tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54384359064217027682024-03-13T16:42:05.376+00:00Alliance Française de BristolAlliance Française de Bristolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12197755020952281809noreply@blogger.comBlogger346125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438435906421702768.post-61238564058867689732016-09-11T10:53:00.002+01:002016-09-11T10:53:25.122+01:00A new post over at afbristol.org.ukFollow the link:<br />
<a href="http://afbristol.org.uk/blog/a-walk-around-sarlat-la-caneda/">http://afbristol.org.uk/blog/a-walk-around-sarlat-la-caneda/</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438435906421702768.post-27655105746023967052016-09-04T09:26:00.002+01:002016-09-04T09:26:58.034+01:00This blog has movedDear faithful readers, this blog has moved to our new website:<br />
<a href="http://afbristol.org.uk/blog/">http://afbristol.org.uk/blog/</a><br />
Please continue to read us there.<br />
Merci!<br />
Alliance Française de BristolUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438435906421702768.post-24066531498596192972016-08-28T17:33:00.000+01:002016-08-28T17:33:15.115+01:00Hazel wrote what she thought of the novel La liste de mes envies<i>Une critique de La liste de mes envies de Grégoire Delacourt<br />J’aime bien la lecture et La liste de mes envies est facile à lire et, aussi, l’histoire pousse à la reflexion. C’est un bon exemple de ce genre de roman populaire, bien écrit et divertissant.<br />Il y a ceux qui disent que ce roman est un conte de fées et ils ont raison mais je ne pense pas que c’est une histoire qui finit bien.<br />Le roman est fondé sur un tissu de mensonges qui présentent des questions contemporaines- l’obsession de faire bonne figure et de posséder des objets matériels.<br />C’est un roman des illusions, de perte et ça tourne à la chimère que rien n’est comme il semble.<br />Les personnages principaux ne sont pas attrayants, leur vie est circonscrite. Ce sont les victimes d’illusions. Le message de la narratrice est un peu désagréable- faites attention à vos souhaits, soyez heureux avec les choses que vous avez mais, si vous vous risquez à entrer dans un terrain inconnu et efrayant, il faut que vous soyez dur et impitoyable- il n’y a pas de place pour la culpabilité et la faiblesse.<br />La liste de mes envies n’est pas un roman agréable mais il retient l’attention du lecteur et pose des questions inconfortables. <br />Grégoire Delacourt sait bien raconter les histoires. Je le recommande.<br />Hazel</i><br />Unfortunately Hazel passed away this Summer and I wanted to publish this post in her memory.<br />
She was a dynamic lady, who loved books and always had interesting comments to make about the novel we were reading in the French class. She had a great sense of humour and was a fantastic story teller in French as well as in English. All the students in the group she was in terribly missed her when she was taken ill.<br />
Thank you, Hazel for all you brought to us. The photo below is taken on a boat going off to visit <b>Les Calanques de Marseille.</b><br />
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<a href="http://afbristol.org.uk/" target="_blank">For more info...</a><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438435906421702768.post-12673034881178760202016-08-21T17:30:00.001+01:002016-08-21T17:30:23.847+01:00Have you read mon enfant de Berlin by Anne Wiazemsky?Martine' s French tuition groups on Tuesday evenings and Friday mornings read it last term.<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5438435906421702768" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5438435906421702768" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5438435906421702768" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><b>Anne Wiazemsky</b> is <b>François Mauriac</b>' s granddaughter, she was an actress between 1966 and 1988, married <b>Jean-Luc Godart</b> in 1967 and played in several of his films, among which <b>La Chinoise</b>. She turned to writing at the end of the 80ies and has won several prizes like <b>Le grand prix du roman de l'Académie française pour Une poignée de gens </b>in 1998.<br />
She wrote <b>Mon enfant de Berlin</b> in 2009 in which she tells the story of her mother, <b>Claire Mauriac</b> from 1944 to 1947.<br />
Claire was an ambulance driver with the French Red cross in the 2nd part of the 2nd World War and was sent to Berlin at the end of the war to help repatriate the French men who had been war prisoners.<br />
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Thanks to her mother's diary, letters and friends' accounts, Anne relates her mother's life, feelings and emotions, her courage while doing her job and the passion which brought together her parents.<br />
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What did Martine' s students think of it?<br />
"<i>Nous avons aimé ce livre car nous avons découvert une histoire d'amour mais surtout, nous avons appris beaucoup de choses sur la fin de la guerre en France et sur les prisonniers, par exemple les Malgré-nous qui étaient les Alsaciens et les Lorrains qui avaient dû faire la guerre avec les Allemands. Nous avons fait des exposés sur plusieurs sujets liés à cette époque comme Le service du travail obligatoire, le rôle de Jean Moulin dans la résistance, la division de Berlin et bien d'autres choses encore.</i>" Groupe du vendredi matin<br />
" <i>C'était très intéressant de découvrir la vie d'Anne quand elle était à Paris, chez ses parents, de voir leur style de vie et sa relation avec sa mère, avec qui elle se comportait souvent comme une petite fille et et avec son père qui avait l'air de lui faire peur mais qu'elle semblait admirer beaucoup.</i>" Groupe du mardi soir<br />
Both groups highly recommend this book.<br />
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If you would like to learn French but also read novels in French and discover French life and culture through this media, come to enrol either with Alliance Française de Bath or de Bristol. <a href="http://afbristol.org.uk/" target="_blank">For more info...</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438435906421702768.post-52063792774940091742016-08-14T17:30:00.000+01:002018-03-05T19:44:56.638+00:00Troisième week-end pare-choc contre pare-choc sur les routes de France: what does this mean?Bumper against bumper: this was the head lines on the magazine L'Express yesterday and below, finds the beginning of the article:<br />
