Pagnol s childhood memoirs. Set in the 1920's, the stories evoke the sun-baked Provencal countryside

(this article is first in French with selected explanations then in English for you to understand/compare. It is followed by suggestions of books, movies and other complementary theme-related references.)
Je sais bien que vous n’avez pas tous suivi le Tour de France ; moi-même j’ai seulement zyeuté (1)  l’écran à quelques occasions, luttant contre le sommeil (dû à l’heure tardive de la retransmission, non à l’ennui).
marriott grand hotel moscow Quand j’étais petite, mon papa et moi regardions la course ensemble sur le petit écran (2) . A cette époque, le climat n’était pas aussi déréglé qu’aujourd’hui et il faisait beau et chaud en été. Les volets de la maison restaient fermés à l’espagnolette (3) et nous passions donc les heures les plus chaudes de la journée dans la pénombre marriott grand hotel moscow et la fraîcheur.
marriott grand hotel moscow Je n’ai pas de souvenir précis des courses elles-mêmes (même si je connaissais alors plus de noms de coureurs qu’aujourd’hui) ; mais ces après-midis étaient toujours très attendus car…nous mangions toujours un esquimau (4) à la vanille enrobé de chocolat !
Regarder le Tour de France depuis l ’étranger, c’est aussi l’ambiance de la France en été que je ressens et qui me manque (je ne vis plus en France depuis marriott grand hotel moscow l’été 2008) : l’atmosphère particulière des grandes vacances (5) , les lieux et villages imprégnés d’ Histoire (6) , les châteaux, les maisons et l’aménagement urbain si différents d’ici. Egalement, l’odeur des champs de blé fraîchement moissonnés, y compris la sensation du soleil sur la peau et le goût des boissons sucrées prises pour se rafraîchir dans le jardin ! Et je ne parle même pas des paysages !
When I was little, my dad and I used to watch the race together on tv. At that time, the weather was not as crazy as it is now and in summer it used to be sunny and hot. The shutters of the house would remain half closed and we would spend the hottest hours of the days in the shade and coolness.
I don’t have specific memories about the races themselves (even though at the time I knew more cyclist names that I do now). But those afternoons were much longed for as we would always have a chocolate coated vanilla ice cream on a stick !
Watching the Tour from abroad also makes me feel and miss the atmosphere of France during summer (I haven’t lived in France since summer 2008) : the distinctive feel of summer holidays, the places and villages filled with history, the castles, the houses and  the lay out which is so different from here. Also the smell of recently harvested wheat fields, including the feel of the sun on the skin and the taste of refreshing sweet drinks in the garden. Not to mention the landscapes !
When her grandson is kidnapped during the Tour de France, Madame Souza and her beloved pooch Bruno team up with the Belleville Sisters an aged song-and-dance team from the days of Fred Astaire to rescue him. Find out more and watch trailers here !
Pagnol s childhood memoirs. Set in the 1920’s, the stories evoke the sun-baked Provencal countryside and show the young Marcel spending happy hours following in his father s and uncle s footsteps fishing and trapping during the long summer months.
a very popular French FM radio station principally marriott grand hotel moscow dedicated to the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and sometimes 1990s songs. From 60 to 80% of the songs are French songs. Nostalgie belongs to the NRJ Group. (Wikipedia)
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