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Explore the area of the Château Frontenac and Terrace Dufferin and discover its many attractions.

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Across from the beautiful waters of the St. Louis river sits the magnificent Château Frontenac, the city of Quebec’s largest and grandest hotel. The Château Frontenac was originally constructed in 1892 specifically to bring in more wealthy tourists with the alluring exterior of a castle and lavish interiors. Because it was constructed by the Pacific Railway Company, it was an attempt to encourage train travelers to stay in the chateau-style hotel and encourage “luxury tourism”.  Château Frontenac was the first of many chateau style hotels to be built by railways. The hotel has a total of eighteen floors and over 600 rooms and four seperate restaurants. The name Château Frontenac comes from Louis de Buade, Comte de Frontenac, an important figure for the “New Colony” of France, which is now Canada, in the eighteenth century. He is commended for defending the colony against the ritish and the native tribe, the Iroquois. The location of the hotel is also significant as it sits on the edge of the St. Louis river and lies parallel to the Plains of Abraham where the conquest for Quebec happened during the 7 years war between England and France. The hotel itself was marked as a designated Historic Site in 1981 and has been a meeting place for many since its doors opened.

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Château Frontenac | The Canadian Encyclopedia

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History, politics, arts, science & more: the Canadian Encyclopedia is your reference on Canada. Articles, timelines & resources for teachers, students & public.

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Besides maple syrup, Canada is known for another quirky food: Poutine. Traditionally, Poutine is considered to consist of fries, cheese curds, and gravy. Since its invention, there have been many different variations made throughout the country, whether the sauce includes chicken or if the cheese curds are bite size or even smaller. The food itself has always caused a raucous, with different people siding on different sides with the discussion of toppings and as to whether it should be considered the national food of Canada.The latter is still in debate.

Poutine is traditionally thought to have been created in Quebec during the 1950s at a restaurant called “Le Lutin qui rit”. The name “Poutine” was said to have originated when a customer asked to add cheese curds to his fries and the chef, Fernand Lachance, responded with “Ca va faire une maudite poutine”, which translates loosely to “That’s going to make a dreadful mess”.

Since then, Poutine has grown in popularity and is served throughout the provinces of Canada. There are now many different versions of the entree, including more gourmet options like a Lobster Poutine, served in Toronto, and a Foie Gras Poutine offered in Montreal. Even Mcdonald's, a global chain has joined the bandwagon and now offers a McPoutine.

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Melty, meaty, cheesy, salty-poutine combines so many wonderful flavours and textures in one bowl, it's hard to believe poutine is still an undiscovered treasure among most of the world.

Most Canadians know that classic poutine is a delectable (read: coronary-inducing) mix of french fries, gravy, and cheese curds. Details vary-light chicken gravy or sauce brune? double-fried french fries? bite-sized cheese curds or smaller?-but the traditional recipe is pretty straightforward.

But even if poutine's a regular part of your diet (and you might want to see a doctor if it is) we'll bet these are a few fun facts about poutine that you didn't know.

1. No one's entirely sure where poutine originated. The traditional story is that poutine originated in the 1950s in Warwick, Quebec, at a restaurant called Le Lutin qui rit. Upon being asked to add cheese curds to a customer's fries, owner Fernand Lachance responded, "Ça va faire une maudite poutine," or, "That's going to make a dreadful mess." However, there are several other origin stories. It's safe to say, though, that poutine has its origins mid-century somewhere in rural Quebec.

2. Poutine wasn't always called poutine. At first, poutine was simple a 50-50 mixture of cheese curds and fries. When gravy got added somewhere along the way, it was called "mixte." "Poutine" was adopted when large chains started selling the concoction-cheese, gravy, and all.

3. Newfoundland has its own variation of poutine. Many restaurants in Newfoundland serve chips, dressing, and gravy, with dressing (also known as stuffing) used in place of the cheese curds.

4. Poutine is the subject of heated debate. Well, debate, anyway. At the 2010 Leacock Debate in Toronto, celebrities including CBC's Carol Off and author Andrew Pyper squared off over whether poutine should become Canada's national dish. (The pro side won by a narrow margin.)

5. It's in the Guinness Book of World Records. In 2014, Brandon, Manitoba restaurant Joe Beeverz broke the record for the world's largest poutine, previously held by the good people of Saguenay, Quebec. Joe Beeverz' poutine weighed in at 1,949 pounds, which was more than 800 pounds heavier than the Saguenay creation.

6. It can get pretty expensive. As soon as chefs start tinkering, poutine gets pricey. Toronto's Bymark Restaurant offers a lobster poutine for $27. Au Pied de Cochon in Montreal offers foie gras poutine for $24. If you want to get truly bank-breaking (and a little disgusting), order a large poutine at Toronto's Disgraceland, and add every single topping on the menu. That'll run you a cool $85.

7. You can drink it. You could liquify poutine in a blender, but if you think that's gross, hunt for a bottle of Jones Soda's cheese-and-gravy flavoured poutine soda. Actually, come to think of it, that's gross too.

8. It's one of Canada's greatest inventions. No, really. It's number 10 on a list put together by CBC in 2007, with input from such Canadian luminaries as Margaret Atwood, Mike Holmes, and Preston Manning. Poutine beat out standard time, the Bloody Caesar, and the BlackBerry, but was defeated by insulin, the telephone, and five-pin bowling, among others.

9. It's in the dictionary. "Poutine" was the Oxford English Dictionary's word of the day on June 30, 2014, and was added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary that same year.

10. McPoutine is a thing. Well, it's just called poutine. But McDonald's now offers poutine as a permanent menu item across Canada. What better indication that poutine has, indeed, become as ubiquitous as the humble hamburger? At 510 calories, one order is only slightly lower-cal than a Big Mac.

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10 things you probably didn't know about poutine | Cottage Life

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Melty, meaty, cheesy, salty-poutine combines so many wonderful flavours and textures in one bowl, it's hard to believe poutine is still an undiscovered treasure among most of the world. Most Canadians know that classic poutine is a delectable (read: coronary-inducing) mix of french fries, gravy, and cheese curds.

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The Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro

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The Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro

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In Côte d'Ivoire, the Ivory Coast, in Africa stands the largest church in the world. The Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro was first commissioned in 1985, over twenty years after Côte d'Ivoire won their independence. It was finished in 1990 and after its completion, the entire project cost over $300 million dollars. The Basilica itself stands on the outskirts of Yamoussoukro, which is the capital city of Côte d'Ivoire in West Africa. It is one of the city’s biggest landmarks and gave the city international recognition. The Basilica’s design was heavily inspired by St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome and was even blessed by John Paul II. The Basilica surpassed its inspiration. Its dome rises over 500 feet into the air and the space spans over 30,000 square feet.

The Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro stands as almost an ironic symbol as the Basilica is named for the Lady of Peace and the country has a history of destructive civil wars. Its most recent civil war ended in 2011 and left the country in dishevel. The country has had an on and off tourist industry between civil wars and the path to recovery after the political instability from the country’s division. Yamoussoukro is known for the Basilica as well as its famous président, Félix Houphouët-Boigny, whose palace housed a lagoon of alligators. Côte d'Ivoire is a beautiful country and when the country calms after civil wars is a popular destination for its pretty beaches along the Ivory Coast as well as its ziggurat structures throughout the country.

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In a country known best for civil war and political unrest, the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace emerges tranquilly from the barren landscape surrounding the church on all sides. Despite its impressive stature, it remains shrouded in controversy from comparison and stands as a symbol of the problems facing the Ivory Coast.

Construction began on the Basilica in 1985, just 25 years into the Ivory Coast's remarkable and prosperous independent history. The Ivory Coast's beloved leader Felix Houphouet-Boigny chose the location on the outskirts of Yamoussoukro. Houphouet-Boigny grew up in the city and led the country into stability since its independence in 1960.

After the complex was finished in 1990, the Basilica, which is modeled after St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, had cost over $300 million, and stood as the world's largest church eclipsing the size of its inspiration in Italy. The complex is over 30,000 square meters and the dome rises over 500 feet into the air and can accommodate 18,000 worshippers.

