When I first moved to France in 1975, I don’t remember hearing people saying anything other than au revoir and adieu for goodbye. I had learnt that you only said adieu if you weren’t ever going to see the person again or at least for a long time. I was a bit surprised to hear it used as a greeting as well Adieu ! Comment vas-tu ? But it turns out that it is only in use in the south of France and I was in Béarn, near the Pyrenees. (Dieu = god, by the way).
In any case, just having au revoir made things easier (I didn’t ever use adieu). Since then, I’ve come to hear and use other expressions, such as ciao and salut. Ciao is practically universal of course and is very useful in countries such as Bulgaria where everything else is unpronounceable. It’s sometimes doubled here as well: ciao, ciao.
Salut is a different kettle of fish. It used to think it was the beginning of the prayer, Hail Mary: Salut Marie, but it is actually Je vous salue Marie; the verb saluer is used to mean salute, greet, take one’s leave, wave to, pay tribute to, etc. depending the context.
Saluez-le de ma part = give him my regards.
Il salua (le public) = he bowed (to the audience).
Salut has been reintroduced into everyday language with a much less formal register. Kids will say salut to each other both as a greeting and goodbye. Salut les mecs ! (mec is slang for man). Adults use it among friends or at informal gatherings. Salut tout le monde ! You would never use it with a shopkeeper or your doctor or someone you’ve just met. Some people never use it and consider it to be slang.
Given that you can never go wrong with bonjour and au revoir it’s probably best to avoid salut unless the other person has used it first.
If you enjoyed reading this, don’t forget to subscribe to new posts using the subscription form on the top right – that way you’ll get them directly on your smart phone or in your mail box! And I love to hear your comments!
Regular readers of my Wednesday’s Blogger Round-Up will already know Carolyn Schonafinger from Holidays to Europe, an Australian based business passionate about sharing their European travel expertise and helping travellers to experience the holiday in Europe they have always dreamed of. I recently quoted from her post on cycling on the Austrian lakes. Carolyn has kindly agreed to write a guest post about an area she knows well in the south of France – Languedoc – which I have also visited (and enjoyed) on several occasions. Enjoy!
Aah, the south of France. Over 300 days of sunshine per year, endless stretches of Mediterranean coastline, unspoilt countryside, bustling markets and untouched medieval villages. I’m talking about Provence, right? Wrong! This is Languedoc, the real south of France.
Less well known than its famous neighbour, particularly by Australians, Languedoc offers the visitor the quintessential rural French experience. Its strong history of wine making (it’s the largest wine producing region in the world) is reason enough to visit but there are plenty of other reasons, too. Our focus below is on the Aude and Herault departments of Languedoc.
The walled city of Carcassonne
Carcassonne and its famous medieval castle is a ‘must-visit’ site in the region. The UNESCO World Heritage listed fortified city sits above the ‘new’ town and you can easily spend a few hours wandering the cobbled pathways inside the medieval walls and exploring the castle itself. Numerous shops, restaurants and cafes are now housed inside the walls and there are fantastic views towards the Pyrenees from the castle walls.
The Canal du Midi
Another UNESCO World Heritage site in Languedoc is the Canal du Midi. Stretching for 240km, the Canal was built in the 17th Century as a means of transporting goods between the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts. These days, the only boats you’ll find on the Canal are pleasure craft. An afternoon boat ride on the Canal du Midi is a wonderful way to while away a couple of hours, taking in the stunning scenery and marvelling at the workings of the locks which raise and lower the water level as required. Canal-side villages like Homps and Trebes offer the perfect location to dine alfresco alongside this unique waterway.
Minerve
The village of Minerve was a strategic base for the Cathars during the crusade against them in the early 13th Century. It was also an important stopover for the pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostelle in Spain during the medieval times. The small Musee Hurepel is well worth a visit. Sixteen scenes, complete with intricately made clay figurines, depict the story of the Cathars’ struggle against the Crusaders. As a member of France’s ‘Most Beautiful Villages’ alliance, Minerve is definitely worth a visit.
