by Paul Appleyard, FITI, and Pantelitsa Gaudineau-Mallas
Paul Appleyard has been a translator and interpreter for ages, and before that he managed translation in the software industry. He’s done a few things within ITI, including being coordinator of the French Network quite a while ago, and he was on the Board for a while. When he’s not interpreting or translating, you’ll probably find him out walking somewhere with his camera.
I’ve been lucky enough to see several of my photos turn up on the new website.
There’s no particular merit to it. My approach to photography has always been to make sure I’m always carrying a camera with me (which is easy these days with good cameras in modern phones, although I usually carry a proper one too), and to take loads of photos, on the grounds that if you take a few thousand, then one of them is probably going to be alright(ish). One of the main reasons I enjoy being an interpreter is that I get to travel to different places and take photos while I’m there.
Rather than choosing one of the more “normal” photos on the site (two of them are of bridges, and I’m sure other people can write better things about bridges than I can), I’ll write a few words about what appears to be a Union Flag, on the ground.
What is it? Is it an allegorical photo about the decline of empire? About a country finding its place in the modern world? What’s it got to do with France?
Well, full confession. It’s a pair of swimming trunks, drying in the sun, taken next to a pool at a gîte in the snappily named village of Orthoux-Sérignac-Quilhan, in the Gard département. There’s not much more to say about the photo, but looking at it again brings back lots of memories. At the time we stayed there, it was the most expensive gîte we’d ever rented, but our memories of that holiday are actually a recommendation to stay somewhere cheaper, and more fun. The landlords lived very nearby, and used to loiter outside, pretending to water the flowers, but instead giving the children the opportunity to learn French phrases such as “surtout il ne faut pas courir”, “ne faites pas de bruit”, “ne sautez pas dans la piscine”, that sort of thing. We had a very long list of things not to do, or instructions to follow, including for how to wash the pans. The pool itself appeared to be a rallying point for every wasp in southern France (hence the children running and, horror of horrors, screaming).
More cheerfully, looking back at the photos I took that year though, I can see that it’s a gorgeous part of the world (as confirmed by other visits to the same general area). It was also a holiday when we met up with the family of another member of the French Network, and jumped in their pool as often and as loudly as we wanted, which was nice.
Paul Appleyard, FITI
Pantelitsa Gaudineau-Mallas is a freelance, French to English translator based in the Maine et Loire in France. Born in the UK to a bilingual, multicultural family, she grew up developing a passion for foreign languages and cultures. Pantelitsa enjoys studying the origin of words and researching new subjects.
I took this photo of the beach, Les Rosaires, at Plérin on the Côtes d’Armor in Brittany during one of our frequent stays in the area. I really enjoy going for a quiet walk along the seafront, taking in the beautiful view and breathing the fresh, sea air. If you’re looking for a pleasant, natural spot to discover, I thoroughly recommend Les Rosaires!
Pantelitsa Gaudineau-Mallas
