Ma grande aventure: May 2015

Bonjour les filles,

Aujourd'hui, c'est un jour férié en France , la fête de l'Ascension. Il n'y avait pas d'école pour moi. Au lieu d'école, j'ai fait un excursion au Viaduc de Millau et au Cirque de Navacelles.

Le Viaduc de Millau

Le Viaduc de Millau (à gauche)

Le Viaduc de Millau

Why is this such a fascinating bridge?

It was designed by French engineer Michel Virlogeux and British architect Norman Foster.
It is the tallest bridge in the world with one mast's summit at 343.0 metres above the base of the structure.
It is the 12th highest bridge deck in the world, being 270 metres between the road deck and the ground below.
The cost of construction was approximately €400 million (NZ$600milllion).
The bridge has been consistently ranked as one of the great engineering achievements of all time.

Le Cirque de Navacelles from above

Le Cirque de Navacelles from above. Can you see the village?

Le Cirque de Navacelles - descending

Le Cirque de Navacelles - in the village below

Le Cirque de Navacelles - climbing

What is the Cirque de Navacelles?

This excursion really interested me girls because I also teach Geography so this combined both of my teaching subjects.

This landform has been eroded over time by a meandering river. It is located in the southern part of the Massif Central region in France. The river found another way out of the valley, leaving an ox-bow lake or loop which eventually dried up.

Can you see the tiny village at the bottom?

I walked down to the village from the top and then back up again. The views were stunning!

All of the rocks you can see were formed under the sea. Now this region is far from the sea.

What do they do for Anzac Day Ali Gray
Do they do anything special for Anzac day?- Alex thomse
Is there an equivalent to ANZAC day in France? - Bella Spiers.

Bonjour Ali, Alex, et Bella, I have uploaded two photos (see below) I took at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris last week on 25 April. I just missed a ceremony there and saw lots of soldiers leaving, carrying flags. The photos show wreaths next to the tomb of the unknown soldier buried under the Arc de Triomphe.

Do you have after school activities like dancing or sport- kaylee kriese wise :)

Bonjour Kaylee, I went to a dancing class to learn Occidental dancing. It was a one-off. There are no sports but lots of excursions and there are French cooking classes too but I haven't done that yet.

Are there many memorial sites from the war near where you are staying? - Zarah Otto
Bonjour Zarah, I saw one today on the way back from a place called Cirque de Mourèze. It commemorated the resistance in World War 2. I will find out where there are others. I have uploaded a photo of a war memorial board in the beautiful Cathédrale Saint-Pierre here in Montpellier. This memorial commemorates doctors who fought in WW1. More to add Zarah: I saw a couple of memorials in Nice last weekend. Nice is about 5 hours away by train. See photos below. I also saw a piece of the Berlin Wall in Monaco (not a WW1 memorial but fascinating).

What is your favourite delicatessen in France? ~ cera utiera

Bonjour Cera, It's not really a delicatessen - it's a boulangerie and it's opposite my school. The food is amazing. I love French bread and cheese.

What is the main thing thats different in France than here in New Zealand? ~ Hazel Morgaine- Dinja Hoitink
Are there in particular differences between between New Zealand and France - Bella Spiers.

Bonjour Hazel, Dinja and Bella, it's the culture which is different. The culture includes not just the language, but the life-style, the food, the history, the values of the people, the way people act, the architecture and more. Shops are still closed on Sundays here in France so family time is very important.

Do the French have anything like Waitangi day?- Frankie Alexander-Kemble.[georgia hollier]

Bonjour Frankie et Georgia, yes they have a very important day called la Fête Nationale Française (Bastille Day). This day is huge in France and French colonies like la Nouvelle-Calédonie. It is celebrated on 14 July to commemorate la prise de la Bastille (the storming of the Bastille prison) and the beginning of the French Revolution. There is un défilé militaire (military parade) on L'Avenue des Champs-Élysées à Paris et des feux d'artifices.

What's the best place you have been to so far?-Rebecca Liverton
What's your favourite place at the moment? Erica
What is your favourite place you have visited so far ? - Sophie Forbes

Bonjour Rebecca, Erica et Sophie, that's difficult because everything is so different. I think I will change my mind as time passes but I enjoyed visiting Marseille this weekend. It's the second largest city in France and has a coastal location so it is very pretty. Mind you, Paris is up there too. I can't decide as there's other places that are different to the large cities but still amazing like St Guilhem-le-Désert and Cirque de Mourèze and Nimes!

What's your favourite food that you've eaten so far that's not in New Zealand and part of the french culture? - Vicki Abbey-Molly Stevenson

Have you eaten snails yet? Cause that’s really gross!!! I’ve only seen that on movies! - Anna Powdrell :D :P :)

Bonjour Vicki, Molly et Anna, who would have thought it but I really enjoyed les escargots de Bourgogne. They had lots of garlic and butter and I think they tasted like shellfish. I have also eaten sea snails but I would have to say I enjoyed the land snails better. I ate them in a restaurant. See the photos below.

Does it snow in the part of France you are in at the moment? Keely Gunn.

Bonjour Keely, no it is warming up here now as it is le printemps (Spring). Today I was in Marseille and it was 25 degrees and this week the temperatures will be around 24 degrees. There is no snow here as we are close to the sea and in the south of France.

What is your favourite thing to do in spare time? ~ Nina Boesch :)

Bonjour Nina, my favourite thing is to travel and see other parts of this region Languedoc-Roussillon or other parts of France. Last weekend I went to Paris, and this weekend I went to Marseille. There are also optional school trips and I have visited other places in this region. I really enjoy exploring.

Do you like the food there? - Jess Moffett
What's your favourite food in France?- Lucy Mckenzie

Bonjour Jess et Lucy, the food is one of the best parts for me. The French bread, the cheeses (comté, rocquefort, brie, camembert, époisses), everything.