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<figure class="cover trigger_scroll"><figcaption></figcaption>"<b>Lyon - "Bouché de chez bouché !": après les deux grands
chassés-croisés de l'été, le trafic était encore dense samedi, classé
"rouge", avec 430 kilomètres de bouchons à 11H00 sur les routes de
France, le pic de trafic du week-end du 15 août étant attendu à la
mi-journée"</b> </figure><figure class="cover trigger_scroll"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</figure><figure class="cover trigger_scroll"><b>Bouché de chez bouché</b>, this expression where the same adjective is repeated twice with <b>de</b> <b>chez</b> in the middle has become popular in the last 10 to 15 years, it is only to emphasize the adjective. In this case, it means that the roads are really, really blocked up. </figure><figure class="cover trigger_scroll">You can say <b>cher de chez cher</b>, for instance, meaning that it is really expensive.</figure><figure class="cover trigger_scroll"><b>Les chassés-croisés</b> is used when one group of holiday makers is coming back from holiday while another one is going on holiday, so they pass each other on the roads.</figure><figure class="cover trigger_scroll"><b>Classé rouge</b> is a classification explaining that the traffic is really heavy. We have <b>classé vert, classé orange, classé rouge et classé noir</b>. <b>Classé vert</b> means that the traffic is light and <b>classé noir</b> indicates that it is absolutely terrible!!!</figure><figure class="cover trigger_scroll"><b>430 kilomètres de bouchons</b>: 430 km of traffic jams!</figure><figure class="cover trigger_scroll"><b>Le pic de trafic</b> is the worst of the traffic, which was expected at lunchtime.</figure><figure class="cover trigger_scroll">So what do you need to remember from all that?...... If you are going on holiday in France in the Summer, avoid the end and beginning of July and August and also the weekends in the middle of each of these months!! Or else be prepared to sit in queues......</figure><figure class="cover trigger_scroll">You would like to know more about our quirky habits? Join our French classes starting soon. <a href="http://afbristol.org.uk/" target="_blank">For more info...</a></figure><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438435906421702768.post-51009078196291396982016-08-07T17:17:00.000+01:002018-03-07T10:54:19.619+00:00Les JO de Rio!<b>Les JO</b> are <b>les Jeux Olympiques</b>. You may know that François Hollande has flown over to Rio to support the French athletes. In 2012, the French delegation won 34 medals (<b> a récolté 34 médailles</b>), 11 gold ( <b>11 médailles d'or</b>), 11 silver ( <b>11 médailles d'argent</b>) and 12 bronze ( <b>12 médailles de bronze).</b><br />
This was not as good as in Pekin were 41 medals were won, so the French really want to do better than in London.<br />
So, who to look for among the French athletes? Here are a few:<br />
<b>Tony Parker,</b> <b>basketteur, est le meneur </b>( point guard), he is a legend, with him, the French team won the European cup in 2014.<br />
<b>Louisa Necib, footballeuse</b>, unfortunately, the French team has never yet managed to reach the podium.<br />
<b>Charline Picon, véliplanchiste</b> ( wind surfer) was world champion in 2014.<br />
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<b>Renaud Lavillerie, perchiste</b> ( pole vaulter) won a gold medal in London.<br />
<b>Florent Manaudou, nageur</b> ( swimmer) won a gold in London, in free style ( <b>nage libre</b>).<br />
<b>Teddy Riner, judoka</b>, has been world champion 8 times.<br />
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<b>Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, cycliste,</b> ex world champion on the road ( <b>sur route</b>) and mountain biking ( <b>VTT: vélo tout terrain</b>).<br />
<b>Bonne chance à eux et à tous les autres!! </b>( good luck to them and to all the others!)<br />
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Alliance Française de Bristol et Bath does not offer any very demanding sport but ........ we do have <b>un tournoi de boules ou de pétanque</b> on 15th September! <a href="http://afbristol.org.uk/" target="_blank">For more info...</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438435906421702768.post-28698832942558953192016-07-31T17:14:00.001+01:002018-03-07T10:53:55.536+00:00Alliance Française de Bristol et Bath would like to express its sympathy to St-Etienne-du-Rouvray,this small town in Normandy where the priest Jacques Hamel was murdered on 26th July. All over France today, religious services have taken place in his memory bringing together people of all faiths or with no religious faith.<br />
As you may know France is what we call <b>un état laïque </b>( a secular state) since the law in 1905 which separated <b>l'église et l'état</b> ( the church and the state). Every religious faith is allowed and respected but only outside any public building, like schools, hospitals, government buildings etc... as the state is neutral.<br />
Jasques Hamel was murdered on Ste Anne's day. As you may know the French calendar has a saint for every day of the year and Christians celebrate the saint day of every member of the family, so if someone is called Françoise, on 9th March people will say to her: <b>Bonne fête Françoise! </b>and may give her a present.<b><br /></b><br />
For Christians, Sainte Anne is particularly important as she was the mother of the Virgin Mary. She is Hannah for the Muslims, meaning kind and sympathetic.<br />
She is the patronne of clercs, matrones and widows.<br />
In France the first sanctuary dedicated to her, in the 11th century, was the ancient cathedral of Apt in <b>le département du Vaucluse.</b><br />
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Sainte Anne has become the patron saint of Brittany, so many pilgrimages take place every year, the most important is <b>Sainte Anne d'Auray.</b><br />
Auray is an attractive harbour in South Brittany in <b>le département du Morbihan</b>, a nice place to visit.<br />
