Bonne Année ( Happy New Year) from all the French tutors at Alliance de Bristol and Bath!

Everybody in France is getting ready for le réveillon du jour de l'an ( New year's Eve) which is celebrated either with family or friends: another occasion to eat a big and scrumptious meal!
Young people do go to parties and for those living in Paris, it is a tradition to go on the Champs Elysées for midnight. It was quite a habit to open a bottle of champagne and share it with other people on the street but this year, drinking on the streets is forbidden.
We have started writing les cartes de vœux ( new year cards), we have until 31st January to send them to relatives and friends.
Here is the kind of message we write:

Why not make a New year resolution: une résolution pour la nouvelle année and join one of our French tuition classes now, for more info...

Joyeux Noël from Alliance Française de Bristol and Bath!

Some customs are different for Christmas in France, for instance:
We do not send Christmas cards but New Year wishes in January, now mostly by email.
We celebrate on Christmas eve ( le réveillon de Noël) with a big meal, here is a menu:
Des huîtres ( oysters) et du foie gras; une dinde farcie aux marrons ( turkey with chestnuts); des fromages ( cheeses) et une bûche ( a Chritmas log) avec des vins pour accompagner chaque plat (with different wines for each course).
Father Christmas ( le Père Noël) does call during the night and brings presents ( les cadeaux) which are put in the shoes that children have left in the fireplace ( la cheminée) or by the Christmas tree ( le sapin de Noël).
On Christmas day ( le jour de Noël) we are busy opening presents and visiting relatives we did not see the night before.
Boxing day does not exist and a lot of people go back to work. But New year is coming soon so more celebrations are on the way!
Joyeux Noël!!
Alliance Française de Bristol and Bath are enrolling for January so don't forget that you can join one of our French classes, for more info...

Isabelle, French tutor and chef at Alliance Française de Bristol suggests a recipe for a savoury dish or a pudding:

Chou pastry (pâte à choux) is a popular recipe but.... it has got to come out right! Isabelle offers a recipe that should work out each time.

PATE A CHOUX
Ingrédients:
• 250 ml d’eau
• 60g de beurre sans sel coupé en morceaux
• 125g de farine
• 3 à 4 œufs selon la taille
Préparation :
Mettre le beurre et l’eau dans une casserole. Faire chauffer jusqu’à ce que le beurre fonde.
Hors du feu, ajouter la farine d’un seul coup. Battre le mélange avec un fouet, puis mélanger vigoureusement avec une spatule pour obtenir une pâte en forme de boule qui n’attache pas à la casserole.
Transférer dans un grand bol et ajouter un œuf à la fois, bien mélanger entre chaque œuf pour obtenir une pâte onctueuse.
Sur une plaque à four, pour chaque chou, mettre une cuillérée à café de pâte sur du papier sulfurisé. Aplatir le dessus avec une fourchette mouillée pour obtenir un beau chou bien rond. Mélanger un jaune d’œuf dans une cuillère à soupe d’eau et étaler sur le chou avec une brosse pour qu’il soit bien doré.
Mettre au four pour 20 minutes à 200C, ou 6/7 pour un four à gaz.
Quand les choux ont une belle couleur dorée, éteindre le four et laisser les choux refroidir dans le four avec la porte entr’ouverte.

If you wish to prepare some canapés over Christmas, why not try to fill in your choux with une mousse de chèvre ( goat's cheese mousse) et ciboulette ( chives) or with some Stilton and a little bit of chutney if you prefer to give your choux an English touch. Or try them with some smoked salmon ( du saumon fumé) as on the picture.

If you prefer to eat your choux as a pudding, serve with une glace à la vanille et une sauce au chocolat or avec de la crème.

It is not too late to buy a voucher as a Christmas present for the French cookery classes starting in the New Year. These French workshops will take place in Bristol, for more info...

One more riddle ( Une autre devinette) from Jocelyne' s French lesson:

Our French tutor, Jocelyne, has students with varied interests so they have been creating des devinettes on a wide range of topics, see whether you could have guessed this one!

Je suis dur et de longue durée.
Je suis centenaire.
Je peux créer les héros et les vilains.
Je peux casser les jambes, les têtes, les clavicules et les cœurs.
Tout le monde me connait.
Il y a un cirque qui me suit.
Si vous me suivez vous pourriez voir un 'diable.'*
Je peux enlever ou finir les carrières.
Chaque été je torture deux cents hommes courageux. Je suis ………........................................................................................................................................................ Le Tour de France! *( le diable= un homme est deguisé en diable et suit le Tour!!! c'est vrai!

