“Life is the flower for which love is the honey.” – Victor Hugo
Spring is in the air! After such a spooky, scary episode last month, I’m keeping the newest episode short and, dare I say it, sweet! This week, we take a detour into the life of French bees to learn more about their surprising history, their uncertain future and their unexpected homes. You won’t believe where Parisians are hiding their fuzzy friends…
Episode 22: “The Sweet Life of French Bees”
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If you’re like me, your first thought after this episode was, “WHERE can I get some of that honey?” Audric de Campeau sells his honey online and yes, he does ship to the United States! I know what I’m adding to my next birthday wishlist…
Yes, this episode’s title is a bit of a tribute to David Lebovitz (🙏) and he’s a big fan of Parisian-grown honey as well! You can see his own favorite purveyors, along with many links for further reading on his blog post. Don’t miss his trip to the apiary!
Sources:
Napoleon: A Life – Andrew Roberts
“Bees Thrive in an Unexpected Paradise: Paris” New York Times, May 2016.
“The bees of Notre Dame de Paris” Notre Dame Cathedral website
The World History of Beekeeping and Honey Hunting – Eva Crane
“Moins de miel, mais plus d’apiculteurs en France” – Le Monde, March 2015
Further Reading:
For my French-speaking friends, check out this very charming website from a VERY enthusiastic hobbyist beekeeper: La Ruche Sauvage. This person is passionate, and I got a kick out of reading their long histories of the beekeeping methodology wars 😛
Here’s a long, wonderful interview with Audric de Campeau: The Honey, the Hound and the Hydromel: A Parisian’s Passion for Urban Beekeeping (Secrets of Paris)
This episode’s further reading will be shared on The Land of Desire’s Facebook page!