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If you would like to find out more about French culture or French places to visit or learn French whatever your level, our French classes will resume in September, <a href="http://afbristol.org.uk/" target="_blank">for more info...</a><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438435906421702768.post-79184401760640209672016-07-24T17:39:00.000+01:002018-03-07T10:53:37.472+00:00Did you know that le Tour de France finished a stage ( une étape) in Megève last Thursday?It was a time trial ( <b>une course contre la montre</b>) which Christopher Froome won. But do you know <b>Megève</b>?<br />
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It is in the Alps in <b>Haute Savoie</b>, it became popular in the early 1920 ies thanks to the Rothschild family who wanted a posh ski resort (<b>une station de ski</b> ) in France rather than in Switzerland. <b>La baronne </b>de Rothschild had some smart hotels built, these soon attracted aristocrats, kings like <b>Albert 1er de</b> <b>Belgique</b> and queens. It is now known internationaly ( <b>a une renommée internationale</b>).<br />
It hosts numerous festivals and competitions in Winter such as polo playing on snow or snow golf competitions, and in Summer, a jazz festival called <b>Jazz Contest</b>, also a classical music festival, <b>Les</b> <b>Estivales de Megève</b> and plenty more.<br />
There are numerous outdoor activities as well as ski-ing, you can do some tree climbing circuits ( <b>de l' accrobranche</b>), gliding ( <b>du parapente</b>), follow a fitness trail ( <b>un parcours santé</b>) some Summer sledging ( <b>de la luge d'été</b>) and so much more.<br />
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So if you have no plans yet for this Summer or next Winter and you feel like mixing with VIPs, you know where to go!!!<br />
But first of all, you'll need to improve your French, so do look at all the language courses and activities which we offer, <a href="http://afbristol.org.uk/" target="_blank">for more info...</a><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438435906421702768.post-77938424466454814642016-07-17T17:12:00.000+01:002018-03-05T19:38:55.601+00:00Nice: nous sommes unis!At Alliance Française de Bristol et Bath, we have all been appalled by the tragedy which took place in Nice on 14th July. We want to offer our most sincere condolences to all the people who have lost dear ones and we very much hope that all the injured will recover soon. We want to show our solidarity with all the people who were on La Promenade des Anglais last Thursday.<br />
We also would like to share with you some nice memories of Nice as Martine went to Nice with her Tuesday evening French class a few years ago.<br />
They stayed in a small hotel near La Promenade des Anglais, had lunch at one of the numerous cafés on La Promenade, it was bathing in sunshine although it was in January.<br />
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They walked up to le Château which is a park on a hill with a wonderful view over la Baie des Anges on one side and the old port on the other, very close to le vieux-Nice. Le Vieux-Nice is the main tourist area with lots of delightful cafés and restaurants, Martine and her students had an evening meal there and tasted the delicious beignets de fleurs de courgettes ( savoury dough made with courgette flowers).<br />
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They went to the famous Nice market and bought and ate la socca which is like a pancake made with flour and chickpeas.<br />
There are numerous museums in Nice and they spent some time at le musée Matisse at the top of Cimiez, one of the old areas of Nice. On the way they walked past l'hôtel Regina which was built in 1986 and was inaugurated by Queen Victoria who loved Nice. It had 400 bedrooms all eventually converted into flats where Matisse lived for a time.<br />
The stay was short but full of exciting discoveries and friendly encounters, we must not forget that Nice is about that too.<br />
We are in Bristol and Bath this Summer so you can contact us anytime, for more info...<a href="http://afbristol.org.uk/" target="_blank">http://afbristol.org.uk/</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438435906421702768.post-33789466490929002362016-07-10T17:30:00.000+01:002016-07-10T17:30:11.137+01:00What would you do if you won the lottery?Who among us hasn't imagined what they would do with the winnings (<strong>la cagnotte</strong>)? <br />
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This unusual book is perfect for the seaside (<strong>la plage</strong>). <br />
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It's the story of Jocelyne, who is married with a man called Jocelyn. She is more or less happy. She runs a haberdashery shop (<strong>une mercerie</strong>) in Arras. She also writes a blog about haberdashery, called Ten Gold Fingers (<strong>Dix Doigts d'Or</strong>). Her two best friends, twins (<strong>les jumelles</strong>) run a hairdressing salon (<strong>un salon de coiffure</strong>) and one day, they convince Jocelyne to play the lottery (<strong>le Loto</strong>). <br />
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It would spoil the book to tell you what happens next, but we'll tell you this; it's probably not what you are expecting!<br />
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Students in Audrey's class (one of our teachers) have studied the book this year, and then they all watched the film. <br />
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If you would like to join our classes, don't forget to look on our website for our September French courses and French events this Autumn, <a href="http://afbristol.org.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #5588aa;">for more info...</span></a><br />
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For interesting articles and news, follow our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/alliancefrancaisebristol/" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>. Bonnes vacances!<br /><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438435906421702768.post-75722522012169689152016-07-03T17:30:00.000+01:002016-07-03T17:30:01.259+01:00Did you know what Les perles du bac are?<b>Une perle</b> when it is not a pearl is a really stupid mistake. Every year <b>des perles</b> are collected from exam papers like the <b>baccalauréat</b> or <b>le bac</b>. They are published in newspapers and on the Internet. Here are a few found in <b>L'Internaute</b>:<br />
<b>Pour moi, Anatole France, c'était un arrêt de bus</b>. ( For me, Anatole France - famous writer- was a bus stop- you may have noticed in France that we like giving names of famous people to streets, metro stations, bus stops, schools etc....)<br />
