the winchester jumelagejumelage visit to alsace – sept 28 - oct 4 2008 for the past several years,...

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The Winchester Jumelage P. O. Box 453 Winchester, MA 01890 781 729 7669 voice and facsimile http://www.jumelage.org/ [email protected] October 26, 2008 Jumelage President’s letter What a beautiful Fall day in Winchester! For me, the Fall always seems like the start of a new Jumelage year, because it is really the season when we plan for the upcoming year. We’ve just returned from a beautiful trip to Alsace, designed by Jean Vidal of St Germain to combine art, history, food, wine and companionship into an unforgettable trip. Now it is our turn to plan a Fall 2009 excursion to wet the appetites of our friends in St Germain. Some hints will be provided at our upcoming Taste of France. Yes, it is time for our Fall Taste of France, to take place on Saturday November 15 at the clubhouse in the Ledges, scene of memorable Tastes of France in the past. Please mark the date, and plan to join us. Rules are, to bring an appetizer, salad or dessert, enough for about 8 servings, with Jumelage board members responsible for main dishes. We hope to have musical entertainment again this year, and your President is scouring the net in search of same. As always, it’s all free!!! Fall is of course also a time to remember our generous members and neighbors who hosted St Germain interns this past Summer. We had four young women spending a few weeks with us, improving their English and getting to know life in the U.S.A: Marie L’Hermitte interned at Bookends and was hosted by Annette and Terry Lanigan; her cousin Anne-Claire Glazer was hosted by Betsy and David Cregger; Priscille Baiget interned at Kidstock and was hosted first by AnnMarie and Jon Galli, then by Barbara Baseman and her daughter Avery; lastly, Johana Binet interned at WinCam and was hosted by Jill Sheperd. All of our interns expressed warm thanks for the hospitality extended to them, and, in turn received rave reviews from their host families and from the businesses and institutions that took them in. During the Jumelage trip to France last month, the parents of Marie and of Anne-Claire invited Marie’s hosts, the Lanigans, and Sydelle and me, to a lovely dinner at their home in St Germain. The people of St Germain have expressed a lively interest in the upcoming presidential election, and their Jumelage members are planning to hold their own informal election, and follow it up with a U.S. Election breakfast the morning of November 5. For that event they have asked us to set up a video link that would allow us to provide them with up to the minute results, specifically including the Winchester tallies for our presidential candidates. We are fast approaching the 20 th year of the Winchester/St Germain Jumelage, a relationship that has created many lasting and fruitful friendships between members in our two cities. The continued success of the Jumelage depends on your participation, and I therefore urge you to continue your support, to participate actively in our events, excursions and exchanges, and to encourage potential members to join us. So, come to the Taste of France, and bring a friend! Bien amicalement, Philippe Koenig, President

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Page 1: The Winchester JumelageJumelage Visit to Alsace – Sept 28 - Oct 4 2008 For the past several years, the members of the Winchester Jumelage and the St. Germain-en-Laye Jumelage have

The Winchester JumelageP. O. Box 453

Winchester, MA 01890

781 729 7669voice and facsimile

http://www.jumelage.org/[email protected]

October 26, 2008

Jumelage President’s letterWhat a beautiful Fall day in Winchester! For me, the Fall always seems like the start of a new Jumelage year, because it is really the season when we plan for the upcoming year. We’ve just returned from a beautiful trip to Alsace, designed by Jean Vidal of St Germain to combine art, history, food, wine and companionship into an unforgettable trip. Now it is our turn to plan a Fall 2009 excursion to wet the appetites of our friends in St Germain. Some hints will be provided at our upcoming Taste of France.

Yes, it is time for our Fall Taste of France, to take place on Saturday November 15 at the clubhouse in the Ledges, scene of memorable Tastes of France in the past. Please mark the date, and plan to join us. Rules are, to bring an appetizer, salad or dessert, enough for about 8 servings, with Jumelage board members responsible for main dishes. We hope to have musical entertainment again this year, and your President is scouring the net in search of same. As always, it’s all free!!!

