2F's blog in English

A French class. An English blog

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A travel guide to Corsica by Julien

Unfortunately, Corsica has got a bad image because of the terrorist attacks, but Corsica is an island with a lot of contrasts and surprises. Of course when people go on holidays to Corsica, they go to the big touristic cities like Bonifacio, Porto or Porto Vecchio.

People want to see the "Calanques de Piana" which is one of the seven wonders of the world. But Ajaccio, the biggest city of South Corsica, is a really interesting city, with an architecture that looks like Venice's architecture.

If you like football, Ajaccio has a good club, the A.C.A.

In this city you can feel and see the happiness of the people. It is always sunny and hot. This is a calm city by the sea, you can visit, and after you can go to relax on the paradise-like beaches of Ajaccio.

In Corsica there are a lot of local specialities like "confiture de chataigne" , "confiture de figues", "saucisson et jambon corse", the brocciu, a Corsican cheese.

But if you want to discover the atipical side of the island, you should go to the villages in the mountains. You will see some cows, goats and pigs on the road, you will see moutains emerging from the clouds. You can hick in the beautiful mountains. You can camp in the famous and wild maqui. In Corsica, you can see amazing landscapes, meet nice people, and eat really good local specialities!

In the island of beauty you have great contrasts between modern cities, paradise-like beaches and rustic mountains.

Corsica is the best destination for your holidays! 

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A trip in the Russian Wild by Zephyr

Everyone goes to the same places for holidays.

New York and London are chosen by millions of people each year. Sure, these are amazing cities but why would you go in crowded places when you live amongst millions in YOUR own city? Be original!

One of the best places is where no one thinks to go.

In Russia, near Moscow is a place as hard and cold as stone. This place is called Putingrad.

It’s a beautiful and lonely place where you will enjoy the calm and the heaven-like landscapes. This place is unsoiled by human constructions so the animals live there peacefully.

You can also watch fighting bears while listening to some music but be careful, DO NOT listen to American music, an angry Russian might be pissed off by it and want to burry you in the snow. Better listen to Turovski Jon.

If you don’t like animals and amazingly beautiful landscapes, you still can go in some big crowded city but it would be a shame not to profit from the beautiful gifts of Mother Russia.

Hoping you will enjoy your trip in the wild!

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A travel guide to India by Yann

India is an English-speaking country, located in the South of Asia where over 1.3 billion people live. India has its own culture, civilisation and four world religions were born there. From the 18th century to 1947, India was under the domination of the U.K but it became an idependent nation under the lead of Gandhi.

I really enjoyed travelling around India. If you go to India, there are some things you really need to do. For instance you HAVE TO vistit the Taj Mahal which is a monument located in Agra (Rajasthan). It's a white marble mausoleum, it was built by a Mughol emperor in memory of his wife around 1632. Each year, 3 million tourists come to Agra to admire one of the 7 wonders of the world. I felt so small  in front of this outstanding monument.

 If you want to discover traditions in India, you can go there anytime. There are always some big festivals going on. One of the most famous is the spring festival: Holi (aka "festival of colours"). It's an ancient Hindu religious festival which became very popular. It takes place everywhere in the streets and everyone throws dry and coloured powder to each other.I didn't went to India during the festival but it seems crazy!!

If you want to discover flavors of india, I can recommend you to try Chicken Thikka Massala which is a traditional Indian dish.It's one of the most popular dishes in the world. Be careful : It's very spicy !!!

And if you have visited or seen every monuments, museums in India, you still have to go to a cricket game. Cricket is the most popular sport in India, when  was there, a game between India and Pakistan lasted 5 days.....

 Have a nice trip!

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A trip to southern Italy by Valentine

If you go to the south of Italy, you should visit Capri, Naples and of course the Vesuvio.

The south of Italy is known for its sun, its beaches and obviously its pizzas and pastas. I really like this region of the world because it’s full of differences. Indeed, you are between sea and mountain, every landscape is unique and every city has its own story. Capri is a good place to start with. You can use a boat to go to Capri from Salerno. In front of the harbor, a lot of traditional shops welcome the tourists. If you like the sea and and sailing, you can borrow a boat and sail around the island.

If you take a boat, you should see those incredible landscapes.