Look at our News to see what Alliance Française de Bristol and Bath offers in terms of French courses and French classes for early 2012, for more info...

Some more riddles from Jocelyne's French class!

The Thursday morning French group had great fun making up these riddles ( devinettes). The answers ( Les solutions) are given at the end of the riddle but see if you can work them out.
Que suis-je?
Mon son en français ressemble a un détective.
Le potage m’aime.
Je suis un ami du champignon.
Mon son en anglais ressemble a une fuite.

Je suis un poireau.

Que suis-je ?
Je suis utile mais on ne veut pas m’utiliser.
J’apparais en beaucoup de couleurs différentes.
Je n’aime pas le vent.
Je peux être une arme dangereuse.
Je suis souvent mouillé.

Je suis un parapluie. Christine

Please do not hesitate to try out your own riddles and write them down in The Comments section. Or come and join one of our French courses and learn enough French to have a go.
Or, if you are interested in cooking, why not enrol for our next French cookery classes or treat someone to the lessons, vouchers are available for Christmas. For more info...

Find out about French riddles!

One of our French tutors, Jocelyne, asked her Thursday morning French class to make up some riddles (devinettes). Here is one for this week:
Je suis solide mais aussi fragile.
Quelquefois je suis grand et quelquefois tout petit
Je suis cultivé ou je suis sauvage.
Je suis la nourriture, la chaleur, la lumière, l’abri et le confort.
Je suis vivant mais je ne respire pas.
En hiver je suis nu.
Je suis vert, jaune, orange, rouge, brun et doré.
Je suis ……. un arbre
Why not try to make your own riddles and put them in the Comments section at the bottom? Or come and join one of our French courses and you'll soon be able to write some. For more info...

Did you know that you should choose carefully which wine to drink with which cheese?

Students at Alliance Française de Bristol and their French tutors had a very inspiring evening last week when they learnt about several traditional but rare French wines. The talk was followed by a dégustation of not just wine but food as well, the appropriate food, of course. So, for instance, with un Chignin ( a white wine from Savoie), you eat green olives and du Comté ( a cheese from the East of France), with un Marcillac ( a red wine from Aveyron), you eat de la saucisse de l'Aveyron and du Cantal (a cheese from Central France).

Susan who has been taking French tuition with her French tutor, Martine, for several years has written a very interesting piece on cheeses and wines:

Comment faut-il manger les fromages?

Les Français utilisent souvent la phrase << la sainte trinité gustative>>, c’est-à-dire que le mieux est de déguster ensemble un pain, un fromage et un vin de premier rang. En général, les Français disent que les fromages et les vins d’un même terroir se marient bien. Il y en a qui préfèrent proposer un vin moins puissant afin de ne pas écraser les subtilités de goût des fromages.

En outre, il y a d’autres idées pour déguster les fromages de la région sud-ouest de la France. On dit que le fromage de brebis (dont les marques bien connues incluent l’Etorki et l’Ossau-Iraty) se déguste très bien avec de la confiture de cerises noires et un vin moelleux, comme le Jurançon, ou un rouge très épicé, comme le Madiran.

Par contre, le chèvre, c’est-à-dire le Rocamadour, s’apprécie avec les légumes et les œufs, peut-être en omelette. On le mange de préférence avec un vin de Cahors produit dans la même région.

Les fromages de vache, c’est-à-dire le Saint Albray et le Chaumes, peuvent accompagner des salades ou se déguster chauds.

En fait, on trouve que la plupart des français préfèrent boire du vin rouge avec le fromage, mais il y en a qui pensent qu’un vin blanc sec, peut-être un vin sec d’Alsace, va mieux avec un fromage sucré comme le Reblochon de Savoie.

Bon appétit !

If you wish to find out more about wines, look out for our next dégustation session or even better, come to one of our French tuition classes! More info...

You don't need a French degree to write French poetry!

Amel, one of the French tutors for Alliance Française de Bristol, has two French classes that we call false beginners. They can use the present ( le présent) , the perfect tense ( le passé composé) and the immediate future ( le futur proche) with basic verbs and vocabulary.
Below Amel explains how they worked to write two fantastic poems.
With the French class on Wednesday, we looked at an extract of « L’Écclésiaste » a book of the Hebraic Bible. Firstly, we looked at its structure and established that it is repetitive, it doesn’t rime and opposes two antonyms in each sentence. In groups, we then made the longest list of antonyms we could think of, referring to the dictionary if needed.
Finally, we wrote this poem. Enjoy!

