Steve's sandbox

Tag: France

  • Reims – Adam Connolly, France: November 2016

    La semaine dernière j’ai passé deux jours à Reims, et même si c’était amusant, il n’y avait moins de maisons de champagne à visiter que je ne pensais. Nous avons cependant eu très beau temps.

    Nous avons quand même pu deux des maisons de champagne les plus connues : Taittinger et Pommery (beaucoup d’autres sont fermées pendant les mois d’hiver).
    Je pense que j’aimerais y retourner un jour, mais avec une voiture, afin de pouvoir visiter les plus petits producteurs en dehors de Reims. En effet, les grands producteurs sont chers et il n’y a pas grand-chose à visiter. En effet, j’ai été déçu par la dégustation de champagne car on n’a pas pu en goûter beaucoup. En plus, ils vendent leur champagne beaucoup plus cher que dans les boutiques du centre-ville.
    Ce qui m’a aussi surpris c’est qu’il n’y avait pas beaucoup de boutiques spécialisées dans le champagne dans le centre-ville. Nous avions prévu de visiter plusieurs maisons pour pouvoir comparer les dégustations mais nous n’en avons trouvé que deux après avoir marché dans toute la ville.
    Néanmoins, c’était vraiment intéressant de voir les caves à vin et de connaître leur histoire. J’ai bien ri quand j’ai vu un groupe d’enfants d’école primaire sortir de la cave de Pommery – Pouvez-vous imaginer que votre école primaire organise une sortie de classe dans des caves à vin ? Ces choses-là n’arrive qu’en France !
    Maintenant que le TGV peut vous emmener à Reims en seulement 45 minutes, il est possible de faire une excursion éclaire d’une journée en partant de Paris. Le billet coûte 32€ aller-retour au départ de Gare de l’Est. Il y a quelques maisons de champagne aux abords de la gare de Reims mais vous devrez prendre un bus ou un taxi pour voir les plus connues car elles sont en périphérie du centre.

    ENGLISH:

    Last week I spent two days in Reims, and while it was fun, it wasn’t as champagne-filled as i was expecting it to be. We did however have very beautiful weather.
    We visited two of the champagne houses: Tattinger and Pommery (many of the others close during the winter months).
    I think I’d like to go back again one day, but with a car, so we could visit some of the smaller producers outside of Reims. A lot of the big ones are pricey and there doesn’t seem to be much to do. They were very stingy with the champagne tasting and they were selling their champagne for a lot more than it was in the city centre.
    Another surprising thing for me, was the lack of champagne shops in the city centre. We had planned on visiting a few houses to do some tasting but we had walked all over and could only find two!
    It was really interesting to see the wine caves though, and to hear about the history that went with them. I had to laugh when I saw a bunch of primary school children coming out of the Pommery cave – can you imagine your primary school taking you to learn about champagne?!
    Now that the TGV can take you to Reims in only 45 minutes, it is possible to do a day trip from Paris. It cost 32€ return from the Gare de l’Est. There are a few houses within walking distance of the station, but you will need to take a bus or a taxi out to the bigger ones, as they’re on the edge of the city.

