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  Day 3375 (Saturday) 5th September 2026   This is Villefranche and this is Saint Agnes. Yesterday I got a message from Suzanne inviting us to lunch today in the Bistro Etoile and so we met her and Dee there and Pat joined us for a beer before going to work. We saw this flat with lots of lovely flowers outside The restaurant was strangely quiet, it would seem that the summer is over but it’s still very hot and humid - we’re expecting another canicule (heatwave) soon. Embarrassingly Awkward English-French Translation and Pronunciation Mistakes   Have you ever had an embarrassing translation faux pas that is so cringe - worthy it made you want to duck to the nearest restroom and hide there forever? Or probably pronounced a French word so inappropriately that it made everybody snigger?   French words, with its subtle nuances and undertones, is quite easy to bungle. You might be saying something that you think is totally innocent, but the word you choose or a slight erro...
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   Day 3374 (Friday) 4th September 2026   These photos of Villefranche were taken in the past.   It was another beautiful day and we’ve had a warning that the canicule (heatwave) is coming back, either this weekend or on Monday.   For my birthday Huw ordered a new poster of Villefranche for me and it arrived this morning. I bought the original poster years ago and when comparing the new with the old it was amazing how much the old one has faded. We went down to Les Palmiers for some lunch and it was packed, mostly with fat people from the cruise ship. 12 of the most unfortunate (or hilarious) place names in France     JOHANNA LEGUERRE / AFP   From towns apparently named after body parts to villages that seem to revel in describing themselves as miserable and dirty, there are some distinctly strange place names in France. Here are our favourites. Sniggering at foreign words that sound rude is an extremely childish pastime. But it's also fun, so her...
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    Day 3373 (Thursday) 3rd September 2026   This is Saint Agnes again and this is Villa Kerylos in Beaulieu. Important Things to Know About French Beaches   The beaches on the French Riviera have different rules and things to consider than the beaches in the USA or UK. Here’s what you need to know:   The French Riviera’s public beaches can get very, very crowded in July and August.   Public vs Private Beaches   The beaches on the French Riviera are divided up into both private and public beaches, with the former setting you back anywhere from €20 to €120 per visit. Private beaches provide loungers and umbrellas (and, often, lockers), and are far less crowded. You can reserve a spot for either half the day or a full day.   The private beach loungers are serviced by a bar and restaurant (usually with waiter service), making them a calmer and more enjoyable way to spend a peaceful day of reading and floating in the water. They’re a nice place to spe...
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