this question could be for any country. back in the day most people lived in villages, so how did they all adapt and speak the same language? were there many languages in England, France, etc. before English and French?

English came to Britain in the form of Old English around the fifth century AD. The traditional account is that there was a great invasion of Angles and Saxons, but more likely there was a more gradual immigration of those and many other groups besides. Either way, they became the military ruling and landholding elite over most of what is now England. The languages that were spoken there before, something like Welsh Gaelic and some Latin, pretty much disappeared except in Wales and Cornwall; apparently people found it easiest to learn to speak the language of the rulers and gradually lost their native language. There were regional dialects of Old English but the ruling class moved around enough, marrying their daughters to each other etc., that it pretty much held together as a single language. After the ninth century, the house of Wessex ruled the whole country so there was that much more momentum for common use of a single Old English dialect. For a while after the Norman Conquest of 1066, commoners spoke English and the nobles spoke French, but they blended together (especially after the kings lost their French lands around 1200) into Middle English, which in turn evolved into Modern English.

In what is now France, you had the legacy of Roman Gaul. By 500 AD or so, this had been under Roman rule for centuries and practically everyone spoke "vulgar" Latin. Frankish immigrants brought their own Germanic language with them, as did Visigoths in Aquitaine, Burgundians in Burgundy, etc. However, although these "barbarians" also formed a powerful military ruling class, the old Roman provincials were stronger here than in Britain so the rulers found it more convenient to learn their subjects’ language than vice versa. Still, their Germanic dialects influenced how it was pronounced; there is a decided tendency to slur those crisp Roman consonants (Latin "rex" becomes French "roi," for instance) and you can hear Germanic "umlaut" vowels in French a lot. Vulgar Latin turned into "Romance" (in other words, "Roman-ish") and gradually into French.

Even then, regional Romance dialects in France were much more different than medieval English dialects. There was a great divide between the "langue d’oc" in the south and the "langue d’oil" in the north, and Provencal was hardly any closer to northern French than Spanish was. When medieval writers spoke of "nations" (thinking largely of language), they saw the "French" as a quite separate group from the Aquitanians, Burgundians, Poitevins, Normans, etc. It was really the spread of print media and of more intensely centralized government administration in the modern era that gradually drove acceptance of northern, Parisian French as somehow "standard."

I am travelling to Sofia, Bulgaria and looking for the best hostel to stay in,
Not the cheapest, but the Sofia hostel that provides a unique atmosphere and best value for money.
What do you suggest?

Check this: http://www.hostelsclub.com/hostel-en-911.html

I’ve never been to Sydney nor stayed in a hostel. I’m trying to decide between staying in a hotel or a hostel for one night.

Chaos. and not really cheap considering you don’t have privcy and have to share facilities.

I’m going to Flores Guatemala for 5 nights in September. There are a total of 4 of us, so we’re looking for a hotel or hostel with private rooms, 2 in each room. Looking to keep it under $50 a night but want something reasonably comfortable. Any suggestions?

In Flores have 3 good hotels. This…

Peten Esplendido Hotel Flores
Villa Maya Flores
Hotel Maya Internacional Flores

Choose any, they are all very worthy of your choice. Enjoy your stay!

I just got back from a 7-day trip to Orlando, and while driving to the Florida Mall on Orange Blossom Trail I noticed that there were many motels along the way and there were about 20-30 women just sitting by in front of the motels and some holding hands with men.

What were they doing? Are they homeless? Does Orlando have a bad homeless problem?

Yes the Orlando area does have a serious homeless problem. It is easier to sleep 365 days a year on the streets in Orlando rather suffer through a winter in a northern city. I drive by OBT almost every day and I have never seen 20-30 women in front of the few motels. A few maybe but 20-30 never. Piece of quick advice. – do not fool around with these ladies. Good chance they are police decoys just waiting to take you to the crowbar motel.

I’ve noticed a lot offer valet parking, do you need to take up the valet parking? Or can you park for yourself for free? If not, what motels offer parking included in the room price that are in times square?

Thanks!

Most NYC hotels do not offer free parking. It’s definitely not included in the room price. If you have the option of leaving the car behind – take it! You don’t need a car in NYC. It’s more of a nuisance than it will ever be a benefit.

I was planning a day trip to a city about 250 miles away, but would require an overnight stay. I inquired about accommodation there. Some places require a minimum 3-night stay. One B&B said their rate was $300 and I figured that was for a week – WRONG! That was just for one night! When my dad was alive and the family traveled, it was considered a lot to charge $20 a night at the Holiday Inn. Where do they get off charging these exorbitant rates?

It’s called supply and demand.
If they weren’t getting $300 per night and requiring you to stay 3 nights, they wouldn’t be charging this much. But since they are and are still in business, it sounds like a good business decision on their part.

Obviously, where you want to go is a big tourist destination. Look for places nearby that are not as desirable and you will find less expensive accomondations. But don’t expect anything for under $100. I’m guessing your father a LONG time ago if you stayed in places for $20 a night.

Hi, thanks for answering my question!
My friend and I are doing our own personal graduation trip to Myrtle Beach in the summer, and I wanted to know what motels/hotels let you be 18 an rent a room?
I will be 17 and my friend will be 18 at that time.
The Sea Mist resort recommended me to the motel Atlantic Paradise, but I wanted to see if their were other options we could consider.

Thanks for answering my question!

Hello
This can help you to find nice hotel deals.we can check and compare current hotel prices along with reviews at “hotels combined”
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good luck!………..