We've just spent a relaxing long weekend in Brittany and just for once it wasn't just MY hearing that was causing problems, it was the mis-understanding of staff at two different restaurants,
It was all caused by my dire French pronunciation.
Mess No. 1
We were in the Marie Stuart Pizza Parlour, Roscoff.
The main course had gone a bit squirrely, tho it was lush.
For dessert I ordered Flottante (Meringues floating in a sweet sauce)....
YUM
I got......
Fondant!
A gooey chocolate pudding.....to us Brits.
It was sooooo wrong, it was Riiiiiiiight!!!!
Mess No. 2
The next morning we came across this little tea house, again it is in Roscoff.
And then I scoped this sign in their shop window,
"Oh YES!!", I thought, "Sea weed bread."
"I'LL HAVE ME SOME OF THAT."
sea weed bread.
"Yes", I replied, "That's all, thank you," In my very bestest French.
He looked confused and repeated his question and my order -
VERY QUICKLY.
He walked away from me and took the slip of paper to a young woman in the cafe area of the shop. I looked at MeWally and Gerry and said, "What's he doing? Do they keep their special loaves out the back?"
A pot of tea for one was made especially for me and carried to me, whilst our man behind the counter was clearly confused by my puzzlement.
She said, in her best English (yes, ENGLISH); "You Earl Grey tea."
"Ahhhh!!!!!," It all becomes clear.
The way I said Algues sounded to the cafe staff like Earl Grey. They pronounced them as: Alguz and algri.
We all had a laugh, and our little group ordered another couple of teas and we sat down for our tea for three.
And the sea weed bread?
THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY!
: )
For more of our trip click HERE.
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