EuroCamp when I can't speak French?

[HensAndRabbits]

For unknown reasons I told my dh on our first date that I was fluent in French. I never normally lie and now 15 years later he still believes I am. Telling him the truth isn't an option. I would be so mortified I would have to divorce him or he would spend the rest of our lives taking the piss out of me.

Anyway, my dm wants to take us on a family holiday next year and has suggested a EuroCamp. We went to them as kids and we loved it. My dc's and their cousins would also love it. However, I can't remember what interaction was required with the people that work there. Do they all talk to you in English? My dm and dsis are both fluent in French and will cover me when they're there. But what if I'm on my own?! Could I just pretend they have a really strong accent or maybe that they're foreign and not speaking French properly?

Learning French is a last resort. I've told myself I will do it in secret for the last decade and I can't see it happening this year.

Go to an Italian eurocamp

I'm not sure I could face a drive to Italy with little ones. My dm loves France and tbh I've avoided the place for half my life and feel I should finally face it.

The Eurocamp reps speak English.

Everyone speaks English - don't worry!

I think after 15 years you will have forgotten it all, won't you? Love this, though!

Ha ha, that is brilliant!

Sorry, no helpful advice but you've made me laugh

English is fine, but there will be French staff, so you may be found out! Can you just tell him that it's been so long, you've forgotten it? Do you know any French at all?

All eurocamp staff are British. Campsite staff in the shops etc won't be, but tbh, most eurocamp I've been to, all the campsite staff speak about 3 or 4 languages to varying degrees

There will be English speaking staff but unless you're planning not to leave the campsite for the whole of your holiday, you're going to have to tell him. Bite the bullet and do it now.

Phew! So will they start conversations in English? I'm so glad I can go to France at last (with dm and dsis covering).

I did it for gcse, got an A, was really chuffed, a few days later had first date with dh and it got very slightly exaggerated to being fluent. My dm is now teaching my ds french (apparently I was an unwilling pupil) and I'm hoping that I'll learn through osmosis or something.

Anyway, now that's covered - any particular EuroCamps anyone can recommend?

Can you speak any French at all? Enough to order coffee or buy pastries?

I would do a bit of French in the shops and speak English the rest of the time if that's possible? All the reps will if you choose the right camp. It says what language is spoken on site on the website before you book. Or go to a Eurocamp in Holland. Or a non-Eurocamp on the Belgium coast where they speak Dutch.

Then of course if all else fails you will have sadly forgotten most of it - it's been so long! Or maybe you can understand the gist but no longer speak it?

How on EARTH did you get yourself into a situation where you've been married years and he thinks you can speak French when you can't?!

X-posted

Here is the thing. You could brazen it out, say you are rusty after fifteen years, who wouldn't be?

Or you could pick a moment , possibly with a drink in your hand, and say you are sorry for lying to him and you didn't mean it to get so out of hand. People mostly respond better to honestly, than to bluster.

He probably already knows

I actually do speak fluent French but on hearing my English accent all campsite staff this summer spoke English to me - GRRR!!! I therefore offer this as a very valid excuse.

OP, I did a degree in French and graduated in 1994.

I now speak emergency French which is pretty much non-existent.

You are entirely justified in having forgotten it if you haven't been for 25 years.

And I am glad that it is not just my family who weave unduly complicated webs of fibs about ridiculous matters.

15, not 25!

DH (who is fluent), reckons that you can pull it off with a few words, and the right shoulder shrug.

Try "Bof!", shrug your shoulders, with a haughty look.

Gosh I am hoping so badly that he knows now!

I'm hoping for some awkward sitcomesque situation and then it all comes out with much hilarity.

That's funny OP now I can't stop thinking about Joey in Friends. You'll be fine as pp have said most Eurocamp reps are British anyway and the French staff are usually multilingual

In answer to your question further up - we have stayed at l'atlantique in Brittany. It was an easy drive from the fast cat ferry from Portsmouth to Cherbourg. Clean and quiet camp, huge beach but not much in way of activities.

See it's easy
We've been to Brittany a number of times.
Le Mouettes has a lot going on and is very close to Roscoff ferryport, La Pointe Saint Gille is further south but also has a lot of fun stuff for kids and is in a really pretty seaside resort.

I agree that a drunken confession is the best answer. He'll laugh, you'll feel better and you can enjoy your trip across the channel with peace of mind.

Ty Naden in Brittany has got loads to do and is by a river.

DS1 was a Eurocamp rep. His French is passable, but not fluent. You'll be fine!

I'm on a French campsite right now. It's 10:30 and still 27 degrees... I'm melting.

I had French in school and read it sort of fluently (at least with a dictionary at hand) but still don't want to speak it after some 23 years since I last took a class. I'd be really hard pressured to say anything out loud, actually. Which is odd, I don't have any difficulty with my 2nd foreign language but French, my 3rd foreign language, it's too difficult to cope. In any case your hubby must have clued out the true circumstances about your French by now, no books or magazines lying around in the house for instance, so he might tease you about your French just because he can. You could for instance say "I don't think I was quite as fluent as i thought I was, and now what little I knew is all gone, I'm totally out of practice" and it wouldn't even be a lie.