Although the Basilica gave the Ivory Coast international recognition, including Pope John Paul II's blessing, its construction symbolized a larger problem that would plague the country over the next 20 years. In the vein of a monarchical France, the Basilica was in essence a statement of grandeur more fitting for Louis XIV's riches than a prosperous but nascent democratic economy.

Unlike St. Peters, the Basilica is built on the outskirts of the city, and is surrounded by marked poverty, dotting a barren and dusty landscape. By comparison to its surroundings, the Basilica loses its imposing beauty quickly. Less than a decade after its construction, the Ivory Coast was plunged into a series of civil wars, the most recent of which exploded between November 2010-April 2011 after failed elections in 2010.

As Houphouet-Boigny quickly worked to build a lasting symbol of political tranquility in the twilight of his time in office, it became evident that stability was fleeting. Just as the newly independent government had stood as a symbol of hope in a struggling West African region of the 1970s and 1980s, the Basilica now stands as precarious hope and stability in a struggling Ivory Coast.

Despite its renown and massive size, the Basilica like its country, sits atop a political fault line, willing to devour it into the earth at the tiniest shake. As poor vendors peruse its borders selling cheap wares, the structure constantly begs the question of whether a permanent reminder of stability was too much too soon.

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Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro

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In a country known best for civil war and political unrest, the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace emerges tranquilly from the barren landscape surrounding the church on all sides. Despite its impressive stature, it remains shrouded in controversy from comparison and stands as a symbol of the problems facing the Ivory Coast.

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Madagascans will head to the polls for the first round of presidential election on November 7, while the second round of the election is slated for December, 19.

Madagascar's Prime Minister Christian Ntsay's announcement on Friday, ends speculations about the date for the election.

Head of the Malagasy government believes that the publication of this electoral calendar will help calm the political tension in the country.

Tension has been mounting in the Island nation since the end of April as the opposition parties make demands for the resignation of the head of state.

President Hery Rajaonarimampianina, elected in 2013, has not yet announced whether he will run for a second term this year.

The formation of a consensus government in mid-June helped diffuse the situation.

President Rajaonarimampianina, elected in 2013, has not yet announced whether he will run for a second term this year. However, former heads of state Andry Rajoelina and his predecessor Marc Ravalomanana have hinted that they would run.
AFP

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Madagascar's PM schedules presidential elections for Nov 7, Dec 19 | Africanews

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President Rajaonarimampianina, elected in 2013, has not yet announced whether he will run for a second term this year

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There has been much anticipation surrounding the most recent election in the island country of Madagascar. Since the beginning of the summer, political tension has been rising in the country. The current Madagascan president, Martial Rajaonarimampianina Rakotoarimanana, to help diffuse the pressure mounting against each political party, established a new consensus cabinet. Madagascar is a semi-representative country, meaning that the country has a president, who is head of the state, and a prime minister, who is head of the government.

The current political problems stem all the way back to 2009 when the country was ran very differently and the economy was in shambles. For the last decade, Madagascar had been in a deadlock, the only, very small, economic growth happened in the largest cities and absolutely did not reach out to the rural areas.

In the current election, many candidates are vying that they can change Madagascar’s current economic state and move the country forward again. The current Madagascan president is extremely dedicated in moving the economy forward and even has a program called, Emergence 2030. Although the program has not yet been initiated because the economy is almost frozen at the moment even though the president has brought in investors, he still cannot maintain a parliamentary majority because of the new laws he has passed to block certain individuals from running in the 2018 presidential elections.

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Madagascar's economic problems stem from the period in which Rajoelina led the country. The opposition leader came to power through a putsch in March 2009. All this time the country had no constitutional government and aid was suspended and the economy was shrinking and investors fled. For the last decade, Madagascar was in a deadlock. Growth was only in the main cities and didn't concern the rural areas. Rajoelina, like many of the other candidates, is promising to improve the country's economy and improve living standards. The poverty rate stands at almost 92% and has been aggravated by the recent drought and floods, which have destroyed more than 70% of crops. The population outside the capital is living in a situation of despair.

While the incumbent President Hery Rajaonarimampianina promised an ambitious economic programme called "Emergence 2030", there is a hiatus between the economic situation now and how he is wanting to push it in the far future. President Rajaonarimampianina at least has brought investors back. Yet he's struggled to maintain a stable parliamentary majority and in May 2018 faced social protests after his attempts to change the country's electoral laws to block Rajoelina and Ravalomanane from running in the November 2018 election.

The country was rocked by protests initially called against new electoral laws the opposition said were aimed at barring their candidates from taking part in elections scheduled for later in 2018. Elections were already expected between November and December, but the Consitutional Court ordered that they should be held in the "dry season" - between May and September.

But the demonstrations snowballed into demands for the president to step down. Madagascar's constitutional court ruled 26 May 2018 that the president must form a national unity government in order to end a political deadlock. The Constitutional Court ruled that the composition of the new unity government should proportionately reflect the outcome of the last legislative elections in 2013. Both sides say they hold the majority in parliament, where many legislators had switched allegiances since 2013.

Madagascar's new prime minister, Christian Ntsay, took office on 06 June 2018, vowing to push ahead with an "inclusive presidential election" aimed at hauling the country out of a deep crisis. Ntsay, a technocrat, was named by President Hery Rajaonarimampianina on 04 June 2018 under a process ordered by the Constitutional Court to end a long-running political crisis.

The large Indian Ocean island was due to hold polls in late November or December 2018. President Rajaonarimampianina had been in power since 2013, and his administration has been marred by allegations of corruption and incompetence. In 2015, parliament voted to remove him from office for "constitutional violations," but the country's constitutional court threw out the motion.

In the face of legal imperatives, the government planned to advance a few weeks the holding of the 2018 presidential election. According to a source familiar with the file, "a proposal to advance the first round of the presidential election between the end of the month of September and early October are under consideration so that the second round of voting can be held no later than November 30, 2018, outside the rainy season, as stipulated in the election Code".

The provisions of the Constitution which provide that "The election of the President of the Republic takes place at least thirty days, and sixty days at most, before the expiry of the term of office of the current President", the first round of the presidential election should be held between 25 November and 25 December 2018. The second round should be held in the rainy season. However, a constraint posed by the Electoral Code is that elections are held between April 30 and November 30, in the dry period.

By mid-2017 many political figures had already declared that they wanted to be candidates for the 2018 presidential elections. Former President Marc Ravalomanana was the first, a few days after his return, saying that the country could not wait until 2018. A candidacy that did not astonish anyone that the very day after his departure in exile after having ceded power, Marc Ravalomanana showed a willingness to take control of the head of state. The candidacy of Lalao Ravalomanana to the magistracy of the Capital ensued. Former Transitional Prime Minister Omer Beriziky has already expressed his presence in the upcoming presidential elections, representing the UNDD parties and the MAMIMAD association.

The candidacy of the current President of the Republic had also been formalized by the ruling party Hery Vaovao ho an'i Madagasikara (HVM). Some opposition parties including the Malagasy Miara-Miainga (MMM) of Hajo Andrianainarivelo and the Freedom Party of Lalatiana Rakotondrazafy have pointed out that the opposition should present a single candidate. A possibility not ruled out by the party Miaraka amin'i Prezida Andry Rajoelina (MAPAR) who had not moved forward. Finally, the party Antoka sy Dinanny Nosy (DNA) of the former President of the Special Delegation of Antananarivo Edgard Razafindravahy had already set out to conquer many areas of the island. The latest to announce his candidacy was Pastor Mailhol of the Apokalypsy Church.

Aside from these, some names began to circulate and persist on this subject. Notably that of the former Prime Minister under the Ratsiraka regime from 1998 to 2002 in the person of Tantely Andrianarivo who just recently arrived in the country. Moreover, the party of Admiral Didier Ratsiraka was in trouble candidate in the municipal elections. On the other hand, another champion of the red party in his time, in the person of José Andrianoelison whose name had already been mentioned as succeeding Prime Minister Jean Ravelonarivo for this regime could also surprise.

In addition, the name of the former Director General of the Treasury Orlando Robimanana also circulated in the political sphere. He would still travel abroad as an expert for the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In spite of that, according to observers, he would have his chances of running for a presidential term. Some parties that still weighed in the first round in October of 2013 are also expected. Many of them have also joined opposition coalitions to the Rajaonarimampianina regime such as the Armada or the platform "Mitsangana ry Malagasy" who had been silent for some time.