Lagrasse with the abbey in the background
The Fontfroide Abbey, along with the abbeys of Fontcaude and Lagrasse, can all be found in this region, too. The ruined, but still spectacular, fortresses of Peyrepertuse, Montsegur and Queribus are the scenes of the last desperate struggles of the Cathar rebels. A visit to the ruins of Lastours is also worthwhile, with its four small castles (now in ruins) keeping watch over the valley below.
Lastours
The Mediterranean coastline in Languedoc stretches from Collioure, not far from the Spanish border, to Espiguette near Provence. Languedoc’s beaches tend to be wider and sandier than those in Provence and they vary from busy tourist sites to intimate coves. Some of the more popular beaches include Sete, Gruissan, Canet and Narbonne Plage. Europe’s largest nudist colony can also be found in Languedoc at Cap d’Agde.
Cap d’Agde nudist beach (source: Wikipedia)
Narbonne dates back to pre-Roman times and was once the capital of the Languedoc. A visit to the beautiful covered market, Les Halles, will have your mouth watering. The quality of food, from butchers through fishmongers and everything in between, is excellent. The Narbonne market operates from Monday to Saturday, and on Thursday and Sunday you’ll also find a huge market on both sides of the Robine Canal, a tributary of the Canal du Midi. Whilst in Narbonne, make sure you visit the magnificent cathedral, see the Archbishop’s Palace (now the Town Hall) and enjoy a stroll along the Canal du Robine.
Narbonne Cathedral
To make the most of your holiday in Languedoc, why not stay in your own home-away-from-home in a holiday house like Castel Grand Rue? The three-storey, three-bedroom, traditional French house is right in the heart of Olonzac, a market town in the Minervois region. The sunny rooftop terrace makes the ideal place to dine on fresh local produce and sip the local wines after a busy day of exploring in Languedoc. Furnished to a high standard with everything you could possibly need to feel at home, the Australian-owned holiday house fits the bill for location and comfort.
Carolyn Schonafinger is the editor of www.HolidaysToEurope.com.au where she blogs about her travels around Europe
The first thing I do when I wake up is to slip on the tiled threshold of the bathroom and seriously bruise and sprain my big toe as I grip the edge of the tiles with it in a fortunately successful attempt not to fall over completely. How stupid can you get! We set out nevertheless on tour n°2 of the 2008 Insiders’ Guide to Sofia published by the Tourist Office and provided by our lovely home exchange hosts whom we met briefly in Paris.
Local bakery
It’s unexpectedly overcast and cool. The poverty is even more obvious on the main street. We are the only tourists around. I stop to take a photo of a bakery and the young man coming out offers to pose but I’m not quick enough. The owner quickly disappears inside.
Lions’ Bridge
We come to the famous Lion Bridge, with its four lions symbolising Bulgaria, and are surprised at the meagre stream below, Vladarska Reka.
Berries at the Ladies’ market
After taking a sharp turn left, we wander through the back streets to Zhenski Pazar, the Ladies’ Market, Sofia’s biggest and cheapest market, where the women used to sell any extra fruit and vegetables of their own production during the Communist era. Today, it is a normal market selling mainly local produce, all at the same price. We buy some grapes at 1.20 leva a kilo (about 60 Euro cents).
St Cyril and St Methodius church
The church of Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius comes unexpectedly into view. It was built at the turn of the 20th century in honour of the two Greek brothers and monks who created the glagolithic alphabet later reworked by Saint Clement of Ohrid to form the Cyrillic alphabet with its 30 letters used in Bulgarian that I really need to learn ASAP.
TSUM department store
We take Ekzarch Josif Street, past the synagogue we saw yesterday, then onto Maria Luisa Boulevard with its restored market or Halite, not nearly as interesting as the one we’ve just been to. We pass the mosque and central baths from yesterday.
Sofia
I look up and see a large winged statue. across from TZUM which contains a department store and the Sheraton Hotel. The 24-metre high bronze and copper sculpture erected in 2001, weighs four tons. Sofia holds the symbols of fame and wisdom in her hands and wears the crown of Tjuhe, the goddess of fate.
Sveta Petka church
“Are there any old buildings left in Sofia”, I ask. “We’re just coming to one”, replies Jean Michel. We use the underpass to go to the other side and come to the tiny church of Sveta Petka built in the 14th century. It’s hardly visible from the street because under Turkish rule, churches were only allowed if they didn’t rise higher than ground level.
