80,000 To See Brigitte

In summer, when the major courts are not sitting, when legislators get a breather and so many people are on the go, newspapers…

In summer, when the major courts are not sitting, when legislators get a breather and so many people are on the go, newspapers in all countries also tend to make for the mountains and the seashores, bringing their readers with them. The most colourful just now seems to be the French daily Le Figaro. Its back page carries a huge colour splash consisting of a map of France and surroundings, carrying, in huge panels off to the sides, a series of red-bordered announcements, linked by a red line to a particular city or town or habitation which provides special attractions.

Folklore is the heading to one box linked to the town of Martigues, where traditional dancing from many countries is being held. Then, at Foix in the Pyrenees, there is, until August 19th, a huge series of festivities, some a memory of gruesome times when the Cathars were burned alive - but classic music, too. At Beaune there is a festival of old film comedy with Charlie Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy. A dozen interesting programmes of entertainment and instruction from all over France. Top of the page a lovely interior picture of Chartres cathedral.

Open the paper and you have all of Europe's weather, very large, in fine colours, from the Canary Islands to Moscow, with a special section dealing with France. On this particular day, brilliant sun everywhere in what is also called the Hexagon. More colour in the report on road traffic and smaller maps with yellow sun or white cloud for the next few days, individually done. And inside, each day a different holiday resort. This particular day is devoted to Les Sables d'Olonne, known to many Irish visitors.

Now to Saint-Tropez which, as everyone in the wide world knows, owes its fame to Brigitte Bardot. The stately Le Monde took a look at it recently and had as sub-heading: "The stars desert the famous Provencal port of Saint-Tropez and the paparazzi are grieving". But hundreds of thousands of tourists come just the same every day to dream. In fact, though the population of the town in winter is 5,600, in summer each day there are 80,000 - eighty thousand - visitors.

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Small dietary note. A Polish pastry cook starts selling a Saint-Tropez tart, with a special cream mixture, the composition of which is a closely guarded secret. At first, in or about 1955, he sold 10 a day. The jet-set of the time took to it and now an entrepreneur employs 20 pastrycooks to bake 10,000 tarts each day. There's a fashion in everything.