The number of candidates will not be a problem with regard to the presidential elections of 2018. The Malagasy will have many choices. The question that arose is more about the programs that candidates go to and will have to present to the electorate.

Although Malagasy people tend to vote more for a person than for a program, this criterion should be the first concern and candidates and voters. Especially for the next mandate, to get the country out of the political and economic slump in which it has been plunged for years already. Apart from the DNA party that advocates the establishment of federalism in Madagascar, the other programs proposed by the former leaders have not really been understood by the population. This is the case, for example, with the National Development Plan (NDP) of the Rajaonarimampianina regime.

Moreover, in 75% of the cases, the candidates do not elaborate their programs until they arrive at the head of the State, and do not submit any project of company during the electoral campaigns. They are content to chant the fight against poverty and the development of Madagascar.

Supporters of former President Marc Ravalomanana say the new statute effectively stops him from running in the country's general election that is set for later in 2018. Opposition politicians have also complained about restrictive new laws about campaign financing and media access. Ravalomanana, who was deposed in a 2009 coup, teamed up with the man who succeeded him, Andy Rajoelina, to oppose the laws pushed by President Hery Rajaonarimampianina.

The opposition says the new electoral law requires a presidential candidate to produce a report on all previous judicial convictions, which could be a disadvantage for their candidate. Ravalomanana was convicted by a court when he was in exile after the 2009 coup for a range of offences. On 21 April 2018 hundreds of demonstrators gathered in the government quarter to protest the new law they say is designed to prevent their candidate from running in this year's presidential elections. Local news described a heavy police presence, including both police and soldiers guarding important sites like parliament.

The constitutional court ruled on 03 May 2018 that parts of the electoral law, including those that would have prevented Ravalomanana and Rajoelina from running, unconstitutional, weakening the president further.

As registration for candidates in November's presidential poll opened 08 August 2018, former president Andry Rajoelina was expected to stand. Rajoelina's return could dramatically shake up Madagascar's political landscape. He was one of the three men who had dominated Malagasy politics in recent years. The two others are Marc Ravalomanana, who was deposed in a military coup that brought Rajoelina to power in March 2009, and current president Hery Rajaonarimampianina.

Rajoelina clearly has a lot of money. The 44-year old launched his ambitious program called the Initiative for the Emergence of Madagascar (IEM) at the Petit Palais art gallery in Paris in May 2018. Not many Malagasy politicians have the sort of capacity to launch their political agenda in a foreign capital with a high profile event like that. The young opposition leader may have the campaign capacity, but he also has a lot of expectations riding on his shoulders, notably from the Diaspora.

Candidates had until 21 August to submit their applications. The first round of the presidential election will take place on 7 November. It may go into a run-off in December if none of the candidates obtain 50% of the vote. The temptation for whoever comes third will be to strike a deal in the hope of securing a share of influence. Whether any of them can cut a deal with any of the others, and how far any of them would be prepared to compromise is difficult to say. There are three people, each of whom is pursuing a very personalized agenda and who've all been prepared to push the bounds of constitutional and legal means to pursue their own ambitions for the top job.

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Madagascar's economic problems stem from the period in which Rajoelina led the country. The opposition leader came to power through a putsch in March 2009. All this time the country had no constitutional government and aid was suspended and the economy was shrinking and investors fled.

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In more recent years, Belgium has made a conscious effort to close the gap between male and female wages. Belgium has one of the lowest gender pay gaps in Europe, having even lower percentages than gender-quality conscious countries like Sweden, Norway, and Iceland. In 2017, OECD reported that the average Belgian man’s monthly wage is 3.3 percent higher than the average Belgian woman. Across the European Union, the average monthly wage gap is  19.2 percent, which is quite higher than the average gap in Belgium.

Since the year 2000, Belgium has been working on closing the gap in gender pay wages. In 2000, the percent was at 13 percent, in 2005 at 11 percent, and in 2010, 7 percent. Intention government policies have helped the country of Belgium move forward substantially. Another factor to this steady progress is the growth in trade union membership in Europe. About 50 percent of Belgian workers are in some form of trade union, which makes it easier to monitor pay wages and to not discriminate based on gender. According to economists Ivan Marx and Lien Van Cant, ““a clear link can be made with trade union representation” and lower wage gaps.” Trade unions help ensure that women are paid the exact thing as a man for the same amount of work, which is true in the case of Belgium, which is thriving.

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In Britain this week, larger companies are having to make their gender pay gaps public for the first time. But just over the Channel in Belgium, transparency on how much men and women are paid has been standard for years.

Belgium has one of the very lowest gender pay gaps in both Europe and the OECD, beating out countries with a more world-renowned reputation for gender equality, like Sweden, the Norway, and Iceland.

The latest 2017 figures from the OECD show the median monthly wage of a Belgian man is 3.3 per cent high than a Belgian woman - compared to an average gap across the EU of 19.2 per cent. In the public sector, women are actually paid more on an hourly basis.

Belgian pay wasn't always so equal - the gap has closed rapidly in recent years - from 13.6 in 2000, 11.5 per cent in 2005 and 7 per cent in 2010. Moving towards equal pay has been a deliberate government policy for decades, and one thing that has made progress easier is having some of the highest and growing levels of trade union membership in Europe.

Around 55 per cent of all Belgian workers are in a trade union - but an estimated 96 per cent of workers are covered by the collective bargaining agreements they sign. This means that instead of individually negotiating your salary with with your boss, there is an agreed framework for who is paid what based on what they do. Wage increases are also indexed to the cost of living, so workers don't have to actively ask for a pay rise just to stand still.

As a result of this approach to setting pay, practically all workers' wages are set by collective agreements, which apply irrespective of gender and don't discriminate against women. The stricter framework for setting salaries essentially makes it impossible to pay women less to do the same job.

"Belgium is characterised by comprehensive collective wage setting," economists Ive Marx and Lien Van Cant from the University of Antwerp say in a paper that examines the gap, adding that "a clear link can be made with trade union representation" and lower wage gaps.

"The Belgian experience provides a powerful antidote to views that growing inequalities are inevitable in advanced economies."

But while widespread collective bargaining on wages has in itself most likely helped Belgian women get closer to equal pay, the Government has also taken things a step further.

In 2012 a new law made it mandatory for the gender pay gap to be specifically taken into account when unions and employers negotiate their wage agreements. The law also requires the Federal labour service (SPF) to check and sign off job classifications on the basis of their gender neutrality.

Rules on which companies have to reveal their gender pay gap - introduced years earlier than the UK - are also stricter. Here, companies with over 50 workers must report every two years; in the UK only bigger firms with 250 employees have to comply.

The results of the policies speak for themselves, though the gap hasn't yet been completely eliminated. What remains of a pay difference is often blamed on the finance and insurance sectors - the highest waged bits of the Belgian economy - which tend to be dominated by men, especially at the highest level, where there is a glass ceiling.

"Although Belgium has a relatively small gender pay gap in comparison to other EU countries, this gap is very resilient, considering the many years equal pay has been at the heart of labour and equality policies," Dr Hildegard Van Hove of the Institute for the Equality of Women and Men wrote in a paper. She also says Belgium's "highly collectively regulated wage-setting mechanisms" are relevant to understanding the progress made.

Britain lags far behind its neighbour, with a wage difference topping 9 per cent in the latest figures. Britain's hands-off wages policy gives the Government fewer levers to pull: with unions in the UK now almost entirely relegated to the public sector and collective bargaining agreements something most workers now never enjoy, gender equality may be lot harder to come by.

The work isn't over in Belgium either, where women are still under-represented in management and tend strongly towards part-time work. But the lesson from Brussels is probably that if you want to close the gender pay gap, join a trade union.

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This is how Belgium is defeating the gender pay gap

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In Britain this week, larger companies are having to make their gender pay gaps public for the first time. But just over the Channel in Belgium, transparency on how much men and women are paid has been standard for years.