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<b>Un homme heureux et libre, ça serait d'avoir fini les épreuves du bac. </b>( A happy and free man, this would be to have finished the bac exams- this was the answer to this deeply philosophical question: what does it mean to be a happy and free man? )<br />
<b>De nombreux conflits ont éclaté dans le Sahara afin de récupérer tout le sable qui est présent</b> ( many conflicts in the Sahara are taking place in order to collect all the sand which is there)<br />
<b>De toute façon, Madame Bovary n'a jamais rien compris aux mecs</b>. ( In any case Madame Bovary has never understood anything about blokes.)<br />
<b>Les Américains sont les premiers touristes à avoir profité des plages de Normandie </b>( The Americans are the first tourists to have enjoyed the Normandy beaches)<br />
<b>Le triangle est un rectangle avec un côté en moins.</b> ( A triangle is a rectangle with one less corner)<br />
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<b>Etre cultivé signifie qu'on s'intéresse à des choses qui ne sont pas forcément intéressantes.</b> ( To be cultured means that you are interested in things which are not necessarily interesting)<br />
<b>De Gaulle est mort à la fin de sa vie.</b> ( De Gaulle died at the end of his life)<br />
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If you are interested in French culture or in the French language, and it is interesting, I can assure you! Just go to our website, <a href="http://afbristol.org.uk/" target="_blank">for more info...</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438435906421702768.post-54358693896061476072016-06-26T17:08:00.000+01:002018-03-07T10:53:24.180+00:00Did you know that Alliance Française de Bristol is running a wine workshop in French next Tuesday?Ludovic, <b>sommelier </b>at the one Michelin star restaurant <a href="http://www.wilksrestaurant.co.uk/" target="_blank">Wilks </a>in Bristol, will be helping students to choose a wine according to the dishes to be eaten: <b>accorder les mets et les vins.</b><br />
Did you know that with <b>un Vouvray</b>, you can eat <b>du foie gras</b> or for those who don't like it or who are anti, you can have thin slices of smoked salmon ( <b>de fines tranches de saumon fumé</b>)?<br />
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What would you choose with <b>un vin doux naturel</b>? Would you think of dark chocolate ( <b>du chocolat</b> <b>noir</b>) or cherries ( <b>des cerises</b>)?<br />
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I won't reveal all the secrets......... students will be eating and trying out wines, all organic and purchased at <a href="http://www.vinetrail.co.uk/" target="_blank">Vinetrail</a> in Bristol. They will be discussing the tastes and combinations with plenty of suggestions from Ludovic.<br />
I will be shopping and cooking on Tuesday!! <br />
If this French wine tasting workshop tempts you ( <b>vous met l'eau à la bouche</b>), you may like to know that Ludovic will be running a similar one on Tuesday, 19th July. <a href="http://afbristol.org.uk/events/" target="_blank">For more info...</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438435906421702768.post-8514909861661277872016-06-19T17:18:00.000+01:002018-03-07T10:53:11.170+00:00Idioms, idioms and more idioms!As you know languages are full of idioms and the French language is no exception, here is a story with lots of idioms written by Robin, in one of Martine's French tuition classes:<br />
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<i>LE COMBAT IDIOMATIQUE<br />A – J’ai entendu dire que tu as trouvé une nouvelle amie.<br />B – Oui, elle est jolie comme un cœur. Elle est blonde comme les blés et, en outre, elle est gaie comme un pinson. Vraiment, j’ai eu de la chance de la trouver.<br />A – Mais, c’est une vraie perle ! Est-ce que c’est la vérité – je sais bien que tu peux mentir comme tu respires…<br />B – Tu es quelle sorte d’ami ?<br />A – Est-ce que c’est la nouvelle nénette dans le service comptabilité ? <br />B – Oui, c’est évident que tu l’as aperçue. <br />A – C’était impossible de ne pas la remarquer, elle est maquillée comme une voiture volée.<br />B – La vie va mieux avec un peu de couleur, non ? Regardes-toi toi-même ; tu es ennuyeux comme la pluie !<br />A – Mais cette fille est bête comme ses pieds (et sa taille est 48 !) On dit qu’elle fume comme un pompier et elle boit comme un trou. <br />B – Ah je comprends ce qu’il y a ici, c’est simple comme bonjour : tu es jaloux !<br />A – Moi ! Je ne lui ferais même pas de l’œil si elle était riche comme Crésus !<br />B – Non, non, non, certainement, tu es jaloux ; c’est gros comme une maison. Et elle n’est pas bête, elle est très perspicace, elle m’a dit que je suis beau comme un dieu. Voilà ! </i><br />
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<u>For fun, see if you can translate the following properly</u>:<br />
<b>jolie comme un cœur</b>: pretty like a heart??<br />
<b>maquillée comme une voiture volée</b>: made up like a stolen car???<br />
<b>bête comme ses pieds</b>: as silly as his/her feet???<br />
<b>boire comme un trou</b>: to drink like a hole??<br />
<b>simple comme bonjour</b>: as simple as saying good morning?<br />
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Don't forget our French intensive classes are running in July too in Bath and in Bristol. <a href="http://afbristol.org.uk/" target="_blank">For more info...</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438435906421702768.post-40257592738891354162016-06-12T17:14:00.000+01:002018-03-07T10:52:53.871+00:00Euro 2016 is here!It is the 15th edition starting at <b>Le stade de France</b> in <b>St Denis</b>, near Paris, on 10th June to finish on 10th July.<br />
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The opening match ( <b>le match d'ouverture</b>) is between <b>la France et la Roumanie</b> at <b>le stade de France</b> like for the final match ( <b>le match de clôture</b>).<br />
24 teams (<b>24 équipes</b>) are playing this time with countries which have never played before in this competition, like <b>l'Islande, l'Albanie, la Slovaquie, le Pays de Galles</b> ( Wales) and <b>l'Irlande du nord</b>.<br />
Some countries did not qualify like <b>les Pays Bas et la Grèce</b> for instance when, in fact, they had done well in previous years.<br />
