Pai da, pentru ca am ramas surprinsa sa realizez ca in Sudul Frantei nu se bea atata vin pe cat se spune prin carti :) Intr-adevar, pentru francezii din Sud vinul rosu e sfant, il beau cu respect, il toarna in pahare cu eleganta, il savureaza la o discutie lunga si galagioasa, ii adauga de fiecare data o poveste. Fiecare tanar stie cum sa tina corect un pahar de vin in mana. Niciodata nu ai sa vezi in sudul Frantei un vin servit intr-un pahar de apa, de cogniac sau in cana! Niciodata un francez nu-ti va da sa bei un vin prost! Arareori fierb vinul si chiar si atunci folosesc un vin bun, care nu prea mai are nevoie sa ii adaugi mirodenii sau zahar. Au un cult pentru domeniile Gerard Bertrand si iti recomanda intodeauna sa degusti un Pinot Noir din zona.

Ei, dar toate astea fac parte din traditia locului, si ca orice traditie, de multe ori e tinuta la naftalina pentru ocazii speciale!

In restul timpului, francezii din sud beau incredibil de multa bere!!! De toate felurile, din toate locurile, produsa din fructe sau plante ciudate, cu retete speciale de fermentatie, cu nume speciale si etichete care mai de care mai aratoase. Asa ca m-am gandit sa va prezint pe scurt cateva dintre ele.

In Toulouse, Montpellier, Marseille, Nissa, Sete, Perpignon, chiar si in Bourdeaux gasesti numeroase magazine-berarii (beer shops, magasin de bière) in care intri si te ia cu transpiratii reci cand descoperi sutele de feluri de bere dintre care trebuie sa-ti alegi una! Sau doua...sau trei. Le poti consuma pe loc, pe o terasa cocheta sau le poti lua acasa fara sa platesti in plus sticla, pentru ca francezii stiu ce inseamna reciclare!

Am gasit, datorita unui amic drag norvegian pe nume Aslak, o berarie: Couleurs de Bieres. E mai ferita de ochii turistilor, dar face sufletul oricarui bautor de bere sa palpite, nu doar prin numarul disponibil al berilor (peste 600 de feluri de bere) ci si prin felul de a fi al patronului care se stramba sau iti lauda alegerea facuta, in functie de ce crede el ca ti se potriveste tie.  Locul e mic, asa ca am reusit sa pozez doar un perete si jumatate de beri, restul fiind camuflate de oameni.

 

Si acum, hai sa vedem ce beri am degustat de-a lungul timpului: 

1. Judas (2,80 Euro, la 0,33)

Am ales-o pentru nume si sticla neagra, foarte eleganta. E o bere blonda belgiana, tare si amaruie de la inceput pana la post gust. Are 8,5 % alcool, si se gaseste si in varianta cu 10%...Proces dublu de fermentatie, unul in butoi, celalat in sticla. Se fabirca din 1986, e considerata berea numarul 21 in topul berilor belgiene. E o bere "pentru barbati", dupa cum mi-au spus Louis si Aslak. Mi-a placut pentru ca, desi blonda si tare, are o aroma suava de caramel in miros, iar aciditatea ridicata face ca alcoolul sa nu se simta puternic.

2. Cantillion Labic (5,10 Euro, la 0,375)

Bere artizanala din cirese (nu cu aroma!!) si grau produsa prin fermentatie spontana cu celebra ciuperca Lambicus  ajunsa la maturitate, care ii ofera un gust acru, deloc similar berilor clasice. E produsa de pe la 1900 de si mai celebra berarie de familie Cantillion si se spune ca isi atinge maturitatea deplina dupa 20 de ani de stat in beci!! Proces dublu de fermentatie prin expunere la soare, dupa imbutelierea in sticla. E imbuteliata cu dop de pluta si reactoneaza precum sampania la deschidere! Contine 5,5% alcool, e incredibil de racoritoare si satioasa. Cu o culoare frumoasa de suc de cirese, putina spuma, dar suficient de acidulata, cu un gust deloc familiar, e bautura perfecta pentru vara.

3. L'Amoral (2,8 Euro, la 0,33)

Uf, bere ciudata, tip "Tripel Abbey Ale", cu o culoare maroniu-aurie, gust usor fructat de mere si post gust dulceag-amarui. E fabricata in cantitati mici de catre familia Van den Bossche, in Belgia si se distribuie doar in localuri atent selectate. In timpul procesului de fermentatie i se adauga mirodenii precum cimbrisor si coriandru (nu va ganditi ca le veti simti gustul, insa). Contine 8% alcool, are o aciditate puternica, iar datorita senzatiei de "bere moale", nu-i simti alcoolul deloc... A nu se bea mai mult de 2, asa mi-a zis Louis!

4. Preferata nr. 1: Timerman's Blanche Lambic (3,60 Euro la 0,375)

Prima oara cand am fost la 'Couleurs de Bieres', Aslak (in imagine) mi-a recomandat o bere care mi se potriveste. Vreau sa spun ca m-am indragostit de Timerman's Blanche Lambic instant!