Il y a un temps pour tout, sur la terre et sous les cieux
Un temps pour avoir peur et un temps pour être courageux,
Un temps pour les personnes jolies et un temps pour les personnes moches,
Un temps pour le silence et un temps pour le bruit,
Un temps pour jouer et un temps pour travailler,
Un temps pour être calme et un temps pour être furieux,
Un temps pour les bons moments et un temps pour les moments mauvais,
Un temps pour être doux et un temps pour être dur,
Un temps pour partir et un temps pour rester,
Un temps pour être jeune et un temps pour être vieux,
Un temps pour parler et un temps pour écouter,
Un temps pour avoir besoin et un temps pour avoir assez,
Un temps pour donner et un temps pour recevoir,
Un temps pour être triste et un temps pour être heureux.
Classe du mercredi – Bravo à Colin, John, Simon, Sonal, Katie, Nicky et Mariella.

With the French tuition group on Monday, we looked at a poem of Georges Perec called « De la difficulté d’imaginer une cité idéale » (1985). We briefly discussed the difference between “oui” and “si”, and how to express a wish with the conditional tense.
Then, in small groups, we wrote these two poems. Enjoy!

J’aimerais bien vivre a coté de la mer, mais parfois non,
J’aimerais vivre jusqu’à cent ans mais parfois non,
J’aimerais bien dormir dans un hôtel de glace mais parfois non,
J’aimerais vraiment bien aimé vivre dans une autre époque mais parfois non,
J’aimerais faire du vélo de Land Ends à John O’Goats mais parfois non,
J’aimerais bien apprendre le tango à Buenos Aires mais parfois non,
Je n’aimerais jamais être perdu sous terre mais peut être avec Jules Vernes,
Je n’aimerais pas vivre dans une cave avec des chauve-souris mais parfois si,
Je n’aimerais pas tenir une tarentule mais parfois si.
Classe du lundi – Bravo à Sue, Linda et Phil !

Je n’aimerais pas être un père mais parfois si,
J’aimerais bien vivre en Provence mais il y a beaucoup d’Anglais,
J’aimerais travailler dans une fromagerie mais parfois non,
Je n’aimerais pas faire les quatre volontés des enfants mais dans le futur si,
J’aimerais vivre sur le Queen Elisabeth 2 mais parfois non,
J’aimerais voyager aux quatre coins du monde mais parfois non,
J’aimerais faire « trick or treats » à Halloween mais je suis trop grand.
Classe du lundi – Bravo à Mike, Rosemary et Tom !

Alliance Française de Bristol is starting a new beginner's class this week, why not join! For more info...

Did you know that you can come and taste some very special wines with Alliance Française de Bristol?

Lionel, specialist in French wines, who used to be a French tutor, is going to make students and their French teachers discover unique French wines from rare cépages ( grapes), from a diversity of regions with some rather unknown appellations.
There will be four wines to taste: which wines? C'est une surprise!
With the tasting ( la dégustation), and to enhance it you will have some cheese ( du fromage)and du saucisson as well as some fruit ( des fruits).
You can still join the feast this coming Saturday and book tickets, for more info...
If you would like to find out more about Lionel, listen to the podcast prepared by Alliance Française de Bristol, voici le lien pour l'écouter: http://www.myspace.com/afbristol/music/songs/les-vins-rares-84950620

Do you remember poems about September written by two students taking French tuition with Martine?

On another lovely sunny day, here are two more poems written in Martine's French class:

Septembre qui s’enveloppe dans ses brumes, ses voiles,
Septembre quand doucement on laisse ses pensées estivales.
Septembre dont ses rosées féeriques drapent les gazons,
Septembre, vides les parcs où criaient les enfants.
Septembre qui s’attarde sur le seuil.
Septembre quand les arbres prennent leur deuil.
Septembre avec sa tranquillité sereine, pensive,
Septembre sans nuages, sans souffle, arrive.
Sarah

Septembre
Septembre,...l’été?...l’automne?
Septembre, fleuraison, récolte,
Septembre, vacances, rentrée,
Septembre, soleil, matins frais,
Septembre, vêtements légers,
Septembre, le pull dans le sac
Septembre, hirondelles adieu,
Septembre, les noix sont partout,
Septembre....l’été?...l’automne?
Septembre, quelle saison chantes-tu?
Septembre, beauté des deux!
Helen

Do not hesitate to write your own poem in French in the Comments section or join one of our French tuition groups or enrol on our French drama course starting next week, still a couple of places left, but hurry up! For more info...

