There’s no doubt you have plenty of choice. A quick check of online stores will find several dozen different French language CDs running from children’s basic learning to moderately advanced and with prices from less than twenty dollars to those costing several hundred.

There is also a choice of approaches. You have audio-only CDs, which are great for in the home or car, and you have the more complex interactive kind which you need to use in your computer. In some cases it’s also possible to copy files to your MP3 player for truly portable, go-anywhere French lessons.

So with such a variety, how do you choose the best French CD for you? Is learning French on CD even the best option or are there better alternatives? Largely, of course, it depends on your personal preference, your current level of language skill and your budget.

If you’re just starting out there are a number of CDs that will give you an insight into the French language. Before you shell out your cash though, have a look around the internet. There are quite a few sites that offer free French lessons so check them out first. It’s true that they don’t offer much in the way of in-depth teaching (they are free, after all), but to be honest you’re probably not going to get a great deal out of a twenty dollar “beginning French” style CD either. At least you can check online before you decide.

If you’ve got a bit more to spend, the choice gets greater and the products get better. Michel Thomas’ French lessons on CD have been popular for quite a while. If you like these kind of “listen and repeat” type audio courses it’s hard to beat. I suppose it could be argued that they’re just a copy of the old tape systems, but that doesn’t mean they’re no good. It’s claimed that thousands of people have used them to learn French and I see no reason to argue. I’ve used them myself and they certainly give a good grounding in the basics of the language and can take you to what can reasonably be called a competent level of spoken French. Personally, I do find them a bit expensive when you compare them with some of the interactive systems that are a much more involving and, in my opinion, a more entertaining experience.

I suppose the disadvantage of the interactive French CDs is that you need to be at your PC to use them fully. I would still go for this type of product though because I think the positives outweigh the negatives. There are also some which deliver at least a portion of their French lessons in MP3 format so you can download these to a CD or your player and, once again, benefit from lessons on the move.

It’s the interactivity of these products that does it for me. French is not an easy language to learn but in my opinion having an experience that involves you, which makes you respond to sounds and pictures, is just more fun – and if you’re having fun then learning isn’t a chore. You’ll learn more and you’ll learn it faster. I can’t make a definite personal recommendation because I haven’t tried them all, it wouldn’t be fair, but I would choose this kind of “learn French” CD over the other options. They’re not cheap, but they’re a good choice.

However, before we finish there is one other option in this range that’s not strictly a CD but provides the same functionality and entertainment. Instead of delivery via CD it’s provided as easy-to-download files you copy straight from the internet to your home PC. It’s got the interactivity we’re looking for and the MP3 files and it’s very competitively priced. Furthermore it offers six free lessons so you can try before you buy. Definitely worth a look.

Paris, for example, is a beautiful city and you can imagine the joys of a French lesson followed by a walk along the Rive Gauche of the Seine, stopping at a riverside café for a coffee or a glass of something and just watching the people go by – to my mind it’s a marvellous way to pass an hour or two. What about Nice or Cannes? Places rightly renowned for their style and glamour. “Immersion Learning” is one of the current buzz-words when learning French so what better way to immerse yourself than to go to France?

If that’s the case, you might ask, why on earth would I suggest that learning French in France might not be the best way?

Well if you’ve got deep pockets then I’d thoroughly recommend it. As I said there’s probably no better way to improve your French. But the important word there is “improve”. If you haven’t got deep pockets and you’re just starting with learning French, I’d have to say there are not only much cheaper ways to learn but ones which, given your situation, are actually better for you, easier and will help you learn French faster.

The drawback with learning French in France if you’re just starting out is the pressure you’re almost certainly going to put on yourself. Many of us learn French long after we’ve left school, and we’re not all together comfortable with going back into the classroom situation. OK, you’ll be surrounded by like-minded individuals and it’s going to be a bit different to when you were fifteen, but it’s still a classroom.

On top of that, you will have travelled a long way and paid a considerable amount of money to be amongst four, six or eight people you probably haven’t met before and who almost certainly all have different levels of French language skills. It can therefore be quite difficult for the teacher to give you adequate attention and you won’t be able to get the best out of it. The result is that you might well feel dissatisfied with your progress, you’ll put more pressure on yourself and end up trying to study outside of class time when you should be enjoying the many pleasures and beauties of France!

Now if you’re thinking of going to France on vacation, don’t let me put you off in the least. You’ll get on better if you can speak a few words of French, but if you’re in one of the larger towns or cities you can probably get by just fine with English. Go, you’ll have a great time!

But if you’re thinking of learning French in France – and I mean going there specifically to study the French language – I’ll offer a small piece of advice if I may, as someone who’s been there and done it. Before you invest a thousand dollars there, invest a few dollars – and I mean around $100 – in a good home study course which gives you computer-based exercises, interactive games, written texts and MP3s that you can listen to at your PC or copy to a player to carry around with you.

Do that first, get a bit of a grasp of the basics, then go to France. Trust me, you’ll be so much better prepared and you’ll enjoy the whole experience so much more. As I said at the start, learning French in France is a great thing to do – a little work before you go can make it the trip of a lifetime.

