Patf

Where we lived bread was 'ping'.I have a few examples. One is coeur and queue.The other, cou and cul .

Even so I've noticed a split of interests and concerns between the two groups lately. So see the point of what grumpy is saying.I've seen it on other forums.

gerrard - I think you're right .I certainly wouldn't bet against his re-election. - anyone want to open a (betting) book?I've just been reading a very clever Damon Runyon story - the Snatching of Bookie Bob.

I don't think Mr. L M needs any help. he's pretty ruthless.

Hens often stop laying eggs at this time of the year. If they're truly free range. So perhaps there's a shortage.I think battery hens are kept in light conditions which make them think it's spring all the time.

There's a french form you fill in and sign authorising the notaire to sign on your behalf. Your notaire will send you the form if you ask. It costs a small amount.Otherwise as nomoss says the notaire could send you the documents by post to sign. We have done both (one purchase, one sale.)There's no need for a british solicitor

Hoddy - do you mean literally or metaphorically?Not that I can offer a better reply than Norman, I just wondered.

I love this video - but too energetic for me:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbBO4XyL3iMI use a robot with dough hook for kneading now.

I think bread baking is definitely a science. Like an unpredictable experiment.

Idun wrote "pre crash in 2007, we could have sold our home,"Exactly. We sold out first house quickly in 2006 and made a small profit. All these things need to be taken into account.

https://www.frenchentree.com/french-property/property-auctions-in-france/Scroll down a bit - it seems the seller can stipulate a reserve price.The only auction I've known of was a beautiful large place with pool etc which belonged to our english neighbour who went bankrupt. A tragedy for him, and his family. Very sad. It went for about a third of what he was originally asking to a local farming family.

Another suggestion - a property auction.You probably wouldn't get much that way. I would guess most buyers at auctions are investors.

I could never work out the creams in France. Especially when I was trying to make a baked cheese cake. My recipes were for british creams and cream cheeses, and somehow the french ones were different.I had a few 'flops', eg once when I added the eggsto the french equivalent of thick double cream  it all dissolved into a runny mess.I gave up in the end.French creme freche is good for savoury sauces, or with pasta.

I wonder what idun makes of this recipe?I remember it used to be your signature dish:https://www.750g.com/le-vrai-gratin-dauphinois-r204966.htmAs well as your pastry.There are many other versions on there.

I found this example today: "Une quincaillerie comme on en trouve plus!" Leaving out the 'ne'.

Thanks for the replies - there's more to it than I thought, lots of grammar rules that I either never learnt, or have forgotten. BinB I agree about communication (verbal) being the main thing for british people in France.I used to babble on and probably made lots of mistakes but enjoyed the conversations.

About the combination of ne and pas around a verb. Sometimes the pas isn't necessary.Is it correct to say "je ne comprends toujours". I still don't understand. Or should it be "je ne comprends pas toujours".

Another point - french legalese is probably different from english legalese. Because of the different origins of the 2 legal systems.I've scanned parts of the french document to get a general idea, but as my french GP once said to me (in english) "wait and see".Which we're having to do here in the UK too.

Fairy nuff! I didn't know about the CEF for language learning.I would fail on comprehension as I'm a bit deaf now,though not too bad on the other 3. I love the french language, also Italian, which I've never learnt, though I know a few words.When I was a student I had a holiday job where there were lots of Italian immigrants, and I managed to communicate with them with a mixture of latin and french. They were a lively lot [:)]

To go back to the BBC programme - what aspects of language did the final test involve?Did it include spoken language?

Do you think there's a genetic element in ability to learn languages?I have an idea it's linked to musical sense, and IS genetic to some extent. So in those experiments on the tv they would need to compare id. twins with none id., and siblings, and unrelated.Then there's a difference between chatting, comprehension, reading, writing gramatically in a foreign language.Judith - I agree with you about different methods for different people.Husband and I taught ourselves hebrew from children's books, but just to be able to translate. We learnt a bit of grammar too - it's quite a simple language once you know the alphabet.But neither of us can speak hebrew/ivrit.

You might be joking, nomoss, but when my eldest was 1-2 he had a friend whose mother got a marrow bone from the butcher and the little lad sat there in his pram gnashing away.

We haven't got tv now . We can get some things on the 'puter.There's another method - complete submersion ie sink or swim.eg time spent in hospital in France -  my spoken french improved in leaps and bounds.

We sometimes picked up a hitch hiker but the ones I remember were all male.My classic story is picking up a young lad stood on the left side of the road. Walking home from school on a wet day. I kept going on the left [:'(] There was no public transport where we were.Another poor man was so nervous he clung onto the door handle until I let him out.Les Folles Anglaises.

I think I sometimes use the french word order in english.And now and again use french instead of english eg excusez moi , ou sont les oeufs? Blank face from the Tesco lady.