Category Archives: Uncategorized

Friday’s French – châtaigne, chestnut, marron, brun, brown

Posted on November 13, 2016 by Rosemary Kneipp

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 , | 11 Comments

Friday’s French – Minute papillon

Posted on October 20, 2016 by Rosemary Kneipp

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 →

Posted in French language, Paris, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

Friday’s French – navet

Posted on December 23, 2015 by Rosemary Kneipp

“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

Posted on October 4, 2015 by Rosemary Kneipp

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 | 6 Comments

May Flowers in the Country

Posted on May 24, 2015 by Rosemary Kneipp

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 →

Posted in Flowers & gardens, Loire Valley, Loire Valley châteaux, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 8 Comments

Friday’s French – je me débrouille

Posted on March 27, 2015 by Rosemary Kneipp

“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 →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Getting to Granada and First Impressions

Posted on February 2, 2015 by Rosemary Kneipp

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 →

Posted in Restaurants, Sightseeing, Spain, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 17 Comments

Château de Chaumont in Winter

Posted on December 29, 2014 by Rosemary Kneipp

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 | 11 Comments

Friday’s French – poêle, poeliste, fumiste, fumisterie

Posted on November 28, 2014 by Rosemary Kneipp

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 , , | 9 Comments

Lunch with Learners

Posted on November 17, 2014 by Rosemary Kneipp

Our party of four arrives just before noon in front of the local hospitality high school. It’s important to be on time because class goes back at 1.30 pm. We enter the building and can see the students through the … Continue reading →

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Posted in Blois, Restaurants, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 14 Comments