  • Versailles – Adam Connolly, France – October 2016

    Ce mois-ci, je n’avais rien de prévu durant un week-end alors j’ai décidé de visiter Versailles avec mes amis. J’avais déjà visité Versailles auparavant mais c’était juste une visite très rapide où je n’ai eu le temps que de jeter un bref coup d’œil. Nous avons décidé de passer la journée là-bas et découvrir ce que cet endroit avait à offrir. Bien que nous y ayons passé une journée complète, nous n’avons pas eu le temps de visiter l’intégralité de ce lieu.
    Il y a trois parties principales à Versailles : le palais qui abrite une architecture étonnante avec des œuvres d’art et deux jardins, la partie principale qui se trouve juste derrière le château et l’arrière où se trouve la maison de Marie-Antoinette. Comme c’était une belle journée, nous avons décidé de profiter des jardins.
    Les jardins représentent plus de 800 hectares et ont été aménagés par André le Nôtre. Ces jardins sont renseignés sur la liste du patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO, ainsi que le château, qui fait partie des trente lieux français à figurer sur cette liste.
    Les jardins sont magnifiques mais aussi très paisibles, chose étonnante car c’est l’un des endroits les plus visités de Paris. Les jardins sont très agréables pour se détendre et si vous aimez aller courir, il y une piste étonnante pour faire du jogging. Tout au bout des jardins, vous avez la possibilité de louer un bateau. Cela coûte environ 16€ pour une heure, ce qui n’est pas cher du tout, car nous avons divisé ce prix entre trois personnes.
    Cette visite des jardins a aussi été une excellente occasion pour prendre des photos comme par exemple des labyrinthes cachés qui ont un éclairage très original !

    Me and my Friends in the Versailles Gardens

    ENGLISH:

    This month, I had a weekend free, so I decided to visit versailles with some of my friends. I’d previously visited Versailles before, but it was just a quick stop and a brief look around. We decided to spend the day there and explore what the place really had to offer. Even though we had a full day there, we still didn’t get the chance to explore the whole of it.
    There are three main parts to Versailles, the palace, which houses amazing architecture and artworks and then there are two gardens; the main one, which is just behind the house and then one that’s behind that garden, which Marie Antoinette’s house is located. Because it was a nice day, we decided to go to the gardens and take all day to look around them.
    The gardens cover more than 800 hectares of land, which were landscaped by André le Nôtre. The gardens are on the UNESCO world heritage list, along with the house, which is one of thirty places in France to be placed on the list.
    The gardens are so peaceful and beautiful and even though they’re one of the most visited locations in Paris, the size of the grounds, doesn’t make it feel busy at all. The grounds are great to relax in and if you’re into running, an amazing backdrop to jog. Right at the end of the gardens, there’s the possibility to hire a boat, which costs about €16 euros for an hour, which wasn’t expensive at all, seeing as it was divided between three of us.
    Also the gardens make a great photo opportunity as some of the hidden garden mazes have really cool lighting.

  • Adjusting To Living In A Big City – Adam Connolly, France, September 2016

    Je n’ai jamais habité dans une capitale. Je pensais que faire mon stage ici serait une bonne opportunité de découvrir le mode de vie dans une grande ville. Il a fallu que je m’adapte à ce nouveau mode de vie car comment les choses fonctionnent à Paris me paraissaient un peu étranges. Je pensais que le fait de s’installer dans une ville étrangère serait facile comme j’ai déjà fait un semestre d’ERASMUS en Allemagne. Mais une ville avec une population de 50.000 personnes n‘a rien à voir avec une ville comme Paris, qui a une population d’environ 2,2 millions de personnes. A Passau il y avait un bus jusqu’à la gare seulement chaque demi-heure et toutes les personnes attendaient sagement. A Paris tout va plus vite !

    Il y a beaucoup de détails qui ont leur importance pour s’adapter au pays. LE CLAVIER. Quand j’ai commencé mon stage, il me fallait environ 20 minutes pour écrire juste un seul e-mail. En Angleterre, le dîner est généralement le plus important de la journée, mais en France c’est le déjeuner qui compte. Par exemple, dans mon bureau, nous recevons des tickets restaurants tous les mois. Ils permettent d’acheter de la nourriture dans des enseignes comme Starbucks ou McDonalds. Au début, je pensais c’était un concept très bizarre mais avec le recul, c’est la meilleure chose que je n’ai jamais connue ! Beaucoup de mes collègues font réellement leurs courses de produits alimentaires chaque semaine avec leurs tickets restaurants, comme nous en avons beaucoup.
    Quant au tourisme, je n’ai pas vraiment eu le temps de visiter ce mois-ci, comme nous avons du temps uniquement le week-end. Ce mois-ci mes visites étaient au Quartier Latin et au Sacré-Cœur, où nous pouvons nous détendre et passer du temps avec nos amis. Je joins une photo du Sacré-Cœur, juste pour vous montrer combien il est beau !
    A la prochaine !

