This does definitely work sometimes, but we get the huge snails, the ones that the French like to eat covered in garlic butter and those ones seem undeterred by anything sadly. It’s a constant battle and this year seems particularly tricky.
Hurrah for Alain, he is the best neighbour ever! I hope he read your accolade of him.
I know what you mean about the difficulties managing a second language and the impact of this on your self esteem. A few weeks ago in Spain I felt so proud of myself after I successfully telephoned and had a full conversation in Spanish with the doctor there. I felt it was such a personal achievement.
Your garden is very impressive and what stunning roses you have. I don’t know what I do wrong but they are all so spindly.
Well done on the visit to the pharmacy. I struggle to understand the French in our little village in the Corbières, where they speak a mix of Occitane French and Spanish word endings. Years ago they used to pretend not to understand us, but now they know that we have had a house there for quite a while, they do appreciate us trying out our stilted attempts at their language. It amuses them. It’s only take 15 years😂😂
Thanks for all the hard work that goes into the diary, Rebecca. Just to encourage you, I look forward to it every week and start each Monday by reading it with my morning coffee
I well remember those small language victories in France, at the garage or the primary school or the bank... exhausting but rewarding. Much as I love French, my own language felt like a safe haven after being tossed on a foreign sea!
Having followed you on TV was delighted to find this! It's lovely to hear that you are both not just surviving,but thriving, but it's a lot of hard work. Remember to take time off for yourselves. Very well done, will be following avidly 😊
Thank goodness for Alain, but then your family is wonderful company and help for him also. A double blessing!
So glad to read that everything was resolved in the nick of time and the road was cleared.
Wish I could see and smell the garden again… I love the way you describe it, you make me feel like I am there. Your flowers were absolutely beautiful in the rooms when we were there, their perfume a delight. Only outclassed by the amazing smells wafting from your kitchen!
I’m a bit melancholy this week, looking at all our photos from our trip last year.
I long to be in France again.
We had such a lovely holiday.
I baked scones yesterday and we ate them whilst flicking through our photos, reminiscing on the beauty.
Hope you all have a much better week, so wish we could have just popped over and stayed in the gite. Alas we are too far away xx
I too had language problems when I worked in France. My long ago O'level not much use at times. I found it helped if people wrote things down for me as I could understand the written word rather than the quickfire French pronunciation. Shopping wasn't too bad, but I felt guilty that I couldn't converse with my neighbours. Although one Madame got the message, some of it in broad Scots, about her cat traversing le balcon and jumping on my bed at 3am! Happy days!!
Aww Rebecca what a week you have had & what a lot of things you have overcome my lovely & succeeded 🤩🙌
I wanted to let you know that I’ve invested in a Gertrude Jekyll climbing rose to wind around my old sycamore tree ,,,, fingers crossed it does well like yours xxx
Learning another language is hard to conquer! I took 5 years of Spanish in high school and college, and can’t remember a word of it. My husband will be doing a crossword puzzle and ask…What is _____in Spanish? I haven’t a clue. And I know few if any words in French! Coming to the chateau in September, I am worried about road signs, highway signs, and just about everything written in French. Thank God for GOOGLE TRANSLATOR! Still, I’m going to have a crash course in ROAD SIGNAGE!
The things we worry about that keep us awake at 3:00 am in the morning! Crazy worries!🤷🏻♀️
Glad you are feeling better. It’s hard to entertain when you are not feeling well. Enjoy your week and if I lived closer…I would jump on staying next week in the gite. Colorado is a long way from France! Just. revel in the fact that you won’t have to clean it next week! It’s already done.
Three cheers for Alain, hip hip..... I'm so pleased you have such a wonderful neighbour because without him, I wouldn't have the joy of reading your journal every week. Thank you and thanks to Alain. I've been wondering what could have happened after the delay last weekend.
Well done for your French language success too, I'm learning Spanish and it's such a great feeling when I make myself understood and also understand the response. Keep going, practice makes perfect.
Good old Alain , to have a friend like him is such a blessing. Great to have such a kind and helpful neighbour.
Your Gertrude Jekyll is lovely.. Mine is full of blooms, obviously enjoying the wet weather..
French is a hard language to learn. Well done for a good Pharmacy visit. I understand your embarrassment and red face , but remember it's better to try and fail ,all part of learning.
Your diary reminds me so much of my sister who lives in the Gers region of France, not far from Toulouse. I have just returned from a two week stay - heaven!
Broken egg shell and coffee grounds spread on top of garden slugs don’t like that’s what I use no slug problem
This does definitely work sometimes, but we get the huge snails, the ones that the French like to eat covered in garlic butter and those ones seem undeterred by anything sadly. It’s a constant battle and this year seems particularly tricky.
