Posts Tagged ‘french countryside’

If you want to learn how to speak French there all kinds of ways – private lessons (best but expensive) local night classes, online French courses, French language software, take your pick. What none of them can prepare you for are the occasional – and mostly understandable mistakes – where we think we understand something and in fact we’re just a bit short!

For example, a friend of mine was in search of a French property. He thought that the place in “rue du chateau d’eau” sounded very attractive. It must be close to a chateau, you would think. What better for your French home than to be near one of these magnificent historical buildings?

Well mostly he was right. “Rue de” does indeed mean “the street of”. Unfortunately a “chateau d’eau” is a water tower. Now some people find them very attractive, and they’re an iconic part of the French countryside, but they’re not quite the fairy-tale castle he was hoping for!

It’s an example of how, when you learn how to speak French, you have to take in the whole French phrase not just the individual words.

Of course the individual words can trip you up just as easily. Another friend (who I must say now speaks quite good French) was visiting France on holiday. She came down to breakfast in her hotel and looked at the menu, seeking something typically French. “Pampelmouse” sounded particularly exotic so she ordered that, only to be rather disappointed when half a grapefruit was served!

Any language will always trip you up occasionally – we just can’t know it all at once. If you want to learn how to speak French I would suggest that in addition to any other lessons you always carry a small French to English dictionary with you, or one of the excellent pocket electronic versions now available. It will just give you the ability to check before making those little “faux pas” (that’s mistakes, by the way). You need to look out most for the things you almost think you know but aren’t quite sure of. You wouldn’t, for example, want to put “petrole” in your car – in France you would get paraffin!

Author: Frank English
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Pressure cooker

Tags: chateau d eau, fairy tale castle, french countryside, french courses, french language software, french phrase, french to english dictionary, historical buildings, how to speak french, rue du chateau

For those who are looking for a great way to spend a vacation, taking a tour of a French wine region is a great way to spend a week or two away from the typical tourist areas and explore the countryside of one of the most beautiful areas in the world. The French countryside in many of the nation’s wine regions provides a great number of sights, sounds, tastes, and other sensory experiences that a person cannot get from visiting the typical French tourist areas.

If you hope to tour the French wine country, the Champagne region French wine tour is the ideal tour for even the most discriminating wine aficionado. But it’s also enjoyable for people who hope to learn more about wine or those in search of a scenic area with an abundance of natural sights that offer a nice change of pace from city life. This part of the country boasts a moderate climate, particularly in the summer and fall, for the vacationer to visit. It’s also a relatively inexpensive place to tour.

One may partake of the one-of-a-kind nature of the area’s grapes and wineries on a typical tour of the Champagne region of France. This area is located further north than most grape producing regions on earth, and includes five unique wine making districts. It is located near Paris, France’s capital city, making possible tours for visitors to the historic city. Its nearness also contributes to the region’s great success as producers of wine.

Taking a French wine tour in the Champagne region lets the traveler enjoy the renowned sparkling wines that region’s grapes are known for producing. The moisture levels in the soil in this region are highly acidic because of lower temperatures, thanks to the area’s forests which assist in tempering the climate. For visitors, this means that they can enjoy summer temperatures that stay near 70 degrees, a comfortable level to enjoy outdoor tourist activities.

For the person who wants to visit a wine region with a much different flavor than you would get in a Champagne region French wine tour, the Bordeaux region of France also provides a way to see and taste some other popular French wines. The vineyard tours Bordeaux France allows visitors to see a coastal and somewhat warmer climate while tasting the world’s most popular red wines.

Whether you’re a red wine or a sparkling wine fan, or are looking for a great vacation destination outside of the normal tourist areas, taking a tour of the wine growing regions of France is a great way to take a week or two away. The tours of these diverse wine growing regions can be a great opportunity for a traveler to experience a different set of sights and sounds than they would normally see on a vacation.

Author: Summer Wilde
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Beading Necklace

Tags: champagne region of france, french countryside, french wine, moderate climate, sensory experiences, sparkling wines, wine aficionado, wine region, wine regions, wine tour