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The french writer, poet, and dramatist Victor Hugo was born in 1802. He is considered one of the greatest french writers in history and was most important to the romantic circles. Although in France, he is celebrated mostly as a poet, in other countries, he is regarded as great novelist.

One of the more famous literary works produced in France is Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. This novel was published in 1862 and is considered one of the most important literary works of the 19th century. The novel, which follows a historical base, begins its retelling in 1815 and goes to the June Rebellion in Paris in 1832. As its title would suggest, the novel is terribly tragic as it follows the lives of several characters and their struggles in the world of 19th century France.

Another great literary work by Victor Hugo is the Hunchback of Notre-Dame, first published in 1831, thirty-one years before Les Miserables. It is believed that Hugo wrote this work in an effort to bring attention to the gothic architecture in Paris that was slowly being destroyed. Hugo also wrote Guerre aux Démolisseurs, War to the Demolishers, a few years earlier in attempts to save the Medieval architecture all over Paris.

Throughout Hugo’s life, he had lived in many different places and served in the political sphere. He was exiled to Brussels for years before he eventually returned to Paris, where he died in 1885.

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Victor Hugo | Biography, Books, Poems, & Facts

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Victor Hugo: Victor Hugo, poet, novelist, and dramatist who was the most important of the French Romantic writers. Though regarded in France as one of that country's greatest poets, he is better known abroad for such novels as Notre-Dame de Paris (1831) and Les Miserables (1862).

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Around the holidays the french have many traditions specific to their country. In France, gift giving during Christmas time can be flexible. Gifts are sometimes given to children on December 6th because it is the feast day of Saint Nicolas and some families prefer to exchange gifts on Christmas Eve. Since 1962, france has had a law that “lettres au pere noel” (letters to Santa) must be written back in the form of a postcard. This has kept the spirit of Santa alive longer in french children, but also created much more work for the postal service. Besides Santa, the french have also had a superstitious creature called ‘Pere Fouettard’, Whipping Father, who supposedly rides with Santa and uses a whip to spank naughty children.

On Christmas Eve, french children will leave their shoes by the fireplace in hopes that Santa Claus will come and fill them to the brim with delicious treats and fun trinkets. This tradition is much like the American tradition of hanging stockings up on the mantle. Although France is a mostly secular country, many individuals attend midnight mass at one of the many beautiful cathedrals set in the middle of french towns and cities. After mass it is usually a tradition to have a nice meal that includes chestnut stuffed turkey, goose, foie gras, and oysters.

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Every country does Christmas slightly differently, and the French - who, to their credit, rarely do things like the rest of the world - naturally have their own Christmas traditions, that they have just about held on to over the years. From a British perspective, for example, the big downside of Christmas in France is the absence of Boxing Day, but then the French don't generally need a second day off to recover from a Christmas pudding or turkey-induced hangover. And they make up for it in other ways, with their festive season stretching out over weeks rather than 48 hours. So if you're spending Christmas in France this year, or you're abroad and just wondering what the Gallic way of celebrating "Noël" is, then here are ten traditions that mark "Christmas à la française".

Back to Top ten: French Christmas traditions"

Photo: Jean Louis Zimmerman

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Every country does Christmas slightly differently, and the French - who, to their credit, rarely do things like the rest of the world - naturally have their own Christmas traditions, that they have just about held on to over the years.

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Geneva, Switzerland was first fortified as a town in 121 BC after the Romans took control of the village from the Helvetii tribe. Now, it is the second most populated city in Switzerland and an international hub. Geneva is home to many headquarters of global organizations like the United Nations and Red Cross. The inner city itself has almost 200,000 residents and including the suburbs surrounding the city, the population reaches almost 500,000 residents.

Tourists flock to this beautiful city every year as the city offers gorgeous architecture, like the Vielle Ville, a historic cobblestoned road filled with cute cafes and shops as well as terraces with beautiful lookouts and ornate fountains. Another tourist hot spot is Lake Geneva, which is the largest lake in central Europe. With its crystalline blue water, visitors and locals can enjoy this natural beauty by boat or along the Promenade along the river bank, which was built in the 19th century.

Outside of the city lies Mont Saleve, a popular hub to look out at the beauty of the city that sits in the valley below. If hiking is not your thing, you can take a cable car to the top where the ‘Balcony of Geneva’ is, which is a popular tourist destination because of it’s splendid view of the city and Lake Geneva below.

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You've probably heard all the stereotypes about Geneva. But it's only when you come that they can be challenged. Yes there's wealth, fondue, chocolate and watchmaking. But Geneva is also charged with diversity and creativity, in neighbourhoods like Les Grottes or the Italian-flavoured Carouge.

TIP - Get the Geneva Pass for free access to museums, several tours, cruises and transportation

Lake Geneva and its iconic plume of water will draw your eye on promenades and lush waterside parks, while Mont Salève is a slice of the Alps in the background. Geneva is still a beacon of diplomacy, where organisations like the United Nations and the Red Cross convene. Experts of a different kind come together to answer the great scientific questions of our time at CERN. And hundreds of years ago the course of European history was changed in Geneva during the Protestant Reformation.

Let's explore the best things to do in Geneva:

1. Lake Geneva

The largest lake in Central Europe brings the drama and awe-inspiring natural splendour of the Alps to the centre of the city.

Nobody could blame you for wanting to get out and experience it, and the easiest way to do that is to catch a boat from the quay at Genève-Mt-Blanc.

These shoot off to a host of places on the shores of the lake: You could keep it local on a "mouette", shuttling to the other side of the city, or go long distance and cruise to Lausanne in three hours.

The lake's beauty has affected the design of the city itself, as a promenade was built around the shore in the mid-19th century.

Next to the water are tree-lined promenades with palatial townhouses or serene parks like Eaux-Vives, Jardin Anglais, Perle du Lac or Mon Repos.

2. Jet d'Eau

At the city centre, where the Rhône continues on its course into France is La Rade (The Roadstead). Here, at the end of a long jetty, is a much-imitated monument known the world over.

The Jet d'Eau is five hundred litres of water per second propelled to a height of 140 metres.

If you do want to get a closer look, take care as the plume is susceptible to the wind and you may get wet.

The jet has been at its present spot since 1951, and originally had an important practical use: It started in 1886 as a safety valve for the hydraulic power plant, and became a permanent monument as the city loved the way it looked.

3. St Pierre Cathedral

Geneva Cathedral is one of those religious buildings that needs as much time as you can afford.

Beyond the recent Neoclassical facade things are much older, with architecture that dates to the 12th century.

From 1541 it was the home church of John Calvin, and his personal chair looks like he just got up from it.

The cathedral was constructed on top of much older buildings , among which is a basilica from the 4th century.

This and a variety of ancient vestiges can be explored underground at the archaeological site.

You can also go up the cathedral's towers to view the Alps, Jura and Geneva against its lake: The south's viewing platform is open-air, while the north is in a closed room and might be more suitable in winter.

4. Vielle Ville

Allow a couple of hours to satisfy your curiosity in the largest historic centre in Switzerland.

The Vielle Ville twists around the hill capped by the cathedral and was once enveloped by defensive walls.

Getting around on these steep cobblestone streets and stairways is tiring but worthwhile: The old centre is densely packed with intriguing little corners, fountains, terraces with lookouts, as well as places of real historic value.

The 18th-century polymath Jean-Jacques Rousseau was born here, while Bourg-de-Four has a row of evocative historic houses on a friendly square where cattle markets traded in medieval times.

5. CERN

West of the centre of Geneva, in the suburb of Meyrin, you'll come to the headquarters for the European Organization for Nuclear Research.

Needless to say, this is where historic scientific experiments are being conducted at the world's largest particle physics laboratory.

The visitor centre offers tours of parts of the facility explaining the mind-bending science in more digestible terms.

There are also two museum exhibitions about the facility and its research.

One explains the current practical applications of CERN's work, in the field of medical imaging for instance.

And the other goes into detail on the particle accelerator and the hunt for the Higgs boson.

6. Patek Philippe Museum

An early 20th-century factory is the stage for a museum delving into five centuries of watchmaking.

The star is the amazing exhibition of musical automata, watches and portrait miniatures from the 1500s to the 1900s, mostly assembled in Geneva and Switzerland.