Did you know that our next French drama workshop is starting soon?

Our next learn French through drama workshop will be run, as usual, by our enthusiastic and experienced French tutor, Audrey. One of her students said: " Audrey obviously has a lot of experience and knowledge and her energy is infectious!"
These French classes do not require any acting skills, they provide an engaging and lively atmosphere which enable the students to pick up the language easily. Anyone with a good GCSE French can join in.
The good news is that there are still a couple of places, for more info...
Why not watch one of the videos taken last Summer?

Did you know that our next French cookery workshop starts soon?

Isabelle, French tutor and chef at Alliance Française de Bristol, will start her next French workshop on Wednesday, 2nd November at 7pm.
The idea is to prepare one dish per session which you can take home and eat with your partner, friend or.... you will not regret it, as one of the students said:
Iza created a friendly, relaxed, chatty atmosphere, we learned some new cookery tips. It was great to match spoken French to a real situation and the food was delicious.
One of the dishes you could be preparing is un gratin de céleri et courge.
There will also be a fish dish and a dessert.
Why not join? There is just one place left! For more info...

Such a lovely day today, we could still be in September!

Here are some poems written in Martine's French class by some of her students. They spent a French lesson talking about September and listening to Barbara' s beautiful song called Septembre and they were inspired!

Septembre

Septembre arrive. Mois trompeur,
au moment critique de l'année,
plein de surprises, l'avant coureur
d'hiver vient, et cache son secret.

Couleurs d'automne illuminées,
doux rayons de soleil divergent
et lancent les silhouettes mouillées
de rosée sur fils de la Vierge.

Ne croyez pas cette douceur,
la générosité de fruits,
la tenue de soirée! L'humeur
changera quand jour succombe à nuit.
Sue

Septembre

Septembre- la rentrée des classes,
Septembre- la saison des chasses.
Septembre- les amants se quittent,
Septembre- les adieux sont dits.

Septembre- mois de la tristesse,
Septembre meurt avec finesse.
Septembre – feuilles aux couleurs gaies ;
Septembre- contrepoint de mai.
Alan

There will be some more poems next week, look out for them or write your own poem in the Comments section. If you would like to get more involved and take French tuition, go to our website: For more info...
Or you may like to cook some Autumn French dishes, why not join our French cookery course, one place left: For more info...

So the French are in the rugby final!

Le XV de France has made it! Just!
How will they cope in the final against New Zealand?
Earlier on in the competition when the two teams were about to play each other, a French commentator on France Inter ( a French radio station) said:
La marée noire risque de submerger les Bleus! ( The black tide may submerge the Bleus)
And the same radio was saying the same thing today.
So: Croisons les doigts! ( Fingers crossed! or Touchons du bois! ( Touch wood!)
Anyway, the players will all look smart at the beginning of the match, wearing their shirt ( leur maillot) with the cockerel ( le coq) on it.
Why le coq? As we all know the Romans invaded France and in Latin, the word Gaulois ( the Gaul) and the word coq were both translated by gallus.
Then, in the middle ages, ennemis of the French would compared them as cockerels as they thought that the French were as vain and as proud as the cockerel. Well, the French decided that le coq was a good symbol for a proud nation and decided to use it.
Nowadays, it is the logo on the rugby shirts of La Fédération Française de Rugby!Alliance Française de Bristol and Bath with its French tutors do not just teach about rugby:
If you wish to take French lessons as a beginner or join an intermediate or advanced French class or learn French through drama or cookery workshops, go to our website: For more info...

You know the French have beaten the English in the rugby world cup!

Le Mondial 2011:
The French ( Les Français) have beaten the English ( Les Anglais) in the quarter final (le quart de finale).
The headline in the famous newspaper, Le Monde, says:
Le XV de France renverse l'Angleterre!
Les Bleus will be playing Wales ( Le pays de Galles) in the semi- final ( La demi-finale) as Wales has beaten Ireland ( Le pays de Galles est vainqueur de l'Irlande).
Watch out for our blog next week as we will be telling you all about the logo of the French team ( le coq) as it appears on Chabal's shirt.
Why not join some of our French lessons to find out more about rugby or other topics, for more info...

Did you know that last night was La nuit blanche in Paris?

