Oh là là !
Le Tour de France est venu à Londres aujourd’hui. Le cyclisme était superbe, il faisait très très beau … et pendant quelques heures, j’avais l’impression d’être en France!
J’ai regardé la course d’un endroit pas très loin de Buckingham Palace … mais tout autour on parlait français! Juste à côté il y avait une ‘buvette officielle du Tour’ qui vendait des merguez, des crêpes et des bouteilles de Kronenbourg, et partout il y avait des pubs pour le supermarché Champion. France 2 était là , et il y avait également des vendeurs de fromage, et beaucoup de camions Norbert Dentressangle (!). Il y avait même des gendarmes de l’autre côté de la Manche - c’était vraiment très bizarre… !
C’était une journée fantastique, et maintenant j’ai envie d’aller passer quelques jours dans l’Hexagone — la France me manque!
Pierre L replied:
I vaguely apologise for posting a reference to another blog, but here goes:
“He was, quite honestly, gorgeous, AND he wore uniform, with a gun, handcuffs, a truncheon and so much more.”
This is from Zoe of My Boyfriend is a Twat
I hope my first ever attempt at a link in a comment is going to work…
I am originally from Canada, but lived in France for a few years in the 70s before settling in the UK.
Sounds as though you have a great time watching the race - good for you!
July 8, 2007 at 9:56 am. Permalink.
Pierre L replied:
Sorry about that SG. Are you able to edit the comment to repair the link by any chance, please? I did a “view page source”, and the information is there - it’s just invisible.
July 8, 2007 at 10:00 am. Permalink.
stratfordgirl replied:
Hi Pierre
I think I’ve sorted it. Thanks for the link. That’s a blog I keep meaning to check out so now I will. I know that it’s won tons of blog awards …
SG
July 8, 2007 at 11:39 am. Permalink.
Mya replied:
Wow!You speak great French, I’m sooooo jealous. Hope you enjoyed ogling all those tight-shorted, muscle-bound cycle monkeys! You can’t honestly miss Champion? I’d kill for a spin around Sainsburys right now.
Mya x
July 8, 2007 at 5:46 pm. Permalink.
stratfordgirl replied:
Mya,
There wasn’t actually a Champion where I lived… are they crap? Carrefour and Géant were my locals … I loved the fact that they sold EVERYTHING you could ever want (well, just about). I also loved the stationery … the squared notebooks and purple Bic pens were fab (Cue collective cry of “saddo!” from readers)
July 8, 2007 at 6:18 pm. Permalink.
lalalis replied:
You DO speak great French! How long did you live in France?
We didn’t see the Tour yesterday, but I do love to watch it, I like “visiting” places with the Tour.
July 9, 2007 at 6:02 pm. Permalink.
lalalis replied:
Oh Mya, I just read your comment properly. I know all about Sainsbury’s withdrawal… I miss M&S lunchtime food too. Probably best I don’t have access to that - I’d quickly go bankrupt!
July 9, 2007 at 6:04 pm. Permalink.
Stratfordgirl replied:
Merci, Lis! I lived there for about 5 years …
I always thought that if I went back it would be to the North of France, so that I was kind of near home … I lived in Grenoble and Brittany. Although Brittany is north, it still takes bloody ages to get to the UK. ‘Le Nord’ is much more accessible.
July 9, 2007 at 10:52 pm. Permalink.
Mya replied:
Well, our local Champion is crap, but that’s not to say they all are - I think they’re franchises so probably vary in quality. My personal favourites are Intermarché (which has a bit of a downmarket reputation - suits me perfectly) and Leclerc. I wish we had a Carrefour near us, they’re supposed to be good. It’s funny you should mention the stationery. In late August every year you see harrassed looking Mums trolleying round the supermarkets filling up with exercise books, pens, pencils, folders etc.- they’re always consulting this long list that’s been given to them by the school. It must cost a fortune. I haven’t been asked to do this yet - I’m sure my time will come.
July 10, 2007 at 4:50 pm. Permalink.
lalalis replied:
I live in Le Nord! It is *so* handy for trips back to the UK.
July 10, 2007 at 5:23 pm. Permalink.