Fall is of course also a time to remember our generous members and neighbors who hosted St Germain interns this past Summer. We had four young women spending a few weeks with us, improving their English and getting to know life in the U.S.A: Marie L’Hermitte interned at Bookends and was hosted by Annette and Terry Lanigan; her cousin Anne-Claire Glazer was hosted by Betsy and David Cregger; Priscille Baiget interned at Kidstock and was hosted first by AnnMarie and Jon Galli, then by Barbara Baseman and her daughter Avery; lastly, Johana Binet interned at WinCam and was hosted by Jill Sheperd. All of our interns expressed warm thanks for the hospitality extended to them, and, in turn received rave reviews from their host families and from the businesses and institutions that took them in. During the Jumelage trip to France last month, the parents of Marie and of Anne-Claire invited Marie’s hosts, the Lanigans, and Sydelle and me, to a lovely dinner at their home in St Germain.

The people of St Germain have expressed a lively interest in the upcoming presidential election, and their Jumelage members are planning to hold their own informal election, and follow it up with a U.S. Election breakfast the morning of November 5. For that event they have asked us to set up a video link that would allow us to provide them with up to the minute results, specifically including the Winchester tallies for our presidential candidates.

We are fast approaching the 20th year of the Winchester/St Germain Jumelage, a relationship that has created many lasting and fruitful friendships between members in our two cities. The continued success of the Jumelage depends on your participation, and I therefore urge you to continue your support, to participate actively in our events, excursions and exchanges, and to encourage potential members to join us. So, come to the Taste of France, and bring a friend!

Bien amicalement,

Philippe Koenig, President

Page 2: The Winchester JumelageJumelage Visit to Alsace – Sept 28 - Oct 4 2008 For the past several years, the members of the Winchester Jumelage and the St. Germain-en-Laye Jumelage have

March is Membership Month

And, this is not March -- but, just a reminder that if you have not submitted your dues for this year [April to April] then you might take care of that today.

If you are reading this newsletter, you are on our mailing list, and you should be very familiar with our programs. We usually offer two Taste of France parties each year and this year we are providing financial support for field trips for the Winchester HS French program. One need not be a dues-paying member to join in the activities. However, if you like what we do we ask you to join. Membership dues are:

Individual $20Family $50Patron $100

Please send your check to

Winchester JumelageP.O. Box 453

Winchester, MA 01890

Summer Interns

This summer, Winchester hosted four young women from St. Germain-en-Laye, France, as they worked for various businesses during July/ August through Jumelage: Marie Lhermitte, Anne-Claire Glaser, Johanna Binet, and Priscille Baiget. In the past, the brothers of Marie and Johanna have interned in Winchester.

As part of their pursuit of earning their business degrees in France, they are interning to improve their English and learn business skills. St. Germain-en-laye, which is a suburb of Paris, will like-wise host students from Winchester, who would be interested in working several weeks next summer. Contact Philippe Koeing, 781.729.0391 for further information

Taste of Alsace France DinnerSaturday, Nov 15, 6:00 PM in the Clubhouse at the Ledges, 7 Wainwright Road, Winchester

Armed with our Alsace Cookbooks received on the trip, Jumelage is hosting a Taste of Alsace. There will be musical entertainment by Ryan Thompson, who has played fiddle and accordion before for us, and his son who also plays fiddle. Wine and soft drinks will be provided. The Jumelage Board will supply the main dishes, which could very well include specialties from Alsace. Ham, Sausage, vegetables and sauerkraut are the main ingredients in the Choucroute Garnie d’Alsacian. We ask the members to bring their favorite side dish to be shared with eight persons with the following last name guidelines:

A to H Bring Salad I to P Bring DessertQ to Z Bring Appetizer

Alsace travelers – please bring your pictures and stories to share with us!!This is an informal event and there is no charge. But space is limited so we do ask you to call in your RSVP 781.729 0391 or 781.729. 2977 or email to [email protected]

Page 3: The Winchester JumelageJumelage Visit to Alsace – Sept 28 - Oct 4 2008 For the past several years, the members of the Winchester Jumelage and the St. Germain-en-Laye Jumelage have

Jumelage Visit to Alsace – Sept 28 - Oct 4 2008

For the past several years, the members of the Winchester Jumelage and the St. Germain-en-Laye Jumelage have participated in a joint adventures – alternating between France and the USA. This year was Winchester’s turn to journey to France and the venue for this trip was Alsace.

At the risk of assuming a certain lack of appreciation for geography, we open up this newsletter for the readers [not of course for the travelers] with a quick look at “where is Alsace”. It is the most north-eastern region of France – divided into two departments Haut Rhin [upper Rhine in the south with Colmar as its capital] and Bas Rhin [lower Rhine, in the north with Strasbourg as its capital]. It has both suffered and benefited from a shift in nationality – most recently beginning in the 1870’s from France to Germany to France to Germany and now finally France. Hence, the culture, the architecture, the food, the dialect [Alsatian is in fact a dialect of German, not French] is a delightful and full mixture of both.

