Bonjour from sunny France!
The weather forecast for this weekend is HOT all over France, a mini heat wave, and everywhere people are enjoying this lovely early summer weather. Well it’s nearly summer, officially it starts in a few weeks’ time. A bit different from last week. Last Friday was the Fete des Voisins, neighbourhood day. Lots of people in the village were to join in the fun in the garden of my lovely Belgian neighbours but rain stopped play and we all deployed to the garage of my French neighbours instead! Plenty of vin, music, dancing and a barbecue under an umbrella and we were off for the night and into the early hours of the next morning!
It’s one of the things about rural life in France that no one really tells you about – you have to make your own entertainment. Some expats never get used to it, most embrace it and see it as a chance to become a member of the community. It takes a bit of courage when you don’t speak excellent French, to walk into a party and introduce yourself and try to converse in a strange language. I mean strange in that it isn’t natural to speak it, not that it is odd!
My Other Half is deaf in one ear and has really struggled to learn the language but he seems to manage with facial expressions and saying “oui oui” a lot. Everyone in my village knows this and they sometimes tell him the most outrageous things. I caught Jean-Claude telling him that Monsieur P, a neighbour who is known for being a bit of a misery, has recently been elected as minister for fun. J-C asked if the Other Half had heard that we all had to laugh whenever Monsieur P said anything. “Oui, oui” was the answer. Jean-Claude winked at me and went off on his way, chuckling. I had to put the OH straight since J-C had also told me that everyone in the village has a pet name for Monsieur P and so I called him it only to find out that it meant something extremely rude which I can’t tell you.
Like I say, you have to make your own entertainment when you live in the sticks!
Where ever you are I wish you a very bon weekend!
With best wishes
Janine
Editor
Features this week
Lyon’s silk weaving past is a whisper in the streets of the present says Lucy Pitts…
I loved this list of top ten treasures from 1890 compared to top treasure of 2015, what’s more you can buy all of them at a French brocante!
The perfect early summer dessert – French cherry cake, its scrumptious and great for using up extra cherries that you’ve popped in the freezer!
Insiders Guide to Nice: Author Patricia Sands shares ten of her favourite Nice things!
6 of the best restaurants in Paris for history, ambience and great food and no, they won’t break the bank!
Bob Lyons, our roving reporter visited key World War II sites in the north of France: La Coupole, the bunker at Eperlecques and Mimoyecques…
