by Dr. Jeffrey Lant

I am not in Paris today, but my mind and heart most assuredly are, for today the pomp and circumstance of the republic will be fully displayed, not least because its president, M. Sarkozy, universally written off as chief executive for a second term, has, thanks to the hijinx and pratfalls of Dominique Strauss-Kahn (once the leading Socialist candidate) been resurrected. Indeed, he might take the name Dieudonne’, the sobriquet of Louis XV; after all virtually every French head of state has regarded himself so… and the suddenly ebullient Sarkozy is no exception.

Down the Champs Elysee the crack troops in full dress regalia will march to tunes well known to every citizen… but only one such tune will make the blood of every loyal Frenchman race… That tune is “La Marseillaise”, the first national anthem, the bloodiest, the most resounding, the greatest of them all. See for yourself…

Many people have sung “La Marseillaise”, but my favorite rendition is by Mireille Mathieu; it is at once elegant, chic, arousing, with every word clear and distinctly enunciated, something most helpful to those of us not to the chateau born. You can find it in any search engine and should go now to find and play it over and over again… “La Marseillaise”, you see, is the greatest recruiting tune, and to hear it is to enlist in the service of France.

The fall of the Bastille, July 14, 1789.

In the heart of ancient regime Paris stood a fortress, grim, outmoded, a prison hardly used at all… but a living reminder of such outrages as lettres de cachet (with which French sovereigns could imprison anyone without a warrant or public reason) and the manifold ways in which the Bourbon dynasty had trampled the people, contravening the enlightened spirit of the late 18th century. This spirit turned all France (except Louis XVI and his Court) into reformers… even though they had no idea what that meant or how soon it would get out of control; reform is what the nation wanted… the ancient Estates General (which hadn’t met since the 17th century) was what they got.

That meant all of the nobility belonged to the First Estate; all the clergy to the Second Estate, and everyone else to the Third Estate, which thus comprised over 95 percent of the population. It was intended by the illiberal Court that the First and Second Estates (presumed conservative in their orientation) would always outvote the Third Estate and that its members would acquiescence, bend the knee, pay the taxes needed, while remaining respectful and silent. Ma foi! Cardinal Richelieu himself might well have found such a task daunting; hapless Louis XVI had no clue whatever.

From the very moment the Estates General was called, the sovereign found himself poorly advised, badgered by members of the Royal Family, the most privileged and ancient of all. He was over his head… and in large measure he failed not because he was a tyrant abusing the powers he had… but because he was a rather enlightened gentleman himself who didn’t use his powers. He was the perfect monarch, if you wanted a leader who could not lead. Into this vacuum, the “people” and their representatives stepped gingerly (grateful that their sovereign had not summarily dismissed and imprisoned them, or worse). To make matters worse for His Most Christian Majesty, his eldest son, the Dauphin of France, died. A doting father withdrew from view, grieving for his beloved child. It was the worst possible moment for such humanity.

The people, patient no longer.

The unimaginable had already happened as Louis XVI and his regime imploded. The monarchy which governed France had, in the person of its king, quite simply ceased to rule. People saw it… but, incredulous, they did not believe it; surely the king was planning his counter offensive right this minute and woe to those on the wrong side of this pressing matter.

Among those who felt sure their sire would retaliate were the people of Paris; rumors were rife that the king’s soldiers were en route. Since such an action might have been expected from any reasonably self-protective sovereign, the people thought their king would do so… but the military was already beyond his majesty’s control. The people didn’t know that…

The result was the fall of the Bastille at the hands of a mob morphing from subjects into patriots. Sadly, its cells were not full of the good, afflicted people of France; in fact, they had hardly a prisoner at all. What matter! The Bastille’s governor, the Marquis de Launay, was a “tyrant” by definition. And his bloody head, hacked from his body, paraded about the town on a pike, was a dandy example of what a righteous and enraged people could do. These were the sentiments of the nation on this date in 1789. And they found themselves in the song originally called “Chant de guerre pour l’Armee du Rhin,” written and composed by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in 1792.

From the very first moment the revolutionary solders of the city of Marseille marched through Paris rousing the dead and inspiring the fretful with this most glorious march and its lurid lyrics, “La Marseillaise” has been more than an anthem; it has been the living symbol of La France, enraged, aroused, marching, marching always on the side of right and the people. As such in 1795 it was adopted as the nation’s first anthem… a gauntlet thrown down wherever tyrants abide… wherever people can take inspiration from the most inspirational song of all.

Facts about “La Marseillaise” and its universal significance.