Saint George’s rotunda
Just round the other side of the Sheraton, we come upon the St George Rotunda, set among the excavations of ancient Roman ruins. It was built in the 4th century and consecrated a century later. Three layers of 10th century frescoes are still visible but like churches everywhere in Bulgaria, photographs are not allowed inside. However, you can see some on the church’s official website.
The Rotunda café
We have a cappuccino in a tiny little café opposite, aptly called the Rotunda, that has no fewer than four Orthodox priests. There seem to be very few bars and cafes that are not Italian or American and I’m delighted to discover this one. We learn from the Routard that the owner is French-speaking … My toe is beginning to get very painful so it’s a welcome break.
Changing of the guard in front of the Presidential Palace
Just through a passageway on the opposite end of the square under the Presidential Palace, we come upon the changing of the guards, which takes place every hour. It is exactly midday so we’re very happy with our accidental timing.
Demonstration in front of the presidential palace
A peaceful demonstration of some kind is taking place at the same time. We can’t, of course, find out what it’s all about. That brought us to the end of Tour n°2. Stay tuned for n° 3.
If you enjoyed reading this, don’t forget to subscribe to new posts using the subscription form on the top right – that way you’ll get them directly on your smart phone or in your mail box! And I love to hear your comments!
When we were first offered a home exchange in Bulgaria, we said, “Why not?” But as the time got closer and I had time to take a closer look at what was awaiting us, I began to have doubts particularly after visiting Slovakia and Hungary during the summer. My first impressions of Sofia confirmed my reticence. The poverty and standard of living are devastating. The newly restored religious buildings seem to accentuate them even further. These photos were taken during our first walk around the neighbourhood where we are staying in a comfortable recently decorated flat.
The view from the balcony of our modern building when we look leftThe view from our balcony when we look right
Our street name, Veslets, in cyrillic
A building in our street, which shows how beautiful some of the apartment buildings must have been in the pastA corner shop in our streetThe first monument we saw, the former Party HouseThe formerly magnificent baths of Sofia whose restoration has been dragging on for many years. They will eventually house a museum of the history of Sofia. On either side, families with bottles of beer and vodka, were having a before-dinner drink …The Banya Bashi mosque built in 1576, next to the baths. Note the street light and electrical installations on the leftA typical street corner. The streets are not very busy and there are not many cars.The Sofia Synagogue, built between 1905 and 1909 is a smaller replica of the Sephardic synagogue in Vienna destroyed during WWII and now the largest in Europe.Typical local shops displaying their wares on the pavement
The Halite, or former food market,built in 1909 has been restored with a rather dismal attempt at creating a food court
If you enjoyed reading this, don’t forget to subscribe to new posts using the subscription form on the top right – that way you’ll get them directly on your smart phone or in your mail box! And I love to hear your comments!
With the journées du patrimoine coming up, I thought I’d take a look at the word patrimoine. It’s an interesting word because it has so many different meanings all connected with its Latin origin of patrimonium meaning property inherited from a father.
Let’s start with the journées du patrimoine, which is part of the European Heritage Days initiative launched by the Council of Europe in 1991. The meaning is the same as the Unesco World Heritage List except that in French it’s just patrimoine mondial. You don’t need to follow it with “list” or “site” e.g. Capitale de la Chrétienté au Moyen-âge, Avignon a gardé de son Histoire un patrimoine d’exception dont une grande partie est inscrite au Patrimoine Mondial de l’Unesco. Points for the person who finds a decent translation for that sentence!
Wachau, a Unesco world heritage site in Austria
Then we have patrimoine héréditaire – inheritance – which obviously means that a patrimoine is not necessarily inherited. Any one can have a patrimoine immobilier, for example, and it doesn’t have to be inherited. In this case, we’d talk about property or real estate in English. Patrimoine social, on the other hand, designates public housing.
While we’re at it, we can have a look at immobilier which is opposed to mobilier. You’ve no doubt seen “Agence immobilière” on what is obviously a real estate office. The root is mobilis from the very movere to move which means that immobilier can’t be moved. In French, it’s both an adjective and a noun: investir dans l’immobilier – to invest in real estate.
