SPICA, Author at APPRENDRE L'ANGLAIS

May 1, 2024December 9, 2025

CYCLING

When the weather is mild, during your holidays or for a break in a business trip, why not make a bike tour to discover the area and do some sightseeing.

Cycling city tours

Bicycle city tours tend to be more and more popular in many big cities for sightseeing. The company in charge usually let bikes to a group of people who get to visit a city or an area of a city with a guide who leads the group in predefined routes. These have many advantages:

You can go faster from one place to another- which is very convenient in big towns because you can cover a wider area-.
you can meet new people from all over the world during this tour and practice your English,
you will make some exercise and feel better at the end of the day: cycling reduces stress and helps manage anxiety.
there is no need to be a trained cyclist to engage in this kind of tours, most of the time, anyone who can ride a bike can do it. But personnaly I would ask before booking a bike tour if it involves a lot of climbing, because I am not very keen of big slopes, unless electric bikes are available.
you usually don’t have to bring any special cycling equipment, the tour company generally includes the gear in the tour fare. However, it would be recommended to bring at least your own bottle of water and a back-pack to carry whatever may be useful.

As far as I am concerned, the main disadvantage of this type of activity is the trafic. Indeed, riding a bike in a big city implies a lot of noise- which can make interactions difficult-, it can be unsafe -cyclists are very vulnerable compared to car drivers-, and the air you breathe can be polluted.

If you want to read more in English about the advantages of cycling city tours: https://thetravelhack.com/travel-tips/cycling-city-tours-why-a-bike-tour-is-the-best-way-to-see-a-city/

Planning bike touring or backpacking?

Unlike a bike city tour, bike touring usually involves a lot of planning and preparation. In most cases, bike city tour will take up to from 2 hours to the whole day while if you go on bike touring you may decide to go for several days or even several weeks, and this will require a lot of preparation such as:

planning the route: this is definitly the core of the trip.: the roads will need to be safe, interesting… and matching your cycling abilities…
arranging accomodation according to the scheduled stops. Don’t be too optimistic, if this is your first bike touring, you need to make sure you will be able to reach your room for the night.
the distance you will be able to cover in one day will be a vital criteria for your organization. Many features will have to be taken into account: the weather, the tracks, every participant abilities, resupplying and unexpected problems (technical, personal …). Be realistic.
what to bring: so many things ! Cycling gears, also including maintenance equipment is vital in this kind of expedition, but also, don’t forget plenty of water, sun cream, hats or caps… and so much more. The weight of your bags will be to taken into account in your performance calculation. The heavy weight will definitly slow you down.

Some examples of Bike touring accross Europe: https://www.freedomtreks.co.uk/blog/the-best-cycling-tours-in-europe

Regarding bike backpacking or bike packing, the preparation and planning will be even more important as in this kind of trip, you sleep in the wild or at least outside. Therefore you will need to plan everything mentionned above – except room reservations- and bring sleeping gears such as a tent, sleeping bags and check where you will be able or allowed to sleep. Obviously the weather will be even more important and affect your trip.

In this kind of travelling trip, your route will be of a different and consist of less roads and more tracks surrounded by nature.

At the airport & the plane

Whether you prepare to take a domestic flight or to travel abroad, the passenger flow in the airport can be quite an experience. Moreover the different steps you will have to take will be different if you fly within your own country or if you take an international flight.

But here we will be focusing on overcoming the language barrier when you happen to take your plane in a foreign airport.

more about taking the plane:

What can go wrong at the airport?

Actually, a lot of things can go wrong:

You can miss your flight.
- In order to avoid this you should always arriver very early -2 to 3 hours before departure-.
Your flight can be cancelled.
- In this situation, you cannot do anything about it, this is out of your control. But you should ask asap the solution offered by the airline company or the airport.
Your flight can be delayed and you may miss your connecting flight.
- Just like the previous situation, you should contact the airline company.
The gate number can be changed. So you have to pay attention to every announcement-and understand it-.
- You should avoid headphones while waiting to board your plane.

Useful vocabulary for the meal and snack on board.

Information about airport security screening at USA airports: explains the procedure, what is allowed and what is not.

March 27, 2024March 31, 2026

EATING OUT

Eating out definition: to eat away from home, especially at a restaurant.

At the restaurant

You will find here different situations and vocabulary very useful when eating out in an English speaking country.

Practice your English and enjoy !

Test your vocabulary

Watching and understanding

Eating out: role play

Work in pairs

Decide who will be the waiter/waitress and the customer.

Decide what kind of restaurant you’re going to eat in and the menu – pick one out of the options below-

Tastes and flavours:

But before choosing your restaurant or your dish you may want to discuss the flavours or the kind of dishes you like:

Let’s explore different tastes and flavors with examples:

Sour: This taste is sharp and acidic.
- Example: Lemons are very sour because they have a lot of citric acid. Vinegar also has a sour taste.
Bitter: This is a strong, often defined as an unpleasant taste. But taste is really relative.
- Example: Black coffee without sugar is often bitter. Dark chocolate also has a slightly bitter flavor.
Sweet: This taste is sugary and -for most people- pleasant.
- Example: Chocolate, candies, and honey are all sweet. A ripe mango is juicy and sweet.
Spicy: This flavor is hot and often makes your mouth burn.
- Example: Chili peppers are very spicy. Indian and Mexican cuisines are known for their spicy dishes.
Salty: This taste comes from salt and is often found in snacks.
- Example: Potato chips are very salty. Pretzels also have a salty flavor.
Savoury: This taste is rich, flavorful, and not sweet.
- Example: Grilled chicken has a savoury taste. Cheese, soups, and roasted vegetables are often described as savoury.

Each of these tastes plays an important role in making food delicious and interesting. Combining them can create amazing dishes, like sweet and sour chicken or spicy and savoury curry! Which taste is your favorite?

The video of the recipe of the Shepherd’s pie

Watch a video to revise restaurant vocabulary