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The competition is made of five rounds:<br />
<ol>
<li><b>Le 1er tour</b> : 1st round</li>
<li><b>les huitièmes de finale</b>: the round of 16</li>
<li><b>les quarts de finale</b>: the quarter finals</li>
<li><b>les demi-finales</b>: the semi finals</li>
<li><b>la finale</b>: the final</li>
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The matches are taking place all over France, from <b>Lille to Bordeaux to Marseille and St Etienne</b> to name just a few.<br />
Some "<b>fans zones</b>" on big squares ( <b>des grandes places</b>) have giant screens ( <b>des écrans géants</b>) broadcasting the matches live ( <b>en direct</b>), they should attract big crowds.<br />
To all lovers of football: Have fun! <b>Amusez-vous bien!</b><br />
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Don't let this stop you from joining our French intensive courses, <a href="http://afbristol.org.uk/" target="_blank">for more info...</a><br />
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Since I wrote the blog on Friday, some violent incidents have taken place between supporters and some are now in hospital, I wish them a good recovery and hope that the violence will stop.<br />
Souhaitons un Euro 2016 où seul l'esprit de compétition est en jeu! Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438435906421702768.post-45789229893178720242016-06-05T17:23:00.000+01:002018-03-07T10:52:39.377+00:00Did you know that there are big floods in and around Paris?They started in the middle of the week between Orléans and Paris and now they are moving into Normandy.<br />
The Seine is flooding, we say <b>La Seine est en crue </b>(<b>la crue</b> comes from the verb <b>croître</b> which means to grow), <b>Vigiecrues</b> which is a body part of the ministry of the environment is checking the situation and issuing warnings to the population.<br />
At present, many museums in Paris near the Seine like <b>le Louvre, le musée d'Orsay, le petit et le grand Palais, la bibliothèque Mitterrand</b>, are closed and their artefacts have been moved to safe areas.<br />
It is now likely that the flooding is moving West of Paris, <b>Vigicrues</b> has issued a warning about Rouen right to the estuary of the Seine for today onwards.<br />
Of course the situation in Paris is attracting a lot of onlookers especially at <b>le pont de l'Alma</b> where the statue of <b>le zouave</b> has been the marker for floods since it was erected in 1856.<br />
Why is there <b>un zouave</b> on <b>le pont de l'Alma</b>? <b>Le zouave</b> was a fighter in the Crimean war in the middle of the 19th century, the 3rd regiment of <b>les zouaves</b> took the enemies' canons, so the statue was in commemoration of this victory which took place near the town of Alma.<br />
The various levels of the Seine during floods have been recorded with photos of <b>le zouave</b> with water at different levels of its body. The water is usually below its feet ( <b>ses pieds</b>).<br />
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But in 1910, the Seine reached its shoulders ( <b>ses épaules</b>) at 8.62m, in 1955 it reached its waist ( <b>sa</b> <b>taille</b>) at 7.12m, at the moment the water comes to its thighs ( <b>ses cuisses</b>) at 6.09m.<br />
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It is important to note that <b>Météo France</b> measures the level of la Seine at <b>le pont d'Austerlitz</b> where it is more reliable, but this bridge does not attract many tourists, it is much more exciting to take photos of <b>le zouave</b>!<br />
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Let's hope that <b>la décrue</b> will come soon ( <b>la décrue</b> from the verb <b>décroître</b> meaning reducing) so that life will get back to normal.<br />
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If you wish to find out about life in France, develop your vocabulary, you can join our intensive courses either with Alliance Française de Bath or Alliance Française de Bristol, <a href="http://afbristol.org.uk/" target="_blank">for more info...</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438435906421702768.post-3604333024517369782016-05-29T17:30:00.000+01:002018-03-07T10:52:09.652+00:00Here is an unusual but efficient recipe! In her Tuesday evening French tuition class, Martine asked her students to write about their jobs in the form of a recipe as they had been working on the use of the imperative and the vocabulary of the workplace. Here is Kathy' s recipe:<br />
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<i>Un Nouveau Projet de Construction </i><br />
<i>1. Trouvez soigneusement un terrain à développer.<br />2. Identifiez les contraintes qui influent sur la construction.<br />3. Donnez des instructions comme il faut, aux architectes, aux écologistes, aux archéologistes et aux ingénieurs.<br />4. Prenez en considération les points de vue des voisins inquièts ou hostiles.<br />5. Négociez le permis de construire de la mairie par des discours convaincants.<br />6. Faites un appel d’offres pour le travail.<br />7. Sous-traitez du travail, au maître d’oeuvre et à l’entrepreneur.<br />8. Admirez votre beau bâtiment nouveau.<br /><br />La Sauce<br />• Une grande cuillerée de créativité<br />• Une cuiller à dessert de détermination.<br />• Une bonne pincée d’ humilité<br />• Une tasse de patience.<br />• Faites bouillir à la pointe de la réalisation.</i><br />
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<i>Dégustez dans un délai viable – réaliste, avec une bonne assise financière, et avec des effets salutaires pour la communauté. </i><br />
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What about you trying something like that, or just coming to learn French whatever your level! You could join one of our French intensive courses, either with Alliance Française de Bath or Alliance Française de Bristol. <a href="http://afbristol.org.uk/" target="_blank">For more info...</a><i> </i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438435906421702768.post-33439032974448365642016-05-22T17:30:00.000+01:002018-03-07T10:51:52.344+00:00Did you know that the Cannes Festival is finishing today?Le Festival de Cannes which was called until 2002 Le Festival
International du Film drew, yet again, lots of stars who climbed the
