More Fox Terrriers...and Some Other Critters Too

When I wrote my last post about Asta I had no idea that wire fox terriers would continue to pop up in my life.

Robin and I are in Lyon, France right now, and this Thursday will be traveling up north to the Lorraine region for the wedding of our dear friend Judith. Americans tend to think of poodles when they associate dogs with the French, a cliché that I’ve always thought of as apt. After all, the word for poodle in French—caniche—derives from the Latin for “dog.” Hence, for them the poodle is the essence of dog-ness.

And I have indeed seen various poodles during our trip—two small white ones, in fact, traveled with us on our plane. But the other day I was delighted to see this wire fox terrier at the local marché (outdoor market).

Of course, all French folks know and adore the wire fox terrier Milou (called Snowy, in English) from the Tintin comic books. But he’s Belgian, not French.

Then, yesterday, we saw this sign outside a park:

So, what? Are wire fox terriers usurping the poodle in France?

One other thing, having nothing to do with wire fox terriers. But I thought it was très drôle, so I’m passing it along to y’all.

I’ve long been amused by the fact that the word for “attorney” in French—avocat—is the same as that for avocado. So when Robin pointed out this graffiti-altered sign next to a doorway here in Lyon I had to laugh out loud:

You see, the added crevette means “shrimp” or “prawn,” and avocat crevette is a common (and very delicious) first course in these parts.

More about the food here in Lyon in my next post...