For this trip we were housed in L’Hotel de Deux Clefs. [Two Keys Hotel] Each morning we started with a grand breakfast table and the camaraderie of the 30 participants – 15 from Winchester – 15 from St. Germain-en-Laye.

The Tour

Every Jumelage tour is enhanced by the quality of the tour guides and of the leadership. This trip was no exception. Here is Muriel our guide suggesting that we proceed quickly – i.e., get going!! The leadership was provided by Jean Vidal, president of the St. Germain Jumelage, being very pensive and considering the next stop on the itinerary.

The Red Sox

All during the trip we folks from Winchester were trying to figure out what the Red Sox were doing. Our French friends may have been wondering what’s the big deal. During our final wrap up dinner, we presented our French friends with Red Sox caps – so now they are part of the frenzy [perhaps??]. Here is our guide Muriel [right] and Annick [left] one of the Gernmainois – difficult to see, but they are wearing the Red Sox caps.

While we could go on for several pages and describe every day and nite, it may be better to let each picture be worth a thousand words and keep it simple. So lets take a picture tour:It’s Monday and it must be Colmar -- Muriel and part of the group next to the old market along the canal near the Petit Venice -- the smallest home in downtown Colmar [the little red apartment] – the “new wine has arrived” [although we did not find any in the restaurants we visited in all of Alsace]

Turckheim, Strasbourg, Colmar,

and Mulhouse

Page 4: The Winchester JumelageJumelage Visit to Alsace – Sept 28 - Oct 4 2008 For the past several years, the members of the Winchester Jumelage and the St. Germain-en-Laye Jumelage have

On Tuesday we visited the traditional wine villages at the foot of the Les Vosges Mountains – here in Riquewihr we are looking up a street from the center of the town into the vineyards on the nearby slope-- Jack and Peggy on the main street in Riquewihr.

Wednesday was all Mulhouse – the automobile museum in the morning [a truly gee whiz display] – the date on the old steam driven vehicle is 1878. Then the Ecomuseum in the afternoon [something like old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts or Greenfield Village in Detroit] – the barn shown here (with Philippe and Wilbur) was taken from the Sundgau, the region in the south of Alsace.

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Thursday we journeyed to Strasbourg for a tour of the city, the Petit France , the Cathedral, visit to the EU Parliament [that is not the EU delegation, its the Jumelage delegation – deliberating the fate of western Europe perhaps?], dinner at the Kammerzell, and shopping.

Friday we traveled east into the Vosges mountains , stopping at the memorial to the great battle between the French and German forces during WW I . On this day we actually experienced a brief snow flurry. Of course, none of the snow stayed on the ground – it’s still too early for real winter

That evening we were back in Turckheim for the wrap up pre-dinner gathering – and the Red Sox caps -- and then went into Colmar for a special private dinner at the Bartholdi museum – complete with entertainment in traditional Alsacian dress and, of course, the Choucroute Garnie d’Alsacian

Saturday was up and about – breakfast and packing – then the bus to the Strasbourg Gare where we parted company with the group. And throughout the week, everyone took lots of pictures.

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Jumelage members enjoyed several boat rides on the Colmar and Strasburg Canals.

Typical Alsatian architecture of half timbered houses provides the back drop for this Group picture.

ities for Trompe l’œil painting, cooking class and metal and wood decorations and repairs.

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Colmar was home to several artists. The Auguste Barthodi Museum (his family home) detailed the creation of the Statue of Liberty and the Belfort Lion. Hansi caricaturist (Jean-Jacques Waltz) depicted Alsace villagers.

Imagine the surprise of everyone when a local Strasbourg restaurant displayed a MA Avenue Street sign.

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If you would like to receive more information on the Jumelage or on St. Germain en Laye, please contact us at 781.729.7669 Voice and Facsimile, [email protected] http://www.jumelage.org/

Members of the Board

Philippe Koenig, President 729-0391Kevin Drum, Vice President 721-2184Ed Davis 729-9256Annette Lanigan 729-7425Betsy Molloy 721-1087Judie Muggia 729-3383Jack Roll 729-2977Peggy Roll 729-2977Carrie Shaw 935-5281Susie Vrotsos 729-5854