La nuit blanche ( The sleepless night) started in Paris ten years ago on the first weekend of October.
The idea is that you can stay up and enjoy a host of unusual activities or shows right through the night.
If you went to Le Sacré cœur last night you would have seen, in the gardens below, 1000 candles ( bougies) reconstituting the night sky as it will be in 2111! The special candles that were used, could resist wind and rain but as it was, the night was warm and calm.
If you wanted to experience purple rain and see a purple night, you could go to L'hôtel d'Albret in the 4th arrondissement. Once in the courtyard, you were given a transparent umbrella and were under Une "Purple Rain" as it was called.
If you were in a surreal mood, you could go la station de métro Anvers in the 9th arrondissement and see a display of urban furniture ( du mobilier urbain) presented in a surreal fashion: un abri-bus ( bus shelter), un parking à vélo ( bicycle park), une poubelle ( a dustbin), un lampadaire ( a lamp post), une horloge ( a clock), un horodateur ( a ticket machine for carparks) une caméra de surveillance ( a CCTV camera) and plenty more...
If you wish to broaden your French vocabulary and discover more about France, why not contact Alliance Française de Bristol or Bath to start some French tuition, for more info...

Did you know that the TGV, train à grande vitesse, celebrates its 30th anniversary this month?

The first TGV ( fast train) ran between Paris and Lyon for the first time on 27th September 1981.
There are 800 TGV per day, stopping at 230 stations.
It goes at an average speed of 320km per hour!
In 2010, 98,5 million passengers had taken the TGV in France; 1,7 billion in France and Europe.
For more info, have a look at the site below:
http://www.leparisien.fr/voyages/30-ans-du-tgv-les-chiffres-et-dates-cles-21-09-2011-1620154.php
Don't forget you can learn more about France if you join one of our French courses, for more info...

If you live in Bristol or Bath and you have a child learning French at secondary school, why not think of the Student Exchange between Bristol and Bordeaux? Meeting at the council house in Bristol on Wednesday, 28th September: For more info...

Do you know what Les journées du Patrimoine are?

Les journées du Patrimoine ( open days to show the French heritage) take place every year on the 3rd weekend in September. They are taking place this weekend. It gives the opportunity to the public to see monuments and sites which are not usually open to the public and the visits are free.
In Paris, you can see Le palais de l'Elysée, where the president works and lives, l'Hôtel de ville: the townhall, Le Palais Garnier: the opera house, and a lot more.
In Bordeaux, you can visit Le grand Théâtre; in Aix en Provence, you can go to some monuments and sites where Cézanne worked and in Nice you can discover La grotte du Lazaret: a prehistoric cave overlooking the sea.
And of course these open days are happening all over France.
We are still enrolling for this academic year so why not come and meet some French tutors at Alliance Française de Bristol et Bath: for more info...

Do you know the French vocabulary for the rugby world cup?

Come to French lessons with Alliance Française de Bristol or Bath and you 'll find out.
You can come and meet us in Bristol on Saturday, September 17th in the foyer of the Central Library, College Green, between 10 am and 2pm: for more info...

What is in French?
The rugby world cup: la coupe du monde de rugby
A team: une équipe
A goal: un but
A player: un joueur
The rugby ball: le ballon oval
The referee: l'arbitre
A try: un essai
To convert a try: transformer un essai
A penalty: un but sur pénalité
A drop-goal: un drop

Time to enrol for French lessons with Alliance Française in Bristol and in Bath!

Come for enrolment at:
Henleaze Library, Northumbria Drive ( opposite Waitrose) in Bristol on Monday 12th September between 7.30pm and 9pm.
Or at:
St John's Parish Church, South Parade ( near Police Station) in Bath on Monday, 12th September, between 7.30pm and 9pm.
Have a look at our website for the French classes we offer: group lessons, drama and cookery workshops and more, for more info...

Schools have started again in France too, it is called la rentrée, children go and buy their school equipment (les fournitures) as exercise books and text books are not provided by schools.
A new pencil case ( une trousse) as well as a new satchel (un cartable) with the latest designs are very tempting! A homework notebook (Un cahier de textes) is a must and exercise book covers (des protège-cahiers ) of different colours for different subjects have to be bought according to the teachers' recommendations. But no uniforms, ( pas d'uniformes).
Bon courage à tout le monde!

Do come for a chat to find out about our day and evening French classes in Bristol and in Bath!

Some French tutors for Alliance Française de Bristol et de Bath will be available to talk to you about our French tuition at:

Clifton Library, Princess Victoria Street, Bristol on Saturday, 10th September between 10 am and 1pm.