There’s another word that home owners in France will be familiar with and that’s foncier as in taxe foncière or property tax. The word comes from fonds de terre, fonds having the same root as our fund, and terre meaning earth. A property owner is a propriétaire foncier and income from property is revenus fonciers (note the plural).
Mobilier is the opposite: it can be moved, and is the usual word for furniture. It also has the more technical meaning of personal or movable property. Mobilier de bureau is office furniture, as you would expect and mobilier urban is street furniture, which always seems less strange to me in French than in English.
And what do we with fixtures and fittings in French? The usual term is aménagements intérieurs while fixtures in a building in legal terms is bien immeuble. But you may already have heard immeuble in another context.
In legal terms, it means real estate, but is generally used to mean a block of flats or offices i.e. un immeuble d’habitation or un immeuble de bureaux. Un immeuble de sept étages has a ground floor and seven upper floors, known as an eight-storey building in the US, if I’m not mistaken and a seven-floor building in the UK and Australia. And just in case you are thinking of investing here, an investment property is un immeuble de rapport.
And if you’re in France or Europe on 14th or 15th September, enjoy the journées des patrimoine.
If you enjoyed reading this, don’t forget to subscribe to new posts – that way you’ll get them directly on your smart phone or in your mail box! And I love to hear your comments!
Surprisingly for an old city, Paris has very few mediaeval houses and when someone asked me recently where the oldest house was, I had absolutely no idea even though I later learnt that I had actually been inside!
3, rue Volta, long thought to be the oldest house in Paris
For very many years, it was thought that the house at n°3 rue Volta in the 3ème arrondissement was the oldest in the capital. All the history manuals showed it to be the oldest and it was depicted in thousands of postcards. It wasn’t until 1979 that an historian finally proved that it was a copy built in 1644 by a Parisian bourgeois. That must have been a rude shock, particularly as the historian was a woman!
Mini Chinatown in rue Volta
I trekked off to have a look and found myself in a mini Chinatown. The half-timbered house with its stone pillars is now home to a Vietnamese restaurant called Taing Song-Heng where the same family has been serving two dishes, Pho and Bo Bun for twenty years.
L’Atelier d’Alexandre with its bike menu holder
I had also been told that there were two other mediaeval houses at n° 11-13 rue François Miron in the 4ème arrondissement. This is not an area I know well, and I found all sorts of intriguing things on the way such as this bike doubling as a menu holder. A young man was leaning against a car smoking, dressed in chef’s attire. “It’s a very old bike”, he said. “And a very unusual way of presenting a menu,” I replied. “I saw the idea in Malta. You won’t copy it, will you?”
Mediaeval houses at 11 & 13 rue François Morin
I eventually reached N° 11 which used to have a sign with a reaper while n°13 had a sheep. The oldest records show their existence at the beginning of the 16th century but they might have already been there in the 14th century. In 1508, a royal decree prohibited jettied upper floors because of the risk of collapse. As a result, the gable was removed from n° 13 in the 17th century. It was rebuilt in 1967 when the two houses were being restored. In 1607, an edict ordered the timbering on this type of houses to be covered with plaster to prevent fire. Original drawings were used to guide restoration.
Street level of 11 & 13 rue François Morin
My last visit was to n°51 rue de Montmorency, back in the 3ème arrondissement, to Nicolas Flamel’s house. As soon as I saw it, I remembered a Gargantuan meal there with French friends a few years ago. I suggested we have the food and wine pairing. It was excellent but I definitely wouldn’t recommend our choice. We still talk about it!
Nicolas Flamel’s house at 51, rue Montmorency, the oldest known house in Paris, dated 1407
So, the oldest house in Paris only dates back to 1407. No half-timbering here. The façade is entirely made of stone, all straight lines and no curves. It was built by Nicolas Flamel, a scrivener and manuscript seller. The money he earnt from renting out the ground floor shops was used to house labourers and vegetable gardeners from the surrounding area.
The façade of Nicolas Flamel’s house with its inscription
The inscription on the wall says, “We, working men and women living beneath the porch of this house, built in 1407, must each say an Our Father and an Ave Maria every day, to ask the grace of God to forgive poor sinners their trespasses. Amen.”
