Day 1144 (Monday) 27^th July 2020

I got up early again this morning and it was hot walking to the station and I was rather jealous of all the people on the beach and swimming.

The Grasse train was late so I caught it and got to Parc Mozart earlier than usual so I had a lovely 20 minutes peace and quiet.

I spoke to Hayat briefly about my paperwork but there’s one number that is still missing and it could take up to two weeks to get it – in French bureaucracy there is always at least one thing missing, well they did invent the word. I had a bit of a surprise when I went into my new room to see 11 kids. Most of them are teenagers but there are two 10-year-olds, one of them was able to keep up but the little girl was lost but her big sister looked after her. There are three brothers, two sisters and two brothers and a sister. They all seem to be nice kids and no sulky boy, but the volume was deafening for three hours.

When I got home I sunbathed for an or so and then we took Kisbee to Beaulieu train station to get my weekly ticket and to go to the bank and to buy some rose wine.

10 French phrases that will let you have a good gossip

As cafés reopen and we can meet up with friends again it's time to resurrect a true pleasure - having a good old gossip, writes Llayne Stanfield.

The French, like everyone else, enjoy a good gossip about friends, colleagues, families, celebrities and enemies and it's a good way to fit in if you can join in the chat.

The French word bavarder means to chat or to gossip, but there are a couple of more informal options too.

Les potins means the gossip, so you could say

J'ai rencontré des vieux amis et on s'est raconté tous les vieux potins - I met up with some old friends and we had a right good gossip.

Les filles c'est quoi les derniers potins - Hey girls, what's the latest gossip?

This word is the nicer way of saying gossip, in the sense of a good catch-up of news and chat.

In the more malicious sense of gossip is le ragot, which means cruel, damaging and possibly untrue rumours.

Il n'y a que très peu de vrai dans les ragots de Jean-Marie - There's very little truth in the gossip spread by Jean-Marie

While if you are a woman well known for your tattling tongue, you risk being known as une commère - a gossip.

Other options for the person who is always first with the news include concierge - from the classic stereotype of the building caretaker who is constantly spying on her neighbours - and the more informal une pipelette (a feminine word again - sexistes, les français?)

So now you know how to describe it, here's some phrases to help you get stuck right in to a gossiping session over your coffee and baba au rhum.

1. Il serait trop paresseux/ stupide/ pour ce projet - He'd be much too ​lazy​/ stupid for that project.

2. Allons, ne sois pas bête, dis-nous - Come on, don't be ​silly, spill.

3. Ça explique ton comportement grincheux d'hier soir -  That's why you were ​so ​crabby last night.

4. On m'a dit que t'étais lunatique - I was told you were a ​lunatic​.

5. II semble tellement innocent, presque délibérément naïf - He seems so innocent, almost deliberately​naive​.

6. Quel mec prévenant, compréhensif et gentil - What a considerate, ​understanding​ and kind guy.

7. Il restait absolument calme et serein alors que tout le monde criait - He was completely ​calm​ and unfrazzled as everyone yelled and screamed.

8. Ambitieux, cultivé, et honnête, tu dois rencontre François - Ambitious​, educated, and honest, you've got to meet François.

9. Desolé, j'ai été malpoli, égoïste et insultant - Sorry, I was being rude, ​selfish​ and disrespectful.

10. Elle est magnifique, Antoine, et très charismatique - She is beautiful, Antoine, and so ​charismatic​.

Joke of the day