Questions About Cookham To Cannes: The South of France - Lobsters & Lunatics

by Brent Tyler (Goodreads Author)

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Answered Questions (2)

A footnote to Brett and Debbie: I thought I would share this? On our recent visit to Provence (Avignon, Arles, Aix-en-Provence, Cannes, Nice etc.) we had some free time to visit the shops. I said "Je cherche un gateau" but when the man laughed, I realized I meant to say "Je cherche un cadeau." Très drôle. Nous avons ri.

Brent Tyler Excellent! The thing is though, at least you made the effort which goes down very well with the French. The man, would have found what you said quite …moreExcellent! The thing is though, at least you made the effort which goes down very well with the French. The man, would have found what you said quite charming and, no doubt, went out of his way to help you? Well done! I once went into a chemist and said to the lady assistant that I had a 'toi' instead of a toux. She also found me très amusant.......(less)

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Brett and Debbie: Do you speak/read French? You didn't mention any idiosyncrasies or nuances about the French language. Even though you worked for English speaking employers, your daily interactions with agents bakeries, shop owners etc. would have necessitated speaking French, n'est ce pas? Merci.

Brent Tyler Hi Debra,
Many thanks for taking the time to read my book and also for putting a review on here as well as on Amazon - that's very kind. In answer to y…moreHi Debra,
Many thanks for taking the time to read my book and also for putting a review on here as well as on Amazon - that's very kind. In answer to your question, I studied French at school until I was eighteen. It was my favourite subject, so I at least had some experience of the language. Debbie's parents had an apartment in La Grande Motte when she was small so, again, she had some knowledge too. Having said that, you're quite right, dealing with not just bakeries in our case but plumbers, electricians, builders and so on is another matter altogether. To begin with there was a lot of 'google translate' and scratching of heads going on! Also, the way people speak from the way we learn in books can be completely different. For example in Castres, the locals pronounce pain as ping, vin as ving and demain as deming. Has been a challenge at times and, of course, we've made plenty of mistakes along the way! Nine years on, we're not completely fluent but it's not as scary as it was at first. I hope that answers your question. I also hope you and your husband had a wonderful time in Provence. A bientôt, Brent, Debbie and Guss (less)

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