March 20 2011: Things I Learnt This Weekend

• French people call the traffic police "Schtroumpfs" (Smurfs) on account of their blue uniforms
• It is no longer cool to describe things as 'mortel' (deadly) if you are a 15 year old boy. Apparently you say 'violent'.
  
• Flanders only became part of France in 1659.
  
• I will never understand modern art.
• Parrots symbolise eroticism, apparently
  
• The fable of the monkey and the dolphin, by Jean de la Fontaine.
• The inside of the Conservatoire in Lille is really, really beautiful.
  
• It is possible to defrost speculoos eclairs from Picard in the microwave.
  
• When you're in a French cafe, you don't need to tip if you're being served by the owners.
• It is possible to get Malborough Sauvignon Blanc in Armentières.
  
• There is *always* room for dessert if it contains caramel au beurre salé.
• New Zealanders turn up everywhere, even in Petra.
• And, to my pain, there is no bar service on the TGV from Paris to Lille.
  

More details, and maybe even some photos, coming soon...