The Farmers’ market, Green Park Station, Green Park Road, Bath on Saturday, 10th September, between 9am and 2pm.

If you can't come then, there are other opportunities to meet our French tutors in Bristol, for more info...

Or in Bath, for more info...

What about a bit of a refresher with the subjunctive before resuming French classes this September?

Suzanne, taking French tuition with Alliance Française de Bristol wrote this poem with her French tutor, Jocelyne:

Ecologie…au Subjonctif!


Tout le monde veut que nous puissions prendre
Tout ce que nous voulons,
Mais je doute que nous ayons besoin
D’utiliser autant.

Je regrette que nous supposions que la terre
Va durer sans arrêt.
Je crains qu’elle ne comprenne pas
Les dégâts que nous lui avons faits.

Malgré que les ressources naturelles
Ne soient pas illimitées.
Nous exigeons de plus en plus
Nous n’essayons pas d’elles sauver.

Il faut que nous nous réveillions maintenant
Et arrêtions d’être si gourmands.
Jusqu’à ce que nous respections la planète,
Nous trouverons la vie stressante !

If you wish to revise some grammar, improve your spoken French or your listening skills or start from the very beginning, now is the time to join one of our French classes, for more info...

Why not come for a chat to meet Alliance Française French tutors?

Two of our French tutors will be ready to talk to you about our French courses and answer all your questions in Bristol this Saturday, please come to:
Redland Library, Whiteladies Road, on Saturday, 3rd September between 10am and 1pm.
If you can't make it but would like to see us, find more info on our website...

Another book recommended by one student in Françoise's Wednesday French tuition class:

If you saw the film Elle s'appelait Sarah you may like to read more about what was going on in France during the second world war ( la deuxième guerre mondiale).
Françoise, one of our French tutors, studied UN SECRET de Philippe Grimbert with one of her advanced French classes this year, here is:

Un commentaire:

C’est l’histoire des effets de l’invasion nazie en France sur une famille juive française pendant la Deuxième Guerre Mondiale.

Deux membres d’une famille , une femme mariée et son fils sont déportés
dans un camp de concentration à Auschwitz et le livre décrit l’avenir
de ceux qui restaient en France, comment ils s’en sortaient avec leur perte et en particulier comment ils essayaient de protéger le jeune narrateur en lui disant rien du passé.

C’est une bonne histoire qui vaut la peine d’être lue car elle traite un sujet très sensible vécu par un expert.

If you would like to study books with Alliance Française de Bristol or Bath, or if your French is more basic or if you are a beginner, you can enrol in one of our French classes this September, for more info...

Some more comments about Une Pièce Montée from the Friday morning French class:

Martine, the French tutor who studied the book with her French tuition class thought it was a real success and she highly recommends it to other French tutors as well as anyone whose French is a good A2 or above.
I am sure some more French tutors at Alliance Française de Bristol et Bath will be studying it, if you wish to join them, now is the time to enrol, for more info...

See below what some of the students wrote about the book:
Liz:
Une Pièce Montée est un livre qui ne contient aucun instant ennuyeux. Il explore les perspectives des invités différents à un grand mariage à la mode.
L’auteur a écrit chaque chapitre selon le style do son personnage, et cette formule m’intéresse beaucoup.
A la fin on a une bonne maîtrise d’une famille bourgeoise de notre époque, mais il y a des questions qui restent sans réponse.
Le roman est un mélange de tristesse et d’humour. Je le lisais pendant les noces de mon fils, donc c’était un livre très approprié pour moi.

Olivia:
Je vous recommande Une Pièce Montée par Blandine Le Callet. C’est un roman contemporain et l’histoire se déclenche pendant la journée d’un grand mariage. La famille française est de la haute bourgeoisie où les apparences sont très importantes. Dans chaque chapitre, l’auteur se concentre sur une personne qui y est présente. Le lecteur devient tellement engagé dans leur vie parce que Blandine les décrit en utilisant un style familier. Les personnages sont crédibles et on peut se rapporter aux courants sous-jacents qui se trouvent dans une famille.