It’s no wonder therefore that there are a lot of investors and property buyers who are searching for Saint Tropez villas. However, it can be very time-consuming, especially if you don’t know where to exactly get this St Tropez real estate property.

Let’s make things easy for you:

1. Look for Saint Tropez villas in the Internet. You can definitely use the power of the Internet to help you find the right villa Saint Tropez. Today, there are already several websites that can offer you listings for these types of properties. Nevertheless, you need to make sure that you’re dealing with updated versions of St Tropez real estate listings. Otherwise, you may just end up going for villa Saint Tropez that has already been sold. Normally, the listing should at least be 30 days old. Moreover, see if there are important details about the St Tropez real estate property that have been added into the listing. These include the price, features of the villa, and the location.

2. Grab a French newspaper. This is going to be far-fetched, but if you’re already in France and you’re thinking of getting Saint Tropez villas, one of the best places to search for them are their local dailies. Every day, new properties will be advertised by sellers or even buyers. The good thing about them is that you won’t have to be connected 24/7 just to have the much-needed information with you at all times. You can just cut the ad and bring it with you should you decide to inspect Saint Tropez villas.

3. Ask help from immobilier Saint Tropez. An immobilier Saint Tropez is a real estate agent in France. He or she can be one of the most ideal persons to talk to if you want to own a villa Saint Tropez. For one, he or she has access to a lot of these properties. Moreover, he or she has an extensive network with other real estate agents and sellers in France. An immobilier Saint Tropez can also guide you all throughout the purchase process.

The Loire Valley

A loop of the Loire Valley is one of the most popular cycling choices in France. Taking between four to six days, this well-travelled route covers approximately sixty miles of the Loire Valley, and explores the renowned Chateaux of the region. There are few routes that include so many worthwhile sights in such a concentrated area. Steeped in the history of conflicts, these feudal fortifications have seen many battles between Kings, powerful nobles, and even religions. Take a break from your bike ride to wander through a castle on foot, and explore the grounds; with many of the fortifications kept well preserved, you will feel as if you have stepped back in time. Back in the saddle, you can enjoy both peace and some gentle exercise as you cycle on the banks of the River Loire itself. Roads in this region are not only incredibly picturesque, but also relatively empty. Any cycling that you do whilst camping in France’s Loire Valley will be relatively safe and stress-free.

Vendee

The Vendee is one of France’s most well-organised regions in terms of cycling. A network of 765 kilometres of cycle track has been designed not only to ensure safety for cyclists, but to take bike riders past the best natural attractions that France has on offer. Cycle tracks have been well-signposted and are lined with picnic areas and scenic viewpoints.

Where ever in the Vendee you choose to stay whilst camping in France, you are likely to find yourself close to one of the 23 marked cycling routes.

The first main route, ‘The Sentiers of the Haute Bocage’, is a 280 kilometre track that takes you into the countryside and uses mainly agricultural roads. You will cycle deep into the rural areas of the Vendee and along 27 kilometres of now unused railway track. This route is relatively easy going and suitable for the whole family.

The second route, ‘The Coastal Sentiers’, spans 285 kilometres of coastline. As you make your way along the coast, you will find the routes provide easy access to many impressive beaches and seaside towns, where you can enjoy an ice cream and a paddle before getting back on your bike. During this ride, you will pass all manner of fascinating coastal scenery, from sand dunes, to rocky outcrops, and even marshlands, but be prepared for some uphill climbs.

Finally, the third route in the Vendee, ‘The Sentiers of the Marais Poitevin’, consists of 200 kilometres of track, which eventually merges with ‘The Sentiers of the Haut Bocage.’ This track starts at the coastal town of l’Aiguillon-sur-mer, and continues all the way to Reaumur, but with many detours along the way it is essential to take a map with you. Incorporating canals, marshlands and several very quaint little towns, this route allows you to observe the subtlest of changes in the French landscape.

Les Grandes Alpes

For those who enjoy a more strenuous bike ride, a trip into the Grande Alpes is essential while camping in France. If you’re a keen cyclist and an avid spectator of the Tour de France, you will no doubt harbour ambitions to cycle through the mountains, taking in the spectacular scenery as you go. However, for a slightly less ambitious ride, you may wish to take the route of the Etape, the amateur stage of the Tour de France. A 187 kilometre ride, this track begins in the picturesque town of Gap, and ends on a high note at the summit of Alpe d’Huez. With three peaks to be scaled along the way, this may be an amateur route but it is not for the faint-hearted. However, the stunning mountain scenery along this route makes it a ride to be remembered.

Whether you are a cyclist seeking a challenge, or a family looking for some light-hearted fun, cycling is a fantastic way to see the country while you are camping in France. With well-maintained cycle tracks, that include spectacular landscapes, and friendly towns and villages, there is nothing like a good bike ride in France.

Personally, I think his Hawaiian vacation was the best.

Golf trumps Terror threats any day!

Republicans kept bothering him with news of Al-Qaeda attacks, but Obama was having none of it.

Ain’t nothing gonna stop this man from his Golf game, yo!

Link to photo’s.

http://s141.photobucket.com/albums/r76/aker_2007/?albumview=slideshow