Not Feeling very Chatty today . . .

I'm frequently not a very chatty person . . .

Especially with the usual "Hi, how are you?" conversations - you'll almost always get a "fine, fine" outta me.  It's not like they have all day . . .  :D  I mean after all, for the most part things actually are "fine, fine".  But I had to chuckle as I passed through the check out line at Costco today . . .

Where amongst other things made this purchase (I can never resist a new French language series on CD!)
(where else can you hear 6 hours of someone speaking in French for only 20 bucks!???)

This unique pack, which includes 2 books and six 60 minute CDs featuring native French speakers, will take you from beginner to fluent speaker in just a few months.



Carefully structured, the week-by-week course will walk you through how to pick up and improve French speaking, writing, reading and listening skills.


Fully updated for the 21st century traveller, it includes contemporary French vocabulary and expressions, so you’ll soon be confident enough to order cafe au lait in Paris and vin rouge in Toulouse!

But anyway . . .

The checkstand conversation went something like this:

checkout lady - oh planning a trip to France?

me - mumble, mumble . . . oh eventually I'm sure (totally not a lie, I'm always planning a trip to France)

her - well, be sure you don't over schedule, you'll want to have at least a week in each country.   The best thing to do is spend a month, if you're going to go all the way to Europe, be sure you have a month.  In fact, I really think you should include travel to Great Britain, Germany and Italy - they have so many of the top sights.  We just returned from there about a month ago.  Don't spend any less than 3 nights in each city, it's impossible to visit the cities properly if you spend less than three nights in a city.  I took all our kids and traveled all over Europe for a month, it was the greatest experience - I know you will love it.  There is so much information online these days, be sure you study up before you go an all the places you want to visit - and so on and so on and so on and on  . . .

me - nod and smile, with an "oh really" every now and then . . . and a few "how nice!"s also!

Not that I could get a word in edgewise . . . . but I didn't really have the heart to mention . . .

I lived in Madrid for six months!  I speak almost fluent Spanish.  I taught myself French over the last 10 years.  In my early 20's I traveled throughout Great Britain, France, Spain, Netherlands, Italy, and Austria riding the rails for a month. My husband and I took our four children back packing in Europe for a month and had a blast!  We later took my parents back to Paris for week.  We again traveled to Paris for 10 days for our 25th wedding anniversary.  Just last Spring, my sister and I took "just the girls" to Paris for 10 days where we had a lovely girls only adventure! 

(there!  now I feel better :D )

But I am impressed she managed to get so much information out in those 3 minutes it took her to scan and box all my items!  Yes, VERY impressed!