Pippa:
Une Pièce Montée par Blandine Le Callet est un livre avec beaucoup d’originalité et d’humour mais aussi de gravité. C’est un livre très agréable à lire, mais ce n’est pas un livre léger. C’est un livre bien écrit et bien perçu avec beaucoup de tristesse et d’humour. Chacun des personnages raconte le même mariage bourgeois. On voit une tranche de la société par les yeux de neuf personnes avec des personnalités très différentes. Chaque personne a beaucoup de problèmes qui sont crédibles et passionnants, de Pauline qui est mignonne et amusante à Hélène sa mère qui a un mari qui aime sa voiture plus qu’elle. On est ému par Maddie et son secret et on déteste Damien et son pari. Blandine Le Callet traite les aspects différents de la vie comme la trisomie et l’homosexualité avec beaucoup de sensibilité.
C’est un livre qui est très intéressant à étudier.

Pete, a student in Martine's French class suggests some good reading for your holiday:

Une Pièce Montée

Un aperçu, fascinant et spirituel, sur les vies de la bourgeoisie française. C’est l’histoire d’un mariage, avec chaque chapitre narré du point de vue d’un individu différent. On raconte les récits habilement mais avec simplicité, et le roman entier est assemblé avec soin. Il y a quelques surprises et même deux ou trois chocs. Probablement, vous n’assisterez plus jamais à un mariage dans le même état d’esprit !

PS Très utile pour appendre l’argot et le vocabulaire familier !

Lively, witty and full of surprises, by Blandine le Callet: a must! ( incontournable!)

What is une pièce montée? It is a special dessert for weddings and christenings built like a pyramid with des petits choux ( sort ot profiterolles) holding together with caramel or sometimes it is made with des macarons. Would you like to see what it looks like? Go to our Facebook page!

Why not join us and discover books with us or simply practise your French in one of our French tuition classes, for more info...

What about paying a visit to Nice this Summer?

Peter, a student taking French tuition on Tuesday nights, decided to tell his fellow students and his French tutor something about the history and architecture of Nice:

Nice (au style de Bien-Dire, French magazine published in Lyon):

“Quelle belle ville, c’est la ville aux cent hôtels” se serait exclamé un jeune homme riche en arrivant à Nice au 19ème siècle. La ville compte encore tous les grands hôtels qui ont l’air de gâteaux de mariage énormes.

Que diriez-vous d’un peu d’histoire de cette ville, pour mieux vous imprégner de la vie niçoise? Non?........vous pensez peut être que ce sujet sera un peu ennuyeux, un peu comme un article écrit par un office de tourisme? Tant pis! Je vais commencer.


A l’origine Nice est simplement une cité étape pour les marins grecs qui s’étaient installés à Marseille. Ils l’ont nommée la colonie Nikaia apparamment pour commémorer une victoire à proximité. En 154 avant JC, les Grecs ont été suivis par les Romains. Par la suite, Nice connaîtra deux âges d’or. Elle doit le premier au régime de la Maison de Savoie de 1388 au 18ème siècle.

En 1860 Nice est devenue une partie de la France, le commencement du second âge d’or. Nice est devenu la destination favorite pour l’aristocratie anglaise et européenne. Nobles et riches bourgeois se font également bâtir de magnifiques demeures tandis que parcs et jardins se multiplient.

Son association et sa longue tradition de visiteurs internationaux donnent à Nice une attitude ouverte et accueillante envers les voyageurs.

If you would like to see some photos of Nice that a group of students took while on a trip with their French tutor, go to our website ...

The Friday morning French class is back from Toulouse:

The French class left on Friday afternoon with their French tutor, Martine and arrived with plenty of time to enjoy an apéritif, place du Capitole before going for their first meal and discovering les spécialités toulousaines:
le cassoulet, le canard confit among the most famous ones.
The next three days were spent walking round and visiting the famous churches, museums and looking at the attractive old buildings.
Here is what they enjoyed most:
J'ai adoré les briques roses qui créent une atmosphère lumineuse.
La basilique St Sernin est un bâtiment merveilleux, très clair à l'intérieur.
J'ai aimé les briques roses, le marché Victor Hugo et faire du vélo sur les bords du canal du Midi et de la Garonne.Si vous aimez l'art moderne, allez aux Abattoirs.
Le musée de la résistance et de la déportation m'a émue.
Les peintures dans la salle des mariages du Capitole sont très amusantes!
J'ai été très impressionnée par la place du Capitole et les bords de la Garonne.
If you wish to see some photos of the students practising their French with their French tutor with a glass of wine or during a meal, go to our website, for more info...

The Friday morning French class is looking forward to their trip to Toulouse!

