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Vocabulaire d'anglais, leçon n°3 : London's French Side

Résumé en français : même si Paris n'est qu'à 3h de la capitale britannique, ce n'est pas la peine pour un Londonien de se déplacer pour s'imprégner de la culture française.

Waiting for her friend by the rotisserie for lunch, Geraldine decides to go buy Le Monde from the corner shop to avoid the temptation of eating brioche and macarons on display in the patisserie window. She overhears a group of young professionals , eating their salads and croque-monsieurs at a nearby terraced cafe, discussing Nicolas Sarkozy's latest political exploits.

Finally her friend arrives in a taxi. They greet each other with a kiss on each cheek, and the friend turns to pay the cab driver. “Cheers love,” he says with a London accent, “take care.” For this is not Paris, but Bute Street in the heart of Kensington, London.

With a 700 000 strong French community, London has more French residents than Grenoble, making it the 7th largest “French city.” It therefore does not come as a surprise that London boasts several typically French spots, to help the French folk overcome homesickness.

It is hard to go about the city and not hear a few conversations in French on the way. But South Kensington simply emanates complete Frenchness: from the local French bookshops to the French school, this area rivals Parisian streets.

The Institut Francais on Queen’s Gate houses a bistro that offers good quality food, but also allows diners to mingle among the expatriate community. A library is open to the public and has an extensive collection of French literature and DVDs. But the highlight of the Institut is the Cine Lumiere that releases all the latest French films, as well as some older francophone classics.

Most French experiences in London however, unsurprisingly, revolve around the culinary.

Though traditionally from Brittany, every French national enjoys a crepe, and the best in London can be picked up from the “creperie de Hampstead” stand on Perrin Lane, just off Hampstead High Street.

For more traditional sit-down meals, head to St.Christopher's Place by Bond Street Station and you will get a glimpse of lunch-time in Paris. Though on a much smaller scale, the open terraced restaurants with tables spilling ontopavement the , transparent plastic parapets and enormous outside heaters for the winter months, convincingly echo the long Parisian boulevards. A few waiters in black trousers and white aprons need to be added, and the scene would be complete.

For desserts and mid-afternoon snacks, the Paul chain of bakeries does succeed in recreating classics, and they are scattered around the city. Though a real Frenchman would only head to his local baker, Paul in London is as close as it will get for a real baguette. At least go for the smell; just by stepping in, the smells of fresh bread and pastries instantly transport you to any village in the heart of France.

While some fervent British nationalists have been reticent in accepting certain changes in their city to accommodate the preferences of a foreign community, most Londoners have learnt to like it and agree that these new experiences gives the British capital a certain je ne sais quoi.

By P. Lockwood

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