Many people had a hand in its creation. Rouget de Lisle wrote the song and has garnered virtually all the renown that comes from writing its legendary lyrics. The melody is an adaptation of a theme written in 1781 by Giovan Battista Viotti. His contribution is virtually unknown. No doubt the French like it this way; such an anthem on such a subject must perforce be written by a Frenchman.

Right from the moment Rouget de Lisle penned the lyrics, “La Marseillaise” was looked on as far more than a mere anthem. It became the voice of revolution, with its stark rendition of what counter revolutionaries aimed to do and what the good citizens must do to keep the freedoms wrenched from the king.

The imagery is stark! Bold! Unyielding! It calls for the levee en masse of all citizens… and makes it clear what will happen to them all should they fail.

This is a song of resolution! Action! Moral purity and sacrifice; terrible threats and great challenges.

The lyrics are insistent…

“To arms, citizens, Form your battalions, Let’s march, let’s march!”

or, in the original French, each word urgent! Uplifting! Thrilling!

“Aux armes, citoyens, Formez vos bataillons, Marchons, marchons!”

These diamond-sharp words have put tyrants everywhere on notice, which is why such tyrants, even in France, have prohibited its playing. Napoleon Bonaparte did so; so did King Louis XVIII.

But the reason La France is belle et eternelle is because she is at her best the repository and unflinching defender of every virtue found in “La Marseillaise” and when its strident chords were first played “Le jour de gloire est arrive’ ‘”… and since its glorious inception has never left. Vive La France!

About the Author

Harvard-educated Dr. Jeffrey Lant is CEO of Worldprofit, Inc., providing a wide range of
online services for small and-home based businesses. Dr. Lant is also the author of
18 best-selling business books. Republished with author’s permission by Gila Beckermann
http://LiveBusinessDeals.com.

“Learn Something New Every Day”

Question: What do the city of Detroit, Michigan, the State of Louisiana and the Tarn and Garonne Region in France have in common? Answer: Lamothe Cadillac.

He was born in the village of St. Nicolas in1658, sailed off to Quebec and the Americas and founded the city of Detroit in 1701. From there he moved on in 1710 to become the Governor of Louisiana. During a recent visit to the southwest of France, I happened to stumble upon a small museum in the village of St. Nicolas which explained this man’s journey more than three centuries ago.

To keep costs down with the Euro escalating against the Dollar I had rented an apartment in Moissac, a smaller town between the Tarn and Garonne rivers. One week seemed to be enough for this area and I found a recently remodeled one bedroom apartment, second floor walk up for 280 Euro per week.

The Tourist office had plenty of free information on what to do during my visit and the English speaking staff was very helpful. After all they seemed to have the only working Internet connection and I never had to wait, so I went there daily to check my emails.
(Remember that most places in France are closed for lunch between 12 and 2 pm)

A beautiful 900 year old Benedictine cloister is the main attraction in Moissac, together with its St. Pierre abbey. One of the pilgrimage ways to Santiago de Compostela, Spain leads through Moissac and in the evenings I would see many young pilgrims with backpacks and heavy walks coming into town looking for a nights rest. Saturday and Sunday mornings are market days and local farmers sell the products from this rich agricultural part of France. Peaches, Pears, Apples, Melons, Cherries and the famous white Chasselas grapes. There is an abundance of fruits grown around here. The Southwest is also famous for Foie Gras (Duck liver) and Magret the Canard dishes. Business is booming I heard.

As it turned out, Moissac was the perfect location from where to discover this medieval region of France. Some of the daytrips I took included:

Montauban
Founded in the 8th Century, the city has had its share of fires, occupation and destructions over the centuries. Today its a busy market town with beautiful pink brick buildings that house shops and restaurants ,.I parked the car under the main square and walked the small but clean streets of this lively town. My stroll takes me past the museum for the painter Ingres. He is the most famous son of the city, born here in 1780.

Almost all houses and buildings are decorated with Geranium flowerboxes at this time of the year. City hall and all government buildings all have many small French flags added: Bastille Day is just a few days away. The arcades around the town square provide cool shade on this hot summer day and a refreshing beverage in one of the many street café’s makes this a perfect excursion.

After the city a drive to the Gorges de l’Aveyron region and St. Antonin Noble Val and Penne. A breathtaking drive and I could hardly wait for the next view around the next corner, another village perched on a hill, another field of sunflowers in bloom.

Castres
The city of weavers on the river Agout. The wool industry still dominates the economy here. But I specifically came here to visit the  Goya Museum in the former bishop’s palace. The collection of works by the Spanish artist is extensive. Goya was appointed court painter in 1786 and painted many famous people of his time, but he is also known for his works that depict the life of the common and not so fortunate people at the time.

