Preparing for French Conversation group………..

……….which was at 8:30 am today!
The view from our loft bedroom window is always a lovely one at the best of times, looking out over the gardens and trees. This morning rain was spattered on the glass.
The photo on my laptop is one of the Château at Grignan in Provence, one of the homes of Madame de Sévigné, who wrote lots of letters which were published after her death and are wonderful accounts of French life at the time of the 17th Century. I took the photo years back when on my week’s Intensive French course. I loved standing in the lavender field, the scent was quite heavenly! There is nothing like it!
This morning began with wall to wall rain which carried on all day, until now at 17:30 where it appears to have slunk off a for a bit. It’s been a very gloomy darkish kind of day.
The reason Thierry decided we would have a class at such an early hour, was the addition of one of our member’s cousins who lives in Auckland N.Z. The time for her was 19.30 in the evening!
I don’t think it will work long term, (in my opinion) and Susan in Auckland, had technical issues which took up at least 15 minutes of her and Thierry trying to sort it out! (The class being on Zoom). There were just three of us plus Thierry today
The 4th member of our group is at present incapacitated having had a fall and broken her hip, (already having had the opposite one replaced several years back).
I must say two of us did raise concerns at the new time before then.
But it seems to be a fait accompli for now.
For me, I think it will be a time to choose whether to keep on, or leave.
I love reading French novels and listen to French radio on line, any number of stations! But somehow, when the class was then put onto Zoom, and then stayed there, it is simply not the same as having it here, where I used to host it, along with coffee and biscuits or even cake.
Chatting round a table face to face is irreplaceable.
I can well understand that for Thierry it saves him having to travel round to see his various groups, (especially during and just after the Pandemic, when he could keep going on-line)
The next session is when we are in Cornwall in a couple of weeks, so I won’t be there on Zoom! ( It was suggested that I join in!! At 8:30am!)
Sorry I am rambling on!
I seem to have missed out part of this afternoon by being asleep!
Teatime now, And bacon sandwiches in the offing!
I do so hope it will be fine tomorrow.