L’Auberge Nicolas Flamel, 51 Rue de Montmorency, 75003 Paris, 01 42 71 77 78
L’Atelier d’Alexandre, 26 rue de Beaubourg, 75003 Paris, 01 40 27 08 31
Taing Song-Heng, 3 rue Volta, 3 Rue Volta 75003 Paris, 01 42 78 31 70
If you enjoyed reading this, don’t forget to subscribe to new posts – that way you’ll get them directly on your smart phone or in your mail box! And I love to hear your comments!
I’ve added this post to Lou Messugo’s All About France link-up. Click to find other posts about France from other bloggers
Three very different posts for this Wednesday’s Blogger Round-up. French Moments takes us to visit 10 unusual churches in Paris; Heather from Lost in Arles takes us walking on the paths of Van Gogh; while Guide 2 Paris offers a very helpful and detailed analysis of discount passes in Paris. Enjoy!
10 most unusual churches in Paris
by French Moments, a Sydney-based organisation with an international focus which promotes the French language and culture to English-speakers worldwide. Their French team is all about the language, culture and experience
Today, let’s have a look at 10 most unusual churches in Paris! When we think about churches in Paris, famous sanctuaries promptly come to mind: the Notre-Dame cathedral and its fantastic buttresses, the Gothic masterpiece of the Sainte-Chapelle, or the church of Saint-Germain-des-Prés with its Romanesque bell tower.
But there are far more interesting churches to discover while staying in the City of Light, some of them not very well-known. Follow this guide to a chronological discover of the 10 most unusual churches in Paris… Read more
Walking in the Paths of Van Gogh
by Heather Robinson from Lost in Arles, an American writer and photographer living in Arles who offers us meanderings through all that makes life in a small town in Provence worth while.
When Remi first made the fateful suggestion that we swing by the town of Arles on our way home from the Visa Pour L’Image Photography Festival in 2003, one name flashed into my mind: Vincent Van Gogh. It was reason enough for me to quickly agree, as I used to regularly visit his masterpieces at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and MOMA in Manhattan (and I still make pilgrimages to say hello whenever I return for a visit). I was only vaguely impressed by the town’s Roman monuments but was immediately transported by the light, his light. It was one of the reasons why we fell in love with this small Provençal town. Read more
Paris Discount Passes
by Guide2Paris which aims to be the complete source of information in English about the Ile-de-France region of France which includes the city of Paris. Designed specifically for English speakers visiting Paris or the region of Ile-de-France, contemplating buying property in Paris or those already living in Paris
There are a number of different Paris discount passes which are intended for tourists to maximise their holidays in the City of Light and sometimes significant savings can be made. Most cards will allow cheaper entry into museums and monuments, discounts on tours and in some cases includes free travel on public transport. It is important to discover what is included in each of the discount passes listed below as sometimes you need to fit in a lot of activities to actually save money. The best advice we can give is to carefully consider what you would like to do in Paris and then see if this corresponds with what is available with the card. Read more
If you enjoyed reading this, don’t forget to subscribe to new posts – that way you’ll get them directly on your smart phone or in your mail box! And I love to hear your comments!
We’re about to miss the European heritage weekend in Paris for the second year in a row. However, we’ll be in Blois so I’m hoping to make some new discoveries.
Poster on the window of the Ministry of Culture with its not very inventive graphics
The wonderful thing about the heritage weekend or journées du patrimoine is that buildings usually closed to the public open their doors, mostly free of charge. One of the drawbacks is the crowds, particularly at venues such as the presidential palace at Matignon and Paris city hall (Hôtel de Ville).
The front of the Banque de France at n° 31
But if you take a look at the list on the paris.fr website you’ll see that there are a lot of other places you’ve never heard of and that are definitely worth a visit.
Looking down to the fireplace with the bust of Louis XIV
One of my favourites, which is never crowded, particularly in the morning, is the French reserve bank or Banque de France, in the 1st arrondissement, which contains the beautiful Hôtel de Toulouse built in the mid 17th century by Mansart for Louis Phélipeaux, seigneur de la Vrillière and so called after it was bought in 1713 by the Count of Toulouse, the second legitimised son of Louis XIV and Madame de Montespan.