Hurrah for Alain, he is the best neighbour ever! I hope he read your accolade of him.
I know what you mean about the difficulties managing a second language and the impact of this on your self esteem. A few weeks ago in Spain I felt so proud of myself after I successfully telephoned and had a full conversation in Spanish with the doctor there. I felt it was such a personal achievement.
Your garden is very impressive and what stunning roses you have. I don’t know what I do wrong but they are all so spindly.
We tell Alain all the time that he is a legend. Honestly no idea what we’d do without him.
Well done on the visit to the pharmacy. I struggle to understand the French in our little village in the Corbières, where they speak a mix of Occitane French and Spanish word endings. Years ago they used to pretend not to understand us, but now they know that we have had a house there for quite a while, they do appreciate us trying out our stilted attempts at their language. It amuses them. It’s only take 15 years😂😂
I’ll keep trying 🤣 , seven years in and it’s definitely still a challenge.
Thanks for all the hard work that goes into the diary, Rebecca. Just to encourage you, I look forward to it every week and start each Monday by reading it with my morning coffee
Thanks so much for reading Heather ♥️
I well remember those small language victories in France, at the garage or the primary school or the bank... exhausting but rewarding. Much as I love French, my own language felt like a safe haven after being tossed on a foreign sea!
Having followed you on TV was delighted to find this! It's lovely to hear that you are both not just surviving,but thriving, but it's a lot of hard work. Remember to take time off for yourselves. Very well done, will be following avidly 😊
So glad you found the journal Jill, welcome and thanks so much for reading.
Thank goodness for Alain, but then your family is wonderful company and help for him also. A double blessing!
So glad to read that everything was resolved in the nick of time and the road was cleared.
Wish I could see and smell the garden again… I love the way you describe it, you make me feel like I am there. Your flowers were absolutely beautiful in the rooms when we were there, their perfume a delight. Only outclassed by the amazing smells wafting from your kitchen!
I’m a bit melancholy this week, looking at all our photos from our trip last year.
I long to be in France again.
We had such a lovely holiday.
I baked scones yesterday and we ate them whilst flicking through our photos, reminiscing on the beauty.
Hope you all have a much better week, so wish we could have just popped over and stayed in the gite. Alas we are too far away xx
I too had language problems when I worked in France. My long ago O'level not much use at times. I found it helped if people wrote things down for me as I could understand the written word rather than the quickfire French pronunciation. Shopping wasn't too bad, but I felt guilty that I couldn't converse with my neighbours. Although one Madame got the message, some of it in broad Scots, about her cat traversing le balcon and jumping on my bed at 3am! Happy days!!
You are braver then you realize and if people choose to be unkind it’s them not you. Flowers are looking glorious this year xxx
Aww Rebecca what a week you have had & what a lot of things you have overcome my lovely & succeeded 🤩🙌
I wanted to let you know that I’ve invested in a Gertrude Jekyll climbing rose to wind around my old sycamore tree ,,,, fingers crossed it does well like yours xxx
Learning another language is hard to conquer! I took 5 years of Spanish in high school and college, and can’t remember a word of it. My husband will be doing a crossword puzzle and ask…What is _____in Spanish? I haven’t a clue. And I know few if any words in French! Coming to the chateau in September, I am worried about road signs, highway signs, and just about everything written in French. Thank God for GOOGLE TRANSLATOR! Still, I’m going to have a crash course in ROAD SIGNAGE!
The things we worry about that keep us awake at 3:00 am in the morning! Crazy worries!🤷🏻♀️
Glad you are feeling better. It’s hard to entertain when you are not feeling well. Enjoy your week and if I lived closer…I would jump on staying next week in the gite. Colorado is a long way from France! Just. revel in the fact that you won’t have to clean it next week! It’s already done.
B.
Bonne réussite à la pharmacie Rebecca 👏🏼 we all get by in additional languages, no such thing as perfection. You did so well.
Three cheers for Alain, hip hip..... I'm so pleased you have such a wonderful neighbour because without him, I wouldn't have the joy of reading your journal every week. Thank you and thanks to Alain. I've been wondering what could have happened after the delay last weekend.
Well done for your French language success too, I'm learning Spanish and it's such a great feeling when I make myself understood and also understand the response. Keep going, practice makes perfect.
You're 😂😂
Good old Alain , to have a friend like him is such a blessing. Great to have such a kind and helpful neighbour.
Your Gertrude Jekyll is lovely.. Mine is full of blooms, obviously enjoying the wet weather..
French is a hard language to learn. Well done for a good Pharmacy visit. I understand your embarrassment and red face , but remember it's better to try and fail ,all part of learning.
Love reading about what your up to . 💙
Your diary reminds me so much of my sister who lives in the Gers region of France, not far from Toulouse. I have just returned from a two week stay - heaven!