Saturday 17 March 2007

Merci à Dieu, c'est Vendredi sur le côté de Golfe Josephine: Thank God, it's Friday!


For most of you, it's Friday, and from this Adelaide beach at sunset, one can see out across beautiful Saint Vincent's Gulf.

In 1800, and as the French First Consul, Napoleon supported an expedition by Nicolas Baudin to "New Holland". Baudin gave 400 French names to ports and bays around our coastline and this gulf, he named, "Golfe Josephine". The coastline towards Melbourne was named, "Terre Napoleon".

No wonder we forget to speak English on a Friday, - unless there's another reason?

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh how I wish I was there. We are expecting another Nor-easter here in New Hamphire. They are saying 12-20 inches of snow with sleet and freezing rain. I need some sun!!

M.Benaut said...

Dear P, simple, Mam, just get down here, anytime. Our climate is Mediterranean and winter temps. get down to maybe 55 in the day and one night in the hills, here it got down to 40. During summer the days are 75-95. Most rain is in winter, about 24" / year. When you go in the sea, you don't usually gasp and nobody looks white much in summer.
New Hampshire, that's way north. Are you at the top or the bottom end?

M.Benaut said...

Dear P,
I just looked at the map. Crikey, "Rattlesnake Island".
Hope you don't live on that one!!!
It certainly is BEAUTIFUL and winters must be stunning, if not a little cool!

Monica said...

TGF indeed!!!

Wish I was there right now, but still have a whole day at the office to go through today...

Those beaches you show are really appealing, and they don´t seem to be as crowded as our beaches here. Which I think is a plus!

What´s the temperature in Adelaide today M.Benaut?

M.Benaut said...

Bonjour, Monica, aujourd'hui ce sera de 25 degrés ici à Adelaïde et
la Mme. et moi jouerons au tennis à la maison avec nos professeurs
français et étudiants de l'alliance française.
J'essayerai de faire quelques photographies de cette occasion pour vous.

M.Benaut said...

Monica,
À ce moment c'est deux heures en matin tôt et la température est approximativement treize degrés. Nous vivons dans les collines, mais près de la mer, elle est probablement 17.

Dsole said...

oh, the beach-life is great!!
I'm so jelaousssss!
have a nice weekend!

Gerald (SK14) said...

Cape Town posted a beach pic today [or maybe yesterday by now for you] and for a moment I thought it was the same one -- 25 degrees that's just not too hot like SA where its 38 -- here though it is about 10 at best and raining!
Not sure if I'll be awake for the grand prix tomorrow [plus] at 3am!

alice said...

J'adore quand vous écrivez en français, Mister Benaut (d'ailleurs, ce nom sonne français!). Encore, encore!

Monica said...

Deux heures en matin tôt ?! Uh lá lá!!! Still awake at this hour!
Well, by now you probably have had your tenis game avec vos amis. Did you hve a great time and laughed a lot with your friends? The things you and Mme. usually do seems so amusing, vous avez le "savoir vivre" comme le française, un vrai bon vivant! Ce tout mieux que je m´empêcher de continuer de écrire en français maintenant, je croi que j´ai dejá fait trop des erreurs...

Ame said...

Sigh~~~~~all this Francais is making my head spin! Alright...Matey...CLOBBER!

CRIKEY! I'm turning AUSSIE!!! OR is it OZZIE...or is it FOSTERS!!! Or is it SHRIMP-ON-THE-BARBIE!!!???

You know I'm a certifiable nutcase right? Just in case ya forgot! ;)

And I think I can stay put right here in SC and pretend it's Summer here M-B! Would you believe it's a HOT 76 degrees??

WOOHOO! Tan skin here I come again!!!
=)))

OH! AWESOME Beach shot BTW...do I say it's a "cracker?" Or did I just get myself into slang trouble! ;)
xo

Cheltenhamdailyphoto said...

Fab pic! It's a great portrait of the lovers in the foreground when you click on it. Bet they'd love to have this photo!

Anonymous said...

M.Benaut You and Madame are certainly enjoying your summer down under.

This last week of March it has been really hot in the Bay Area. I think summer in California will be a scorcher.

Very nice picture of Ausie beaches wish I could be there.

Votre francais a presque impecable. On dirait que vous serez francais dans quelque semaines. Eric, Lynn et Monica auront fier de vous at Madame.

Salut et a bientot.

Monica said...

I think you're right Clo. I could have some french lessons with M.Benaut, he's so fluent. And Lynn too, I know that.

Cheltenhamdailyphoto said...

you're too kind Mon' - my French is way out of practise.

Anonymous said...

Aaaaw, sad memories you're digging out there. Do you realise that with a little more effort from the French, Australians would be speaking French everyday now, not just on Fridays ? LOL

M.Benaut said...

That is true, Nathalie.
I wonder what names the French had for Port Jackson et La Baie de Botanie?

Sally said...

Yes, if only the french had outboard motors, they would not have been pipped at the post!
La Perouse lobbed into Botany Bay on 26 Jan 1788, just as Cpt Arthur Philip was moving the First Fleet north to Port Jackson.

Sooooooooooooooooooo, maybe next Jan 26, we should have a french pique-nique at BB?

M.Benaut said...

Hey Guys,
Thanks for all your nice comments today. We should all join Sally, and Nathalie too, next Australia Day. We should raise both flags and sing "Waltzing Matilda" and The Marseillaise".

M.Benaut said...

Alice,
Vous êtes trop aimable quand vous dites de telles choses gentilles à moi. J'essaye d'apprendre le français afin d'apprécier ma visite à votre beau pays en septembre.
L'écoute et l'audition sont très difficiles parce que nous n'avons pas beaucoup de français à parler à chaque jour.
Cependant, il est merveilleux pour vous parler en français et pour partager le rire.
A bientôt.

Anonymous said...

I am smack in the middle. If you pull up a map of NH there is a rather large lake in the middle. I work, live and play all around it.
I am looking to relocate in about 4 years, perhaps a trip-to-tease might be in order!

M.Benaut said...

Dear Prudence,
I see it is called 'The Broads' or is it 'Winnipesaukee Lake'. Does it freeze over in Winter?
A trip to Oz would please you and Tease them what's left behind !!!