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I can stumble along in face to face French, but the telephone is an obstacle to me. When the other party gets eloquent, I may not be able to ferret out the demi-pension question. Asking if you want dinner can come in a lot of different sentences. On the phone I go for single words back and forth, so I would state my request up front with the expectation that I could ignore any response. I know it is pathetic, but for the language challenged, it works.In my experience, when you book you will always be asked if you want demi-pension. You'll never have to remember to say you want it. Just be ready to say yes.
We find them usually more luxurious and much better value - some astonishingly so! .
I can stumble along in face to face French, but the telephone is an obstacle to me. When the other party gets eloquent, I may not be able to ferret out the demi-pension question. Asking if you want dinner can come in a lot of different sentences. On the phone I go for single words back and forth, so I would state my request up front with the expectation that I could ignore any response. I know it is pathetic, but for the language challenged, it works.
Demain.
Un lit.
Demipension, s'il vous plait.
Complet? Oui ou non?
Course if you can conduct an actual conversation, do so. It is so much more polite.
See? That's what I mean. Say it over the phone and I am lost!!The "a demain" only if you expect to seem them tomorrow. On the 'phone it probably won't be "tomorrow" so more likely, "Merci a bientot".
My research has revealed that I will have the following types of accommodations on the Le Puy route: municipal gites, private gites, chambre d'hotes, and hotels. I am confused about private gites and chambre d'hote. What are these? Are they private gites in someone's home or is it a free standing building? Are the rooms shared? Does the cost of demi pension include the room and the meals? Are they pentiful on this route? And I don't know what a chambre d'hote is? Thanks so much. I do not think I'll be able to sleep through snoring so I imagine the municipal gites won't work for me.
In 2010-2011, I spent about 35-40 euros per night at private gites with demi-pension. Chambre d'hotes were running 50-65 euros for room and breakfast. But Miam Miam Dodo is your best current reference. Thanks for asking - the foot problem was plantar fasciitis, caused by selection of a very poor quality (but very well advertised) insole. Prescription orthotics solved the problem permanently. All the blogs are on the same site; just look at the section links over on the right side.I have two questions. Staying in private gites or Chambre d'hote what might I expect to spend? And what turned out to be the problem with your left foot? ... there is a third question -- do you have a blog of your Cahors trip?
The "a demain" only if you expect to seem them tomorrow. On the 'phone it probably won't be "tomorrow" so more likely, "Merci a bientot".
I am a light sleeper as well and found that it worked for me on the camino Frances to stay in a private room (cheap in Spain) twice or even three times a week to catch up on sleep. Staying in dorms is fun and social though and strangely enough, you do get used to the snoring!My research has revealed that I will have the following types of accommodations on the Le Puy route: municipal gites, private gites, chambre d'hotes, and hotels. I am confused about private gites and chambre d'hote. What are these? Are they private gites in someone's home or is it a free standing building? Are the rooms shared? Does the cost of demi pension include the room and the meals? Are they pentiful on this route? And I don't know what a chambre d'hote is? Thanks so much. I do not think I'll be able to sleep through snoring so I imagine the municipal gites won't work for me.
I guess I could try to spell in French or I might adopt your name.
The other difficulty in speaking/listening to French on the Le Puy route, is that they speak an entirely different accent from Paris, which is the accent foreigners learned in school. .
Merci a demain?I'm sure you start with "bonjour!" and finish with "merci a demain!"
Are the meals like on the Frances, where a bottle of wine is included in the price of the meal?
A major difference between the two routes to me is that the Camino Frances is a pilgrimage with other pilgrims, while the Via Podiensis is a pilgrimage with the French. Once you have done it, I think you will understand why I say that. I do prefer it, but it is less convenient for short walks.The Le Puy sounds even better than the Frances and we thought that would be hard to beat.
I have a great video skype French teacher with whom I practiced various phone calls. He had fun with it because he is quite a linguist and would adopt the accent of the towns we were going to visit.
I have run into farmers in the south of France that a Parisian could not understand, but never had much trouble with a chamber d'hote. Back to Paul's "a demain" lecture, my wife accused me of getting a Provence accent last week, when I called to confirm our reservation---the proprietaire said "a demang", and I replied likewise. The only accent I had trouble understanding was a Romainian waitress working at one hotel.
Julian, my French teacher can be found here:
http://www.verbalplanet.com/publicviewprofile.asp?tr_id=10008925460&lang=FRE&lang2=FRE
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