Thursday, 29 January 2015

The French love their polls/ sondages

A poll taken by Ipsos/ Spora- Steria and published in the Le Monde tried to gauge attitudes after the attacks at the beginning of January which left 17 dead.
Overall it would appear the French have not been swayed against Islamists and Jews in the country and think the government leaders handled the response well. There was however disapproval for Marine Le Pen. 
One has to remember Le Monde is a left wing newspaper  but  one assumes the poll was wider than that newspapers readership and it was also published on Europe 1 radio on Wednesday
Here's a  brief summary of the findings:
Islam more compatible with French society
One result that may surprise some is that acceptance of Islam is growing in France with only 51 percent saying that “Islam is not compatible with the values of French society” compared to 63 percent in 2014 and 74 percent in 2013
Islam as peaceful as other religions
With 66 percent, the majority of those polled consider Islam to be as peaceful as other religions and view jihadism as a perversion of the religion. Some 81 percent of the supporters of the Socialist Party believe Islam is an equally peaceful religion, compared to 53 percent of UMP supporters, and a minority of 39 percent of those supporting the National Front.
Acceptance of Catholicism and Judaism appears to be much greater given that 93 percent and 81 percent of those polled judge them as compatible with French values.
Disapproval for Marine Le Pen
Some 69 percent of those polled stated they disapproved of National Front leader Marine Le Pen’s attitude as she didn’t participate in the unity marches and instead held her own homage to the victims, which turned into a political gathering.
The sentiment was even echoed among supporters of her party with 24 percent saying they “mainly disapprove” and 9 percent saying they “disapprove completely”.
Val says the report goes further with satisfaction with the way Muslims handled the aftermath of the killings. The photograph of Muslim men and women  at Gaillac holding placards saying " not in my name" and  " do not harm my country" had an amazing effect on us all here at TAG, joining us together against extremists.

Nous sommes Jeudi, le vingt neuf

​tiré à quatre épingles​​​dressed up to the nines
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Wednesday, 28 January 2015

Warts and all

Dear Val
Your winter break sounded lovely but its nice that you are back!
I went off today to see my Opthalmalogue and asked him about a small growth on my eyelid. Ah, he said, c'est une virurre. I misheard and looked blank, well I knew I had a heavy viral cold but the growth had been there for two or three months.. 
He said les virurres occured on our hands and feet. The penny dropped. It was a wart. So not wanting to look like Oliver Cromwell who demanded to be painted, 'warts and all', it will be removed in March 
As usual go somewhere over here and get a free French lesson
Ginny
Val says - Funny that Ginny as both Malc and I had exactly the same experience and the same word used. We go on Monday to a dermatologist at Albi both having " our virurres" removed. 
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Malc says: the word is probably "une verrue" a bit like verruca.

Rose de Jardin?

You’ll find this one hard to believe but you can find her on Google & Twitter…….when I lived in Rutland, I knew a woman called Rose. She was married to a guy whose surname was De Jardin and together they opened a plant nursery. Glad you had such a lovely birthday break. Welcome home!
Love
Linda xXx
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TOF report on the Deux Rivieres

Hi Val
Just a line to say that we had lunch at Les Deux Rivieres in Laguepie today. It’s the first time we have eaten there as it has been closed when we have tried before.

There was no choice on the 13e menu du jour but lots of courses.
1. Vegetable soup - very tasty
2. Croustillant of something unidentifiable which was so overcooked and hard that Simon’s shot off the plate when he tried to cut it (I didn’t eat mine)
3. Ossobuco main course was all bone and again very overcooked, with overcooked noodles.
4. Cheese was plentiful but not very good (a blue, some very bland Brie and, hard to believe, emmenthal on a French cheeseboard??)
5. Dessert was a fairly tasteless apple and raspberry tarte

Wine and coffee were extra so final cost was 17e each. Sorry, Val, I know you like it there but  we are struggling to give it more than a 2 out of 5 ……really perhaps a 1 out of 5 as apart from the soup we couldn’t find anything above average (decor is ok, service barely ok, atmosphere subdued despite a full dining room, wine ok, coffee ok, food definitely not ok)
Sorrrrrrrrry!
Love
Linda xXx

Val says  mmh. We actually took off our TOF report as we did not want to be sued. The service barely OK was our problem. There are people who like going, is all I will say.
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Back home safely, what an easy run.

We arrived back home late afternoon, sun all the way up to Gaillac... so unfair. It is still lovely to be home and the pets here all have been well looked after.
The meteo is forecasting a wet day tomorrow but we have had a bit of sun so we can cope.
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Local chef voted in top 10

Specialist magazine Le Chef  asked 500 top chefs, 2 and 3 Michelin stars to list the 5 restaurants or chefs they considered it was indispensable to visit. Michel Bras at Laguiole was voted 5th in the top 100. The list is pretty France based, with 2 American, one Japanese and one Spanish chef making the rest of the ten. Interestingly Catalan chef Joan Roca of El Celler de Can Roca is based in Gerona - we could have popped in for lunch.
Wherever you fancy going (if you can afford it!) you need to book well ahead. TOF report needed please.
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We love this programme

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Do you want a stand in May at Caylus Floralies

If you want a stand at the 3rd Floralies which will be held by the Lake du Labarte contact Caylus tourisme. It is only 3 euros for the stand. The date is the 10th of May.
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A little humour from Nev

Dear Val and Malcolm,
Oh we do like to be beside the seaside........
I am writing a daily diary in French, and to help with tenses I enter what I did the previous day and also what I have planned for the following day, with me so far?  So I write first, then use translation softwareto check to see if I am on the right lines.  The tool I use gives example of the phrase I am trying to construct, so for example "I am going to cut would be Je vais aller couper and the tool came up with this example which I think is hilarious.
Je vais le couper en petits morceaux, et le saupoudrer sur une pizza, Même pas sur une fraîche, le genre congelé que les enfants mettent au micro-onde quand leurs mère sont sorties.

