Oyonnax vs Colomiers

Coach Christoff and Backline coach Olivier

Lucas scores a try, and points to his girl.

Nisi, Rudi's friend from New Zealand.

Vreeslike Famous feite van Frankryk

• The stories of 'Cinderella', 'Sleeping Beauty', 'Bluebeard', 'The Three Musketeers', ' The Hunchback of Notre Dame' and many more were written by french writers.
• The marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine with the future king of England, Henry II led to British rule in France for about 300 years.
• In Frankryk word bier beskou as n luukse drankie wat gespaar word vir spesiale okasies, maar by meeste restuarante word wyn verniet bedien saam met jou kos.
• Die enigste Disneyland in Europa word gevind naby Parys.
• The concept of jean clothing was born in the Languedoc-Roussillon city of Nimes, France, from where it was imported by Levi Strauss to California to make tough clothes for the gold diggers.
• The Statue of Liberty, one of the most widely recognized structures of US, was made in France. It was gifted to the US in 1886 to celebrate its centennial. In fact, the face of the Statue is believed to have been modeled on Eugene Boyer, the wife of Isaac Singer, the famous sewing machine manufacturer.
• According to a 2004 IFOP survey, 44% of French people are Atheists. ( up by 24% since 1947).
• Andre Gide, French writer and Nobel Prize of Literature, said " French people are Italian people in bad mood".
• Fraans was die eerste taal van demokrasie regoor Europa en die 'Ottoman Empire', en toe die wereld se eerste werklike internationale taal tot Engels dit vervang het in die mid-20ste eeu.
• French was the official language of England for over 300 years ( from 1066 until the early 15th century). It is still the official language of 30 countries worldwide.
• Nicotine was named after Jean Nicot (1530-1600), a French diplomat and scholar who introduced the tabacco plant to France in 1559 ( from Portugal).
• "La Marseillaise", France's national anthem, was composed in Strasbourg in 1792, not in Marseilles as its name might induce to think.
• At its peak, between 1919 and 1939, the second French colonial empire extended over 12,347,000 sq km of land, or 8.6% of the world's land area. This is over 22 times the size of modern Metropolitan France.
• France has hosted 5 times the Summer Olympic Games, 3 times the Winter Olympic Games, and twice the FIFA World Cup.
• France has won the most Nobel Prizes for Literature of any country, 13 so far. And the second highest number of Field Medals ( mathematics) after the USA.
• On 10 June 2007, a sabre having belonged to Napoleon I was sold at a auction for 4.8 million Euro - the most expensive weapon ever sold.
• In France, in exceptional cases it is possible to marry a deceased person with the authorization of the President of the Republic.
• There are some 40,000 chateaux ( castles, manors, palaces..) in France.
• There are over 300 kinds of cheese made in France.
• 67 million tourist visit France every year, more that its own population.
• Elke dag word omtrent twee nuwe kook boeke vrygestel in Frankryk.

The most famous of figures: Napoleon Bonaparte

This is the perfect historic figure to start with, being in France and all.

Napoleon Bonaparte 15 August 1769 - 5 May 1821

We have all heard his name before, whether as part of a high school lesson, or cartoon character's name or mentioned in many movies and thousands of books. Or those of you who know Napoleon's story.

Napoleon was a military and political leader of France whose actions shaped European Politics in the early 19th century.

He lead many successful campaigns against the First and Second Coalitions arrayed against France. And in 1799 staged a coup and made himself First Consul, 5 years later he became Emperor of the French.

In the first ten years of the new century he led his army, under The French Empire, into a series of conflicts - the Napoleonic Wars - and got every European power involved.

He had a great streak of victories which secured a dominant position for France in central Europe. He had great influence due to alliances and the fact that he put friends and family members in charge of other European countries as French client states.

Napoleon married widow Josephine de Beauharnias in 1796, she was 7 years his senior. Before Napoleon she was known as 'Rose'. He didn't like it and changed it to Josephine. The famous love letters of Napoleon was sent to her. He adopted her son and cousin and arranged dynastic marriages for them. But Josephine couldn't give Napoleon a heir. Which saddened him, and he divorced her. Only to remarry Marie Louise in March 1810. He married into the German royal family. And she gave him a son.

