A Quiz About Life in France

(Don't worry--the answers are at the end of this article!) Using the clues next to each picture, take a stab at what these might be, and then read the end to see how close you were:

1) Could this have religious significance?



2) Take a close look at the railings: What is this made of?




3) Yes, that's Granges below, but what is the significance of the mountain behind?




4) Every house had one back in the day. This is only a ruin of the original. What could it have been?



5) Less solid versions of this cross by the road exist in the US too. What is its purpose?

6) Hint: $15.00

7) What is our favorite aisle in the grocery store?

8) What is American Sauce?

9) What is very American about this picture? (Hint: it's pink and not on me.)

10) What is in Ren's collection, pictured here?

Answers:

1) A statue in the wall near the church in Granges, of unknown origin or significance. We guess it has religious significance, but it is odd!

2) The supports for the stair railings at City Hall in a nearby town are made of bomb casings from WWII.

3) The American troops were camped out here as they waited for their supplies to catch up before the freed Granges from the Germans in WWII.

4) The outline of an old bread oven.

5) Called a "calvaire" (as in Calvary, as in this was someone's personal or family Calvary), this marks the location where something significant happened, often the death of a loved one. They are found on the side of the road, and sometimes even in the forest at old crossroads. We found one once that marked where a man was killed in a hunting accident.

6) $15 is what it cost to buy three good bottles of wine and five bottles of Normandy cider.

7) The cheese aisle! This is us with our favorite cheese, called "Caprice des dieux" or a caprice of the gods. It's like butter--and I really mean that, it's like butter.

8)American Sauce is exactly like French Dressing in the US: a mix of mayo and ketchup.

9) Crocks have invaded France! You can see a large pink one hanging from the crock stand at the fresh market in Granges. This is truly one of the great tragedies of modern cultural invasions, following closely behind the popularization of McDonalds in France.

10) Ren's WWII collection: a large bomb casement, a large bullet casement, and an actual German bayonet with sheath, found hidden in a shed under the eaves of the roof where Patrick's family lived when he was growing up. They lived in the old police station that had been converted into apartments after the war. A neighbor found the bayonet and gave it to the Jacques. Ida gave it to Ren, and needless to say, it is a prized possession.