    Sacré-Cœur

    ENGLISH:

    Having never lived a capital city before, I thought that doing my internship here would be such a good opportunity. Of course it is, but adjusting to how things work here is slightly strange. I thought I would have been okay settling in to a foreign city, as I had previously done an Erasmus semester in Germany, but a town with a population of 50,000 people doesn’t really compare to Paris, which has a population of about 2,2 million people. In Passau there would be a bus somewhere about every half an hour and every one would be so relaxed, but in Paris everything is go go go. The metro is every 3 minutes and everyone always seems to be in a rush and not relaxed.
    There’s lots of little things about adjusting to France as well. THE KEYBOARD. When I first started my internship, it would take me about 20 minutes to write an e-mail as I would just be pressing keys, that I would if I were in England. In England, dinner is usually the most important meal of the day, but in France it’s lunch. In my office we receive restaurant tickets, where we can go to any restaurant or café such as Starbucks or McDonalds. I thought that this was the weirdest concept at first, that my company would basically pay for my food, but in hindsight, it’s the best thing ever! A lot of my colleagues actually do their weekly food shop with their restaurant tickets, as we receive so much.

    As for doing things like sightseeing, I haven’t done as much this month, as we only really have the weekends to sightseeing. This month’s visits were to the Latin Quarter and the Sacré-Coeur, where we’re able to just relax and hang out with our friends that I’ve made so far during my 6 months in Paris. I’ll attach a Photo of the Sacré-Coeur, just so you can see how beautiful it is!  À la prochaine.

  • Loving Paris! – Adam Connolly, August 2016 (France)

    Après avoir été ici pendant plus d’un mois maintenant, je peux honnêtement dire que j’adore Paris. Je suis arrivé trois semaines avant que je commencé à travailler, donc évidemment je suis allé pour visiter des lieux tels que la Tour Eiffel, Versailles, le Louvre et le Sacré Cœur (pour n’en citer que quelques-uns). Je me suis déplacé dans mon nouvel appartement à Levallois, que j’ai trouvé sur l’une des pages ERASMUS Facebook. Mes colocataires sont vraiment gentils et ont m’aidé à installer dans vraiment bien, me donner des conseils de l’endroit où faire ma nourriture achats à l’endroit où sont les meilleurs endroits à visiter et pour sortir. J’ai commencé travail la semaine dernière et fait vraiment apprécié ! Mon équipe sont vraiment sympathique et j’installe bientôt bien dans l’équipe vivement. Pour la première semaine, il y avait une période de formation où j’ai appris avec la fille qui je prenais plus et de voir comment les choses fonctionnaient. Je l’ai trouvé assez difficile au début parce que étant dans une start-up, parce qu’il y a beaucoup de responsabilités. Je gère la plupart des choses pour l’ensemble du Royaume-Uni, tels que les relations avec les clients, la mise à jour des pages de médias sociaux, écrire des blogs et et des bulletins d’information à envoyer aux clients et la traduction de la littérature française en anglais pour qu’il puisse aller dans nos produits. Je suis également en charge des relations blogueur, de sorte que je dois trouver des blogueurs nouveaux et à venir pour écrire sur nos produits et aussi garder des bons relations nos vieux blogueurs, ce qui est vital pour une petite start-up comme la nôtre.

    ENGLISH:

    After having been here for more than a month now, I can honestly say that I am loving Paris. I arrived three weeks before i started work, so obviously went sightseeing to places such as the Eiffel Tower, Versailles, the Louvre and the Sacré Cœur (just to name a few). I moved into my new flat in Levallois, which I found on one of the Facebook ERASMUS pages. My flat mates are really nice and helped settle in really well, giving me advice from where to do my food shopping to where are the best places to visit and to go out. I started work last week and actually really enjoyed it ! My team are really warm and friendly and I soon settled into work quickly. For the first week there was a period where i shadowed the girl who i was taking over and to see how things worked. I found it quite difficult at first because being in a start-up, I have a lot of responsibilities. I manage most things for the whole of the United Kingdom, such as dealing with clients, updating the social media pages, writing blogs and and newsletters to send to customers and translating the French literature into English so that it can go into our products. I am also in charge of blogger relations, whereby I have to find new and upcoming bloggers to write about our products and also keep good relationships with our old bloggers, which is vital for a small start-up like ours.