But you can also track the origins of Patek Philippe, set up in 1845 by a partnership between the watchmakers Antoni Patek from Poland and Frenchman Adrien Philippe.

On the ground floor are reconstructions of workbenches with all of the instruments needed to make a timepiece, and you can even see a watch-maker on the job in a workshop.

7. Palais des Nations

After New York, Geneva has the second most important United Nations office.

The Palais des Nations dates to the 1930s and was the headquarters for the League of Nations, the UN's predecessor.

The complex is in constant use, hosting thousands of intergovernmental meetings each year, but is open for hour-long guided tours in 15 different languages.

Your level of access is contingent on the meeting schedule, but typically will involve the Human Rights and Alliance of Civilizations Room, the immense Assembly Hall, the Salle des Pas Perdus and the Council Chamber, where epoch-making negotiations have taken place between nations.

8. Bains des Pâquis

Poking out into La Rade and close enough to the Jet d'Eau to feel the spray, the Bains des Pâquis are public baths along a pier on the west shore of Lake Geneva.

This isn't just somewhere to exercise, as people meet up to socialise at Bains des Pâquis and cultural events take place in summer.

The outdoor pool is wildly popular when it's warm, and you can sunbathe on the pier and grab lunch at the restaurant terrace.

In this season there are free poetry and classical music recitals at the baths first thing in the morning.

In winter you're also free to bathe in the outdoor pool before warming up in the sauna and hammam.

9. Mont Salève

When it's overcast in Geneva there might be blue skies and sunshine at this mountain peak on the edge of the city.

A big wall of rock on the horizon, Salève is billed as the "balcony of Geneva" and rises to just shy of 1,400 metres.

If that sounds daunting there's a cable-car that will whisk you to near the summit in just five minutes.

This has been operating in some form since 1932 and replaced the world's first electric rack railway, completed in 1892. If you're a hardy walker you're also free to take the hiking trail to the top.

At the summit are cafes, constant knockout views of Geneva, the lake and Mont Blanc in the distance.

From the peak you could follow a trail into alpine meadows where cattle wear cowbells.

10. Conservatory and Botanical Garden

Geneva's botanical garden is on the western lakeshore across the railway tracks from the United Nations Office.

Keen gardeners will be spellbound, in a park that contains 14,000 plant species gathered from all over the world.

The gardens' herbarium catalogues more than six million specimens.

While outside you can lose yourself in flowerbeds, an arboretum, ponds and the graceful metal and glass greenhouse that holds the winter garden.

One themed garden features plants that evoke our senses of smell and touch, while the rose garden is sensory overload in June and July.

The park also has a zoo for conservation, housing deer and waterfowl.

11. International Museum of the Reformation

As the home of John Calvin Geneva is in a unique position to tell the story of the Reformation.

It's a defining chapter in the city's past, and is retold at this museum next to the Cathedral of St Pierre.

The exhibitions are given real historical weight thanks to the rich archives of documents that were already in Geneva: There are manuscripts, engravings, paintings and early printed materials to study, as well as a modern 15-minute film outlining the driving forces.

The location is significant too, as the museum is on the site of the Cloître de Saint-Pierre where the vote to approve the reformation of Geneva was taken in 1536.

12. Art and History Museum

At Les Tranchées in the centre of the city, this attraction has vast exhibitions of fine arts, applied arts and archaeology.

The museum's forte is Swiss and Genevan art, and you can immerse yourself in the work of the portraitist Jean-Étienne Liotard or caricaturist Rodolphe Töpffe.

The work that must not be missed is the 15th-century Miraculous Draft of Fishes by Konrad Witz.

This was on an altarpiece at St Pierre Cathedral and is credited as being the first ever faithful depiction of a landscape in European art.

Byzantine icons, textiles, silverware and musical instruments are in the applied arts section, while the archaeology collection stands out for its 3,000-year-old Egyptian mummy.

13. Natural History Museum

The largest Swiss museum in its field opened in a modern building in the 1960s.

In the collections are insect specimens collected by the 18th and 19th century entomologist Louis Jurine.

But what catches most people's attention is the army of taxidermies on the ground floor.

The museum also has living animals, and you have to meet Janus, the spur-thighed tortoise with two heads which was born in incubators at the museum in 1997. The first three floors is dedicated to the animal kingdom, while the top two cover everything from geology to astronomy.

At the top you can check out moon rocks and a bronze statue of an Australopithecus fossil (an ancestor of early man, dating back 3.2 million years).

14. Musée Ariana

In a Neo-Baroque palace near the UN's Palais des Nations is a museum all about ceramics and glassware.

Musée Ariana was set up in the 1880s by the art collector Gustave Revilliod, and named after his mother.

There are 20,000 pieces of ceramics and glassware in the galleries, covering 12 centuries and extending to all corners of the globe.

All forms of ceramics are here, from earthenware to stoneware, china, porcelain and pottery.

Perhaps most interesting is the exhibition of Japanese and Chinese porcelain from the 1500s to thee 1700s, crafted for export and shedding light on trade and the relationship between cultures in that period.

15. Parc de la Grange

The largest of Geneva's city parks is possibly the most beautiful, on the shore of the lake at Quai Gustave-Ador.

Parc de la Grange is laid out over terraces, with stairways that have been cut from the bedrock.

This space has been settled by wealthy residents for 2,000 years, as the ruins of a Roman villa sit behind the 18th-century villa there now.

In 1918 the villa's last resident bequeathed the park to the city.

There are two theatres in Parc de la Grange, both staging several productions from May to September.

But the star in summer is the rose garden, which grows more than 10,000 bushes from 200 varieties.

16. Maison Tavel

A branch of the Art and History Museum, Maison Tavel is a historic house on Rue du Puits-Saint-Pierre in the middle of the Old Town.

This is the oldest private home in Geneva, dating mostly to the 14th century after it was rebuilt in the wake of a fire that devastated the city in 1334. Each room tells you something about the history of Geneva.

On the top floor there's a video projected onto a relief model of Geneva's natural landscape to show the city's growth.

Spaces in the house like the cellars, kitchen and apartments are decorated in styles from different epochs, all with period furniture, paintings and everyday utensils in place.

17. Jardin Anglais

In 1854, when the waterfront was being spruced up, an English-style garden was plotted on reclaimed land north of the Old Town.

This took the place of an old wooden harbour and was enhanced a few years later when the Pont du Mont du Mont-Blanc was completed on the west side in 1862. The centrepiece is the fountain, cast at a foundry in Val d'Osne in France in 1862. The park's curving paths radiate off this monument, out to the promenade where you can get a photo of the Jet d'Eau and contemplate the lake.

Look for the Horloge Fleurie, an outdoor homage to Geneva's watchmakers from 1955, in the form of a working clock with a flowerbed for its face.

18. International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum

This museum for this international humanitarian network goes back to 1988. At the start of the 2010s it was given a complete overhaul and reopened in 2013 with the innovative "Humanitarian Adventure" exhibition.

There are three main areas, each representing one of the organisation's remits: Defending Human Dignity, Reconstructing Family Links and Reducing Natural Risks.

Each of these sections was drawn up by a world-leading exhibition designer.

They communicate information in unconventional ways, intended to elicit more emotion than if you were looking at plain artefacts and statistics.

19. Parc des Bastions

This park got its name because it was wedged between the 16th-century fortifications and those that followed a century later.

Next to Place de Neuve it is also home to the oldest university building, erected in 1873. On June 21 the Parc des Bastions puts on concerts as part of the international Fête de la Musique.

Life-sized chessboards are available to all passersby, and there are also ping-pong tables and then a skating rink in winter.

You have to spare a moment for the Monument international de la Réformation, erected along the 16th-century defences in 1909. Against a long wall stand the figures of John Calvin, John Knox, Theodore Beza and William Farel, all of whom were instrumental in the Reformation.

20. Quartier des Grottes

One tenth of all Genevans live in this neighbourhood near the centre.

Les Grottes might clash with your notions of Geneva as a posh and ordered city, as this quarter is chaotic, young and bohemian.

From the 1960s it was the home of anarchist communes and squats, and although Les Grottes has been gentrified in recent years it is still a very affordable place to live considering the centre is so close.

