Can We Have Some Apples for the Table?

This weekend I had my first guest in Apt, Georgia, and it was so good to see her. Though Becca and I had a suspicion we were not permitted guests in the apartment, this wasn't explicitly explained to us, so some dodgy manoeuvres had to take place to smuggle Georgia in. Fortunately, no one raised an eyebrow when they saw us with Georgia coming and going from the apartment so I am wondered if the no guests rule is maybe outdated. There is nothing like catching up with very good friends and this was my favourite weekend so far in France. After such an amazing but whirlwind time in Cannes Georgia and I cooked in on Sunday and had pancetta Parmesan pasta and watched Pride and Prejudice in bed.

exploring Apt

Monday we went into town for breakfast. In my three weeks here I must not have been out yet on a Monday because I made yet another discovery. In addition to very quiet Wednesdays and comatose Sundays, Monday is another day on which all shops and patisseries are closed. So I gave Georgia a tour of Apt as best as I could- 'this is our favourite patisserie..but it's closed', 'this place sells really good pizza, but its closed', 'I saw a really nice bag in here..but it's closed'..etc etc you get the picture.

I left Georgia and Becca together in the afternoon, where it sounds like they had an entertaining time chatting to the french owner of 'pizzaburger', a restaurant that sells only burgers, not pizzas, and watching french soaps. I went to work and did my first week properly teaching the classes. The first class were hard to get under control, so I was amazed in the second class when they all sat in perfect silence while we went through the charade of telling the time; 'five past, ten past, quarter past...'. I commented on their good behaviour at the end. He laughed- 'no, they are just scared of me!'

Georgia and I pre dinner

In the evening we went out for dinner in Apt and had pizzas (NOT good at all) but it was a funny meal because the two male waiters seemed so ecstatic to have any females under 60 in their restaurant, they certainly waited on us hand and foot. This was made funnier by plenty of wine and Georgia, taking the opportunity to practise her French after speaking German and living in Germany for the last six weeks, asking the waiters 'est-ce que nous pouvons avoir des pommes pour la table?' (Translation: could we have some apples for the table?) She was meaning to ask for chips but we could not stop laughing. I have to add however, that for someone who has been speaking another foreign language on a daily basis since the start of September, and not having practised her French since May, her French was still excellent as always.