  • Festive facts from around the world

     

    Paris, France

    France – France is widely known for its food and delicacies. People in the Provence region even go so far as to serve a sumptuous feast of seven main courses and 13 desserts at Christmas!  Among the most popular festive dishes are: Fougasse (pancakes), nougat with honey and pistachios, pumpkin pie and dried fruits.

     

    Italy

    Italy – In Italy many children get two sets of gifts – one on the 24th of December and a larger gift on the 6th of January. On this day, Italians celebrate Epiphany Day and according to popular belief, a witch called La Befana arrives in the night to fill good children’s stockings with sweets, while naughty ones get chunks of black coal.

     

    Japan

     

     

     

    Japan – In Japan, Christmas is considered the “Festival of Love”. It is not uncommon to see couples spending a romantic evening together, while singles will be out partying and looking for the love of their life.  Christmas is more of a time to spread happiness rather than a religious celebration. Christmas eve is often celebrated more than Christmas Day. Christmas eve is thought of as a romantic day, in which couples spend together and exchange presents.

     

     

    Madrid, Spain

     

    Spain – Christmas in Spain gets off to a rather peculiar and unofficial start on Dec. 22nd when children from San Ildefonso School can be heard calling out the numbers and prizes of theLotería de Navidad, which is likely the most followed Spanish lottery during the entire year. In Spain, when you hear the melodic sounds of the prize draw on the radio, you think: “Christmas time has arrived”.

     

     

     

     

    China

    China – Christmas is treated more like Saint Patrick’s Day or Valentine’s Day. That is, it’s a light-hearted day for going out and being with friends, not for staying in with family, as we do in the West. Typical ways to celebrate include seeing a movie, going to a karaoke bar, or shopping. China Daily says Christmas Eve is the biggest shopping day of the year. Young couples often treat it as a romantic day. Ice skating and amusement parks are popular destinations.

     

    Germany

     

     

    Germany – A big part of the Christmas celebrations in Germany is Advent. Several different types of Advent calendars are used in German homes. As well as the traditional ones, there are ones made out of a wreath of Fir tree branches with 24 decorated boxes or bags hanging from it. Each box or bag has a little present in it. One candle is lit at the beginning at each week of Advent.  Christmas Eve is the main day when Germans exchange presents with their families.

     

     

     

    Christmas traditions vary from country to country. Elements common to many nations include the installing and lighting of Christmas trees, the hanging of Advent wreaths, Christmas stockings, candy canes, and the creation of Nativity scenes depicting the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas carols may be sung and stories told about such figures as the Baby Jesus, St Nicholas, Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Christkindl or Grandfather Frost. The sending of Christmas cards, the exchange of Christmastime greetings, observance of fasting and/or special religious observances such as a midnight Mass or Vespers on Christmas Eve, the burning of a Yule log, and the giving and receiving of presents. Along with Easter, Christmas time is one of the most important periods on the Christian calendar, and is often closely connected to other holidays at this time of year, such as Advent, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, St. Nicholas Day, St. Stephen’s Day, New Year’s, and the Feast of the Epiphany.

     

    Click here for more  Worldwide Christmas traditions

     

     Merry Christmas            Feliz Navidad              メリー

    クリスマス

                         聖誕節快樂                       Buon Natale

     vrolijk kerstfeest

    A very happy Christmas from the John Speak Language Trust 

  • Geoffrey Padgett – Case Study, France 1953

    In 1953 at age 22, I was fortunate to receive a Scholarship from the John Speak Trust to assist with my French studies.  The Scholarship provided a small amount of funding towards my travel, lodgings and food during six months abroad.   I received a mere £30 per month.  I worked in the wool trade (salary £233 per annum, Tax £6 and 4 shillings) and my employers felt time abroad would be beneficial to my career.

