Catherine Daniel Ceramics

Hello and welcome to my blog where I share some of the thought processes and textile/quilting inspirations behind my ceramic art, and occasionally other random topics!
For more details and pictures of my ceramic creations, please see my website -

catherinedanielceramics.com



Monday 9 May 2011

Parlez Vous Franglais?


I'll just finish up telling you about our short break in France by showing some of the fabulous places we stayed at. For not much more than the price of a Travelodge room in England, we had sumptuous bed and breakfast accommodation here ... in this 16th Century chateau, where the owners just couldn't do enough for us.

And later, here in this little place, where we had the whole end of the building to ourselves.

But of course when you are taking advantage of the French owners' hospitality, it is imperative that you try to speak to them in French.
I can understand quite a lot of French and speak it reasonably well. However, I do take a few moments to gather my thoughts (and vocab!) before just blurting out any old rubbish.


Not so Monsieur Potterjotter. Non! He last spoke French at school back in 1918 (or thereabouts) when he did French 'O' Level, but still insists on having a go.

So the proprietor asks if we speak French. Hubby replies within a nanosecond (in his own specially-invented-French-dialect which no-one else on the planet understands) that he studied French a long time ago at school.
So the French chap replies (in proper French that I understand): Ah, so you haven't spoken French since you were a child ('enfant').


Hubby hears the word 'enfant' and replies in his pigeon French: Yes, we have one girl and two boys.

The French chap looks bewildered and I look for a hole in the ground to open up so that I can jump in and hide!

Hubby had many such 'conversations' with them - bless 'im!

That little dog lived at the fancy mansion above. I got the impression he was deaf, dumb and blind and about 100 years old, and unfortunately he was the same colour as the gravel driveway we drove in on, so that the Hubby, (also 100 years old) did not see the 'petit chien' and nearly ran him down. Not a great start to our stay at that place!

Just love all the shutters in France - they really add something to a place.

Parlez Vous Francais?

11 comments:

  1. Wow! Sounds like you had an adventure! I love that little dog!

    C x

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sounds like the kind of 'conversations' I'd be having if I went to France :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. So, there're at least 3 of us - let's start "Polyglot's Wives Club" :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Mr T and I had a real laugh at your story.
    Gillx

    ReplyDelete
  5. oui, je parle un petit peu... but once when I was in france practising my school girl french, the owner of a hotel we wanted to stay in for the night asked me to speak in english instead as it was easier for him to understand than my french! LOL!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I speak French probably even worse than Mr Potterjotter!! lol!! I do love your photos..and am glad he didn't really hurt the dog..poor petite chien..haha.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Looks lovely, glad the dog survived and so did your hubby with his French!! Just catching up, it has all been a bit hectic here so I have not managed to participate for a few weeks.

    ReplyDelete
  8. That made me chuckle.Glad the dog was ok.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi Catherine! Thanks for leaving a comment on my post about Portsmouth. Yes, sorry, it's taken me a while to get here!
    Goodness, those B&Bs leave our British counterparts way behind don't they? I've just forked out an arm and a leg for a hotel room in Manchester, but it hurts my soul!!
    I think Pompey would be worth a visit, but I'm happy not to be living there anymore!
    Z xx

    ReplyDelete
  10. Ha ha, ha ha. I have guffawed at this! Reminds me of a trip to Paris during my uni years many years ago when my so called friends (one of whom is the son of a French teacher) let me do the very bad french at the metro station. I still blush at the thought! And that dog... sooo glad hubby missed him, ha ha.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Monsieur Potterjotter, indeed! Heh.

    ReplyDelete