Aujourd’hui j’ai acheté du couscous de la boucherie en face de la residence. J’ai pris une portion au mouton et une au poulet.

C’etait tellement bon et pour le dessert….

Oh la la. À Lyon il fait tellement chaud.

Quand on dort pendant la nuit avec la fenetre ouvert les moustiques arrivent.

Cath a beaucoup de piqures de moustique alors on doit essayer quelque choses d’autre.

Je suis allé au Carrefour et j’ai acheté une ventilateur.

Maintenant peut être on dormira un peu mieux.

Not really but, because of my recent medical history, I have to have my teeth regularly checked and cleaned and so one pressing matter has been finding a dentist in Lyon up to the job.

The best periodontist in the business, Dr Simon Stern, told me he would ask around for a recommendation in Lyon. And he came up with the goods – Dr Stephan Duffort.

Unfortunately when I rang I understood that Dr Duffort wasn’t available until July. So I opted to see his colleague Dr DeLaval.

I was worried beforehand about the level of my French when it came to discussing dental implants and necrosis of the jaw. I had prepared some phrases – mon parodontiste en angleterre and j’ai besoin d’un examen dentaire et le nettoyage des dents. J’ai quelque implants dentaires.

But fortunately Dr DeLaval spoke English. Phew. And she understood my medical history and did a great job. And, compared to English dentists, the price was cheap too.

Having passed our lung x-rays the next stage in being allowed to stay in France is the medical.

So this morning we went to a nondescript building not far from Euronews to have the medicals. My main worry is will my French be up to it.

There is a lot of waiting to be done in this process and our 10am appointments meant little as Cath wasn’t seen til 1035 and I was seen at 1055.

Cath went first and I could hear her rabbiting away in French. Not the words just the babble, you understand.

I had time to Google hay fever – rhumes des foins – in case they ask me whether I am taking any medication.

First I saw a nurse and was weighed measured and asked questions about whether I coughed- de temps en temps, oui. Or sweat in the night. Or spit- cracher – eurrghhh non, c’est degueulasse. Man, the French are obsessed with tuberculosis.

Next, le medecin. She said I was there grâce à Brexit. Too right. A few more questions- a bit of breathing with a stethoscope attached. And then we were done.

It’s another hurdle overcome. Let’s see what’s next.

My sister-in-law speaks excellent French – she has lived most of her life in France. And I was trying to eavesdrop on her French all weekend.

One of the things I struggle with most is when someone wishes me a bonne soirée for example.

I know the correct answer is: Vous aussi but I always want to say A vous aussi and it all falls apart from there.

Sally was always chatting to shop owners and bar staff etc and I was always trying to pick up what she said.

In one such exchange when they wished Sally a bonne weekend – or somesuch- she said Également.

So that’s the answer from now on – Également.

I did my latest French lesson from my hotel room in Bucharest – en Roumanie. We spoke work-related vocuabulary as well as a false friend that I knew nothing about.

Here are some of the things I learnt:

Je suis un nouveau venu – I’m a new employee

Ce n’est pas une priorité – It’s not a priority

D’abord, en premier – ways to say first

Properietaires – owners

Une clause de cessation de travail – a voluntary redundancy process for journalists. (I didn’t ask about compulsory redundancy – still too raw).

Ils partent avec une indemnité – they leave with a payout

Tout le monde attend ce qui va se passer Everyone is waiting to see what happens

Tout d’un coup – all of a sudden

Tout ce bazar/Tout ce bordel/Tout ce bruit – all this mess, noise

Ca me revient aux oreilles – This got back to me

And did you know, because I certainly didn’t that eventuellement does not mean eventually in French. It is a false friend.

To say eventually you say: En fin, a la fin

Eventuellement means possibly. Wow.