Rouen the Crown Jewel: Couronne de Fontenay

THE STORY:

2000 year ago, approximately, during the 1st century, the Gauls founded and named it Ratumacos. The Romans came a century or two later and called it Rotomagus. In the 5th century, it became Rouen, under the Roman Catholic Archdiocese. The Normans conquered it in the 9th century, after which point it became the capital of the Duchy of Normandy where one of its most famous sons, William the Conqueror, rose to power (though he then moved his political base to Caen). From that point on and until today, Rouen has birthed more impressive sons and daughters, crowned dukes and kings, and has remained the crown jewel of Normandy.

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Old-Fashioned Fashion: Le Pisé du Lot Cendré

THE STORY:

Welcome to the first-ever guest-written post on A Year in Fromage! As good luck would have it, just before the pandemic hit, my older daughter Ginger squeezed in an amazing trip to Paris for a high school independent project. Lucky kid, and lucky us to get a glimpse into her experiences and expertise regarding French historical fashion, in her own words:

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Midnight Run (for Baguettes): Moelleux du Revard

THE STORY:

Talk about socially distancing...even before the pandemic, there was a new thing popping up for lovers of French treats: the chance to buy them from a vending machine or "distributeur automatique". Nowadays, that seems like a potentially excellent way to get that one thing you need without having to go in the store and wait on line. Having lived for so much of early adult life in Japan, I am not a stranger to stranger things in vending machines than most Americans or Europeans could imagine: underwear, shirts, hot soup, sake, umbrellas, batteries, fresh produce, and more. In France, the classics are finally coming to a vending machine near you.

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