The great excitement this week has been déconfinement – the partial relaxing of lockdown. As of Monday 11 May in the green areas of France, (see my last post for explanation) we have been able to leave our homes without an attestation (permit), stay out for longer than an hour and travel up to 100 km from home. The forests have reopened to walk in, many people have gone back to work and primary schools have started up again. It may be partial, but it feels like huge freedom after 8 weeks being confined.
However, the weather has not been kind! We’ve had torrential rain and thunderstorms. I can’t help thinking it’s nature’s way of making sure we don’t go out too much and have too much fun. Look at the difference 24 hours of rain makes to the (normally dry) Miaine river in Roquefort les Pins.
My first outing was to see the sea. Even in grey drizzle it felt amazing to gaze at the horizon, smell the sea air and hear the sound of waves crashing on the shore, if a little eerie with access to the beach still closed, no traffic and practically nobody around.
An Important Letter arrived in our letterbox this week. It contained 2 masks (per household) and a newsletter all about “le covid-19″ (hee hee, see below).
In other news this week, l’Académie Française (the council for all matters pertaining to the French language) decreed that Covid-19 is feminine! For months now the virus has been referred to as le covid-19 but in their great wisdom l’Académie has decided that henceforth he will be she: la covid-19. Considering virus is masculine (le virus), it does seem a rather peculiar choice. How they make these decisions is baffling and no wonder us English speakers get genders wrong all the time!
Summer Travel in France after Déconfinement
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It Never Rains in The South of France
Franglais, or Englishisms in French
Reasons to Book a Self-Catering Gîte Holiday at Lou Messugo
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I also saw that about l’Académie insisting COvid-19 should be feminine. I’d love to be a fly on the wall at their meeting to decide the gender of new nouns and hear what they actually say to justify their choice!
Hopefully the weather has cheered up for you know and enjoy your freedom. Our younger dog is now so happy to go on much longer walks and follow the boys when they go our for bike rides.
Hi Phoebe, it sounds like good news!
Great to hear how France is moving on. Here in the UK it seems to me to be unbelievably complicated and confusing what we can and can’t do is anyone’s guess. Thanks for keeping us in touch.
Some of our rules are pretty confusing too but I agree, the UK has taken confusion to another level.