Garlic & Pearls cover art

Garlic & Pearls

Garlic & Pearls

By: Muriel Zagha and Suzanne Raine
Listen for free

About this listen

 Suzanne and Muriel examine a series of very different things – from a film to a kitchen utensil, a model train to a bar of soap – that define British or French attitudes, each explaining her cultural background to the other and trying to get to the essence of what makes the British British and the French French.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Muriel Zagha and Suzanne Raine Social Sciences
Episodes
  • A Very French Scandal: Naked Woman at Picnic! Manet’s revolutionary Déjeuner sur l'herbe

    A Very French Scandal: Naked Woman at Picnic! Manet’s revolutionary Déjeuner sur l'herbe
    Feb 13 2026
    Muriel examines a madly famous succès de scandale. What’s going on in Edouard Manet’s 1863 painting of an outdoors scene featuring four people, one of whom is stark naked? Is it a riddle? A transgressive prank? Napoleon III guest stars as the originator of the offbeat Salon des Refusés, and an enigmatic life model breaks the fourth wall.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    58 mins
  • The Guinness Book of Records: Superlative feats! Nature's wonders! Fun for dictators!

    The Guinness Book of Records: Superlative feats! Nature's wonders! Fun for dictators!
    Feb 6 2026
    Suzanne tells Muriel a very British story of surprise global success, which began at a shooting party in 1951 with a dispute over the speed of a golden plover. A dramatic cast of fact finders and record breakers includes Guinness Brewery managing director Sir Hugh Beaver, identical twins of exceptional retentive memory Norris and Ross McWhirter, and Presidents of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow and his son Sherdar. What made the Book such a success? What challenges did it face? And where in the world has the highest concentration of white marble buildings?

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    59 mins
  • The French Wild West: Brittany! Celtic identity, pancakes, memories of Dukes and power!

    The French Wild West: Brittany! Celtic identity, pancakes, memories of Dukes and power!
    Jan 30 2026
    Why does 'Brittany' (in local dialects Breizh and Bertègn) sound so much like 'Britain'? Because this Western region of France, once known as Armorique, was profoundly shaped by an influx of 5th-century Celt migration from the British Isles. One of the six Celtic nations, it represents an enmeshing of our two cultures and isn't quite part of mainstream France. Muriel narrates the region's turbulent history of annexation by the Kingdom of France through a series of strategic marriages – almost all of them to the same Breton Duchess. Plus mythical tales of drowned cities, a controversial Breton comic-strip heroine, home-grown Breton Cola, and your reminder to eat pancakes for Candlemas, like the French!

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    53 mins
No reviews yet
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.