famous stairs ( <span style="font-weight: bold;">les marches </span>) on the red carpet ( <span style="font-weight: bold;">le tapis rouge</span>).<br />
The festival started in 1946 and <span style="font-weight: bold;">La Palme d'Or </span>was introduced in 1955. The design is taken from Cannes coat of arms ( <span style="font-weight: bold;">les armoiries </span>)<br />
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and is also a reminder of the palm trees ( <span style="font-weight: bold;">les palmiers</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">sur la Croisette </span>) where all the starlets ( <span style="font-weight: bold;">les starlettes </span>) congregate in the hope of finding fame!<br />
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Several French films or French Canadian were in the competition this year with great casts ( <b>la distribution</b>), like <b>Ma loute</b> by Bruno Dumont with Fabrice Luchini and Juliette Binoche, <b>Juste la fin du monde </b>by Xavier Dolan ( French Canadian) with Nathalie Baye, Marion Cotillard and Vincent Cassel, and one of the last films which was shown was <b>Elle </b>by Paul Verhoeven with Isabelle Huppert. Michèle, played by Isabelle Huppert, is a strong minded career woman ( <b>une femme d'affaires</b> <b>inflexible</b>) who is attacked at home ( <b>agressée chez elle</b>), this event changes her life ( <b>cet évènement fait basculer sa vie</b>), here is the trailer ( <b>la bande annonce</b>):<br />
<a href="http://www.festival-cannes.com/fr/films/elle" target="_blank">http://www.festival-cannes.com/fr/films/elle</a><br />
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Our cineclubs with Alliance Française de Bristol et Bath will resume in October 2016 but in the meantime you can join one of our French intensive classes. <a href="http://afbristol.org.uk/" target="_blank">For more info...</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438435906421702768.post-8913132578789837642016-05-15T17:30:00.000+01:002016-05-15T17:30:03.112+01:00Did you know you can see a photo exhibition in Bristol thanks to la Fondation Alliance Française ?The exhibition will be shown for a few months but here is an invitation at:<br />
Millennium Square Big Screen<br />on Thursday 19th May 6-7pm<br />Free<br />
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Berlingots and photos with Alliance Française de Bristol<br />
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<br />Come and discover competition winning photos from all around the world on the theme “Climate, state of emergency” ( <b>climat: Etat d'urgence</b>). The competition was organised by Alliance Française Foundation in partnership with Yann Arthus Bertrand. Keep an eye out for them on the Big Screen on Millennium Square in Bristol where they will be on display for a few months; better still, join us for the "vernissage" (that's French for exhibition preview) and enjoy some French bonbons called <b>berlingots</b>. You'll even be able to speak a bit of French if you want to! And if you decide you would like a bit of practice before the summer, talk to us about our intensive courses starting soon.<br />
<a href="http://afbristol.org.uk/" target="_blank">For more info...</a><br /><br /><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438435906421702768.post-71461894410799503622016-05-08T17:30:00.000+01:002018-03-07T10:51:36.792+00:00Do you know French idioms? Martine's French class certainly do, Maureen wrote a little story using quite a few:<br />
<b>jolie comme un cœur</b>: as pretty as a picture<br />
<b>connaître un endroit comme sa poche</b>: to know somewhere like the back of one's hand<br />
<b>gai comme un pinson</b>: as happy as a lark<br />
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<b>fumer comme un pompier</b>: to smoke like a chimney<br />
<b>boire comme un trou</b>: to drink like a fish<br />
<b>être riche comme Crésus</b>: to be as rich as Midas<br />
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Here is Maureen's story:<br />
<i>La vie en rose<br />Marie-Claire est une jeune fille <b>jolie comme un cœur</b>. Elle a vingt-trois ans, elle est belle, avec les cheveux comme les blés. Bien sûr, elle est belle, mais, la pauvre, elle est seule. Elle habite avec ses parents dans un petit village, il ne s’y passe pas grand-chose, et elle s’ennuie. Elle veut trouver un ami. Que faire ?<br />Eh bien, il y a une solution. Sa tante Julie habite à Paris. Elle connaît la capitale <b>comme sa poche</b>. Elle est assez jeune. Elle va souvent chez les Parisiens, dont les portes lui sont toujours ouvertes. Julie est <b>gaie comme un pinson</b>. « Oui, ma chérie viens ici. Nous pouvons sortir ensemble, pour passer du bon temps. » Elles vont aux soirées, dans les boîtes de nuit, mais sans succès.<br />Alors, un soir, les deux femmes vont chez une connaissance de Julie. Là, Marie-Claire rencontre un jeune homme, Jean. Il est bel homme, aimable et gentil. Les deux jeunes se parlent toute la soirée. Elle l’aime beaucoup, mais, malheureusement, il <b>fume comme un pompier</b> et il <b>boit comme un trou</b>. Mais, tant pis ! Elle peut supporter ses imperfections, spécialement quand Julie lui dit que Jean est <b>riche comme Crésus</b> ! Un avenir tout en rose. Qu’est-ce qu’on peut demander après ça ? </i><br />
You can learn to write stories in French too if you wish: why not join a French intensive course with Alliance Française de Bristol or de Bath. <a href="http://afbristol.org.uk/" target="_blank">For more info...</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438435906421702768.post-29621508041999832732016-05-01T17:06:00.000+01:002016-05-01T17:06:29.373+01:00Did you know that there is a bookclub in Bath next Thursday?This time, Véronique, French teacher with the Alliance Française de Bath, has chosen Au bonheur des dames by Emile Zola.<br />
The book was published in 1883 and is part of the great saga of the Rougon-Macquart which takes us through the 2nd Empire with Napoleon the 3rd and the beginnings of the 3rd Republic.<br />
Each novel depicts the lives and customs of a specific layer of society ( usually with a strong criticism of that part of society) with one main character who is a member of the Rougon-Macquart family and who becomes the thread of the story.<br />
Au bonheur des dames takes place in the second part of the 1860ies when Haussman had transformed Paris and the first department stores appeared.<br />
Zola took his inspiration from two business men who created Les grands magasins du Louvre.<br />
