Sunday visitors

It was a weekend for visitors.

Firstly Debbie from Marseille who was met by Pat at the Cathedral on Friday and who stayed with us over the weekend. She went with Pat and some others to see the opening parade of the Fête du Fleuve, and met some of the folk then on Saturday, but had to leave at 1 on Sunday to get back to Marseille.

Then Mr and Mrs Simon and Heather Farewell came for lunch. Simon was one of Fiona's "little helpers" some years ago and has since finished his degree in French and Spanish, done a PGCE and got two years of teaching under his belt. He has also married the courageous and optimistic Heather, and it was wonderful to meet her and to eat together. They had to leave at about 3 to get down to some obscure town in the Landes to resume the school trip which had brought Simon to this part of the world.

Then for the Bordeaux Church service, although again there were 5 or 6 folk away we had some holidaymakers visiting from the outback of Australia as well as a new person who came for the first time.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A bit about music exams in UK and France

They're really different. I think I have already mentioned that while in the UK people generally find a private teacher for their instrument, or do it through a school scheme, here there are municipal music school, conservatoires and so on. The situation is a little more complex than I had first understood, because the schools vary in the rigidity of their organisation: the most, the conservatoires, next the municipals, then the associations. Our music school is an association, but it tends to apply the standards of the municipal schools with its programme of cycles, etc. Britain - grade 1 to 8, grade 8 being roughly equivalent to A-level, pre university/conservatoire. France - 3 cycles, each taking about 4 years, with 3ème cycle being roughly equivalent to grade 8. Theory of music - UK to take grade 8 you need theory grade 5. In France you study theory alongside your instrumental studies, very slowly. Catrin's flute music is MUCH more difficult than the stuff she does in theor
Read more

The Kitchen

 Our new apartment will be equipped with toilet and bathroom etc. but not with anything at all in the kitchen. Not even a sink. So we need to purchase a kitchen and engage a kitchen fitter. A friend who knows how to fit kitchens suggested buying an Ikea kitchen. "They're guaranteed twenty years and they honour their guarantee", he said. "I've proved it". Well I don't know any other kitchen laces in France, and I can't imagine there's much that's cheaper than Ikea, so I was happy to accept his advice. So it was that on Monday I booked an appointment with the Ikea Kitchen Planning Service in the centre of Bordeaux. The woman was friendly. "You've already started the process", she said, (have we?) "so that will save us lots of time". "What are you aiming for?" Something not too country, something discreet, something that can adapt to whatever colours we put in the rest of the room. She understood our dislike of
Read more