Everything was going smoothly until the over confident Napoleon decided to invade Russia in 1812. His Grande Armee suffered greatly, and never fully recovered.

After being beaten by the Sixth Coalition at Leipzig, the Coalition invaded France and Napoleon was exiled to the island of Elba.

He escaped less than a year later and returned to power.

But after losing the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, he was captured and held captive by the British on the island of Saint Helena.

Leaving his second wife and son in Austria. Sadly his son died of tuberculoses at the age of 21.

An autopsy concluded he died of stomach cancer, but it was later suspected that he was poisoned with arsenic. They're still not sure.

Although Napoleon was considered a tyrant by his opponents, he is remembered for the establishment of the Napoleonic code, which laid the administrative and judicial foundations of much of Western Europe.

Navy: French Empire

Dark Blue: Conquered "Rebellious" states

Light Blue: Conquered "Allied" states

References: Wikipedia

History shape shifts into a cutesy little bunny rabbit. Viola!

So today I've reached a place of clarity. 'Everything we think we know. What does it even mean,' I asked myself. Being frustrated with a so called 'empty piece of paper', I decided to elaborate on 'everything' I think I know. Starting with history.

You know what I mean. You always find you know something about something when in the midst of a passionate conversation about where we came from or what they did to who and why. But you decide to keep your opinions to yourself. You don't want to air a stupid thought, or get your powerful dictators mixed up. Goodness no!

So with the arrival of our new house mates... Napoleon and Josephine. I spotted the perfect opportunity to share a few (hopefully as interesting to you as it is to me) stories about famous names, or faces, that you just can't remember where they fit in.

Napoleon ( White ) & Josephine ( Spot )

Square piece of joy found... try it!

All you will need is:

• About 60 free minutes to create
• 1 Bar of unsweetened chocolate
• 1 Cup of butter
• 3 Cups of sugar (preferably icing sugar)
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla
• 1 and half Cups flour
• 1 Teaspoon salt
• 2 and half Cups chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven at 180 degrees celsius

Melt chocolate and butter in a saucepan over low heat. Chocolate can burn easily. When melted, set aside. Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla. Blend in chocolate mixture, flour and salt until just mixed. Stir in the nuts, if you want some. Pour mixture into a greased pan.

Bake for ±35 minutes. Cool and put in freezer if desired, but only if you want to.

Doodle of the day

Change is good. Always good.

Choosing the pooch to sit on my porch

Do yourself a favor. Well that is if you are a dog lover of course. Go check out the new flick 'The Proposal' and an old one 'As good as it gets'. Those two adorable pups have stolen many hearts. And according to the dog breeders society, boosted the demand for these expensive dogs. The reason for my indecision is simple you see. I'll attach a few pictures of the different candidates, and you tell us which one is the 'one'.

From left to right: Samoyed; Min. Schnauzer; Brussels Griffon; Cocker Spaniel; Wire Fox Terrier

I see that it must be unfair, putting up pictures of them as puppies, puppies are always cuter. I just wanted to depict the type of issue it actually is. Deciding on a 10 year friendship. Not so easy.

DOODLE of the day

If a french city was a painting it would be a 'Derain'.

Here lies a place where two countries and two cultures blend beautifully into one colorful plate. Filled with assorted tapas and overflowing with sangria, the air is hot and sweet, and the breeze soothing. Here is a place that moves your soul to sing hymns and do rhymes.

French Artist Andre Derain's paintings are plastered all over this mesmerizing town. Seems Colliore's colorful vibrations captured more than this creative genius but hundreds of hungry tourists. And that's not even revering to the scenery, but to the mouthwatering seafood dishes served at the many small cafes. Ons het die tapas ingewy. And boy, mens kon n prentjie verf!

Jean-Paul du Bois, true patriot of the french colony took Rudi and I on a excursion to this island town. Thank you JP!

Inside the catholic church, just before a marriage ceremony. We sneaked in to take a quick look, and got a moldy whiff instead.

Hulle lyk nogal bietjie soos boeties hmm?

View from the top

Die klok slaan twee. Etenstyd. We hit the streets. Op soek na die perfekte kombinasie van vullend...vir die maag en die Reis-mier.

Indifference.

My happy camper! ( + my Sangria )

Tapas + Sunshine + Wine + Good company = Joy

Poeding

Oppad terug huistoe.

Map of Colliore

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