Sunday, September 01, 2013

Centrifugal French

I had another one of my epiphanies the other day while gazing at a strawberry tarte in a patisserie vitrine. Along with loving stripes madly and lining things up in rows and polka-dots, the French are crazy mad for things that twirl. i.e. centrifugal force activities and edibles. And don't forget stacking things!
Centrifugal force (from Latin centrum, meaning "center", and fugere, meaning "to flee"[1][2]) is the apparent force that draws a rotating body away from the center of rotation. It is caused by the inertia of the body as the body's path is continually redirected. In Newtonian mechanics, the term centrifugal force is used to refer to one of two distinct concepts: an inertial force (also called a "fictitious" force) observed in a non-inertial reference frame, and reaction force corresponding to a centripetal force.
The term is also sometimes used in Lagrangian mechanics to describe certain terms in the generalized force that depend on the choice of generalized coordinates.
The concept of centrifugal force is applied in rotating devices such as centrifugescentrifugal pumpscentrifugal governorscentrifugal clutches, etc., as well as in centrifugal railwaysplanetary orbitsbanked curves, etc. These devices and situations can be analyzed either in terms of the fictitious force in the rotating coordinate system of the motion relative to a center, or in terms of the centripetal andreactive centrifugal forces seen from a non-rotating frame of reference; these different forces are equal in magnitude, but centrifugal and reactive centrifugal forces are opposite in direction to the centripetal force. (Thank you Wikipedia)

Pictures tell us so much more don't they? Why ever do the French love to ride around in circles high up in the air? You tell me. This is a strictly French obsession IMHO.
The twirling obsession comes down to earth in this strawberry tarte thank goodness for the rest of us.
Whoops. Here we go again at Jardin d'Acclimation. I'm telling you these things are everywhere. I kid you not.
Mean while i'll take Pierre Herme's twirler of a box of macarons thank you very much.
If you could have seen the line of Frenchies patiently waiting for a chance to climb up in this twirly tree house at the Grand Palais your jaw would have dropped to the ground too.
I'll take this any day of the week instead, but then I'm not French.
Did you ever twirl your umbrella? This level of centrifugal force I can deal with.
But hey! Look at this...hmmm
Ever notice the twirls going up that spire in Place Vendome?
Here's a sort of exploding twirl and a mere cabbage no less!? Who'd a thunk it?
I wonder do we have to want to go up in twirling carnival park gizmos to be truly able to appreciate a gorgeous mess of squiggly whipped cream? You tell me.

39 comments:

  1. That Paris brolly please!

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  2. Carol, you are so funny. I think my eyes crossed when I started reading that physics lesson...but then it ended in pastry, of course. I adore reading your blogs and have shared them with all my watercolor students here in FL.
    We all wish you'd teach a mini journaling workshop there!

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  3. Just love the connections you make here! We have those twirl rides at Maine autumn county fairs. I thought I'd die on my 1st ()& last ride...) I put some new refrigerator art up yesterday, thought of you...yes, French quotes...

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  4. Yes that Paris brolly is so pretty..
    Not like the ones that line the streets here..Knock offs of famous artists works..(I have one...they break after the firt rainy season..)
    All I can say is I am glad your middle name isn't Wikipedia..I stop paying attention when J gets technical..or definitions are too much like my calculus classes in college:)
    Thank goodness I knew about la force centrifuge.
    Used to love SCARY rides..would tremble at the thought now.
    Un beau chou..
    and an even cuter cupcake sketch.

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  5. Just love this centrifugal post!!!

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  6. Just add that I'm not even french...but more then 35 years living in France get me very...centrifugal!

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  7. patricia9:52 AM

    love today's theme! I'm a fan of twirling; both on rides and in my desserts.

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  8. Never thought about the French being twirly! Hadn't noticed people twirling umbrellies either. As for that ride in the Jardin d'Acclimatation, I've never had the guts to go on it. Much prefer the boat rides that twirl in the wee lake.