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Au bonheur des dames is a very successfull department store, run by Octave Mouret, an ambitious and handsome man who understands women and their desires. They are queens in his store but at the same time become slaves to their desires. Zola's descriptions of clothes and surroundings are lavish and beautiful.<br />
The novel is built on several layers, one of them is a love story with Octave, the seductor, falling in love with Denise, one of the shop assistants, who becomes a very able business woman. The two of them get married but they are not only husband and wife, they build a strong partnership based on respect which makes their story very modern.<br />
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Here is what the publisher of Le livre de poche has to say:<br />
<i>Octave Mouret affole les femmes de désir. Son grand magasin parisien, Au Bonheur des Dames,
est un paradis pour les sens. Les tissus s’amoncellent, éblouissants,
délicats. Tout ce qu’une femme peut acheter en 1883, Octave Mouret le
vend, avec des techniques révolutionnaires. Le succès est immense. Mais
ce bazar est une catastrophe pour le quartier, les petits commerces
meurent, les spéculations immobilières se multiplient. Et le personnel
connaît une vie d’enfer. Denise échoue de Valognes dans cette fournaise,
démunie mais tenace.<br />Zola fait de la jeune fille et de son puissant
patron amoureux d’elle le symbole du modernisme et des crises qu’il
suscite. Personne ne pourra plus entrer dans un grand magasin sans
ressentir ce que Zola raconte avec génie : les fourmillements de la vie.</i><br />
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It is not too late to join the French bookclub, <a href="http://afbristol.org.uk/events/" target="_blank">for more info...</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438435906421702768.post-41014019384677184312016-04-24T17:30:00.000+01:002016-04-24T17:30:19.602+01:00Films and more films this week!Alliance Française de Bath is running its cineclub next Friday. They are showing <b>Quai d'Orsay</b> by Bertrand Tavernier with Thierry Lhermite as Alexandre Taillard de Worms, French minister of Foreign Affairs ( <b>ministre des Affaires Etrangères</b>), who tends to create chaos around him. Raphaël Personnaz plays Arthur, who has just graduated from the prestigious National School of Administration ( <b>l'ENA, l'Ecole Nationale d'Administration</b>). Arthur has now joined the ministry of Foreign Affairs as a speech writer, he has to cope with unhelpful, ambitious colleagues ( <b>des collègues ambitieux et peu serviables</b>) and his boss, Thierry Lhermite who keeps changing his mind! ( <b>qui change d'avis constamment</b>).<br />
A lively and enjoyable comedy: <a href="http://afbristol.org.uk/events/" target="_blank">For more info... </a><br />
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The Watershed in Bristol is showing <b>Dheepan</b> for another week. It is a drama by French film director Jacques Audiard ( <b>Un prophète; De rouille et d'os</b>). Dheepan is a young Sri Lankan Tamil warrior ( <b>un</b> <b>guerrier tamil</b>) who flees his war ravaged country (<b>qui fuit son pays ravagé par la guerre</b>) by pretending to be the husband and the father of two other refugees. The three of them arrive in France. This film depicts the lives of immigrants as well as being a thriller.<br />
It won <b>La Palme d'Or</b> in Cannes in 2015.<br />
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Students studying French at Alliance Française de Bristol et Bath can buy tickets for any French films showing at the Watershed at a reduced rate thanks to a password which they can get from their French tutor.<br />
Don't miss our French intensive courses for Bath and Bristol starting soon, <a href="http://afbristol.org.uk/" target="_blank">for more info for Bath and Bristol ... </a><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438435906421702768.post-78789916115346245472016-04-17T18:13:00.000+01:002018-03-07T10:51:13.178+00:00Did you know we're having a talk with photos on la Provence, in Bristol, next Saturday?Joël Binet will take us through a journey in Provence discovering how writers, painters, musicians and singers were inspired by this beautiful region.<br />
The list is long with Nîmes born <b>Alphonse Daudet </b>and <b>Les lettres de mon moulin</b>, which he actually wrote in Clamart, a suburb South West of Paris, with <b>Frédéric Mistral</b> who said " <b>le provençal est la première langue littéraire de l'Europe civilisée</b>." ( Provençal is the first literary language of civilised Europe). We can't not mention <b>Jean Giono</b> and his poetical novels about Provençal peasants like <b>Provence</b> nor forget <b>Marcel Pagnol</b> with his plays and novels, <b>La femme du boulanger</b>, <b>Le</b> <b>château de ma mère </b>and so many more.<br />
We have to take a trip to <b>St Paul de Vence</b> where <b>Matisse, Chagall, Prévert, Montand, Signoret </b>and lots of others spent so much time.<br />
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Of course we can't leave out<b> Picasso</b> who bought <b>le château de Vauvenargues</b> in 1958 where he died in 1973:<br />
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And <b>Bécaud</b> with his famous song <b>Les marchés de Provence</b>, which you can listen to:<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InS3uEcLfbc" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InS3uEcLfbc</a><br />
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There are still some places for the talk on Saturday, do come along: <a href="http://afbristol.org.uk/events/" target="_blank">for more info... </a><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438435906421702768.post-6724500016338200402016-04-10T16:40:00.002+01:002016-04-10T16:40:55.083+01:00Did you know that the next French drama workshops are starting in Bristol soon?Have you been coming to our own French drama shows over the last few years? If not, you might have missed the time Gérard Depardieu was tried ( <b>a été traduit devant un tribunal</b>) to see whether he could remain French,<br />
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or the time Antoine and Cléopâtre disclosed (<b> ont exposé</b>) their marital problems to the public!<br />We have had celebrities such as Géneral de Gaulle talking to us about his love of cheese ( <b>son amour du fromage</b>), or Marie Curie sharing her recipe ( <b>qui a partagé sa recette</b>) for radioactive jelly (please don’t try this at home).<br />
