Les voyages de Cate: Il Pleut Ici Aussi!

...but it is still very warm and beautiful.

This morning I woke up a little later - around 8:45am. The family was just getting ready for breakfast so it was good timing! I learnt today that they don't just have chocolate in a bowl, they have tea or coffee, but also in a bowl! I also tried honey on bread with butter and decided I quite like it. Honey must be an acquired taste as I haven't really liked it before.

It rained all morning but the boys went swimming in it. I decided that it was a bit too cold to go in so just sat by the pool getting wet from the rain instead! Wandrille fell off of an inflatable crocodile and got water in his eyes so had a strop and went inside! I am finding his tantrums very difficult to deal with as his speech gets very whiney and so it is even more difficult to understand his fast, high-pitched french. Some of the adults can't understand him when he's like that either though so I'm not the only one!

Everyone loves the loom bands! Hélène went to Carrefour this morning and bought more of the coloured bands because they were running out! We need to buy some more of the looms because there are hourly disagreements about who is using them, and the older girls keep wanting to make big patterns that use the whole loom so it can't be shared. I've been letting Wandrille do it on my fingers but it's quite painful after a while!

I realised yesterday that the 20yr old cousin of Wandrille, Hermine, Alienor etc. is not called Tommy but Tanguy. I'm just glad I haven't said his name to anyone!

For lunch, we had leftover potatoes from last night, stewed carrots, melon, cheese and meats. I find some of their combinations a bit strange!

After lunch, Anne (the aunt) went for a swim in the sea and then found a starfish (étoile de mer) in the rockpools which she brought back to show the children. I learnt all about starfishes, but in french!

l'étoile de mer!

The Starfish

I'm finding that my french is improving greatly. The children are very good at telling me that I'm pronouncing things wrong and telling me what things are in french. They all know how to get to the Google Translate app on my phone when needed! It is interesting how many different subjects we cover in french. I would never have expected to talk about space, the history of france, sea creatures and many other things but I have!

Wandrille and I read a book today. Well, I read it and Wandrille repeated what I said with correct pronunciations! The book was about the adventures of 'Big Jack' the pirate and his shipmates. He finds it very funny that I can't read! He told Hélène that he was teaching me to read and asked her why, as a grown up, did I not know how? With children's books, occasionally there are words that doesn't have a real translation into english. Today the unknown word was 'scrogneugneu' and Hélène tried to explain it but she said that it was like Harry Potter, ie. a Sorcerer or Wizard, but Alice said that wasn't right and that it couldn't be explained in English - 'it is just a french word', she said. I have just googled it and it looks like it's the french version of a Scrooge! (aka. a grumpy old man). French Wiktionary tells me it can be an interjection or a noun to describe someone, just like in English.

This afternoon the parents and children went for a walk so I decided to have a lie down. They all seem so offended when I want to be alone as though it's because I don't want to spend time with them. I tried to explain that it's not that I dislike their company, but that I was tired and wanted to have a nap but I don't think the message was getting across. I find it quite tiring to sit with them all as they pretty much only speak in french and it's really difficult to keep up with them all and to understand more than just a few words. I'm lucky if I can actually work out what the topic of conversation is when they're talking let alone to join in or understand specifics!

The correct way to lay a french table
(with the forks and spoons upside down!)

I set the table and was told by the german uncle that I was doing it wrong. In France, the correct way is to place the forks and spoons upside-down! Alienor said it didn't matter because they were on holiday but Benoit explained that it was the proper way to set a french table.

At around 7pm (slightly earlier than the past few days), they served the aperitifs. Just as it was served, Hélène asked me to run a bath for Wandrille and help him get into his pyjamas which meant that I missed out on it. I can't say I minded - it was the same salad/soup thing and tomato sauce as yesterday which I didn't really like. After the aperitifs, there was Bouillabaisse (a fish soup as featured in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - at the feast with the french and nordic schools, Hermione says it is very nice). They served it with toasted bread. After the soup, there was salad with french dressing, baked courgettes, cheese and more bread. For dessert, Alice had baked a cheesecake - the cheese flavour was quite strong but it was very nice.

I went to see the children after that. They were getting ready for bed. Hermine got very upset about something - no idea what. She then decided to move her bed so I had to remake it on the other side of the room. The grandmother told me that 'a la maison, les enfants ont une chambre par enfant' (they have a room each) so I told her 'c'est tres difficile partager une chambre avec trois freres' (it's hard to share a room with 3 brothers!) I was very impressed with myself!

I'm still very tired so I'm going to sleep now. Hélène is going for a walk with her father tomorrow morning so Benoit may wake me up very early to help with the children! I hope not!

Views from the Villa across the bay towards Porto Pollo.