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    1. Les Demoiselles de...something ot other with CatherineDeneuve

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  9. Anonymous10:53 AM

    Such a clever fun post, I love it when a pattern like that just becomes clear.

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  10. cyndi form SD11:14 AM

    I'll take the tarte ,merci.

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  11. Anonymous11:35 AM

    Wow thanks for such a lovely real world description of physics in everyday life! I am a physicist and a woman, and I see the principles of physics in everyday life all the time and marvel...but what a treat to see you do this for your readers! This is magnificent! I wish more people would see physics in everyday life...to see how it pops up in so many different situations. Merci!!!

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    Replies
    1. WOW! Thank you
      I had no idea that's what i was doing
      And i was never any good at science!

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  12. Anonymous2:15 PM

    Wow! you are amazing! What fun, what facts, what twirly whirly wonders! thanks, K

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  13. Anonymous2:22 PM

    I am always intrigued by your observations,pix and especially your sketches. These spirals are delightful. I'm too hungry to sketch my own meals but I'm going to do some of your delicious dishes!
    PS

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  14. Anonymous2:25 PM

    You are So FaBuLouS !!!!

    Really, You Are !!!!

    Love, Alexa

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  15. My head is now spinning.

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  16. Anonymous2:27 PM

    Again, brilliant! I often say that I fall into a pastry...with my eyes. This post is, simply put, delightful. So tell me. Is everything we are seeing your incredible photography, too?
    Vicki

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    Replies
    1. Of course they're my pictures..but one is of an ad on the wall

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  17. Anonymous2:30 PM

    Those desserts look wonderful. Did you get one of each? I never made it up all the way up the Leaning Tower of Pisa, so I would never dream of going up in those.
    Lynne

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    1. Of course not a single one of them.

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    2. Anonymous12:43 AM

      LOL....Icould never in a thousand years resist those desserts....
      Lynne

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  18. Anonymous2:47 PM

    You like twirls? Don't forget Eglise St-Severin on the left bank. That is the one with the Palm Tree Column. Talk about your twirlin'!
    Lee

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  19. What a great post, Carol. I can't even take on the playground swings with our kids, so I'll twirl away with one Pierre Herme's box of macarons...or perhaps two. x Katie

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  20. Who knew?
    Great stack of photos, Carol!

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  21. Carol, loved the twirls! Do you recall what shop has the white chou ? I would love to buy one all white. I dont see them here.I will be in Paris soon maybe I can go to that shop and see if still there.

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    1. They all have them
      Very popular
      It was on rue St Honore near rue Cambon

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  22. How delightful! A new way to look at things....
    Maybe even life...
    Diane

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  23. Pure genius! I love these posts so much where you bring so many disparate things together. Parfait. But I do love that Tuileries airswing.... I was devastated when it was being repaired on our last day and couldn't go for one final swing. Gosh, I miss tarts like those, although last week I found an absolutely divine lemon meringue tarte here- there is hope for us in Australia!

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  24. Carol, this was fun! Of course, Paris itself has that twirly thing going on with its arrondisements.

    xo

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  25. Anonymous10:22 AM

    Merci I will scout one out! I adore cabbages I plant them in fall and have one tureen already but it is not white.
    Have a chic weekend!
    Marie

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  26. The "tarte citron" for me! (I checked the address.) :-)

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  27. You make me laugh. Genius connections:-))

    Love the photos. Great post!

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  28. What an excellent observation!
    How clever you are!

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  29. Twirling? Let's not forget St. Severin in the Left Bank and its twirly palm tree column!

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  30. such happy posts lately! (love the swirled/twirled creme chantilly). your new life is clearly suiting you!!!! (not really a surprise!)

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  31. Anonymous5:16 PM

    Pirouette! Or as school kids sing, as I misspell, "Pirouette cacouette"!
    jend'isère

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