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Things the French do better than us


Renaud
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[quote user="Manon"]

Cheap entry to Chateaux, museums etc and some free days as well

[/quote]

Well, that's certainly something the French do NOT do better!!! At least, not as far as museums are concerned. The majority of the best museums in the UK are free all the time, including all of London's major museums and art galleries. Unlike Paris, or indeed the rest of France's major cities.

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[quote user="You can call me Betty"][quote user="Manon"]

Cheap entry to Chateaux, museums etc and some free days as well

[/quote]

Well, that's certainly something the French do NOT do better!!! At least, not as far as museums are concerned. The majority of the best museums in the UK are free all the time, including all of London's major museums and art galleries. Unlike Paris, or indeed the rest of France's major cities.
[/quote]

That's about the ONLY thing that that man, Blair, did that I approved of.  Couldn't believe it so I just had to "test" the reality by walking into the V & A and, blow me, it WAS totally free......[:D]

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I have to admit, Sweets, it's one of the things that I would miss greatly if I ever left these shores. There's nothing quite like being able to hop on a train to the Metropolis and spend a day, or even just a few hours, pottering about in the V&A, National or Tate Modern. Even Mr. Nigella Lawson, whose gallery is housed in the splendid Duke of York HQ building just opposite Peter Jones, offers the opportunity to us ordinary folk to visit and view his private collection at no cost. It may not be everyone's cuppa, but at least they don't feel it's a waste of their money!

Oh, and none of this "closed on a Tuesday" malarkey in the UK either. Nor the "open all hours from June to September, but only for two hours on a Thursday otherwise". That really gets my goat in France. So many places seem to believe there's a place for culture, and that place is on a Wednesday in the Summer.[:D]

Free museums seven days a week. Something we take a bit for granted in the UK, but which we do extremely well.

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Ah, Betty, now you're talking.....

Tate Modern is wonderful especially when you go up to the cafeteria floor, get a drink and take it to the terrace where you can watch the boats go by.  The last time I visited I already knew I was going to live in France so I was a bit torn both ways.  But, I did see the Hopper exhibition and it was wonderful to get the feeling of being at the movies or something with some of the iconic images that Hopper was so good at.

Forgive me if you are already a Hopper enthusiast but here is a picture of Nighthawk if you don't know what I am on about:

http://www.art.co.uk/products/p12819749374/product.htm?RFID=329165&ProductTarget=218333127

I also liked just walking along the embankment and maybe brouse a secondhand book stall.

Notable though how you frequent different places at different times of your life; used to be around north London, Finchley, or Leicester Square or the Bayswater Road on a Sunday but latterly, because OH had sons in West London, that was where we went (before France)

But what I miss most are concerts and opera.  Yes, I know you can get those things in Bordeaux but Bordeax is a long way from us.  Also, I am not sure that we can afford tickets now on our greatly reduced and very modest income.

Norman will bear me out in this:  it's when the proms season starts that I miss London the most.  I had a very good friend who was music mad and I used to meet her at the Albert memorial and we'd make out way to the concert and then find a nice restaurant afterwards for some grub and do a post-mortem of the concert before going our separate ways.  When we email these days, we still talk as though it was yesterday when we were meeting and doing those things.

I don't go back to the UK for a reason.  I am afraid that if I went there, I might not come back to France! 

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Off on a little diversion of our own, here, Sweets, but I spend (or have spent) a fair bit of time at Tate Modern over the past several years. Son#1 being an art student, we bought him a membership so he could pop in and out as often as he wanted, and the spinoff benefit was that he could take me for free as well. The Members' bar/restaurant terrace has that same fabulous view of the London skyline that make me glad it's almost on the doorstep.

Now he's back studying again and I'm able to enjoy free visits to Burlington House..which is a bit special!

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[quote user="You can call me Betty"]I have to admit, Sweets, it's one of the things that I would miss greatly if I ever left these shores. There's nothing quite like being able to hop on a train to the Metropolis and spend a day, or even just a few hours, pottering about in the V&A, National or Tate Modern. Even Mr. Nigella Lawson, whose gallery is housed in the splendid Duke of York HQ building just opposite Peter Jones, offers the opportunity to us ordinary folk to visit and view his private collection at no cost. It may not be everyone's cuppa, but at least they don't feel it's a waste of their money!