Are people nicer there then New Zealand? Erica

Bonjour Erica, that's an interesting question. I have found such kindness here in France, just as I have from New Zealanders, often from total strangers. They have given me directions when I looked lost, or swiped their card so I didn't have to pay the 50 centimes to use the public toilet! There are lovely people in both countries.

I love people in my French class thanks for teaching us Madame!

Bonjour to whoever wrote this! I am happy that you are happy :)

What is the traffic like in France at the moment? Lisa grace

Bonjour Lisa, I guess it depends where you are. The big cities are very busy and it is very entertaining to see the motorbikes and bikes weaving in between the pedestrians. In la vieille ville (Old Town) of Montpellier, the pedestrians have right of way. I have to remind myself to look left and then right as the cars drive on the other side of the road.

Is it very fashionable in France than it does in the movies - Brigette Davie

Bonjour Brigette, yes the women dress beautifully. They are very chic. They often wear scarves and tie them to look like a work of art. There are some very expensive clothes in the shops with labels like Ralph Lauren, a famous French label.

Do people eat frog legs and snails much as people think, or is it just a delicacy? - mica kee

Bonjour Mica, I have had snails twice. Once at home (sea snails) and once in a restaurant in Paris. Les escargots are popular and I have seen a restaurant which specialises in escargots. I have yet to see les cuisses de grenouilles on a menu in a restaurant here in France. I would like to try them. I have learnt that they are a speciality in Lyon, another large French city. I am going there for a weekend in July so will let you know what they taste like.

What do you eat at meal times Emma Tantrum
What are the meals like in France? Lydia Hill

Bonjour Emma et Lydia, breakfast is usually toast or les tartines which is French bread toasted. Lunch is huge in France and most of the restaurants are full here in Montpellier. There is usually une formule or un menu which is a set menu of maybe 2 or 3 courses or you can order à la carte (off the menu). The dinner is a little smaller or the same as in NZ. Tonight I had an asparagus omelette, with tabouleh, and afterwards, salade and cheese. I have uploaded photos of an interesting dessert I had the other night. See the photos of the flowers from l'arbre acacia, my host made them into a fritter. They were really good!

Whats the best modern song in French [georgiahollier]

Bonjour Georgia, I asked a teacher from my school, Olivier, and he told me there are two big songs in France by Stromae who is Belgian. Here are the links

Papaoutai

Formidable

What is your favourite thing you have done in France so far? Emma Tindall
What are one of your favourite activities you have done? - Aimee Wilson

Bonjour Emma et Aimee, my favourite things are to explore and to improve my French. I have uploaded photos of some new places I have visited. The amphitheatre is in Nimes, the beautiful village is St-Guilhem-le-Désert, and the sea scene is Marseille. I have also been to Le Lac du Salagou and Cirque de Mourèze - that was amazing!

What do the young people like to wear? - Riley McDowall

Bonjour Riley, Clothing depends on the individual. The style here is casual. The guys often wear jeans, checked shirts and sometimes their style is based on the music they listen to. The girls wear a mix of styles, similar to in NZ.

Do people sing some pop songs in English or are they translated into French - Bella Spiers.

Bonjour Bella, yes the French sing pop songs in English and also in French. This was especially common in the 1960s but today as well. Le rap is usually in French but a lot of singers think that other styles are better in English.

Is the music good there jess butson
Who is a popular singer in France right now?- Lily Carson

I asked a teacher, Olivier, today and he has given me these names. I have added some links.

Le rap: Dram's

La chanson a texte: Jeanne Cherhal

Pop: La grande Sophie

Electro pop: Emilie Simon

Une groupe de filles: Les Brigittes

What is your favourite tourist attraction? Sarah Roberts.
What is the best place in France to go to and why and is it any different to New Zealand?-Hannah Keating

Bonjour Sarah and Hannah, I don't think I can answer that question as I would need to see all of France as it changes so much over short distances. I have just spent a weekend on the Côte d'Azur (the French Riviera), visiting Nice and Cannes (they were setting up for the International Film Festival) and also Monaco which is not part of France but a principality or a city state. French is also spoken there. It was stunning. (see photos below)

Are the houses very different in France than in New Zealand- Brigette Davie

Bonjour Brigette, the house or apartment I live in is very old. I live in the centre-ville, the inner city and I live on the quatrieme étage,(fourth floor) and have a little balcony. In the vieille ville (old town), the streets are very narrow. It is very pretty. (see photos below)

Is the transport good? How's the traffic compared to NZ?-sophie towler

Bonjour Sophie, the transport is excellent in France. In Montpellier, there is a tram service which runs all the time except public holidays. There are also buses. The trains are great and there is the grande vitesse (high speed) TGV (see photo below). I arrived in Paris in 3 and a half hours from Montpellier. The journey by car might take around 7 hours. The other good thing is you can fly reasonably cheaply with the low cost carriers.

What is the weather like in France? How is it the same or how is it different to New Zealand? Ella Lilburn

Bonjour Ella, right now Montpellier is warming up and reaching temperatures we would experience in l'été (summer) but it is only le printemps (spring). Wednesday will be 25 degrees and Thursday will be 28 degrees. I've seen a lot of people with le coup de soleil (sunburn). Le temps (the weather) is the same with 4 seasons and that there is a difference from north to south. The difference is that because la France is in the northern hemisphere, it is warmer in the south, whereas in la Nouvelle-Zélande, it is warmer in the north.

Could you live in France now that you have been and seen more things there and had that experience? Ella Lilburn

Yes I would love to live here for a year to immerse myself further in the language and culture. I recommend it to all you girls who are developing a love of everything French. Vive la France!