After Capri, if you are a hiking lover, I recommend the Vesuvio. When you are on top of the Vesuvio it takes your breath away. The landscape is really amazing. If you are dizzy you must sit down and just watch the mountains.

The view on top of the Vesuvio.

To finish the trip you have to go to Naples. You can walk in the streets and hanging around, looking at the store windows and taste the incredible pizzas and ice cream made in Naples. It’s an industrial city, but it’s also a good city for shopping lovers.  

The biggest shopping street in Naples.

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A Trip in Greenland by Thomas

Greenland is a beautiful country that you should really try to visit.

It is one of the coldest countries in the world and the beautiful landscapes are just what you could expect from that. Discover the icy plains and live in an igloo during your whole trip but don’t forget to take your warm clothes because it is very cold out there!

The various animals that live here have a very thick fur: polar bears, seals, walruses or penguins are the kind of animals that you may meet there.

If you like sport, you might find amazing to fish with the local inhabitants : the inuits. And if you like thrilles you could try to sleep on an ice block or swim in the icy ocean to see how it feels, personally I found that really hard to swim in a -100°c or something sea. And if you travel with someone who doesn’t like that much that kind of stuff you could just drive a sleigh pulled by huskies and travel across the Greenland’s snowy forests.

Have a nice trip in Greenland!

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A travel guide to fantasy land Roggy by Roger

Roggy , what a beautiful place! Situated in Starling , this beautiful capital is my favorite place to go during holidays. This unknown city deserves better , it's full of unexpected surprises . There are so many places to visit alone or with friends and family.

My favorite place there is the ICY SUNNY DEAD POOL , it's a pool with a lot of activities such as gymnastic (in water of course), waterpolo, aquabike etc.. There is a half part with icy water and the other is artificially sunny.

If you want to visit museums , you can go to the COMIC BOOKS MUSEUM , which shows and explains all the origins of comics, or the DANHACHE BIG MUSEUM , we can see so many masterpieces like paintings , sculptures etc... These museums are the most visited in the city and are very interesting. At night , you should go to  the PARTY CLUB, the most famous club, it opens everyday and, sometimes, for exclusive events , very famous DJ's are invited ; last year , David Guetta , Peter Parker and Calvin Harris were there for Christmas.

Roggy is also known for its bands , like 1SOS , or SuperKoam. Last year, more than 500 000 people were there for the live of 1SOS.

If you like sports, Roggy is made for you! THE STARLING STADIUM is one of the biggest stadiums in Europe and every two days, a game is played there. The tickets are cheap and you don't have to book them earlier.

This city has also one big monument : THE ARROW , this monument is an arrow , but represents so many things in the same time. In Roggy, there is sadly no highlands and landscapes, that's the bad point.

Seriously, I don't know what this wonderful city misses, all the people who went there love it and I really understand them . Hope you're going to travel there. :)

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A guide to Les Vieilles Charrues festival by Paul B

The Vieilles Charrues festival is a wonderful festival which takes place in the city of Carhaix. The Vieilles Charrues festival welcome various artists such as The Black Keys, Bakermat, Artict Monkeys, Stromae, Jabberwocky, Kavinsky or Franz Ferdinand.

The atmosphere of the festival is particulary good. The artists have very beautiful voice, it' s not a commercial music as in other festivals. I recommend this festival to all good music lovers. People come to see their favourite artist, but also to discover many other artists.

If you buy a concert ticket you will not be disappointed!!!

You can go with friends or with your family or alone but in any case you will return the year after. 

The Vieilles Charrues festival is the best french festival!

The 24th edition of the festival will be held from July 16 to 19, 2015. I know you will be there.

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A travel guide to Madagascar by Paul BC

Madagascar is a wonderful country. Very poor but incredible. I went there to visit my uncle Henry who lives in a little island named St. Marie.

To get there, I took the plane with my parents and my sister from Paris to Tananarivo which is the capital city of Madagascar located in the big island.

It’s a very poor city in which the healthcare system is mediocre. Perhaps the country is so poor that the governement takes care of itself before taking care of the population.

Tananarivo is surrounded by slums and even at the center you can find piles of rubbish in the streets. It’s very polluted and the poverty is very present.

To reach my uncle’s place we took a small plane and flew for about two hours. The small island where he lives is very narrow and about 14 km long. It’s located in the north-east of the main Madagascar’s island.