    My journey to France began by train from Bradford to London, Calais then to Lille, a city in northern France.  A somewhat dilapidated boarding house in Roubaix would provide my accommodation for the next six months.  In addition to studying French (as a condition of my Scholarship) I worked voluntarily, during which I learned every stage of converting wool into cloth, i.e. sorting, spinning, weaving and finishing.  I recall having to obtain a Visa, provide a ration book and report regularly to the local Police.

    The time I spent in France has proved invaluable throughout my career within the wool export industry.  My first business trip abroad was to Scandinavia travelling by train and boat, spending two weeks each in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark – quite an exhausting two months even visiting a mill inside the Arctic Circle.

    Thanks to my time abroad, I have always been ready to accept and adapt quickly to changes in language and culture in order to facilitate business activity abroad.

    I continue to use French in my daily life as well as speaking German and some Italian.  I have always felt it only polite to attempt other languages when visiting foreign countries.

    Being able to speak French fluently allowed me to converse on many subjects in depth and learn more about other cultures, e.g. North African countries such as Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco where French is widely used.  I have remained in touch with many of the friends and colleagues I have met during my travels and nowadays visit regularly for holidays.

    Learning a foreign language, working and living amongst native speakers has proved invaluable.  I did however find that learning a foreign language within a ‘factory floor’ environment did have its drawbacks too!  Unfortunately in the early days I could not always distinguish those phrases which are not acceptable in polite society. This came to light during a weekend break in Calais with a pen friend, his mother and close friends.  During the conversation,   apparently I had described my accommodation in a very unsuitable manner.  Following my detailed and somewhat rude description my penfriend’s female guests felt obliged to make an untimely embarrassed departure!

    For the 1957 Queen Elizabeth II State Visit to France I was asked to provide a short article about my Scholarship and time in France.  This was published in the official booklet for the Queen’s official visit Le Nord Textile 11 April 1957.  I was very privileged to have my story published and have kept a copy of the booklet all these years.  One of many proud and cherished memories.

    I remained in contact with the John Speak Trust, later serving as a Trust Committee member for 33 years of which 17 as Chairman.  After receiving financial assistance from the Trust all those years ago, it was an honour to be in a position to offer the same help to other language students who were starting out in their careers.

    I would recommend, without any hesitation, the John Speak Trust to UK language students.  Learning a foreign language whilst abroad, amongst native speakers, living and working within another culture has proved invaluable, an experience I shall never forget and an opportunity for which I will always be grateful.

     

    Geoffrey Padgett

    Geoffrey Padgett June 2015

     

  • Anthony Kassapian – Case Study,

    The year was 1960, I was nineteen years old, working in the wool trade for the family business, Kassapians (Combers) Limited.  I applied for a John Speak Trust Scholarship to finance a six month study/voluntary working trip to France to improve my French and broaden my horizons.

    Unfortunately I had experienced a rocky start on the long journey from Bradford to France (via London) having arranged to meet a friend at Earls Court but unfortunately took the wrong tube train upon arriving in London and subsequently got lost!  Fortunately I managed to find my way to our arranged meeting place just in time – not the best start to my adventure.

    I was fortunate to have an Aunt living in France who welcomed me upon my arrival and who I regularly visited during my time abroad. Whilst in France I initially stayed in a hotel and later with a French family in Clermont-Ferrand, an area governed by the factory Michelin.

     

    As well as studying French, I worked long hours (voluntary) six days a week for a travel agency and spent many evenings at the University where the food was cheap and making many new ‘international’ friendships.

