Did I mention I was going back to France in a few weeks?
Currently it’s on fire and under a heat dome but Simon assures me it will have all settled down by the time we get there. We’re doing a week long road trip North of Paris, then flying to Romania for a cycling trip. Romania is currently under a state of emergency for a record breaking drought, but again apparently I’m making much ado about nothing according to Simon. Yes, the Danube has dried up, but we’re miles away, somewhere safe up by the Ukrainian border. Just kidding! (I think – my geography is not very good) we’re actually going to be in Transylvania, so quite safe as long as we don’t hang around any isolated castles on a hill at night or spend time with bats.
I’ve been working hard on my French. I’ve found a nice podcast, called Inner French, to listen to in the car, and I’m plugging away at Duolingo. Sadly I never screwed up the courage to contact my old French tutor again, so I’m just working away by myself. I’m probably a solid intermediate student now, after 45 years, so should be nearly fluent by the time I die, if medical science can get its act together in the next couple of decades and help me reach triple figures. I’m fairly sure I’ve reached the point now that my French is too good to be cute and endearing for the locals, so that instead of being friendly and encouraging, they’ll be mocking me for my mistakes (Ha ha! “La croissant”! It’s masculine, you moron! Espèce d’idiot!)
My French has never been good enough before to confidently read a novel, but recently I’ve found the perfect solution: a medical romance.
It’s choc full of cliches and jargon, so a cinch to follow along to. Funnily enough, it’s actually translated from English, hence the heroine of the first book is called Kate Stewart, who hails from a picturesque village in the south of England somewhere. Her ex, Jeremy, has done the dirty on her with another female colleague, so she flees to darkest Africa, as you do. (Do people still say darkest Africa? It feels wrong, somehow, especially as I don’t really know what it means). I don’t want to give anything away, but she meets another doctor over there, Sam, who seems initially rude and obnoxious…Enemies to lovers is a romance novel staple (so I’m told…), and you won’t be surprised that it’s not the last time we see Jeremy. Anyway, harmless fun and good practice for me. I’m looking forward to “The perfect man…or nearly” Two books for the price of one! Very good value.