Explore this area for cafes, theatres, cinemas, left-field independent shops, but also to see Les Schtroumpfs.

These are housing blocks from the 1980s with sinuous colourful facades that look like they could have been designed by Gaudí.

21. Carouge

Before 1816, this quarter just south of the Vielle Ville was a separate town.

As we see it now Carouge is the product of a wave of construction initiated by the King of Sardinia in 1786. The townscape was modelled on Nice, then also Italian, and the Italian accent endures in its palazzos, the Baroque Holy Cross Church and rows of painted townhouses with wooden shutters.

No shock that Carouge is often called "La Cité Sarde", the Sardinian City.

In a leisurely ambience Carouge abounds with handicraft shops, vintage boutiques, antiques dealers and a market at Place de Marchéon Wednesdays and Saturdays.

22. Plainpalais Market

Geneva's main flea and famers' market trades on Wednesdays and Saturdays, as well as the first Sunday of the month.

If you're out hunting for a bargain there are scores of stalls selling antiques, furniture, handicrafts, books, jewellery, homeware and clothing.

As with any market your chances of making a discovery hinge on luck and patience, as well as when you visit: On Saturdays for example the traders tend to be more upscale.

But if nothing catches your eye can always console yourself with international street-food from Peru to Morocco.

23. Museum of Far Eastern Art

Switzerland's biggest hoard of oriental art is in store at a sumptuous turn-of-the-century townhouse.

Many of these Japanese and Chinese items were curated by one man: Born in 1861, Alfred Baur was employed by a trading company and posted in Sri Lanka.

Over the course of his travels he nurtured a love for oriental art, and he proved to have a discerning eye.

When he returned to Switzerland he brought back invaluable Chinese jade, porcelain and ornate snuff bottles dating from the 700s.

In Japan he picked up miniature sculptures (netsuke), swords, woodprints, lacquerware and fine sword fittings.

The exhibition has expanded to more than 9,000 pieces after donations over the last hundred years.

24. Fondue

Call it a cliché, but if you find yourself in Geneva in winter there's no excuse not to go for fondue.

Not just a Swiss creation, fondue was born in the western French-speaking regions.

So there's no better city in Switzerland to order this steaming pot of melted gruyère combined with wine, garlic and seasoning.

The dish may have rustic associations, but gruyère has never been cheap and so towns like Geneva are where fondue would have first been served.

For somewhere unpretentious and reasonably priced you can't go wrong at La Buvette in the Bains des Pâquis.

Also good for families are Café du Soleil at Place du Petit-Saconnex in the west, and le Gruyèrien on Chemin de la Bessonnette to the east of the centre.

25. L'Escalade

The big annual event in Geneva happens in December to commemorate the defence of the city in the face of an attack by the Duke of Savoy's army in 1602. According to legend the "Escalade" took place on the night of December 11-12 at 02:00 when the duke's crack troops attempted to scale the walls and sneak into the city.

They were seen by humble cook Catherine Cheynel, who dumped a pot of hot soup on them, alerting Geneva's guards and preventing catastrophe.

The celebrations all go down on the closest weekend to 11 December, with parades in period costume.

The best bit for kids is when they get a "marmite", a pot made from chocolate and filled with marzipan vegetables as a nod to the Catherine Cheynel's soup pot.

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25 Best Things to Do in Geneva (Switzerland) - The Crazy Tourist

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You've probably heard all the stereotypes about Geneva. But it's only when you come that they can be challenged. Yes there's wealth, fondue, chocolate and watchmaking. But Geneva is also charged with diversity and creativity, in neighbourhoods like Les Grottes or the Italian-flavoured Carouge.

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caron

The macaron, a classic french pastry, was first introduced during the Renaissance in Italy. Catherine de Medici brought the recipe over from Italy to France when she married Henry II in the 16th century. The pastry did not gain popularity until the late 17th century and it was not until the 1930s that the macarons were sandwiched with sweet creams and jellies. Originally, the macarons were served plain, and earlier macaron recipes look more like biscuits than wafer-like cookies.

Now, macarons are served in a variety of playful and exotic flavors, with daring flavor combinations that are decorated in beautiful pastel colors. Usually, macarons are made with fine almond powder, egg whites, powdered sugar, and granulated sugar. There are two methods, which have to do with the way the meringue is made. The Italian method differs from the French method in only that hot sugar syrup is poured into the meringue and whisked. Almond flour and sugar is then folded in and food coloring is added before the macarons are set to bake. After they cool, flavored icing, cream, or jelly is piped into the middle and then the macarons are ready to be enjoyed!

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The basic equation for a macaron reads like so: \n1 part cookie [ground almonds + egg white + sugar] + 1 part filling [buttercream, ganache, jam] + 1 part cookie [ground almonds + egg white + sugar] = 1 complete macaron [happiness]

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As the vanilla trade in Madagascar has skyrocketed, it has brought great wealth as well as well great crime. Vanilla bean prices have soared in recent years. As of now, a kilogram of vanilla cost around six hundred and about $ two-hundred and seventy dollars a pound, which is higher than the price of silver per pound.

This rise in prices has changed the way farmers in Madagascar live. Hired security is obligatory, where the hired men often carry machetes and shotguns. With the growing demand of vanilla, crime has spiked in Sava, a prominent area in Madagascar known for its vanilla bean production.

Madagascar produces about eighty percent of the world’s vanilla, meaning the industry is heavily protected. Farms have heavy security and every single worker is “frisked” on their way out of work. For stealing one gram of vanilla, an individual can get up to two years in prison. Stealing larger quantities can result in death. A man was caught by a local militia and beaten with sticks and hacked with a machete. The crime is taken very seriously.

With the rise in popularity of vanilla, a three-tiered system has emerged. The farmers are the first and sell to what is known as the “middle-man”. The middleman buys directly from the farmers and then inflates the prices before selling to buyers who will eventually take the vanilla pods out of Madagascar and disperse them across the globe.

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SAMBAVA, Madagascar - Bright moonlight reflected off broad banana leaves, but it was still hard to see the blue twine laced through the undergrowth, a tripwire meant to send the unwary tumbling to the ground.

"This is the way the thieves come," said the vanilla farmer, lowering his voice and sweeping his flashlight beam over a ditch.

By The New York Times

Each night the farmer, Ninot Oclin, 33, patrols his land in the foothills of a volcano in Madagascar, barefoot, with a bolt-action rifle slung over his shoulder. If he hears someone fall, he knows yet another bandit is trying to steal his lucrative crop of ripening vanilla.

The lush mountains in Madagascar's northeast produce about 80 percent of the world's vanilla, one of the most expensive flavors. Its price has soared, reaching more than $600 a kilogram last year, or about $270 a pound - more than silver - compared with $50 a kilogram in 2013.

Growing Western demand for the flavoring is partly driving the price spike, with vanilla used in everything from ice cream to alcohol to cosmetics. Supply was diminished by a cyclone that ravaged crops last year on the island, which lies off the coast of southeast Africa.

With the perfect climate and soil for growing vanilla, the Sava region of Madagascar is in the midst of an economic boom.

So-called vanilla mansions have sprung up above traditional thatched grass huts. Even the humblest homes often boast solar panels and LED lights that make once-dark villages glow by night. Gleaming SUVs ply the broken streets of Sambava, the vanilla capital, where bustling markets line the roadsides.

The windfall, however, has come at a cost. Vanilla's high price, combined with rampant poverty and a corrupt, weak state, has made the crop a favorite target of violent criminal networks.

The story of the vanilla trade in Madagascar is one of dangers and rewards, and can be told through three vital links in the chain that delivers the flavor from the fields to port, where it is exported to the world.

Most vanilla still comes from small farms, like Mr. Oclin's, where the work is backbreaking.

Vanilla plants need to be nurtured for three to four years before bearing pods. The flowers bloom once a year for 24 hours and must be immediately pollinated.

Melipona bees in Mexico, where the Aztecs first used vanilla, originally did this job, but the insects never existed in Madagascar. So each season, about 40 million vanilla plants are fertilized by hand using a toothpick-sized wooden needle.