I'm gonna chop him up in little pieces and sprinkle him on a pizza, not even fresh-made, the frozen kind that kids pop in the microwave when their mothers are hung over.

Neville
Val says I am very impressed Neville. Beware the auto translate!
Made me laugh anyway.
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Home James

Malc is out on the balcony taking photos of the lovely sky above Llafranc. What a lovely break we have had but now it is time to wend our way home later this morning. TAG has been "en vacance," not quite like Jaques Tati's Monsieur Hulot's holiday but we have laughed quite a lot.
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book your tickets for the Festival of burlesque at Toulouse

http://www.toulouscope.fr/festival/festival-burlesque-de-toulouse-1.html

Folk'n'Jazz tomorrow night

Folk'n'Jazz tomorrow night at the salle des fetes at Verfeil. Starts at 8pm.
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Sting is coming to the Carcassone festival 26th of July

It is official but the concert organisers have announced it before Stings publicity machine. Today will be the official announcement from Sting that he his coming to the Carcassone festival
Et voilà comment internet devient un véritable casse-tête pour les programmateurs de festivals. Hier, deux sites web, infoconcerts.com et routedesfestivals.com ont balancé l'info : Sting sera l'une des têtes d'affiche du festival 2015, le 26 juillet prochain.

Nous sommes mercredi, le vingt huit

​jeter des fleurs à quelqu’un​​to say lovely things to someone

Tuesday, 27 January 2015

Friends keep writing in French!

Hang on of course they would,  they are French. I am getting more and more mail in French, does this mean I have cracked it and I am working my way in to French society life. Well it might if only I could reply in French with a reasonable level of reply. I am mastering speaking French but writing French, well that is the next step.
I have had more emails in French today than English!
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I am European with Yorkshire roots.

I am Catalan, this was said to us by two waiters at the hotel, never been known before. When we arrived I said "has some Catalan football club played someone?" as many  of the houses were flying Catalan flags.
No, but the rise of  Catalan pride coincides with problems with finance in the rest of Spain. I am not sure about all this nationalistic pride, be happy that you are Catalan but also be proud you are Spanish.
Be happy that you are Scottish but be proud that you are in the United Kingdom, and the same for the Welsh
Me, well I am proud to be from Yorkshire, happy that I spent twenty years in Lancashire, now I am European and that makes me happy.
What is your take on Nationalism?
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I do hope you can read this, too tired to make the effort to translate!

Les Jardins des Bastides 
Le groupe du fleurissement de Milhars, la municipalité
et le Centre Social Cordes-Vaour vous invite
 à la 7ème fête de l’Osier à Milhars.

A partir de 10h,venez tous:
Découvrir les nombreux vanniers exposant leurs créations et Participer aux ateliers de vannerie pour petits et grands.
Apprendre les techniques de taille et de bouturage avec Sylvie Gravier dans la Saulaie et participer à une création en osier vivant: un panier géant!
Flâner au stand de livres sur les jardins ou échanger la passion du jardinage avec Bernard Huet et ses amis.
Acheter fagots ou boutures d'osier vendus par les bénévoles du groupe du fleurissement de Milhars au profit de l'amélioration du cadre de vie du village.
Découvrir l'art de la forge avec Milan Gravier et sa démonstration en plein air.
Rencontrer, échanger des savoir-faire, des techniques,  des passions...
Danser et écouter les jeunes musiciens du "groupe du coin" à partir de 18h : Bal Trad'

Une journée de convivialité au coeur de l’hiver. 

Entrée et participations libres 
Repas: Auberge espagnole, soupe paysanne, vin et pain offerts par le groupe du fleurissement. Chacun apporte un plat et un dessert que l'on partage.
N'oubliez pas assiette creuse , couverts et... sécateurs!

Rejoignez-nous dimanche 8 février à Milhars !
Infos au 06 75 20 25 57
Merci de transmettre ce message à vos Amis

Sylvie Gravier   
Jardins des Bastides81170 MILHARS   +33 (0)5 63 56 36 61   +33 (0)6 75 20 25 57

Two sweethearts needing homes

bonjour Val,
comment allez vous?
 Choupette et Taiga ont été adoptées!!
 il nous reste Délia et Eldo qui cherchent une famille!
Ces deux toutous sont ok chat, chien, enfants et ont tout les deux besoins de présence et d'un jardin clos!
 merci pour eux!
 Maeva
Val says great to hear two dogs have found homes but here are two more still needing someone. Both are OK with children, cats and other dogs but they would need a fenced garden. contact Maeva 
maeva82@gmx.fr

Francois Hollande comes up with some good plans

Fighting racism must begin with the French youth, he explained, adding that youngsters will be taught about the Holocaust "without restriction" in a bid to reduce their ignorance.
 He added that France will introduce a "new alert" for any students who interrupt a minute's silence. Across the country, reports flooded in after students refused to take part in tributes of silence for the victims of the terror attacks. 
 He added that some websites will be blocked, and that France will "allow administrative authorities the possibility of blocking websites of racial hatred and anti-Semitism".
 Elsewhere, social networks will be under surveillance at a European level and racism will be considered to be an aggravated crime.