Thursday, 23 February 2012

Cheap petrol price in France

Are you going to visit France with  your car this year?
Renault 4CV aussi appelée La 4-chevaux/Photo Krikri Memory


The price of petrol is heading to record levels again in France. Unfortunately petrol prices are flirting with the €1.60 a litre barrier.
If your want to keep your cash for the restaurant and cafés bills, keep an eye on petrol prices by checking the official Prix des Carburants en France website (http://www.prix-carburants.economie.gouv.fr/index.php) The site is run by the French government and collects data from thousands of filling stations across the country.
You can search the cheapest 'carburant' on you route to your destination by clicking on the "Itinéraire" tab. Once arrived,you can start your search via département, commune or postcode, with the results displaying the name of petrol stations and supermarkets closest to your chosen location and the individual prices per litre.
If you register an account with the site you can track prices over time at different stations local to you.
But still we prefer this:
Photo Danièle Capes http://www.wix.com/danielecapes/matieres-couleurs-textures

Alors bon voyage et bon séjour

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT FRANCE

Are you an expert about France? Time to find out


Test your knowledge about France!

Here are a few questions about France. Only one answer per question is correct.
A – What is a « café-noisette’?
A coffee with a lot of milk
A coffee with some Cognac
A coffee with a drop of milk

B – Which song was initially French?
Yellow submarine
My way
What’s new, Pussy Cat?

C – If you twist your nose with your hand, what does your gesture mean in France?
This person is drunk.
This is delicious
I’m cold

D – Which one of these invention is not French?
The Bikini swimsuit
The Braille alphabet
The mercury barometer

E – What does the phrase ‘Poser un lapin’ mean?
To wink at someone
To set someone up
To have a large family

F – Which one of these  is not a French wine?
Cannonau
Gigondas
Bandol

Tuesday, 21 February 2012

Don't want to go to this diner party: French song captures the whole feel of it

Le Dîner de Bénabar

Qui n'a pas traîné les pieds ( dragged one's feet) pour aller chez les amis de son partenaire/époux etc.
La chanson de Bénabar résume avec humour toutes les fausses excuses présentées au partenaire pour esquiver cette obligation sociale.
 Pour écouter la chanson, allez sur You Tube Bénabar Le Dîner
A un moment, Benabar parle d'un chef d'oeuvre du 7ème art, pour bien  en prendre la mesure, je vous conseille de le visionner sur You Tube Le Gendarme de St Tropez et ....


Les paroles de la chanson
FRANCAIS                                                               ANGLAIS


Je veux pas y aller à ce dîner
J'ai pas le moral, je suis fatigué
Ils nous en voudront pas, allez on n'y va pas
En plus faut que je fasse un régime
Ma chemise me boudine
J'ai l'air d'une chipolata
Je peux pas sortir comme ça
Ça n'a rien à voir, je les aime bien tes amis
Mais je veux pas les voir parce que j’ai pas envie
(refrain)
On s'en fout, on y va pas
On a qu'à se cacher sous les draps
On commandera des pizzas, toi, la télé et moi

On appelle, on s'excuse
On improvise, on trouve quelque chose
On a qu'à dire à tes amis
Qu'on les aime pas et puis tant pis
Je suis pas d'humeur, tout me déprime
Et il se trouve que par hasard
Y a un super bon film
A la télé ce soir
Un chef-d'oeuvre du septième art
Que je voudrais revoir
Un drame très engagé
Sur la police de Saint-Tropez
C'est une satire sociale
Dont le personnage central
Est joué par de Funès
En plus y a des extraterrestres
(refrain)
On s'en fout, on y va pas
On a qu'à se cacher sous les draps
On commandera des pizzas, toi, la télé et moi

J'ai des frissons, je me sens faible
Je crois que je suis souffrant
Ce serait pas raisonnable
De sortir maintenant
Je préfère pas prendre de risque
C'est peut-être contagieux
il vaut mieux que je reste
Ca m'ennuie mais c'est mieux
Tu me traites d'égoïste
Comment oses-tu dire ça ?
Moi qui suis malheureux et triste
Et j'ai même pas de home cinéma
(refrain)
On s'en fout, on y va pas
On a qu'à se cacher sous les draps
On commandera des pizzas, toi, la télé et moi
I don't want to go to that dinner
I'm not in the mood, I'm tired
They won't mind, come on let's not go
Anyway I need to go on a diet,
My shirt's too tight
I look like a saussage
I can't go out like that
That's nothing to do with it, I really like your friends
But I don't want to see them because I don't feel like it
Who cares, we're not going
We've just got to hide  under the sheets
We'll order some pizzas, you, the telly and me

We'll ring them, apologize,
We'll improvise, we'll think of something
Why  not tell your friends
That we don't like them and that's too bad
I'm not in the mood, everthing's getting me down and it so happens that
There's a fantastic film
On the TV this evening
A cinematic masterpiece
Which I'd like to see again,
A highly political drama
About the Saint-Tropez police
It's a social satire
Whose central character
Is played by Funes
And what's more there's aliens

Who cares, we're not going
We've just got to hide  under the sheets
We'll order some pizzas, you, the telly and me

I've got the shivers and I feel weak,
I think I'm unwell
It wouldn't be sensible
To go out now
I'd prefer not to take any risks,
It could be contagious
It's better if I stay,
I don't like it but it's for the best
You're calling me selfish,
How dare you say that?
Me who's unhappy and miserable
And I haven't even got 'home-cinema'



Who cares, we're not going
We've just got to hide  under the sheets
We'll order some pizzas, you, the telly and me

Sunday, 5 February 2012

French spelling, grammar, verbs, tenses...

Photo Mario Grella

 I've just come accross a very useful blog about French spelling, grammar, verbs and tenses.
Let me know what you think.

Ressource for French Pronunciation

Photo Mario Grella


The sound system of French can puzzle many French language learners.
I touched the subject of the Dangerouse Liaisons in a previous post.
The University of Hong-Kong has produced a few very helfpful tutorials.
Let me know what you think.


The objective of this series of ten lessons is to provide a concise introduction to the sound system of French and the main features that characterize its pronunciation. Beginners in French will find these lessons particularly helpful, as they will be led through a number of problem areas that usually cause learners the greatest difficulties. We hope that learners at a more advanced stage will also be able to benefit from these tutorials.