My uncle’s place is a wide bungalow facing the sea (the canal of Mozambic). The water is very clear and shallow for about a mile.

But the most remarkable thing is the population that is always smiling and happy in spite of the dryness of the climate and the starvation. Most are fishermen but the fish is not always enough to feed their family. On the main island people are more cattle-breeders than inhabitants of St. Marie’s island, so there are more zebus meat, even if the zebus are skinny.

I may visit Madagascar again soon. So should you!

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A guide to New-Zealand by Matteo

To begin my guide to New-Zealand, I want to talk a little bit about the history of this country. First, New-Zealand is located in Oceania, in the Pacific Ocean. It’s composed by two main islands, the Northern Island and the South Island. It’s a very isolated country, so that the fauna and the flora can develop very easily. The language spoken is English. Before the settlers, the Maoris lived there.

So now, let's talk about your travel!

If you want to save money, avoid the direct flight France – NZ which is very expensive, try to find flights with different steps. The best is to arrive in Wellington, the capital city. It's the political center and a very cool city. By night, coffees, bars and theaters are opened to everybody. You can go shopping, the prices are very low. If you like adventure, go to Auckland, the biggest city in the country. There, you can climb up a volcano near the city.

There is also, in the Goat Island Reserve, a place where you can do scuba-diving and swim with big fishes. In Waikato and Napier, you can admire big geysers of hot water. One of my favorite places is the Catlins, where you can walk in a petrified forest, colored by white because of conflagrations. For the sport lovers, you absolutely need to go to Auckland and see a rugby game in the Eden Park Stadium. The All Blacks are irresistible, they win all of their games!

If you want to go to New-Zealand, you really need to travel for two or three weeks, there are so many things to do.

New-Zealand has it all!

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A trip to Sydney by Marine

With its beautiful beaches, its surfers and its wonderful blue sky Sidney is the greatest place to spend holidays.

We can visit the famous Sidney opera, but there are a lot of tourists so it's not the best place to discover Sidney. The best thing to do is go to unusual places or visit less touristic places. If you are a good surfer, you will probably make friends going to Sidney's famous Bondi beach because all surfers of Sidney go to this wonderful place and they are very friendly.

Indeed, they go there because there are very big waves which amuse youngsters and elderlies. After making at least one friend, make sure that they're Australian (everything is permitted : steal identity documents, torture, etc...). Then follow them everywhere, at partys, at the bakery. You will not have the same point of view of the city at the end of the week.

Everything will be changed! At last, have fun!

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A surf trip in Indonesia by Marin

Where is the destination, how to go to

The best place to have a surf trip in Indonesia is an island in the south of Sumatra called Mentawai. Precisely is an archipelago.

I think you must stay more than two months and especially during the winter in France, because there are a lot of storms and the waves are too big.

 Where to sleep

 I would advise you to camp on the beach when you haven’t too much money. You must go on the “sunset” beach, which is beautiful beach where are a lot of waves. You take a tent and your surfboards, and have good trip. On the beach, you can leave with the bare minimum, it’s like Survivor!!!

But if you have a little bit of money, you can go to the hotel, but for me camp is the best way to travel and especially for a surf trip because during a surf trip you have two goals: surf, and discover the culture.

 Where to surf

 In my opinion, the best place to surf is the “sunset” beach. This wave is very good, it’s long barrel… you must go at the “sunset” beach at 10 p.m for the beautiful sunset!

You also can go the Malua beach but it isn’t better than “sunset”. Anyway, you can surf all day.

Mentawai is very good to surf because these beaches receive all the swell of the Indian Ocean.

 What is the culture?

If you want discover the culture, you can attend the religious rituals of the Mentawai’s people: during their rituals, they hang flowers on their body.

Their rituals take place in the aboriginal city, which is called Mamutamutu.

I would advise you to eat the taro and exotic fruits.

  As a conclusion, you must go to the Mentawai if you like surf, it is an amazing destination for the surfers!

And for me, if it’s possible, you must camp!

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A travel a guide to Corsica by Lucie

Corsica is a wonderful island! It’s true that Corsica is very attractive and there are many people during the holidays…. But it is an amazing travel anyway.

