StCirq

German makes the same distinction between mussel and mollusc that English and French do: Muschel/Weichtier. You want snail? Schnecke. Doesn't matter the language; a snail isn't a mussel and it certainly isn't a fish.

Pvoyageuse

And BTW one does fish mussels!
http://youtu.be/8JdJH0NKTnw

logos999

What are "Wattschnecken" in French and English and what's the difference between them and "Weinbergschnecken"?

You may not get it, but in reality very few people would like to move to a foreign country and leave home. It's nice here, why would I want to move 500k and live in a foreign place, if I'm not forced to do so. Esp. when I know that I don't like it there anyway. What does it say about the love and passion for my home and native country. There's nothing that would make us want to migrate to France, nothing. It's actually really good here. And if I wanted French cheese there's a fromagerie around the corner.

Pvoyageuse

"What are "Wattschnecken" in French"
bigorneaux or bigornots or vigneaux or buccins or escargots de mer, depending on the area.

Carlux

'Knowing that you live in the Dordogne - I need to pick your brains later about the Dordogne for next year - do you find you speak english a lot or do you manage to speak French most of the time? I think the Dordogne is a beautiful area but would be put off if it is just another London suburb... (exaggeration)

Not at all a London suburb. We have lots of French friends (and neighbours) - had lunch with 20 of them last Friday, will be working with 60 or 70 of them this weekend for our village Fete des Crepes.

I remember reading an interview with an English woman who asked 'Is it really necessary to speak French to live there?' Answer No, if you never want to have your hair cut, go to the dentist, have your TV repaired, have an operation....' All those things we do in French, sometimes for other people who never got around to learning the language.

And I too listen to France Inter a lot, particularly in the car. Good podcasts too, like 'On va deguster' about food, restaurants, etc.

StCirq

Wattschnecken are boulots in French, I believe. Never seen them here in the USA, so not sure what they're called.

Weinbergschnecken are I believe called Roman snails (chiocciole in Italian), but again, we don't have a lot of snails here in the USA so am not sure. Have no idea what they're called in French or if the French even eat them.

Believe it or not, loads and loads of people uproot happily and move to other countries, more and more every day. If you don't want to, that's fine.

kerouac

Indeed France has always been a country of immigration rather than emigration. Even though Germany is now a country of immigration, it was not always the case. People used to leave the country in droves.

Cathinjoetown

boulot is an informal word for job, could also be a type of mussel, wish I had the Larousse Gastronomique.

Pvoyageuse

It is bulots, not boulots which is slang for "work" Another name is "gros buccins".

Roman snails (Helix Pomatia) are escargots de Bourgogne. They avoid salt water like the plague.

Carlux

Sorry guys, but if you check your dictionaries, you'll see
bulot - whelk

boulot - work (as in Metro, boulot, dodo)

In fact I just reread Pvoyageuse, and maybe that's what he/she is saying, it just wasn't clear to me - especially since Ive never seen boulot in the plural.

kerouac

"Mes boulots de jeunesse furent chiantes."

Now you've seen it!

schnauzer

Interesting discussion re snails and muscles, doesn't matter to me as I don't care for either!!!

Do you think I should be forgetting the dream to live in France and instead be considering Bavaria?? Obviously a top spot.

I love Australia and all it offers, but it doesn't offer the same things as Europe, and variety is the spice of life, non?

Thanks travelanywhere for the link and good suggestions re the accueil pvoyageuse.

May the discussion between snails, muscles and jobs continue!!

Schnauzer

Carlux

"Mes boulots de jeunesse furent chiantes."

Now you've seen it!

Thanks Kerouac - of course, that makes sense.

Just listened to France Inter, a program on 'Le country' with Merle Haggard singing that it wasn't his mama's fault he turned out bad. Then sang along with Johnny Cash and his Ring of Fire.

Even the 'more French' program afterwards (On n'a pas tous les jours 20 ans, + Jacques Brel singing about us oldies) has been followed by Grete Keller in German, and now 'Talkin bout my generation' Tres international ici!

kerouac

The July-August programs on France Inter are more quirky than during the rest of the year. They use the holiday period to experiment.

Pvoyageuse

"boulot is an informal word for job, could also be a type of mussel"

It's moules de bouchots. A bouchot is the wooden stake on which mussels are raised.
Un boulot is also a type of bread.

kerouac

Now it is time to move on to <b>bouleau</b>, the birch tree.

"Mon boulot est de bouillir des bulots sous les bouleaux."

StCirq

Ack,my mistake, and I should know the difference because they are pronounced differently, and I've ordered bulots at the market enough times to know better!

I knew that boulots was related to work/jobs, but didn't know all these other uses;nor did I know bouchot. So much to learn!

Pvoyageuse

Boulot/boulotte (adj) means short and chubby.

georgiegirl

Schnauzer, You are my kind of person. I have had this dream, too, after coming back from school in Villefranche-sur-Mer. Then I got invovled with animal rescue. There are many dogs and cats in my care at this time. Then, I built an apt in Bangkok for our golden years. Hence, the very long absence from this forum. Today is my first time checking the blog. My dream at that time was to spend 6 months in Cassis. We went there and loved it. I am waitting to see about your decision. As a side note, I am happy to to see the same fodorites that I valued their comments/suggestions in the past. I will come back here to ask more advices. I am planning a trip next year to Paris. Again, only after one old sick dog is gone. He is deaf and blind. I can't leave him until then. The rest can be taken care by the pet sitter. Enough for hijacking Schnauzer's post.

gwan

I think it's as silly to say "on no accounts have any expat friends" as it is to go to France with the intention of avoiding the French as much as possible. That said, it is easy to fall into the trap of living in an anglo bubble, so moderation in all things. And who doesn't moan sometimes? The French included. Me certainly included - e.g. the summer has been far too cold and rainy, except right now when's it's far too hot and sunny. I'm a delight

I have pretty itchy feet at the mo after nearly 2 1/2 years in Tours, so I would be tempted to say do two 6 month stints or something. It's true that you are just getting to know a place and people after a year, but if you're just leaving at the end anyway, you might not consider that it makes much difference. I would avoid Paris (and have done) myself, but I've just never especially cared for the place. Follow your heart!