French with Nicole

  Poisson d’avril ( April’s fish ) is the French equivalent of an April Fool. It appears that the origin of the practice of calling someone a fool on the first of April can be traced back to the XVI century. During this period, King Charles IX moved the country from the Roman to the Gregorian calendar. Prior to this, New Year’s Day was celebrated at the end of March. Those who were slow to catch up, including many who ignored or protested against the change, continued to celebrate New Year around the 1 st April. These people were regarded as “the fools” and subjected to ridicule. According to the legend, the actual expression of “ poisson d’avril ” (April’s fish ) dates back to one of the first pranks played on this day. A man was sent to the market to retrieve fish on the 1 st April. Unknown to him, the fish season ended in March and as he returned tired and empty handed, he earned the title of the  poisson   d’avril ( April fish ). The tradition continues toda...

          You may be surprised to discover that many of the famous buildings you visit in Paris have beehives on their rooftops. Some passionate Parisians are even installing hives on the rooftops of their offices and apartment balconies. Paris is fast becoming the centre of apiculture and this could be contributing to the salvation of bees. There is a growing public awareness of the crisis in rural bee keeping in France caused by the collapse in bee numbers. I t has been a catastrophic year for French bees. Honey harvests in some regions has been particularly hit  hard  by last year’s peculiar weather (heavy winter rainfalls and short spring followed by months of drought and northerly winds) and have fallen by up to 80%. On the other hand, it appears that city bees seem to be immune to the health problems faced by their country cousins.            Paris, with 500,000 trees and large shrubs from 150 different spec...

As well as being the least congested and cheapest route between Paris, Béziers and Montpellier , the A75 gives you the opportunity to drive across the most spectacular link: le Pont de Millau. Millau viaduct  holds the world record for the tallest bridge, culminating at 343 metres, 2464 metres long and touching the bottom of the  Tarn valley in only nine places. Conceived by the French engineer Michel Virlogeux and designed by the English architect Lord Norman Foster, the bridge rises majestically above the Tarn valley. S upported by stays, the very thin slightly curved steel roadway gives it the appearance of a huge yacht and rests only on seven slender pillars. Opened in December 2004, the structure receives hundreds of thousands of visitors each year: tourists, architecture enthusiasts, journalists as well as motorists. Although it took 3 years to build, planning of the gigantic project stretched to 14 years. Hailed as a major architectural work of the 21 st  ...

The French expression ‘ poser un lapin’ literally translate as "to place a rabbit”. Where is the link between someone looking at his or her watch and a rabbit? and what does it mean in English?  This rather random idiom finds its roots in 1880, meaning, “not rewarding the favours of a girl” or more generally to leave without paying.  The link to rabbits? It could be that among their other attributes, rabbits tend to be fairly fast creatures escaping any situation when they feel threatened?    In modern language, “ poser un lapin” means " to stand (somebody) up” as in reneging on a commitment. I need to add that the expression is more colloquial than academic!  

Known primarily for its remarkable size, this unique landscape i s also notable for its beauty and diverse natural environment. La Dune du Pilat i s Europe’s biggest sand dune and nestled between the Atlantic Ocean, an enormous pine forest, the Arcachon Bay and a peninsula! Just under an hour's drive from Bordeaux, the dune is located at the entrance to the Archachon Bay. Some data: made up of 60 million cubic metres of sand measures 100 to 115 metres in height depending on the year 3 km long and 500m wide Every year the dune shifts 1 to 5 metres eastward due to heavy winds and tides - slowly swallowing the pine forest at its feet. Manmade stairs protrude from the dune to make the climb a little less daunting. If you are feeling energetic, you can scramble up the dune freestyle.  The climb is worth the effort. Once at the top, you will be rewarded with sweeping views over the Cote D’Argent . The Atlantic Ocean laps the golden sand on one side of the dune and the Landes...

Having lived in the UK for many years, I have been able to observe so many differences in social etiquette between France and Britain.  French people always say hello when they enter a shop or a bar and goodbye when they leave. They do not just address the shopkeeper but generally anyone present by using the phrase “ bonjour/bonsoir Messieurs Dames ” or the appropriate gender if only one person is present. As a foreigner, greeting everyone as you enter the premises is the perfect icebreake r, especially if you are in a small village. You do not exchange names with people when you first meet them and do not volunteer yours . People address each other as Monsieur and Madame . For instance, a tradesman arriving at your house will just say “bonjour Madame” and “bonjour   Monsieur” will be your reply. This is how you will continue to address each other  in the   friendliest of ways of course!  In their small  village, my aunts have been going to the...