Bere alba, produsa doar intr-o anumita regiune din Belgia dupa o traditie veche de 500 de ani, prin proces de fermentatie sponana cu cipuperca tanara Lambicus. Gust acru si parfumat cu note de lamaie, corpolenta de bere alba, spuma fina abundenta, aciditate de sampanie, usoara aroma dulceaga la inceput, usor gust de ciuperci la final.Racoroasa si jucausa, dar corpolenta in acelasi timp.  4,5% alcool, imbuteliata cu dop de pluta si tinuta doi an pana sa fie data spre vanzare. O recomand din toata inima!

5. Dans la Gueule de Loup (3,5 Euro la 0,33)

Bere artizanala franceza din grau si malt, produsa in Quebec, Canada, de catre Brasserie Dunham cu adaos de afine (nu aroma!) in porcesul de fermentatie. Seamana cu un vin spumant cu miros de bere si post gust amarui. Are o culoare frumoasa, maroniu aurie, cu reflexe rosiatice. 5,5% alcool, aciditate moderata, bere corpolenta, dar parfumata, foarte baubila si nu e destinata doar "pentru fete".

6. Preferata nr.2: Bogue (3,60 Euro, la 0,33)

O minunatie de bere artizanala nefiltrata de culoarea alunei, cu spuma densa maronie. Produsa in Sudul Frantei de Ambrée à la Châtaigne - La Castagne du Cevenol, ca fiind berea reprezentativa a regiunii Occitania. Produsa prin dubla fermentatie cu adaos de castane si nuci. Gust puternic si amarui, cu arome variind de la castane, scortisoara (foarte subtil), nuci amarui... O bere corpolenta, cu 6.5% alcool, textura usor uleioasa, delicioasa ca si gust, grea ca timp de baut (datorita aciditatii scazute). Se fabrica doar in zona asta si e o delicatesa a locului, avand crucea occitana imprimata pe ambalaj.

Ar mai fi cateva beri pe care mi-as dori sa vi le prezint, dar simt cumva ca acest articol n-ar mai fi unul "responsabil" :)

"Fiecare bere are o poveste sa-ti spuna, iar daca bei prea multe ai sa le uiti", mi-a spus si mie, Louis, patronul din Couleurs de Bieres.

I admit that one of the most interesting opportunities I have in the southern France is discovering its culture and traditions, its people and their particular habits. I was going to write about the urban life of Montpelier and the spectacular cultural mélange this city offers.  Then I realized that it is more important for me, a Romanian girl in a foreign country – such as France, to tell you about their traditions and how the younger generation experiences them.

And I’ve decided to write about an incredible students’ organization called Aix Balèti that promotes traditional provençale culture, folklore dance and medieval music, here in the campus of Montpellier Paul Valery III University, every Thursday evening.

Being in France, in the midst of a community who defends its nationalistic traditions and language to the brim, made ​​me think of my own traditional values, our Romanian culture and folklore, of how much we disregard them!

If you are a student in Romania and you admit that you like folklore music and dances, you are instantly seen as a peasant or a low culture figure. You are immediately asked if you also like “manele” as if traditional music was something associated with lack of culture and stupidity. You are certainly not cool enough if you like folklore singers, or you are seen as bohemian and nostalgic character if you scratch your guitar to the rhythm of folk music.

Well, you know, in France it is quite the other way around! People can’t wait to dance to their traditional music and here, in Montpellier, many of the students still speak and sing in the old Occitan dialect.  Balèti (the correct pronunciation is Balèè_èti ), for example, means 'a folklore dance gathering' and has a provençale origin. It is used to replace Bal Folk or Bal Trad, but they are not synonyms. This word does not appear in any dictionary since the 19th century but old people and Occitans are still using it to describe a dance evening.  

I met the beautiful people from Aix Balèti on my first days in Montpellier, while they were practicing their songs on the accordion and violin, in the middle of campus. A lot of people were gathered around them and each traditional song played brought a burst of applause. People started to dance in circles around them and, in couple of minutes, the evening turned into an incredible traditional party where everybody danced! They had wine and cheese and homemade bread to share with the dancers.

They play their traditional music beautifully, with enthusiasm and belief and are willing to teach you even the most complicated steps. They bring their parents and their grandparents to the dance evenings, because they are the ones who know even better the dance techniques. They are cheerful, lively and full of contagious energy! 

Yesterday was my third Thursday evening spent with them and I feel already as part of the gang. They taught me a lot of traditional Occitan and medieval dances such as Mazurka, Scottish, Polka, Valse ancienne, Bourrée, Ronde, Rond, Cercle, Chapelloise, Farandoles, Rigaudons, Courento, Gigo, Countrodanso, Sbrando, Tresso, Branles, Congos, Rondeaux, Mutxiko, Fandango, Maraîchine… I still don’t get Mazurka’s steps, but I’m in love with Chapelloise and I can’t wait to dance it again next week!

Here is a short video of one of the dances (you won’t get one with me in it, not yet!).

I’m writing this in English because I promised I would show them my article and they obviously don’t speak Romanian. They hardly speak English, but I don’t have a problem with that as they encourage me to improve my bad French.

However, I wish my readers and my friends from Romania learn something of what I recounted here, the fact that it is a great honor to experience and respect your traditions and folklore even in the 21th century, even if you are young, carry an iPhone in your pocket and you're looking forward to the future. There is no future without the past! I certainly learned that!

After three weeks of ‘not being ashamed that I am a Romanian girl in France’ (a country that is supposed to hate Romania for its gypsies), last night I sang them one of Maria Tanase’s songs, accompanied by one of my new friends on the accordion. I felt proud!