Swanley Twinning

by a Francophile

Once upon a time while I was travelling to Paris on Eurostar, I overheard a conversation between an American and an Australian, their wives and some of their families. They were all going to Paris, to stay in multi-star central hotels, and explore Paris.  They would be there for several days and had excursions all nicely arranged by their respective travel agencies. They were "doing" The Louvre, Notre Dame and other well known sights including, of course, The Moulin Rouge. “I’ve always wanted to see France “said the American. “I’ve seen the film and now it's the real thing!”

“You poor tourists!” - I said to myself.  During the days you'll suffer the coach tours, peering out at the historic architecture over the congested, slow moving traffic.   In the evenings you'll consume banal International Six Star Hotel dinners, or visit a famous nightclub where you will eat indifferent food, drink expensive champagne and view the spectacle of risqué dancing especially provided for foreign tourists. You'll buy glossy postcards to send to your friends (who will receive them long after your return home). You'll stand on the steps to The Opera and swap-photograph each other to prove you really were there. You'll buy pretty Brittany dolls and a chocolate Eiffel Tower. And the next day - "A.B.C” again (which an Australian tells me stands for . . . "Another Blinkin' Cathedral/Chateau/Church").

Eventually, after  several more days of "getting to know France", you'll arrive back at Charles de Gaulle Airport, exhausted, coach-weary and foot-weary, ready to  be whisked off to the next Capital City on your itinerary.    

And after all this, what will you know about France and the French?
. . . . . . . nothing!

We in South East England have an advantage over our far flung Australian and American friends.  If we are seriously interested in learning more about and understanding those who are, in fact, our closest neighbours we can join a Twinning Association.

Much of the glamour of visiting France now no longer exists. Once it was such an occasion! Twinning Associations provided a simple introduction in the "Green Card" days of the past. We made friends and the friendships still continue.

In Twinning, we are invited for a short stay in each others homes. When we go to France we mix with the family and experience the day-to-day events of their lives.  We share their food and their customs. With Mama, we visit the street markets and the supermarkets for the daily shopping. With the children, we help them with their English homework. With Papa, we moan about the government and the taxes. We swap recipes and garden cuttings. In short, we experience the real Vie Française. And by being part of the family we pick up a little French, here and there, learning it in the same way the children learned it, by example and practice.

In Twinning, we learn the best and worst of our respective cultures. We try to understand other points of view, and, as a result, are sometimes able to enrich our own lives. But I'm getting too philosophical !

In short, we invite you to join Twinning. It's not expensive . . .

Don't   Miss Out …...            . . . It's Great Fun!