Once pollinated, a flower produces green beans within two months; the vanilla fragrance is tucked inside in thousands of little black seeds and an oily film. The beans begin fermenting once picked, so growers must quickly find buyers.

The hard work does not bother Mr. Oclin.

"The problem is security," he said, explaining that thieves will attack and kill farmers for their vanilla pods.

So not only does he patrol his plot of about 3,000 vanilla vines, he pays three men to stand guard every night during the four months before the summer harvest.

The men are armed with double-pronged fishing spears and clubs, plus Mr. Oclin's rifle. Each night, a vigilante group patrolling local plantations stops by with a half-dozen men armed with clubs and machetes.

"Every vanilla plot will be guarded," Mr. Oclin said.

With little public trust in a corrupt police force and justice system, mob justice often prevails when a suspected thief is caught.

In April, a local militia captured a thief with a little over three pounds of freshly picked vanilla. He was beaten with sticks until he collapsed, then hacked to death with machetes, according to residents. It was just one of dozens of similar "vanilla murders" over the past two seasons.

But arrests do happen.

On one day this year, "we had 33 convictions," said Volozara Sakina Mohamady, the director of the prison in Antalaha, one of the Sava region's main ports. "Mostly for vanilla."

Despite the risks, Mr. Oclin has seen a small payoff from the vanilla trade. He now has a smartphone and a Facebook account, and his one-room home has a TV and satellite dish powered by solar energy.

In Sambava, in the shade of a mango tree, Pascale Rasafindakoto, 44, a "commisionnaire," or middleman, waits with dozens of his peers for lower-level sellers to arrive from the countryside with small plastic bags of vanilla beans.

The aroma, texture, and bean size (bigger is better) are examined and a price negotiated.

Sometimes, Mr. Rasafindakoto ventures into the countryside in a battered car in search of deals. His trip back might include a forced stop at one of the frequent roadblocks, where the police expect a payoff to pass.

"I've never had any problems with gendarmes," he said smiling. "I work with them. I have to give them something so they are my friends."

With beans spoiling so quickly, growers have little bargaining power. They often get much less money for their beans than middlemen like Mr. Rasafindakoto receive when selling the beans to a central curing facility.

"We've been poor for too long," said Dominique Rakotoson, 55, a longtime farmer in Sambava who represents 100 families of vanilla growers. "Despite the price hike, most farmers remain poor because they sell their crops right away, or too early."

Tales of commissionaires swindling growers abound. They also are widely accused of lowering overall quality by mixing good and bad vanilla.

"The middlemen is where the shady business goes on," Mr. Rakotoson said.

Mr. Rasafindakoto shrugs off talk like this. His family now has a new house with a flat screen TV and makes frequent trips to the beach to barbecue with friends.

The vanilla trade is hard work, he said, so why not enjoy the good times while they last?

"With vanilla, life is sweet," Mr. Rasafindakoto said. "It has sped up and we can live it fully."

Michel Lomone presided over his warehouse in Antalaha, watching a small army of aproned women curing, sorting and packing tons of dried vanilla into boxes for export to multinational flavoring and fragrance companies.

While wealthy by local standards, Mr. Lomone's biggest concern is the same as Mr. Oclin's: theft.

"There is no security of goods or of people," Mr. Lomone said. "The system of justice is rotten. There's total impunity. It's like cocaine in Latin America. They get the little guys, but not the head."

Mr. Lomone said hundreds of pounds of vanilla have been stolen from his warehouses over the years. All his employees are frisked when they leave work.

"The pods are so small and valuable it's easy to hide them," he said. "It's like with diamonds in South Africa."

Mr. Lomone produces the highest quality "bourbon" vanilla, using a curing technique that takes months.

"Vanilla takes patience," Mr. Lomone said.

This year, with supply less affected by bad weather, the price may dip, but vanilla's worth is expected to stay far above historical norms.

Mr. Lomone said he was concerned about the boom's effect on local culture, with people doing whatever they can to get rich quick.

"Now in Madagascar, it's not a problem of poverty to eat, but of social poverty," he said. "It's about the competition to keep up with others making fast money. It's not good. We can't keep going like this."

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Precious as Silver, Vanilla Brings Cash and Crime to Madagascar

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SAMBAVA, Madagascar - Bright moonlight reflected off broad banana leaves, but it was still hard to see the blue twine laced through the undergrowth, a tripwire meant to send the unwary tumbling to the ground. "This is the way the thieves come," said the vanilla farmer, lowering his voice and sweeping his flashlight beam over a ditch.

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Nestled about ten minutes away from Quebec City, Hotel de Glace sits on the edge of a small forest. The Ice Hotel was first built in 2001 and opened its doors on New Year’s day with only eleven double beds. Now the hotel has around fifty double beds and forty-four rooms. Its other amenities include an ice chapel where actual weddings take place, a bar where cocktails are served in ice glasses, and ice slides.

Each year in December, the ice hotel is constructed by using a metal dome to collect snow and then actual ice is brought in to assemble the ice hotel structure. It takes about a month to finish the structure. Local art and design students are commissioned to carve designs into the wall of the rooms, which all have different themes. Guests can only check in after 8pm because the hotel gives tours during the day. They must also complete an hour orientation that goes over safety, including the high risk of hypothermia and brain damage, which can occur on an overnight stay if the proper precautions are not taken.

An overnight stay in the hotel also includes going to the Celsius cabin, which is the only place on the premises that is heated. It also holds the bathroom and locker rooms. Guests use the cabin to change before going out to the hot tubs to relax in the chilly air under the dark Canadian sky before heading to their rooms to go to bed.

In April, Hotel de Glace is torn down, only to be rebuilt the following December.

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I am not a winter person. The first time I witnessed snow was when I was 16 years old. My grandmother and I had just flown 24 hours from New Delhi to New York and we woke up to see a winter wonderland outside our window. From the heated room at the Hilton Hotel, it looked as magnificent as I had always expected North American winter to look like. Only once I stepped outside to make a snowman (the kids in Hollywood movies seemed to do it so easily), I realized a chilly breeze that numbed my face instantly, came as an accompaniment to the snow-white vistas.

Thankfully, I moved to the South the following day and didn't have to bear below freezing temperatures more than a few times a year. Between living in north India and Atlanta, I never really got comfortable with winter or snow.

Then what on Earth drove me to sleep at a hotel made entirely of ice?

I first heard about Hotel de Glace (Ice Hotel) while visiting Montreal, Canada for work. It was listed as one of the must-see winter attractions located near Quebec City, only a three-hour drive from where I was at the time. I remembered one of late Nelson Mandela's quotes, "Courage isn't the absence of fear, but the ability to overcome it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear." After looking at pictures and reading reviews by other travellers, my curiosity took over my fear of freezing. My friends questioned my judgment when I told them that the hotel was constructed in January and melted away in March each year. It definitely took some courage to sleep overnight inside a giant igloo, but I was determined to conquer my fear.

Hôtel de Glace in Quebec City is perhaps the largest ice hotel in the world. With 44 rooms, a chapel, ice bar and slides, it is an incomprehensible structure that you can only see to understand. All guests are given a tour of the hotel and explained how it is created. Basically, a huge metal dome is placed at the location of the hotel, which is among the woods about ten minutes outside the city. Snow accumulates over the dome during the course of a few weeks. Then clear ice is brought in to construct the walls that form the layout of the rooms. Local artists from Quebec are hired to carve out the ice into sculptures and wall murals. Students from architectural and design schools also come in and create the décor of the ice suites. Coloured LED lights give it a nice visual effect as you walk through the hallways.

Each one of the suites and chambers at the ice hotel had a different theme and layout. The ice beds were shaped into circle, star and square platforms. No, I didn't have to lie down directly on the ice. There were mattresses, cushions and pillows like on any other hotel. Sofas, chairs and coffee tables were also carved out entirely of ice. I was surprised to see a working fireplace (contained by glass) in the honeymoon suite. The contrast of whitewashed walls, clear ice beds, colourful backdrop lights against the delicately carved murals made it feel like I was in a fairytale ice castle.

Being that it was -20C (-4F) in Quebec City, I was very well layered with thermal underclothes, flannel, cashmere and a down parka. Along with that, two pairs of gloves, two caps, wool tights and snow booths barely managed to keep me from shivering. It was THE coldest I had been in my entire life!