Inner courtyard seen from the Gallery
From the outside, it doesn’t look anything special, but it has several treasures, not the least of which is the Galerie Dorée or Golden Gallery, 40 m long by 6.50 m wide. It was initially designed to present De la Vrillière’s collection of Italian masters. When the Count of Toulouse came along, he kept the paintings and incorporated them into the new decor which is a stunning example of the Régence style.
End of the gallery leading to the main entrance
The ceiling is a fresco by François Perrier and represents the sun surround by the four elements. In the centre, we have Apollo the sun god in his chariot, on the right of the door, Water represented by Neptune and Thetis, on the left, Air represented by Juno asking Aeolus to set the winds free. On the right of the magnificent fireplace, Earth represented by the abduction of Proserpine by Pluto and on the left, Fire represented by the cupids of Jupiter and Semele.
One of the sparkling clean chandeliers
Mouldings, chandeliers, mythological allegories, trophies and animal motifs abound fully expressing the Régence style, which formed a transition between the rich solemnity of the Louis XIV style and the baroque elegance of Louis XV.
Wood panelling hiding a door into the Gallery
You’ll also see the Council Dining Room which its sculptured wooden panels which is thought to come from the former Château de Quincy-sous-Sénart, a hunting lodge owned by the Count of Provence, Louis XVI’s brother. This is definitely my favourite after the Golden Gallery.
Tapestries in the Council Room
But I also love the Council Room with its 5 Brussels tapistries from the mid 17th century, forming a sort of winter garden popular in Flanders throughout the century.
A close-up of Louis XIV
The beautifully decorated governor’s offices are also open to the public. The main entrance at n° 31 is through the new atrium, which is considered to be somewhat of a technological feat.
For those who won’t be in Paris next weekend, you might like to go on a virtual visit of the Golden Gallery on the website of the Banque de France.
Banque de France 31 rue Croix-des-Petits-Champs, 75001 Paris.
Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 September, 10 am to 7 pm (last entry at 6 pm)
If you enjoyed reading this, don’t forget to subscribe to new posts – that way you’ll get them directly on your smart phone or in your mail box! And I love to hear your comments!
Regular readers will know that I have the great fortune to actually live in the Palais Royal overlooking the fountain. I shall never tire of taking photos. Here are some taken on a sunny afternoon at the beginning of September. This time next year, we will be in the throes of moving permanently to Blois to live in our beautiful Renaissance home, Closerie Falaiseau which is currently a holiday rental.
Restaurant du Palais RoyalYou can just see the time canon on the rightI snapped this while the photographer was still getting readyJust relaxing!Our appartment is directly opposite the fountainGalérie VivienneOysters on Sunday on our balconyLooking down towards rue de BeaujolaisTaken looking left from my balcony
If you enjoyed reading this, don’t forget to subscribe to new posts – that way you’ll get them directly on your smart phone or in your mail box! And I love to hear your comments!
It took me a while to realise what bonne question actually means in French. Initially, I took it to literally mean “good question” as in English. But it’s not exactly the same.
For example, I asked the following question of an American company recently: “Can you tell me the difference between air conditioning and air treatment?”
The answer came back: “Good question! Air Conditioning typically refers to cooling the air while Air Treatment can refer to cooling, heating, filtering, purifying, humidifying or dehumidifying the air.”
I took that to mean that he thought my question was appropriate and that it was important to know the difference and that he knew what it was.
Now, in French, if someone says bonne question, it usually means that they haven’t the foggiest idea of the answer and are playing for time. They may have a stab (typically French, particularly if you are male) but by saying bonne question, they are telling you that it’s only guess work.
Before writing this post, I checked out the internet just to make sure I wasn’t making it up and was surprised to learn on www.urbandictionary.com that it can have the same meaning in English. Here’s the entry:
“That’s a good question: A phrase usually indicating that the speaker has absolutely no idea how to answer said question. Often used to stall for time.
Photography teacher walking in on students who should be at pep rally: What are you doing here?
Sreya: That’s a good question!”
So there you go. I know that whenever Jean Michel says bonne question that the question has never even occurred to him before and he certainly doesn’t know the answer.
How about you? What is your experience in the matter?
If you enjoyed reading this, don’t forget to subscribe to new posts – that way you’ll get them directly on your smart phone or in your mail box! And I love to hear your comments!
