What bemused you today?

[Hinfrance]

Apart from the usual 20-1 ratio of cyclists without/with lights this morning, a few days ago we were in a smallish town we had not been to before and in need of lunch. I opened Google maps on the 'phone and went to the 'local' restaurant recommendations. The nearest one, according to Google, was a 20minute drive away in another town. Well, this being France and every town, nay even village, having at least one restaurant or bistro we headed for the main square. Where we found not one, but two open restaurants. We chose the one with the most occupied tables and had a super meal thank you very much.

So much for the web.

[anglefire]

Not sure if bemused is the right word or not - but yesterday went to a wedding and had been asked to take some pictures of the guests - only if I didn't mind (Which I don't!) - they did have a pro tog for the wedding and actually till quite late - not a problem, I kept out of her way as much as I could so she could do her job without another tog getting in the way!

Anyway the bemused bit -is that I'd borrowed my BIL 70-200 F2.8 IS L lens and I'd forgotten how nice it renders the background to a creamy blur!

[Hinfrance]

Bit frantic here this afternoon - one of my daughter's besties (hate that word) had the misfortune to see a significant part of her house go up in smoke during the early hours, so we are arranging to have her stay for the foreseeable. Her father is in Bucharest on business, and her mother is staying with the house to sort out the emergency repairs and insurance claim.

[Oldboy]

Bit frantic here this afternoon - one of my daughter's besties (hate that word) had the misfortune to see a significant part of her house go up in smoke during the early hours, so we are arranging to have her stay for the foreseeable. Her father is in Bucharest on business, and her mother is staying with the house to sort out the emergency repairs and insurance claim.

That's very good of you. 

Hope you told her she will have to clean the house every day! 

[Hinfrance]

Now there's a thought Luckily she is very good company, witty and dry. She speaks 4 languages fluently - French, English, Italian and her native Romanian. They're a lovely family of clever kind hardworking people, the house fire has been awful for them. Added to which the insurance company doesn't seem to have any adequate weekend response. It was the firemen and local major who sorted out the immediate aftermath, securing the house etc.

[Reinardina]

Big cheer for fire brigade and mayor. And for immigrants sticking together, and helping each other out!   

How many languages are compulsory taught at school in France?

[Hinfrance]

Their mayor was excellent.

As for languages in French schools, just 2 are compulsory, French and English. My daughter is also studying German, Latin and Mandarin, off to Frankfurt in the next school break to stay with a German friend. I'm quite envious, I've never visited there.

[Reinardina]

Good for her! Does she have any idea, what she'll want to do 'when she grows up'?

Maybe you can arrange an exchange with a German family somewhere? A type of 'house swap' for a fortnight.

Friends of mine used to do that in the seventies, they swapped their home in rural Nuenen (where Vincent van Gogh originated), with something near the beach. It was cheap, and it meant their cat was taken care of at the same time.

[Reinardina]

My Windows 10 calendar, now gives weather expectations for the day. Today it is going to be sunny (correct) and 26 C, which I very much doubt.

[Hinfrance]

Does it know where you are? Might be based on your IP address, and that could quite possibly be anywhere.

[Reinardina]

Does it know where you are? Might be based on your IP address, and that could quite possibly be anywhere.

I don't like to disclose my location, so it does not know where I am. I am with BT, so I would have expected my IP address to be in Britain somewhere, but I don't really know.

[Simple]

If I try BT I get a call centre in India........... Might be the same for Windows?

[Reinardina]

Could well be. It's nice to know it is 26C somewhere, wherever that somewhere is.

[Oldboy]

Could well be. It's nice to know it is 26C somewhere, wherever that somewhere is.

It's your local weather as it's linked to your post code, which you supplied when you signed up to your ISP. 

[Hinfrance]

That's an interesting idea Oldboy. My Windows weather this morning is from London. My VPN is not running, and my post code has me something like 650 miles further south . . it probably defaults to that as my system language in GB English. It is customisable though - I have six locations saved in the favourites, places where we have friends and family. I just changed the default to where I live.