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Food and drink in Brittany Posted by Tim Hildreth on Aug 22, 2017
I am in Brittany this week getting ready for a very special wedding. As promised last week, this week I’ll share a snap shot of some of the things I’m most looking forward to eating not just here in Bretagne, but also in my few days in Paris. And in a few weeks*, more stories…
A modern family Posted by Tim Hildreth on Aug 15, 2017
In just a few days, I’ll be leaving for a family vacation in France. We’re going to visit Paris then head to la Bretagne (the Brittany region) where we will celebrate le mariage (the wedding) of my . . . well, it’s complicated! Un peu d’histoire* / A little background When I was 16, I…
Describing people in French, Part 2 Posted by Tim Hildreth on Aug 8, 2017
A few weeks ago we looked at some common expressions for describing people. This week, I’ll expand a bit on that lesson and share another of my favorite French songs that – while maybe it doesn’t perfectly illustrate the concepts – is definitely related to the topic! First, the lesson! Earlier we looked at how…
Vacation has arrived Posted by Tim Hildreth on Aug 1, 2017
August 1 (le premier août) is the traditional start of France’s grandes vacances (big vacation). For decades, the month of August has seen literally millions of French take to the roads to escape the office, city, and home to find un peu de repos (a little rest) à la campagnes, dans les montagnes (in the…
Describing people in French Posted by Tim Hildreth on Jul 25, 2017
In a previous post, I talked about the irregular French adjectives beau, vieux, and nouveau, useful for describing the relative age and attractiveness of people and things*. This week we’ll talk about ways to describe some of the physical characteristics of people. Voilà Sophie / This is Sophie. Sophie est blonde. Elle a les cheveux…
A Revolutionary Calendar Posted by Tim Hildreth on Jul 18, 2017
Before we leave juillet (July) and our observances of the French Revolution* behind for another year, I thought it might be fun to explore briefly one of the odder ‘inventions’ of the First French Republic. The French Revolution and France’s First Republic which it led to gave us many enduring ideals including the Déclaration…
French holidays: Bastille Day Posted by Tim Hildreth on Jul 11, 2017
This Friday (vendredi), le quatorze juillet (July 14), is la fête nationale française, known in the United States and many parts of the world as Bastille Day. And if you’re like many francophiles, you may think this day celebrates the storming of the royal prison of la Bastille on July 14, 1789 … and you’d…