[THE_VOTIVE_FESTIVAL]

The votive festival is a tradictional festival of the South of France. It takes place in summer generally from July to September. These festivals are not really always intented to the bulls but it's a good occasion to regroup all the city or the village. It's a great moment of conviviality.

[How_?

An exemple of votive festival,It's the one of Nmes.

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This festival is composed of many differnces type of bulls show. Sometimes in the street with horseriders who try to keep the bulls between them (Photo). Or sometimes in an area who person need to fix little pikes on the bull's neck or to snatch ring positioned on the horn... There are obviously very much other type of bulls game, like these whit a pool etc...

The flora of the South of France

The South of France is home to many species of plants, trees and shrubs which are specific to it ( rosemary, thym, olive tree ).These plants have a lot of utilities.

They are used for their fruits, to decorate, for their vegetables, for their wood, for their medical propertiesSome can slow the cancer!

Olives

There are a lot of differents types of olives, which all have several colours but the main types are black and green olives. But it's almost the same taste.

With olives we can do a lot of products like olive oil. We use this oil in to cook dishes and in sauces.

Then we can eat the olives in tapenade : it's a mash of olives and for that we can use both types of olives.

Finally we use them in cosmetics, like soap, shampoo, lipstick... So olives are really usefull.

Europe is a big consommer of olives particulary in the mediterranean region because it's in this region of the world where the level of olive production is the highest.

To conclude we can say that olives are a part of our culture because we eat olives almost every day.

We enjoy tapenade on bread and we can also eat the olives in brine with a drink.

Pic Saint Loup

The Pic Saint Loup is a famous mountain well-known for the quality of his wine, the beauty of its landscapes, his lovely castle, his medieval love legend, and the series of activites that we can do there.

The castle of montferrand

The produce around the Pic Saint Loup is mainly a red wine.

Pic Saint Loup

His story: Three brothers, Loup Guiral, and Clair all lovers of the beautiful Bertrade set out on a crusade without knowing which of them would be chosen as her husband. On they way back the beloved had died. They decided to live as hermits on top of three mountains. The Loup's one was the Pic saint loup.

Activities:

A prestigious rugby school

The Pic Saint Loup is really representative of my region

Montpellier's beaches

Lucky for us, the wheather here is usually great, which welcomes everyone to go to the beach! It's nice and warm, there not many waves so it's super calm and enjoyable. If you don't feel like going for swim, you can go for a long walk on the beach and pick up beautiful shells.

In the summer, many tourists come to Montpellier for its amazing beaches.

The Markets

eIn France, we can buy all we need by many different ways. On internet or in markets. You can see some differents markets, some markets where you can only buy food or special markets like the Christmas one. We also have of course some shopping centers or supermarkets.

One of the many little markets with specials sellers

Christmas market in Montpellier

French website where you can buy and sell all you want.

Supermarkets we have in France

French brands

France is primarily known for its brands. Main sectors are fashion & cosmetics, food, transport & accomodation. France is also renowned for the high quality of its products la franaise.

France is the first exportator of cosmetics in the world. Yves Saint Laurent, Dior, Chanel, Guerlain, L'Oral are well-known.

Paris remains the capital city of fashion.The haute-couture is incarnated by several designers like Jean-Paul Gauthier, Louis Vuitton and Coco Chanel

The french gastronomy is appreciated for its refinement and its authenticity.

France is also known thanks to its transports, whether cars (Renault, Peugeot-Citroen) or aircraft (Airbus, Airfance).

The french AccorHotel gathers Mercure, Sofitel, Pullman, Ibis together.

L'Ocitane, Souleiado, Avene, Perrier are native from southern France.

French restaurants habits and manners

Restaurants habits

On a restaurant's table there are always:

A jug of water

Salt and pepper

A basket of pieces of french bread ( la baguette)

Openning times:-from 12 pm to 14 pm -from 7 pm to 11 pm (or later)

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1) the plate (the napkin is in it)

2, 3) there are different sorts of knives: the meat knife, the cheese knife* and the classic knife

4, 5) the teeth of the forks are pointed down in order to do not hurt people

6, 7) Sometimes there is a spoon or a little fork for the dessert

8, 9) There are three differents glasses: the tallest is used to drink water, the medium one to drink le vin rouge and the smallest to drink le vin blanc.

There is sometimes a big spoon for le potage.

* the cheese knife:

A traditional french meal is composed of:

- Un apritif or an aperitif: composed of alcohol and sometimes of toasts of tapenade (french specialty made of olives and anchovies).- Une entre or a starter:often a salad an oil and vinegar dressing or a soup.- The main course (le plat principal): often composed of meat or fish.- The cheese board ( sometimes): composed of french cheese like the brie, the bleu, the camembert, the goat cheese and so on.-The dessert and the coffee, or the caf gourmand(coffee drink with cakes).

A salad with oil and vinegar dressing

A cheese board

Toasts of tapenade

The pot-au-feu, a traditional french meal

The caf gourmand

A french meal takes one or two hours: people eat slowly because they take time to speak and laugh.

In France, the service is included in the bill. However, people can give a pourboire for the waiter if they enjoyed the service (5% to 10% of the bill).

French restaurant manners

Do:-The man must enter first in the restaurant.-You must eat with the fork in your left hand and the knife in your right hand.-Your hands must be on the table, not under.-Your napkin must be on your knees.-You must wait everybody at the table to be served before start eating.-You must eat with your mouth closed.-The wine glass must be filled only to the half (a full wine glass is considered as a bad manner).

Don't:-You mustn't eat with your fingers.-You mustn't put your elbows on the table.-Your napkin mustn't be around your neck.-You don't have to toast.-You mustn't talk when you are eating.-You mustn't cut your salad or your pastas.-You mustn't burp, it is very rude.-You mustn't sneeze or wipe noisely.-It is forbidden to smoke in a restaurant.

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