Martine, one of the French tutors at Alliance Française in Bristol, is taking a group of students, taking French lessons with her, to Toulouse.
They'll be leaving from Bristol airport on Friday afternoon. The hotel has been booked for months and is conveniently situated near the tourist office ( l'office du tourisme). Its premises are in the old donjon near la place du Capitole with its cafés where they'll have un apéritif before having their first meal at the restaurant called Les Terrasses St Rome. The owner ( le patron) has promised Martine that they will not have un temps anglais so he is reserving a table à la terrasse!
On Saturday they'll be discovering the old town with its churches, particularly la basilique St Sernin, and the 17th century hôtels particuliers. Martine has prepared a list of museums for students to choose from but also they all want to enjoy walking ( faire des balades) along la Garonne and le canal du Midi. And make the most of the cafés and restaurants to soak up the atmosphere, to make it all come to life, after studying about Toulouse in the French lessons from books and from the Internet.
The group is travelling back the following Monday: during those four days, they will speak French the whole time ( Martine will make sure of that!) so quite an immersion in the French language, South west accent included!
Look out for photos on our website in the next few weeks, for more info...

Did you know that the film La princesse de Montpensier is on at the Watershed in Bristol?

La Princesse de Montpensier by Bertrand Tavernier is an adaptation of the novel by Madame de la Fayette. The film narrates the passionate love affair between Mademoiselle de Mézières and le Duc de Guise. The young girl was forced to marry le Prince de Montpensier when in love with le Duc!
Violence, rivalries and passions take place on a back drop of religious wars during the 16th century: a must! Or as we say in French: C'est incontournable!
There is a special discount for students taking French lessons with Alliance Française de Bristol et Bath. Please contact us for details...

Camping in France

When you go camping (camper) in France, don't forget to pack your tent (la tente) and your pegs (les sardines)!

If it's hot you might not need a sleeping bag (un sac de couchage), but you definitely will need boules de pétanque to play during the apéritif!

A few useful words:

a camper van = le camping-car

a flask = la gourde

a cool box = la glacière

And beware of mosquitoes (les moustiques)!

Join our classes to learn French with Alliance Française de Bristol in September to keep your French up in a relaxed atmosphere! More info here.

Would you like to know how to argue in French?

Last Tuesday, brave actresses who took part in Alliance Française de Bristol course to learn French through drama stepped on stage to share their creations with us.
Do you know what to do when someone steals your parking spot in France? Click on the video to see how to argue (se disputer) in case it happens to you!

Colourful insults include: "You look like a potato" (une pomme de terre), "You're crazy!" (vous êtes dingue)...

Of course you won't need this vocabulary when you travel to France, as we are such considerate (courtois) and polite (poli) drivers! :)

Did you know the next French through Drama show is this Tuesday 28th June?

Join us for an evening of games, short pieces and improvisations in accessible French!

After ten sessions, the brave actors/French learners will entertain you for an evening. They'll introduce you to the art of arguing in French, will share with you their creations, and will ask for your help to solve a a dilemma...

Watch a video from the last show:

Grab a drink - or a delicious pizza - from downstairs and share a table with other French learners/speakers!

Held at the Comedy Box, Upstairs at the Hen and Chicken (there is no lift, but please contact us if you need help going upstairs)
210, North Street, Southville,
Bristol
BS3 1JF

8.30 pm
Entry £2 on the door

NEXT COURSE STARTS IN OCTOBER

Why not join us?

• Work on pronunciation and rhythm
• Improve communication skills
• Experience grammar in context
• Have fun!

We'll start a new series of 10 sessions in October (each lasting 1 hour 30 minutes - Tuesday nights @ Comedy Box, BS3 1JF). The course is filling up, so it is best to sign up soon. To enrol, send an email toinfo@theatre-vo.com.

"Theatre VO is a completely different way of learning French; it's amazing how much you take in without even realising it. Acting was never really my thing- but acting in French is completely different!! It's great fun and I'd recommend the course to anyone who wants to improve their ability to speak French." - Rosie

Did you know that the French film Potiche is at the Watershed?

Potiche, a comedy by François Ozon is called Trophy Wife in English.

Out in France in 2010, it's the story of Suzanne Pujol ( French Icon Catherine Deneuve), a submissive housebound housewife (femme au foyer). After her husband's factory goes on strike (en grève) and he's being taken hostage (pris en otage) and she has to step in to manage it...

One of François Ozon's other film is 8 Women (8 femmes). Have you seen it?

The Watershed is offering a discount to see Potiche on Sunday 26th at 8.10 pm for people who take French lessons at Alliance Française de Bristol et Bath.

Please contact us to find out the password: For more info...