The Green Fairy

In the news today is the story that absinthe is about to be legalised in France. In fact it has been legal for some time and you can make absinthe, sell absinthe and drink absinthe. You just can't call it absinthe. Bit strange.

It was the major social problem in France 100 years or so ago. A bit like Buckfast in Scotland now. Degas, Manet and others often depicted decrepit, glassy eyed drinkers in their paintings. It had a reputation for causing hallicinations although that has apparently been "exaggerated". A friend of my husband once tried it. He had two drinks and had to be carried away! At around 70% alcohol it certainly is strong and is not meant to be drunk neat. Because of its bitterness (it is made from Wormwood-Artemisia absinthium), it is often drunk with sugar. Special spoons are available with holes and are used by placing a sugar cube on the spoon and pouring the absinthe through it into your glass.

In the photograph is a bottle of absinthe, an absinthe spoon and a sprig of wormwood (which has not yet recovered from the harsh winter).

Edit-dumb luddite question-I resize my photos in gimp to about 1000x700 and they look really small there. However they often come out huge on here. What am I doing wrong? What size should I have them?