Parlez-vous français?

Ma petite-fille voyage en France cette semaine. Elle a vingt-quatre ans et voyage avec une amie d'école. Je ne sais pas si l'aime parle français mais ma petite-fille ne le fait pas.

How am I doing?

I took one year (two semesters) of French during my second year at university way back in 1959-60 when I was 18 and 19 (in other words, a long time ago).

So it was with a bit of fear and trembling that I took pen in hand put fingers to keyboard and wrote typed the first paragraph above, which says:

My granddaughter is traveling in France this week. She is 24 years old and traveling with a friend (female) from school. I don't know if the friend can speak French but my granddaughter does not.

Thanks to a rich and varied life I can tell my granddaughter how to say "Thank you" in Portuguese (Obrigado) or "Where could I find the men's toilet?" in Swedish (Var finnst der herrtoaletten?), but if she needs much more besides "How far is it to the train station?" in French (à quelle distance se trouve la gare?) I wouldn't be very much help.

The two friends' European trip is a gift to thenselves for having recently obtained their Master's Degrees. It will include side trips to Suisse (Switzerland) and Pays Bas (The Netherlands, literally The Low Country) before it ends in early July. I hope they have a wonderful time. I pray daily for their protection, safe travels, and safe return.

My granddaughter is 24, not 9, and she has a head on her shoulders. She may not be a little girl any more, but she will always be my petite-fille.