Lautrec
The best garlic in the world is grown around this tiny little village on top of a hill not far from Castres. The garlic has a purple color. The patron of a small shop explained in perfect English, why I should be buying his fresh and also canned products he was selling, all made with local grown garlic and without preservatives.

I happened upon a small medieval fair geared towards children and the toys that were used in medieval times. Wooden toys used centuries ago, recreated by local artists.  Table bowling with small wooden balls. Falling wooden sticks from a frame to see how many you could catch. So much fun to see the children play, the air filled with their laughter and I stood and remembered the toys that I had as a child. Wooden building blocks were some of them.

Albi

The massive size of the St. Cecile cathedral is overwhelming. It sits on top of a hill and is surrounded  by the city of Albi that clinches to the hillside. I felt like stepping back in time, right into the middle ages. Walking in this town made me think of all the people that had lived here over the centuries. Every turn I took, every view I had, the cathedral was towering over me. How fortunate I felt that I could be here to see this town.  In all my travels this had to be the largest church I have ever seen. Stepping inside the gothic structure I heard the massive organ playing and sat down to look at the mural painting of the Last Judgement and to just listen to the music. Entrance to the cathedral is free, but to visit the chancel and the treasury a small fee had to be paid for each, but it was well worth it.

Outside the cathedral I was watching workmen install stages as in a few days the Tour de France was going to come through town and they were setting up for the festivities. Right next to it is the entrance to the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum. The artist was born a count in Albi in 1864.  The museum hosts the largest selection of his paintings and drawings, going back to his childhood. His wild lifestyle in the salons of Paris took a toll on him and he died at the young age of 37.

I only planned for one day in Albi, but I wished I would have taken more time because I really felt a very strong connection to this town, so I have to go back and spend more time there. As I drove out of the city, I parked the car across the river Tarn and took pictures of this beautiful town.

Some general thoughts
One week went by fast and I did not get to see all the places I had planned to visit. But my goal was to stay off the tourist route and avoid the high priced places like Carcassonne for example. I had planned a visit to the Airbus factory in Toulouse but I ran out of time, so I just have to plan another visit to the region. I never really ventured off more than 100 miles each day and found driving was made quite easy through excellent street signage. Most rental cars in Europe run on Diesel/Gazole and it is double the price than it is in the USA but cars are much smaller and use less gas. When you book just make sure that the car is equipped with Airconditioning as it gets quite hot during
the summer.  If you do not know how to drive a car with stickshift, you might want to practice before you go. The rental car companies will try to sell you a higher priced car just to sell you an “automatic” version and then when you get to there they say they don’t have one available anyway.

Dinner in most of the outdoor restaurants was quite reasonable. The most reasonable is to stick to the “Plat du Jour”. Before you sit down, read the openly displayed signs to see if it interests you. A three  or sometimes 4 course meal,  including ½ liter pitcher of house wine hardly ever ran over 25 Euro  (around 30 Dollars). Most restaurants served home cooked style meals, nothing too fancy, but tasty and
you can sit at your table all night long enjoying the warm evenings. I only had one bad meal during this week.  “Restaurant de l’Abbaye” in Moissac is to be avoided.

And remember: No tip is expected. Prices are “all inclusive”. If you want to leave some small change, please feel free to do so. I leave 10%  if the service was exceptional!!

If you go:

Flights  (Toulouse Airport = TLS)
I traveled onboard Continental Airlines from the USA to Hamburg, Germany. Then I connected to www.germanwings.com from Hamburg to Toulouse. I paid Euro 10 for a one way ticket plus taxes (totaling about $50 for one-way ticket).

Car Rental
www.autoeurope.com seems to always have the best deals, but check out your provider or a website like www.kayak.com

Apartment Rental in France
I prefer a website called www.homelidays.com It has many listings in France as it is a French site (not to worry, the site is also in English).

Tour Guides
My choice of Tour Guide Book has always been the “Michelin Green Guides”. It has the best information in the most compact version for me. I used to purchase it in the USA before I left, but now I purchase it in Europe. The English guides are readily available in any good book store and the price is the same, but I have to carry one less thing in my small roll on suitcase across the Atlantic. For this trip I
used the “Languedoc, Roussillon, Tarn Gorges” guide. The price was Euro 15.00 and every bookshop in the region was selling it.

Before I leave for a trip I go to the Internet and read up on the places I want to visit , but I buy the actual guide book only when I get to my destination.

When you rent an apartment in Europe, there are some details and specifics you  should be asking about. Write down your questions before you contact any of the owners. For example: Is there Aircondition? How many floors/stairs/elevator? Kitchen fully equipped? Do you charge seperate for cleaning, taxes, electricity, towels, etc. etc. Better to ask, then there are no surprises when you get to your destination.

Gila Beckermann

BuzzyVoyager.com