Oh, and none of this "closed on a Tuesday" malarkey in the UK either. Nor the "open all hours from June to September, but only for two hours on a Thursday otherwise". That really gets my goat in France. So many places seem to believe there's a place for culture, and that place is on a Wednesday in the Summer.[:D]

Free museums seven days a week. Something we take a bit for granted in the UK, but which we do extremely well.

[/quote]

Plus many galleries and attractions in UK that are paying, offer concessions to Senior Citizens as well as children and students whereas in France they don't seem to, in my experience.

One thing they do better in France is speak French. I do keep trying though. [:D]

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[quote user="Cendrillon"]I like the French discount for Seniors on the trains, 1/3 off without needing to buy / own a railcard.

However U.K. Senior Bus Pass is excellent, long may it last.
[/quote]

I got my railcard with Tesco Clubcard points.

Do the French do loyalty schemes than us  .... ?

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  • 2 weeks later...
[quote user="Frecossais"][quote user="sweet 17"]

[quote user="Frecossais"]

Vive la difference, (or les differences)[;-)]

 

[/quote]

Mais non, Frecossais.  For the plural, it would have to be "vivent les differences", n'est-ce pas?

Either I'm showing off or being unbearable......[:-))]

[/quote]

I never was very good at "agreements" and stand corrected SW17. Please feel free to show off.[:D]

[/quote]     

NO !! Vive LA différence is perfectly correct and that 's what I'd say . And i'm one of those unbearable French !! ;-)

 

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[quote user="Frecossais"][quote user="sweet 17"]

[quote user="Frecossais"]

Vive la difference, (or les differences)[;-)]

 

[/quote]

Mais non, Frecossais.  For the plural, it would have to be "vivent les differences", n'est-ce pas?

Either I'm showing off or being unbearable......[:-))]

[/quote]

I never was very good at "agreements" and stand corrected SW17. Please feel free to show off.[:D]

[/quote]     

NO !! Vive LA différence is perfectly correct and that 's what I'd say . And i'm one of those unbearable French !! ;-)

 

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[quote user="ericd"][quote user="Clarkkent"]

Do the French do loyalty schemes than us  .... ?

[/quote]

???....Would you like to repeat this question in English ????...[8-)]

[/quote]

Forgive me for my delay in replying. My life has recently been filled with sadness and I am returning to this forum now for therapy and diversion.

 

"Do the French do loyalty schemes better than us?"

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[quote user="Frenchie"][quote user="Frecossais"][quote user="sweet 17"]

[quote user="Frecossais"]
Vive la difference, (or les differences)[;-)]
 
[/quote]

Mais non, Frecossais.  For the plural, it would have to be "vivent les differences", n'est-ce pas?

Either I'm showing off or being unbearable......[:-))]

[/quote]e p

I never was very good at "agreements" and stand corrected SW17. Please feel free to show off.[:D]
[/quote]     

NO !! Vive LA différence is perfectly correct and that 's what I'd say . And i'm one of those unbearable French !! ;-)

Bonjour, Frenchie, et bonne fêtes!

Yes, I'd say vive la difference too and I wasn't correcting the phrase, just correcting the er....grammar.  Just that if Frecossais wanted to say "les differences", she'd have to use the plural form of "vivre" [I]

Me, je suis pas calée pour la grammaire française......[:(]

 

[/quote]
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[quote user="Frecossais"]Frenchie, you're back. How nice to hear from you. Happy New Year, (as it's too late to say Happy Christmas.)

Thinking about people who haven't been posting lately, where's Pachapapa?
[/quote]

I think they've banned him for life, Frecossais.

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Thanks Frecossais ! Good to read your words, as well as those of Sweet17, and all the people I love on here. They know who they are !

I won't wish you a happy new Year now, as I ve always been told never to wish it in advance ... ( another one of those silly French things I guess ... LOL )

 Bisous . ( One thins we do better than you !!  LOL )

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