Sunday, April 25, 2010

Tartan Day Celebration 2010 in France

Tartan Day France

by Dr. Doris Tucker, Director

Never one to be stimulated by routine, our High Commissioner took the Clan Cunningham Tartan Day celebration of 2010 to France. Filling the latest seat on the CCSA governing Board of Directors, I am delighted to continue my contributing role to the Clan Cunningham newsletter, and begin sharing our society news on this blog as well.

Larry spent three weeks in March visiting friends in Chambéry, la Côte Bleue, and la Vallée de Belleville in the French Alps where he wore his Clan Cunningham kilt on the slopes of Les Menuires and Val Thorens ski resorts. As you might expect, this sartorial attire drew many a curious gaze like the one from the gent in front of the "Danger Avalanches" sign (below). The kilt also prompted many a query like, "...so what part of Scotland are you from?" to which our Chairman replied, "the ancient District of Cvninghamia via Colorado!" By the end of the day after conversations and photos with the French, and skiers from all over Europe and Asia, Simone said in French, "Your kilt was a grand success today, Larry."

But, Larry wanted to hang-glide on skis like he did in France in 1990, only this time in kilt! After several inquiries, however, which led to the highest point at Val Thorens (left), he never found a pilot offering those services on that day! Nor was there any para-sailing to be found along the Côte Bleue of the Mediterranean. Ahh, but there was one last stop on this French Tartan Day celebration 2010. Of course, where else but the "City of Light - Paris!"

The world's most renown, and prestigious cabaret, the Moulin Rouge, has been operating now, spanning three centuries. They have a strict dress code of "elegant attire" required to dine and attend the show. Larry was pleased to learn that the kilt is welcomed as befitting their sartorial decorum. Our Chairman was so impressed with the cuisine, the ambiance, and the spectacle, that he considers it among his favorites alongside the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, Super Bowl XXX, and Riverdance. Although the Moulin Rouge also has a strict policy against photos in its establishment, there was nothing to deter the crowd outside where Larry was a subject in the foreground of many a photograph that evening following the performance, from where he composed this image to commemorate the event.

I was delighted to be part of the kilted Tartan Day celebration in Colorado 2010 at the Loveland ski area on April 10. Especially since Larry brought the lunch items which included many goodies from his French trip like P'tit Basque Pur Brebis cheese, French wine, baguettes, homemade sausage from Larry's own hands as apprentice sausagemaker!, (below) and raspberries in genuine homemade Savoyard eau de vie with all the French accessories, of course!

If you have an image of your Tartan Day 2010 celebration, please feel free to submit it for posting here, or send it to webmaster@clancunningham.us for publication consideration in our quarterly international newsletter, "The Communiqué," or on our web site.