Bonjour, le soleil?

So as soon as I posted this picture on FB ...

Rose Garden - Jardin le Coq

... and said that I was holding office hours in the Rose Garden to enjoy the beautiful weather, the rain started.  Again.  But enough about the weather, because there are plenty of other things to talk about.

Did you know that the Michelin Man has a name?  We learned that at a field trip to the Michelin headquarters here in Clermont-Ferrand, where we enjoyed a great presentation by their in-house counsel, who happens to be from North Carolina.  Other things she taught us, some of which are related to her extremely cool job:

• French anti-trust laws prohibit bulk discounts.  So when you go to the local grocery store and see the eight-pack of Coca-Cola bottles ripped apart because another customer only wanted to buy one, that's because there's no advantage to buying the eight-pack.
• Whistleblower hotlines aren't very popular in Europe because of the horrible experiences of World War II and Soviet-bloc era anonymous "ratting out" of citizens to authorities.
• It's almost impossible to buy grits in France.  Jalapeno peppers are also hard to find locally.

And because Michelin tires "drink up obstacles from the road," this guy in the late 19th century was named ...

Bibendum.  From the Latin for "to drink."
Another Comparative Tort Law class tomorrow, before another long weekend for the students (this time, it's the Pentecost holiday).  I'm hopeful that they'll have fun and stay safe - safer than the student who dislocated his shoulder while riding a zip wire on one of the volcanoes today.  Once again, I am grateful for our French director who knew how to get help for him and communicate with the French hospital staff!  (Also grateful that the student is fine after having his shoulder popped back into place!)