    During my time in France (as a condition of my Scholarship) I had to send monthly reports to the Chamber of Commerce written in French.  Once approved, I would receive a small financial contribution towards my board and minor expenses. I believe the Trust still uses the same system today.  In addition, I was also fortunate to receive some financial help from my parents.

     

    In addition to learning to speak French fluently, I experienced a totally different culture and way of life. I met many different kinds of people and formed numerous new international friendships.  I learnt that socially the French were much more outgoing than the English with very elaborate tastes in fine dining and wine. This was a very new and exciting social aspect that I fully embraced during my scholarship.

     

     

    Whilst abroad I kept in regular contact with my parents, family members and friends by letter (copies of which I still cherish today).  Occasionally I would receive a phone call but this was a very rare occurrence due to the cost.  I was also lucky to receive a short visit from my parents. I missed them very much so it was wonderful to see them after spending several weeks away from home.

     

    Six months seemed like a short space of time to learn a new language, culture and experience new friendships, but within that time I learnt a great deal.

     

    I would certainly encourage language students to apply for a Scholarship.  The experience has provided invaluable in my work, career, social life and also allowed me to grow as a person.  I have held four Directorships throughout my career and will always be grateful to the Trust for providing the opportunity to travel, learn another language and for the opportunities this opened up for me.

    I am very pleased that the Trust continues to assist our language students of today providing many with an opportunity to learn, speak and write a foreign language in an environment I personally believe to be much more beneficial than a classroom.

     

    Anthony Kassapian

     

  • Amy Clark – Case Study France and Spain 2014-2015

    I can´t quite believe that my 18 months abroad are coming to an end, it only seems like 2 minutes since I was boarding the plane to Alicante in January 2014 to begin my Erasmus study period! I feel that my time abroad, in France and Spain has been the most beneficial part of my university course so far; not only has it allowed me to greatly improve my French and Spanish but I´ve also developed a variety of skills that are going to help me throughout the rest of my life! As a student from Sheffield Hallam University, now in my 3rd year, I jumped at this opportunity of being awarded a scholarship, as I knew it would be a big help towards various costs that travelling and working abroad would endeavor.

    My scholarship was split between my time in Montpellier, France and Palma De Mallorca, Spain, however during this time I was also able to travel to other places in Europe, making the most of the opportunities that I had. I managed to visit Bordeaux, Paris, Toulouse, Nimes and  Geneva whilst living in France, it´s been amazing to be able to travel and see so much in such a short time! As for my time here in Palma de Mallorca, I’ve spent my weekends exploring the beautiful island, hiring cars with new friends from all different backgrounds, visiting remote non-touristic places and generally experiencing the true Spanish culture. I´ve got to say that life on a Spanish island is definitely something I’d think about later on in life and Mallorca in particular is amazingly beautiful!

    Aside from all the exciting travelling, meeting new people and learning new things, there has of course been times when I’ve missed home, my friends and family and even once or twice when I have wished I could be back, but I know that this experience has had a huge impact on my life and on me as a person and I’m so grateful for the opportunity; I have no regrets about moving abroad and leaving my life in England behind as I know the positives have far outweighed the negatives! I’m looking forward to finishing my degree in Sheffield and moving on to bigger and better things!

    Finally, I would like to say a big thank you to the John Speak Scholarship Trust for giving me the great pleasure of being a part of their organisation for the last 10 months and would without a doubt, recommend it to anyone who is eligible to apply!

  • Alexander Arch – Case Study, Paris, France 2014 – 2015

    I am a student of French, Spanish qnd international business at Sheffiled Hallam University.   I have spent my year abroad in Noisy-le-Grand, just outside of Paris. Whilst in France, I worked for a holiday comparison website which allowed me to develop my French and Spanish skills in a professional environment. The placement also helped me identify the areas of business which interest me.   As I was working for a small company I was able to witness how it was run as well as seeing how my contributions affected income and views.

    Whilst living and working in France, I was fortunate to find a local rugby club which allowed me to meet many people from all over the country as well as hearing slang and very familiar French which I don’t encounter at work (or university!!).

