Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Vive Le France!



I am very excited, I start my one-on-one hourly French lessons this Sunday at Cafe Bouquiniste, in preparation for our upcoming visit to Paree! I'm definitely still a beginner despite 5 years of one-on-one lessons in London when we lived there, and having our gorgeous little house in the Languedoc-Rousillon village of Villerouge-Termenes for 7 years! Not to mention all of those French films I record on SBS ha! Unless you were born in France or a French-speaking region of the world, maybe you're always a beginner? Even then, as with any language, it must still be difficult to pick up on those little nuances, sayings, figures of speech, and connotations that only a local would know, but that's what makes it so much fun over there!

I received the most beautiful pics via email today from my Irish friend Ian, who was our neighbour in Villerouge-Termenes - he truly is a Masterchef (he still makes the BEST cassoulet I have ever tasted!!) and superb host, and the house he is renovating in the village is looking superb (he got married there last year too). Anyway this is a photograph of a corner of one of the rooms in his beautiful house, isn't it just SO French, the simplicity made me just take a deep breath and remember all of those absolutely wonderful memories we shared there in that beautiful little village in France... aaaaaaaaah! Ian is an amazing talented muralist and extremely talented trompe l'oieil artist in London and has worked for the likes of Saudi Princes, Hollywood actors, you name it - you HAVE to check out his incredible work on his website www.ianharper.com (pics courtest of Ian Harper). Bonjour Villerouge-Termenes, I will be back one day!