Bastille celebrations. Robespierre is also a hero of the Enlightenment period, even though he argued the justification for political violence that was to underpin the French Revolution.
Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir are both renowned philosophers who changed the face of existentialism. Beauvoir is best known for her book “Second Sex“, which marked a radical shift in feminist thinking.
Language
The French are infamously proud of their rich and beautiful language. Those who go to France without knowing any French can expect to be abruptly ignored by the waiter, the taxi driver and the shop assistant. Get yourself up to speed with this before you step out of the avion.
Food
Cheese is a major part of French culture – alongside its world famous wines. Roquefort, brie and boursin are amongst some of the most famous. Some cheeses are so smelly that they have been banned from public transport in Paris. There are thousands of types of French cheese and true mastery of their variety requires a dedication similar to that of wine enthusiasts.
Garlic is the best-known staple of French cooking alongside onions and freshly baked bread. Most people find that the best thing about their holiday in France is freshly baked croissants from the boulangerie and freshly ground black coffee to boot. Children especially appreciate the way that hot chocolate is served in a bowl at breakfast.
Wine
Our resident Wine Bloke has recommended the following pair of French wines for sampling:
Joseph Drouhin Pinot Noir L’Abeille Rouge 2003, “This is a easy drinking but very nice wine. Well priced.”
Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve, “A reasonably price champagne.”
France is the seat of old world wine production. A vast array of wines are produced every year 
from ancient vineyards full of family history and national fervour.
French winemakers went to extraordinary lengths to protect their tipple during the Nazi occupation of WWII. They hid champagne in limestone caves and walled it up. Many covered their cellars over with rugs and changed the labels on wine so that the Nazis got the worst wine with the best bottles.
France also has a rigourous labelling authority which ensures that consumers get what they pay for. Champagne is only grown in a particular region of France and the other regions have similar protections against would be pretenders through the Institut National des Appellations d’Origine (INAO). This authority monitors labelling so that the good name of these ancient wine regions is maintained. The Chateux are also ordered into strict hierarchies which grant them particular titles. This helps international markets to distinguish the very best French wines.
For more on wine, visit The Wine Blokes at www.thewineblokes.com
Fashion
Parisian fashion is more chic than anywhere else in the world. London may be quirky and New York may be glam, but the French know how to do style. It’s not all blue and white striped tops and berets. Jean Paul Gautier, Christian Dior, Paco Rabanne, Chanel, Yves Saint-Laurent and other major names in the fashion world have made their mark from France and its satellites. Check out the designers on Yoox.
Weather
Every year, thousands flock to St Tropez and other locations in the South of France for its unrivalled beaches and temperate climate.