Hôtel de Glace was open to daytime visitors between 8am and 8pm, so I could only check in after dinner and not go to my room until I attended an orientation session.

During the evening, I hung out at the Ice Bar sipping chilled cocktails served in a glass made of ice. Some of the guests tried to get their blood flowing by moving to eighties music under disco lights. It was a happening Ice Club, only without high heels or cocktail dresses. I had to keep my gloves and parka on the entire time.

After a tour of the ice hotel, I was taken to a large heated cabin appropriately named "Celsius" that had locker rooms, showers, a sitting area, café and Wi-Fi. This is where overnight guests were given an hour-long workshop on "how to survive at an ice hotel." The instructor told us that if proper measures were not taken, one could die or at least suffer major brain damage or hypothermia in the night. As I mentioned earlier, I had no prior experience in winterizing, let alone camping, but I was not going to give up now. I kept telling myself, "Conquer your fears and live to tell about it."

During the workshop, guests were told to take a hot shower. Then to put on bathing suits and run to one of the outdoor Jacuzzis or steam rooms. I still don't understand why they didn't plan for a backup indoor hot tub for people like me. I skipped this step, as I could not leave the building wearing a bikini, only to end up in a hot tub with a warm body and icicles on my face. After other guests enjoyed the hot soak under the stars, it was time to make another dash back into the cabin. We were reminded to make sure to completely dry ourselves for any dampness could result in discomfort.

To prepare for the night, we needed to change into long johns or pyjamas (no winter wear) and walk back to our rooms where we had sleeping bags waiting for us. Taking off the parka and stepping inside a North Face sleeping bag took a leap of faith. One had to act quickly to zip it up or take of risk at getting frost bitten within matter of seconds. It was wise to leave a wool hat on to keep my head warm. Apparently, the sleeping bag (if used properly) preserved heat from the body and regulated temperature throughout the night. Campers and trekkers in snowy conditions used it to sleep outside. Here I was on what felt like a Tempur-Pedic mattress (probably because of how hard it got), with four walls and candlelight. This was better than camping!

Going to the restroom in the middle of the night was out of the question. It meant going through an entire ritual of unzipping, exposing, dressing, running, exposing and zipping, which would take at least thirty minutes. Restrooms were only located at the Celsius cabin, not at the ice hotel.

My room did not have doors or windows, but it was absolutely stark quiet. I could not hear my neighbours or anyone passing down the hallway, even though there was only a curtain in place of a door. While I lay still on my ice bed in my serene ice room, I looked around the peaceful surrounding and carved sculptures, enjoying the magnificence of the place and felt fortunate to have had the experience.

Being a light sleeper, I slept very well in my ice room. It was cold but very comfortable. When I woke up to the early morning alarm (guests have to vacate their rooms by 8 a.m.), the water bottle at my bedside had completely turned into ice.

When I returned to the cabin, I found that a few of the guests had given up in the middle of the night. They had traded their ice rooms for leather couches and a heated living room. Hôtel de Glace offered back up bookings at a regular hotel nearby in conjunction to the ice rooms, so some folks had made their way out of the ice hotel already.

Sleeping at an ice hotel is not for the faint hearted. It is not a scary adventure either. It is cold, but marvellous experience that I will cherish forever. Every time I tell someone "I stayed at an ice hotel in Quebec" they raise an eyebrow thinking I am quite the daredevil. But if you plan properly and follow instructions correctly, you may actually wake up with a restful sleep and a conquered fear.
Read more about my winter adventures in Quebec on my blog, Go Eat Give.

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I am not a winter person. The first time I witnessed snow was when I was 16 years old. My grandmother and I had just flown 24 hours from New Delhi to New York and we woke up to see a winter wonderland...

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In the South of France, a small principality sits on the edge of the the Mediterranean. The city-state of Monaco is widely recognized for its grand casinos, extravagant racing, and glamourous royal family. The principality gained global recognition after Prince Rainier III married the American starlet, Grace Kelly. It was a fairytale-like relationship. A prince marries a movie star.

But unlike most fairytales, their story unfortunately did not have a happy ending.

In 1982, Princess Grace of Monaco died from injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident, leaving her husband and three children behind. It was a worldwide tragedy. Known as an icon of American style, Grace Kelly is a true princess, an icon. She inspires many and her legacy still lives on today.

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'Never will a Grimaldi find true happiness in marriage'

Let's start at the beginning and the beginning is definitely this mysterious curse. The legend that seems to follow the House of Grimaldi all too closely throughout history dates back to the 13th century. It is told that Prince Rainier I kidnapped and raped a fair young lady. To get her revenge on the Prince, the maiden became a witch and put a curse that would last for generations on the Grimaldi family.

A fatal car accident for Hollywood's golden girl

Probably the worst tragedy to fall upon the royal family was losing Grace Kelly to a car accident at just 52 years old. She is said to have had a stroke while driving back from her country home, losing control of her car. Her daughter, Princess Stéphanie, was in the car with her at the time, not only having to witness a terrible accident but also failing to regain control of the car herself. To add sadness to injury, Stéphanie was recovering from her own injuries and was unable to attend her mother's funeral.

Choppy waters for Grace's children

Caroline, Princess of Hanover is the eldest of Grace Kelly's and Prince Rainier III's three children. After the death of her mother, Princess Caroline stepped up as the first lady of Monaco and embarked on her second marriage to Italian Stefano Casiraghi in 1983. They had three children, however, tragedy stroke again, when Casiraghi died in a speedboat racing accident when their children were still very young.

Caroline's third marriage, to Prince Ernst August of Hanover, has been far from plain sailing, too. He has impressive lineage but also, it is said, a hot temper (allegedly breaking a TV cameraman's nose in 1998). Just two days before the death of Prince Rainier III, Prince Ernst fell into a deep coma, remaining in intensive care. Today, Princess Caroline is estranged from her husband. The saga continues...

The youngest sibling, Princess Stéphanie, has certainly had the most scandalous love life of a Monaco royal family member. In 1991, she became involved with her bodyguard, a former fishmonger, with whom she had two children. They married in 1995 but just two years later, Princess Stéphanie had had a third child by another man. The most surprising liaison was probably with a married elephant trainer. The Princess actually relocated to a circus trailer with her three children so that she could travel with the company from place to place. In 2003, she married a Portuguese acrobat who was much younger than her for a whole 10 months.

Finally - if you've still got the energy to read on - we reach Albert II, the current ruler of Monaco. Today, all seems well in the Grimaldi household; Prince Albert has been married since 2011 to former South African swimmer Charlene Wittstock and the couple are the parents to a twin boy and girl. However, at the time of their wedding, the curse seemed to once again hover over the principality with it being reported that Charlene had tried to run away three times.

Apart from the Prince and Princess of Monaco, of course, no one knows exactly what happened before their big day, however, Albert's illiterate children might have something to do with it. In 2005 and 2006, Prince Albert admitted, after confirmation from DNA tests, that he was the father to a son and a daughter - with different mothers - while there have also been other alleged cases.

However, for the time being, all seems to be calm in the Grimaldi household. So, what do you think? Is there ground to believe that the family did get cursed all those centuries ago?

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Let's start at the beginning and the beginning is definitely this mysterious curse. The legend that seems to follow the House of Grimaldi all too closely throughout history dates back to the 13th century. It is told that Prince Rainier I kidnapped and raped a fair young lady.

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In the frigid waters outlining the country of Canada, oyster farming is apparent in the provinces along the Atlantic ocean. It dates back to the 1860s. In the provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, oyster farmers are collecting seeds from adult oyster species and transferring them to labs where the oyster larvae grow before being disperse into the wild. They are then harvested and sold throughout North America. This industry has produced a celebration for the shellfish species and even has a festival dedicated to it in Prince Edward Island called “The Prince Edward Island International Shellfish Festival” where a number of celebrities frequent the event each year, showcasing their shellfish recipes.

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Shellfish farming requires no input other than providing a clean environment and limiting predation. Oysters are filter feeders: they obtain all their required nutrients by drawing sea water through their gills and filtering out naturally occurring tiny plants and animals called plankton.