Insights into the French way of life and European travels by an Australian living in the Loire Valley
Header photo: Blois in spring, 2016. All photos on website copyright by Rosemary Kneipp unless specified otherwise. All rights reserved.Sign up for the latest posts below and don’t forget to click the confirmation email link:
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Happy New Year 2019
This is my absolute last chance to write my New Year post and wish you all a wonderful 2019, as tomorrow is the first day of February. I have an exciting year ahead – I am going to retire on … Continue reading
Posted in Blogging, Blois, Cycling, Cyprus, France, Germany, Poland, Uncategorized
Tagged cycling in germany, cycling in Poland, new year wishes
19 Comments
Friday’s French – châtaigne, chestnut, marron, brun, brown
It’s roast chestnut season. If you come from Australia, you probably think there is only one kind – the edible sort you read about in English novels. Not so! In French, there are two different words: marron and châtaigne and the … Continue reading
Posted in Food, French language, Uncategorized
Tagged brown in French, difference between châtaigne and marron
11 Comments
Friday’s French – Minute papillon
As we were driving through Paris recently in the rain, we saw a café called “Minute Papillon” which made me wonder about the origin of the expression which is roughly equivalent to our English saying “Hold your horses!”. Some sources … Continue reading
Friday’s French – navet
“What’s a navet?” someone asked on Facebook this week. “It’s a film that’s a flop”, I answered. But a navet is actually a vegetable – a turnip in fact. So how did we get from turnip to a dud film? … Continue reading
Posted in French language, Uncategorized
7 Comments
Maria Taferl Basilica overlooking the Danube in Austria
On Saturday morning, the weather forecast for Sunday promised bright sun, blue skies and 19°C (even better than Saturday) so we intended to cycle from our Radlerpension in Hagsdorf to Melk for lunch then drive up to the Maria Taferl … Continue reading
Posted in Architecture, Art, Austria, Cycling, Sightseeing, Uncategorized
Tagged maria taferl basilica
6 Comments
May Flowers in the Country
Last time, I took you on a tour of my garden in May. I thought you might like to see the wild flowers in the surrounding countryside as well. Here are the photos I took last Friday when we cycled along the … Continue reading
Friday’s French – je me débrouille
“Je me débrouille” is one of Jean Michel’s most oft-used expressions. The verb brouiller comes from the Gallo-Roman brodiculare which is turn comes from the verb brodigar in the Italian dialect of Bergamo (a lovely city, what’s more) meaning to sully or … Continue reading
Getting to Granada and First Impressions
We leave Blois at 10 am on Saturday to drive to Orly Airport where we’re leaving the car in a somewhat suspicious-looking long-term parking lot near for the airport for 70 euros. If the car’s still there on our return, … Continue reading
Château de Chaumont in Winter
I’m off to visit Château de Chaumont with Black Cat and the Flying Dutchman. I suggest we park along the Loire and take the front entrance to the castle. Not a good idea. It’s closed so we have to walk … Continue reading
Posted in Architecture, Loire Valley châteaux, Uncategorized
Tagged château de chaumont in winter
11 Comments
Friday’s French – poêle, poeliste, fumiste, fumisterie
I would just like to point out straight away that poeliste is not a real word but it amused my Solognot neighbour Alain no end. We are thinking of putting a wood-burning stove in our downstairs living room (as I … Continue reading
Posted in French language, Uncategorized
Tagged Friday's French, fumiste in English, poêle
9 Comments