When tourists go to Corsica, they go usually to Bastia or Ajaccio… but there are many beautiful villages.

I go to Porto-Vecchio during my holiday. The landscapes have a lot of contrasts like mountains and the sea! If I have to recommend one thing, I would recommend the “GR 20” (big hike). It crosses island from Calenzana to Conca. Conca is a little village next to Porto-Vecchio. But it is 180 km long.

If you want to remain in Porto-Vecchio, I advice the way “Chiappa” nears the sea, or “Serra di Scopamena”. I recommend these amazing paths. Otherwise the beaches like Palombaggia are incredible. There are many activities on the beach, and Palombaggia is close to Porto-Vecchio (15 minutes). Porto-Vecchio and south Corsica are rich in history, such as Lavezzi Island where a story La Sémillante by Alphonse Daudet took place.

People there are joyful. When the night comes, the streets are very alive. There are always activities in Porto-Vecchio, we don’t get bored!

 After hiking, you can eat special food. The food is also incredible.

 Simply, I recommend Corsica, in particularly Porto-Vecchio which is very attractive and there are many activities to do. A little island, a big universe!

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A travel guide to New York by Lise

If you want to visit a new town, you must go to New York.

First of all, because of the feelings that you will have during the whole trip. When I went there, I felt as if I was finally home but also as if I was a tiny ant among the huge buildings. That was really different from here and somehow weird, I think.

And then, you will see that this city is just incredible with its skyscrapers, monuments, museums and shops, of course.

Indeed, if you travel there you should absolutely go to the Empire State Building, the Rockefeller Center and the Statue of Liberty in order to admire the beautiful view of New York.

The MET, the MOMA and the Guggenheim museum are the most interesting museums: you need to visit them if you have time.

You can also go for a walk in Central Park or in Little Italy and Chinatown where you will discover a new and different culture.

Then, go and see a show in Broadway by night: this is totally unforgettable. You can also attend a basketball game at the Madison Square Garden.

Don’t forget to taste the specialties of the city like hot dogs, bretzels, cupcakes…

And if you love shopping, the 5th Avenue and Times Square are made for you because all skind of shops are reunited over there: the most expensive ones like Abercrombie (for the youngest) or Louis Vuitton, Chanel… and the cheapest ones like Forever 21 and Urban Outfitters.

I am sure you will enjoy your trip just as much as I did.

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A travel guide to Palawan by Leah

What do people know about the PhiIlipines?

The first usual idea about this country is the drama which happened last year: the huge typhoon killed thousands of inhabitants. 

But the Philippines do not only mean danger or the permanent fear to be killed by a typhoon!

Today I'll talk about a part of this country, which is called Palawan. The town where I went for my journey is El Nido, only seven hundreds of inhabitants and around twenty shops or restaurants. 

The only thing, which will look strange for my Parisian readers, that annoyed me, is the fact that in El Nido, there is no electricity or running water from 6 A.M. to 2 P.M. I missed Facebook everyday!...

Anyway. Fortunately, in El Nido there is a lot of stuff to do instead of scrolling on Instagram all day : first, all the fishermen who give you (the lucky tourists) what they call a "welcome gift" : fresh fishes that they just caught, and that they grill just for you ; then, they can bring you on their boat to discover some desert islands all around El Nido. The fact is that thirty seconds to five hours are necessary to go to these islands, but they're amazing. 

The island I loved the most was the "Five Miles", because there is a fabulous nightclub on the beach, the Seven Commando : they make some delicious mojitos and fabulous Piña Coladas. 

To conclude, I wish everyone could visit Palawan (especially El Nido), because the Philippines are like Africa : the hidden side is the better one!

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A travel guide to the east coast of Australia by Laureen

Australia... Tourists are afraid about this country because it's very far from the rest of the world. But I think it's worth it.

Everybody goes to Sydney first and they are right. Sydney is awesome, you can find the Opera, which is just breathtaking inside as well as outside. If you like climbing, you can climb up the famous Harbour Bridge. And for those who like music, The Hard Rock Cafe is very funny.