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<br />More recently, Johnny Hallyday gave a great-if short-performance and Edith Piaf rose from her ashes ( <b>est renée de ses cendres</b>). Hercule Poirot and Sherlock had an argument about bribes ( <b>se sont disputés</b> <b>au sujet des pots-de- vin</b>), and inspecteur Gadget saved the day ( <b>a sauvé la situation</b>).<br />
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It is always fun for our students to let their creative juices flow in French, and a great way to practise the language.<br />
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Join the fun, <a href="http://afbristol.org.uk/courses/drama-workshops/" target="_blank">for more info...</a><br />
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You can also watch a whole lot of videos of the French drama shows on the Alliance Française de Bristol et Bath Youtube page, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/afbristol1" target="_blank">for more info...</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438435906421702768.post-65285652014661084622016-04-03T17:30:00.000+01:002018-03-07T10:50:52.147+00:00Friday was the 1st April, le jour des poissons d'avril!Why is 1st April, April's fools day?<br />
In France we are not absolutely sure as there are several explanations but the most popular one takes it back to the 16th century when <b>le roi Charles IX</b> decided that the year should not start on 1st April anymore but on 1st January and presents would be given then. To make it confusing some people carried on giving presents on 1st April, little by little these presents became jokes ( <b>des blagues</b>) or tricks ( <b>des canulars</b>).<br />
Why <b>Poisson d'avril</b>?<br />
The 1st April often came at the end of lent when presents of food were given, as Christians could not eat meat during lent, fish were offered. As the years went by, pretend fish became fashionable to trick people.<br />
So now, when a joke is made on 1st April, we say <b>Poisson d'avril</b> to the person who was tricked. We also try to stick a paper fish in people 's back without them noticing:<br />
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<b>La RATP, la régie autonome des transports parisiens</b> ( buses, tube and RER in Paris) changed the names of 13 metro stations last Friday for their <b>Poisson d'avril</b>, here they are:<br />
<i>Poisson d'avril du métro : les explications de la RATP<br /><br />"Pyrénées" devient "Alpes" : "Dans un souci d'équilibre dans la promotion des chaines de montagne française , et après plus de 80 ans de promotion des Pyrénées, ouverture aujourd'hui de la station Alpes sur la ligne 11".<br /><br />"Alexandre Dumas" devient "Les Trois Mousquetaires", "en raison de problèmes de droits d'auteur".<br /><br />"Télégraphe" devient "#Tweet", "dans un souci de modernisation, et pour appuyer sa volonté d'être leader de la ville intelligente"</i><br />
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<i>"Château d'Eau" devient "Château de sable", "pour prolonger Paris-Plage toute l'année".<br /><br />"Cadet" devient "Rousselle", "afin d'évoquer l'univers de l'enfance".<br /><br />"Crimée" devient "Châtiment", "en hommage au roman de Fiodor Dostoïevski".<br /><br />"Monceau" devient "Ma pelle" : "Pour rendre hommage à nos ingénieurs. En effet, il s'agit de la seule creusée à la pelle".<br /><br />"Saint-Jacques" devient "Coquille", "pour soutenir la filière de la pêche".<br /><br />"Parmentier" devient "Pomme de Terre", "dans un souci de clarté et de simplification".<br /><br />"Opéra" devient "Apéro" : "Pour une ville plus festive, la station Opéra se nomme désormais Apéro #Parisestunefête".<br /><br />"Quatre septembre" devient "1er avril" : "Pour coller au mieux à l'actu, la station Quatre Septembre changera de nom chaque jour".<br /><br />"Joinville-le-Pont" devient "Joinville-le-Pont Pon ! Pon !", afin de rendre hommage à 2017 à Bourvil et à sa chanson de 1951.</i><br />
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Just to let you know, we still have places in our French drama workshops starting on Tuesday, 19th April, do join! <a href="http://afbristol.org.uk/courses/drama-workshops/" target="_blank">For more info...</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438435906421702768.post-90693866319835590772016-03-27T17:30:00.000+01:002016-03-27T17:30:19.058+01:00Time to do some gardening!The weather was so fantastic in Bristol on good Friday ( <b>le vendredi saint</b>) that a lot of us spent most of the day doing some gardening ( <b>faire du jardinage</b>).<br />
Pat, one of Martine's students in her Tuesday night French class, who is a landscape gardener (<b> une</b> <b>architecte paysagiste</b>) wrote a recipe (<b> une recette</b>) to describe her job, here it is:<br />
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<i><b>Ma Compote de Jardinage</b><u> </u></i><br />
<i><u>Ingrédients</u><br />1. Une variété de jardins<br />2. Des clientes sympa<br />3. Un bon bulletin météorologique<br />4. Une sélection de plantes<br />5. Des matériaux organiques<br />6. Un soupçon d'engrais<br />7. Un peu de pluie fraîche<br /><br /><u>Mélanger tous les ingrédients avec l'aide de:-</u><br />Le sécateur<br />Le deplantoir</i><br />
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<i>La petite fourche<br /><br /><u>Pour le coulis</u><br />Les gants solides<br />Les brodequins imperméables</i><br />
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<i><br />Les vêtements imperméables<br />Les lunettes de soleil</i><br />
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<i>Bon appétit! </i><i></i><br />
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<b>JOYEUSES PAQUES!!!</b></div>
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Don't forget, if you want to have a lot of fun while learning French you can join our French drama workshops starting on 19th April in Bristol, <a href="http://afbristol.org.uk/courses/drama-workshops/" target="_blank">for more info...</a><b><a href="http://afbristol.org.uk/courses/drama-workshops/" target="_blank"> </a></b></div>
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</i><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0