Parlez vous Cat & Apple?

          I recently went to France on a vacation with two of my children.  To prepare for this wonderful holiday, I went online to learn as much French as I could cram into my middle-aged brain.

          Guess what I learned how to say? “The cat is calm” and “the men are eating an apple.”  I shared this with a friendly French TSA agent, who kindly said, “Yes, but when would you use zees phrases?”  THANK  YOU—that is exactly what I’d like to know.

          First of all, calm cats don’t elicit much commentary, unless you are a burglar sneaking up on a guard cat (notice you never see those), and hoping he’ll be calmly bathing so you can slip by unnoticed.

          And several men eating one apple?  When could that possibly happen?  And why would you point it out, when the person you would be speaking with undoubtedly has your same view?

          So off we went, first to Paris then down to the French Alps where we happened to visit the Citadel (built in 1692) in Briancon (except the c in Briancon should have a little tail). 

Speaking of tails, this entire fortification has been turned into a zoo!  It’s so huge that it creates spacious habitats, and plenty of great echoes for the call of the howler monkeys.

          But, of all things, what should I come upon?  A lounging tiger that gave me the perfect opportunity to point out that the cat is calm. 

Now all I need is a few guys to walk by, eating an apple.

No need to learn French to enjoy my books.  Order them here today and travel without leaving your armchair!