A new touristic spot in Calais

JeanPierreD Lun 16 Déc - 11:49

While fans of Charles de Gaulle along with the rest of France were commemorating the anniversary of his death in Colombey-les-deux-Eglises where he died november 9, 1970 and where he is buried, the town of Calais chose the occasion to inaugurate a new monument which is bound to become an additional important touristic spot in our town.
Since November Saturday 9 a new statue has been inaugurated, a statue of the de Gaulle’s couple. This portrayal of the couple is unique . The hands of the french sculptor Elisabeth Cibot chose to show the most private side of Charles de Gaulle and Yvonne Vendroux who was born into an old Calaisien family of respected figures and avant-gardists.
When you arrive by foot or even by car from rue Royale (it is one way street now) towards the beach the statue cannot be missed, because of his size (3 meters high)and of his color. It has been displayed at the entrance of the place d’Armes next to the ancient Tour du Guet. Since some months in this part of Calais (but elsewhere too) the town is undergoing a massive redevelopment, (landscaping and structural developments) with the renovation of Notre Dame Church and the creation of a new hall.
At the beginning it should have been placed at the other end of the square closer to the Church Notre Dame where they got married april 7, 1921. But this new place is in fact perfect. Yvonne Vendroux looks towards rue Leveux where his family house was standing (destroyed infortunately as most of this part of Calais during World War II) while his husband's look is for rue Royale.
It forms part of the national circuit of tributes to General de Gaulle and we can be sure that a lot of tourists will chose to come and visit Calais to see this strange bronze sculpture whose color is due to a special patina from silver, which will grow darker with time according to the sculptor (and therefore look less made of plaster).

http://www.zapaday.com/event/320391/1/Charles+de+Gaulle+s+death+anniversary.html
http://elisabeth-biographie.blogspot.fr/

PS: feel free to correct the mistakes if there are any . I am more and more aware how difficult it is to try to write something in a foreign language and take care of everything.

gerardM Lun 16 Déc - 15:57

Hi Jean-Pierre,

Thanks for this message.

>PS: feel free to correct the mistakes if there are any . I am more and more aware
> how difficult it is to try to write something in a foreign language and take care of everything.

A few comments:

> where he died november 9, 1970
- you cannot get rid of "on" - where he died on november 9, 1970
- you must write a capital initial for the month - where he died on November 9, 1970
- as far as I know "November 9, 1970" is a format of date used in the USA; if your text is rather British, you should write "where he died on the 9th of November 1970"
> french sculptor
... always a capital letter for nationalities: French
> When you arrive by foot
... on foot
> where his family house
... her
> infortunately
... unfortunately
> his husband's look
... her
> a lot of tourists will chose
... choose

Other parts made me frown but I'm not 100% sure. Smile

such as "Since November Saturday 9 a new statue has been inaugurated", "it is one way street", "Since some months"

gerardM Lun 16 Déc - 23:10

Hi Jean-Pierre, everyone,

It's obvious that I may be mistaken.
If anyone could point out mistakes in my words, or simply comment, or write additional comments, I would be very pleased to read them.

MurielB Mar 17 Déc - 9:46

For
Hi Jean-Pierre, Gerard, everyone
congratulations to Jean-Pierre for this text. I have learnt a lot about this wonderful statue.
I would say=>On November Saturday 9 a new statue was inaugurated ( the action didn't last and is finished)
she was born in a family (into expresses a motion)
its size its colour (Its because the statue is an object)
It has been displayed for some months (the action started in the past and has continued in the present, for indicates that it lasted for some months)
Thank you, it is very nice to work together.

JeanPierreD Jeu 19 Déc - 19:38

Hi Muriel HI Gerard
Thank you very much for correcting me so carefully. Together you are a good teacher to me. Some mistakes are unforgivable, "its" for an object, "her" for a female, dates from my early learning at school and they are not even a reflex unless it is some kind of an early Alzheimer's disease. But anyway the best way to fight it is certainly to continue to learn something, to forget and learn it again and again...
Thank you about the dissimilarities between English and American.
I checked about what made frown Gérard : "it is one way street", "Since some months". The one way street i crossed (met) it in the english dictionary, as for since some months , first i thought it was "since" that may be wrong, but in fact i think it's the whole "since some months" which is wrong, instead i found "since a few months " which seems better .

MurielB Jeu 19 Déc - 22:32

Hi Jean-Pierre
What I find nice is to work as a team and not work alone. Everyone helps everyone. I have found an interesting link http://www.grammar.cl/Notes/For_Since.htm about for and since. It is very clear.

gerardM Jeu 19 Déc - 23:05

Hi Muriel, Jean-Pierre,

I had missed several mistakes... Sad

that Muriel pointed out. Thanks!

gerardM a écrit:... Other parts made me frown but I'm not 100% sure. :)such as "Since November Saturday 9 a new statue has been inaugurated", "it is one way street", "Since some months"

- "Since November Saturday 9 a new statue has been inaugurated"
Your sentence means that the statue is continuously inaugurated, day after day Wink

Muriel also posted about this
- "it is one way street" - I'd have said "it is a one way street"... you wrote that you found the sentence in an English dictionary so, I appear to be wrong
- "Since some months"
I don't like this expression.
I always hesitate for a countable word and often try to use "a few" instead tho "some" is possible when the number is not clear but here is not the point.
Muriel gave a link which states "Since gives the starting point of actions, events or states. It refers to when things began."
"Some months" is a period of time, a duration so that it doesn't match "since". "Some months ago" is a starting point...

MurielB Ven 20 Déc - 8:48

I don't like that expression either. thank you Gérard for explaining "For" and "Since". I was lazy and I only wrote the link.

JeanPierreD Ven 20 Déc - 10:29

Thank you for the link about "since" and "for", very clear, less easy perhaps to apply.
"it is one way street" - I'd have said "it is a one way street"... you wrote that you found the sentence in an English dictionary so, I appear to be wrong
I am not as accurate as Gerard , i've found in the dictionary only "one-way-street" and so he is right when he says "it is a one-way-street
Thank you both

gerardM Ven 20 Déc - 10:57

> Thank you both
You're very welcome Jean-Pierre.

I don't have any examples but I had the impression that you were influenced by American language rather than British, am I right?
If so, "i've found in the dictionary" would rather be "I found in the dictionary" in American English.

Your English is good despite the big mistakes regarding his/her/its; I'm impressed by your good vocabulary and also by the mistakes you don't make Wink

(for example you write "as accurate as" and not the "as accurate than" commonly used by French people) Were you using English more, years ago?

A new touristic spot in Calais

A new touristic spot in Calais

Re: A new touristic spot in Calais

Re: A new touristic spot in Calais

Re: A new touristic spot in Calais

Thank you very much for correcting me so carefully

Re: A new touristic spot in Calais

Re: A new touristic spot in Calais

Re: A new touristic spot in Calais

good link about the grammar: since/for

Re: A new touristic spot in Calais