But Australia is not only Sydney. If you are a little adventurous, you can stay in the Daintree forest, the jungle with wild animals. You can hike in the forest next to the river, it's gorgeous for the eyes, you have landscapes that I can't describe. I finally suggest you go see Fraser Island. It's a small island but it has one of the biggest beaches in the world, which is 33 km long. In this island, it's very strange, you can find so much species of animals, like dingos (wild dogs), when you are walking on the beach. When I was in the island, I made a tour in bus and I could explore the whole island. If I had to recommend an activity, it would be that. Fraser Island is also great for honey moons because it's a cute and cozy place. Finally, this part of Australia is also a hiking place, thanks to the beach and the big forest.    As a conclusion, Australia is a must-see. It's a hotchpotch of cities and secret places. You can't find a bad place in Australia. And i think, Australia is really one of the best countries in the world. 

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New York by Julie

When we talk about New York we directly think about the symbols of the city like the statue of liberty, Time Square or yellow cabs. It’s true that the statue of liberty is beautiful and Time Square is very impressive to see but there are many other unknown places that tourists can visit. In my point of view, High Line is one of the most pretty places in the city. It is a public park built on a historic freight rail line elevated above the streets on Manhattan’s West Side. Everybody knows the MOMA but only few people knows that the best artists are exhibited in the two last floors. If you are passionate about music, you have to see a musical at Broadway. The real sport enthusiasts will obligatorily go to the Yankee Stadium to see a baseball game, if you have chance, you will catch a ball. All the shopping lovers find happiness in the streets of SOHO. To have a good evening, you should go to a jazz club in Greenwich Village. To spend a memorable meal, you must eat in a restaurant of Chinatown, in a few minutes you will be transported to another country.

It would be impossible to list all the right places of New York. As Woody Allen once said "I'm astounded by people who want to 'know' the universe when it's hard enough to find your way around Chinatown!"

The amazing cultural mix of New York creates an incredible diversity which will make you feel brand new.

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A trip to Venice by Ines

When we have to find a romantic and original city, first, we think about Venice. Spring is the better season to visit this marvelous city and its inescapable sites without hurrying up. There are so many things to see!  For a two day trip, I can give you some advice.

At the beginning, you should have a walk to admire the charms of the city. Be carefull, Venice have more than four hundred bridges! I got lost many times.

Then, you can go to San Marco square which is the Venice’s most famous place. Around this square, I recommend you to have a stop in one of the most luxurious coffee shops of the town which is Florian coffee. In my last stay, I took a hot chocolate there and it was certainly one of the best in my life. Pay attention on the pigeons which are very numerous! You should go up to the top of the campanile using the elevator. The view is incredible! We can even see  the other islands which compose Venice like, for instance,  Murano.

The second day, you could take a Vaporetto to Murano. I advise you to take time to discover this attractive island and more especially to attend a demonstration of one of the many glass-blowers who've made the reputation of this island. Back to Venice, you must go to the souvenir shops around Rialto Bridge. Personally, I bought a sublime mask which now decorates my bedroom. 

As a conclusion, go to Venice as soon as you can and don’t forget that each day Venice is vanishing under  Mediterranean Sea !!!

   Corsica… the most beautiful island in France ! This land full of contrasts is my favourite destination. Indeed, when I first came to Corsica, I was surprised by the kindness of the local people even if their accent was rough !

   Moreover, the landscapes are awesome, stunning and breath-taking such as Les Calanques de Piana, which are rocks representing a woman or a heart… In addition the beaches like Santa Giulia are very impressive because of the colour of the water which is light blue and the sand which is very warm. There are also the forests in the mountains where you can admire the wildness and the powerness of nature. For example, in the Vizzavona forest, there are some amazing waterfalls. That is paradise !

   In Corsica, the cities are beautiful too. Bonifacio, a wonderful southern city, is built on sharp cliffs that you can visit by boat. Ajaccio and Bastia are the most known places but not the best…

   People usually don’t know the heart of Corsica : the villages…These are the must-see places : the contact with the locals  is very interesting, you can easily begin a conversation, share your point of view etc…they are very welcoming and friendly except if you hate Corsica ! Moreover, you will taste the typical cheese and charcuterie that are so good ! Finally, you must sleep in tiny hotels which remind how it was in the fourties. This old-fashioned style is very pleasant and funny !

   As a conclusion, Corsica is the region you should visit first (obviously after Paris by the way !) if you come to France. The only negative point is the cost of the trip because you must take the boat or the plane.