The arrival of spring is a great motivation to get out the paint brush or saw….and get DIY-ing, but do you know what to ask for when you realise at the last minute that you are missing that ‘absolutely-can’t-finish-the-job-without’ screw, nail or spanner?
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Where a Bank holiday falls on a Tuesday or a Thursday, many small businesses will ‘faire le pont’ (make a bridge) and take Friday or Monday off too to make a long weekend.
Some useful vocabulary to help you to explain politely when a ‘plat’ is not quite ‘comme il faut’.
If you are retired with an S1 form, and you have a Government pension, private pensions or letting income, you are likely to benefit financially from the requirement to file both UK and French tax returns.
The clever network of signal towers (tours à signaux) that you see on the high mountain tops around the region date back to the 13th century. They were originally set up by the Rois de Majorque as a defence system to protect the Roussillon from invaders and to enable the passing of information around the region, using fire and smoke signals.
One of their great writers, Jean de La Fontaine, produced French versions of fables, in verse and with illustrations. There are twelve volumes, with stories such as The Ant and the Grasshopper, told with elegance, wit and verve, in simple French which is usually easy to understand today. Each teaches a lesson about our relationships with society.
Until the French Revolution, Madame, (my Lady, equivalent to Monsieur, my Lord) was mainly used to address the bourgeoisie, whilst Mademoiselle, (my Damsel) was the form of address used for both younger and older ‘common’ ladies.
Test your French with a lovely springtime poem: Premier sourire du printemps by French Romantic poet, Théophile Gauthier
A delightful circuit of 10.5 kilometres which takes about 3hrs 45mins and includes 250 metres of ascent. The official tourist guide book says it takes 2 hours 40 mins – unfortunately we are past the age of fell running!