as you know, there are widespread protests across France in reaction to the gas tax, but stemming from a deeper sense of discontent, an unrest related to the cost of gas but also to the general rising cost of living & the struggles of the working class to make ends meet.. whilst their government serves the rich.. the movement is led by Les Gilets Jaunes (the Yellow Vests) & has been joined by the left & right & students & women.. the violence erupting in certain small areas (around the Arc de Triomphe) is making international headlines.. riots every Saturday for a month.. & they will continue.. that much is clear.. through the lucrative holiday season.. & beyond.. until change comes..

i went to the city to see.. i walked down Malesherbes to Haussman to Place de Opera to Rue St Honore, by the Tuileries& over the Pont Royale.. i saw ordinary people walking about, standing, talking, men & women, old & young.. nothing like a protest in the US where narrow, symbolic parades route are requested, permitted, surveilled & protected by the police.. here the protestors are everywhere.. on every street.. & everything shuts down.. no one main herd, but threads & streams herding & presiding all about.. like a people who own a city & know it.. the police (8,000 officers strong i am told) made their presence felt by running siren-on routes through the city.. by setting up van barricades around significant cultural sites.. but the entire city was shut down by the yellow jackets.. you could march down the middle of any street.. there were loud blasts coming from Rue St Honore like cannons.. the police were dropping smoke bombs to scare people.. if you ask me, it raised the level from march to combat.. one helicopter hovered high overhead (the first i’ve seen in 2 months, they do not report on traffic by costly gas-hungry helicopter).. as i neared the Tuileries i saw a few small groups of men (2, 3, 5 together) completely amped up & looking for a fight.. all in black with their heads covered.. on edge.. bouncing off of one another.. shouting & whistling.. you could see they were looking for a target.. a building to loot or or some police interaction.. but no one was fighting amongst themselves.. & the other marchers were not affected by or responding to them.. they were not the yellow vests.. they were anarchists wanting government blood..

i’ve been told by friends, both french & american, to stay away.. be safe.. don’t go downtown.. if our writers & artists do not experience the revolution (or war for that matter) first hand, what record do we have.. what heart to tell it.. i avoided the champs elysses from which a huge plume of smoke was rising.. at midnight i walked that way.. past the arc de triomphe.. by then a storm, with a violent wind & lashing rain, was upon us.. light traffic, few police officers.. the rioters had all been cleared.. i later read there were 1,000 arrents.. every storefront window was boarded up.. some had signs painted on them.. LUTTE ENCORE (loot again)..

i am impressed by the magnitude of things in France.. the coherence of the people.. the general gentleness of the police towards them.. the understanding on both sides of what revolution means.. the sense that, o here it is, it’s come around again.. & the knowledge that this will be heard.. & will be hard.. & will change things.. because the people here have power.. & yes i see & hear the embarrassing remarks made by my weak, unfortunate, sitting president.. that the french are against taxes, don’t care about the environment, question climate change.. all shallow, self-serving remarks.. the media might as well re-tweet any racist, fascist american.. it would be the same.. we know that this is not america, but the fear of a formerly privileged class now falling from their former fabricated glory.. living in Paris i can sense what europeans sense when they see america.. the teenager of the world.. unskilled.. unpredictable.. selfish..

This holiday season, while all of this has been going on in Paris, simultaneously we are all preparing for the winter holidays and the Winophiles are investigating how to express the holidays French style. So since I know practically nothing about this topic, and while I could google it, here’s a few ideas from friends.

Caroline Henry: French Christmas Eve and Day Traditions for Food and Wine 

Caroline concluded by saying that “At Christmas people eat tons of chocolate and tropical fruit and nuts as well – don’t ask me why!”

• Oysters
• Tapenade
• Jamon en croute bites
• young brie
• triple cream brie
• Basque cheese
• 60 month aged gouda
• duck liver pate
• caviar
• BBQ stuffed scallop and clam shells
• rosemary bread
• water wafers
• lobster and shrimp bisque soup
• spinach salad Lyonnaise
• mushroom pilaf
• festive holiday sugar and gingerpeople cookies
• chocolate croissants

Champagne Roederer Brut Premier- $65
purchased on sale at Vons

Color: Very pale straw, very little delicate bubbles the come from all over the bottom of the glass, even from the sloping sides of the glass

Nose: Ripe pear, yeasty brioche, toasted almonds, little bit of clove, it is hard to spend time on the nose, because it smells so good, you just want to get it in your mouth.

Palate: Almond paste and kiwi fruit were the first two things that came to mind after first tasting this wine for sue, Gwen found marzipan, golden delicious apple, baked apple pie with a bit of baking spice on the finish. there is not a yeasty quality on the plate, and salinity over minerality,

Pairing: So good with the caviar, as usual a perfect pairing, The soil is diotomatious earth, which is dead squid beaks. great with our ham and cheese mini muffins. It loved the lovely buttery richness of the puff pastry and the brie. The seafood bisque was so fantastic with the champagne, the perfect pairing of the evening.

2017 Chateau de Tracy Pouilly-Fume, Loire Sauvignon Blanc

Color: Light straw, almost platinum

Nose: Juicy fruit gum, jack fruit banana, tropical fruit, grapefruit

Palate: Viscous on the palate, salinity, tart acidity, lime and lemon, grapefruit, brings out all the different citrus flavors.

Pairing: Great with the brie and ham encroute, the very lightly mustard pastries bring out a mustard pollen sweetness in the wine. Enhances the flavor of the pate but does not do much for the wine. As usual, goat cheese and Sauv Blanc is awesome. The wine works with caviar, but it is not the same as caviar and champagne. I enjoyed the salinity with the caviar. It was great with the tapenade, the bright lemony richness of the tapenade brought out the beautiful acidity in the wine. The anchovy in the tapenade became nutty.  Super yummy with the bisque.