    I discovered that spending as much time with locals as possible really helped develop my language skills.  When I arrived I found it difficult to understand many people due to their accents and because they spoke so quickly, but now I find it easier to understand most people- however I still struggle with the southern French accents!

    Over the past year I have had many unforgettable experiences, I’ve learned many things and I’ve made life-long friends.  I have really enjoyed this past year and would recommend undertaking a placement abroad to anybody.

     

    Finally, I would like to thank the John Speak Trust for their support during my time abroad.  The Trust has given me the opportunity to really embrace and make the most of my time in France, an experience that I’ll never forget.

    Alexander Arch – August 2014 to May 2015 (France)

  • Alexandra Arch, France – May 2015

    Pendant le dernier mois, je me suis rendu deux des plus célèbres galeries d’art de Paris. Il faut dire que je suis certainement pas un fan de l’art, mais je me demandais si le monde célèbre musée du Louvre ou au Centre Pompidou pourraient changer mon esprit. Tout d’abord, je suis allé au Louvre, qui est reconnaissable par la pyramide de verre à l’extérieur (ainsi que les milliers de touristes !!). Quand nous étions à l’intérieur, je était très surpris par la taille du musée-il serait certainement prendre quelques jours pour voir toutes les pièces. Je était également surpris par la gamme d’expositions, monuments allant de l’âge du bronze à la peinture classique Mona Lisa. Dans l’ensemble, je était très déçu par le galerie- il y avait trop de monde et, tandis que je comprends que les oeuvres d’art étaient vieux, je ne les trouvait pas très intéressant. En outre, l’image de Mona Lisa était un let complète aval elle est très petite et je l’ai entendu beaucoup de gens murmurent ‘c’est tout?’.

    Le week-end suivant, je suis allé au centre Pompidou. Quand je dis à mes collègues au sujet de mon voyage, ils ont répondit: «C’est moche, non?», Ce qui m’a fait rire. Cette galerie est une galère d’art moderne et contemporain, qui est complètement différent au Louvre. J’ai trouvé les œuvres d’art beaucoup plus intéressant ici, beaucoup de pièces étaient interactive. Cependant, il y avait quelques morceaux de «l’art» qui étaient tout à fait étrange, par exemple une caisse de ciment qui a été tout simplement laissé dans le milieu de la pièce.

    Je suis heureux que je suis allé à ces musées, cependant- je ne visiterais pas encore une fois. Pour moi, l’art le plus attractif à Paris est sur le terrain du Parc des Princes, mais ca peut-être parce que je n’aime pas l’art?

    ENGLISH TRANSLATION:

    This month, I visited 2 of Paris’ most famous art galleries. I must say that I am definitely not an art fan, but I wondered if the World famous Louvre or the Centre Pompidou could change my mind. Firstly, I went to the Louvre, which is recognisable by the glass pyramid outside (as well as the thousands of tourists!!).  When we were inside, I was very surprised by the size of the museum- it would definitely take a few days to see all of the exhibits. I was also surprised by the  range of exhibits, ranging from Bronze Age monuments to the classic Mona Lisa painting. Overall, I was very disappointed by the gallery- it was very crowded and, whilst I appreciate that the artworks were old, I didn’t find the very interesting. Furthermore, the Mona Lisa picture was a complete let down- it is very small and I heard many people mutter ‘is that it?’.

    The following weekend, I went to the Pompidou centre. When I told my colleagues about my trip, the replied- ‘it’s ugly isn’t it?’, which made me laugh. This gallery is a modern contemporary art galley, which is completely different to the louvre. I found the pieces of art much more interesting here, a lot of pieces were interactive so you could add to them. However, there were a few pieces of ‘art’ which were quite strange, for example a crate full of cement mix which was just left in the middle of the room.

    I am really glad that I visited both of these museums, however- I wouldn’t be in a rush to visit either of them again. For me, the best piece of art in Paris is on the pitch at the Parc des Princes, but maybe that because I’m not an arty person?