Funny-faced faucets, or robinets, in Brignoles, France. After 30 years in the computer software industry, Michelle and Paul Caffrey relinquished their careers determined to reinvent themselves. The fifty-something couple sacrificed everything they owned to buy a converted 1906 Dutch barge. Click here for more about their French adventure. le robinet (ro-bee-nay) noun, masculine tap, faucet La créativité, ça ne s'ouvre pas comme un robinet, il … Continue reading robinet
The brook beside our "casbah" (our house, left, behind the rubble; to the right: our neighbor's house) déboucher (day-boo-shay) verb 1. to unblock 2. to uncork, to open 3. to lead to Le manque d'amour du prochain ne peut déboucher que sur une société d'égoïsme et de désespoir. The absence of love for one's neighbor can only lead to a society of egoism and despair. … Continue reading déboucher
Carignan and Grenache grapes. picoter (peeko-tay) verb : to tingle, to tickle, to smart, sting. A DAY IN A FRENCH LIFESet out to renovate a house with your nervy counterpart while living "on site" and sooner or later sparks will fly. Add outer tension to the internal kind and you've got yourself a mouthwatering recipe for one electrifying pie–so mouthwatering, so electric that you might … Continue reading picoter
My aunt-in-law, Marie-Françoise, weaves a "lavender bottle" at the picnic table. tresser (tres-ay) verb 1. to plait, to braid; to twist 2. to weave, wreathe (basket, garland) synonyms: natter (to plait, braid), entrelacer (to interlace, intertwine) Tressons, tressons ces fleurs, hâtons-nous, jeune amie, Les songes et les fleurs demain ne seront plus! Let us weave, let us weave these flowers, let us hurry, young friend, … Continue reading tresser
The Beverly Hillbillies meet the Hexagone… Photo taken in front of our "baraque": a bidet, a bécane, a lot of beton and, beyond, a breathtaking view. bécane (bay-kan) noun, feminine bicycle, bike, machine "Bécane" is also slang for "motorcycle" and "machine". You can use the noun to designate a computer, a calculator or any machine upon which one works. Oh, the possibilities for employing today's … Continue reading bécane
The rubble rousers were at it again. Another photo of our home, under re-construction, and our dog, Braise (just back from a dip in the creek). casser (kah-say) verb to break, crack, snap Il faut casser le noyau pour avoir l'amande.To have the kernel, you must crack the shell. –Plautus . The theme of our first week, here at a chantier* that doubles as home, … Continue reading casser
Looks cozy, no? douillet, douillette (do-yay; do-yet) adjective cozy, snug "Douillette" is also a feminine noun for "quilted coat or robe" and, in both masculine and feminine forms, has a second meaning: one sensitive to pain (a wimp). There is also the verb "douiller" which means "to pay through the nose" (never a "cozy" feeling). … Continue reading douillet
A pastiche of roof tiles & our pastis-loving roofer, Michel.jeu de mots (zhuh duh moh) noun, masculine a play on words, a pun Meilleur que mille mots privés de sens est un seul mot raisonnable, qui peut amener le calme chez celui qui l'écoute. Better than a thousand words void of meaning, is one sensible word that can bring calm to the one listening. … Continue reading jeu de mots
Perhaps we can know the word origin for "déballer" by studying this photo? When the French arrive at a new location, one of the first things they "unpack" are the "boules": "de-ball-er". (In the background, the vine horizon. From left to right: Andre, Braise, Jean-Marc, "Uncle Jacques" and cousin Pierre.) In Books: "Auberge Of The Flowering Hearth" by Roy Andries De Groot. "This cookbook is … Continue reading déballer
The town of Les Arcs-sur-Argens. flou (flew) adjective blurred, hazy, vague, fuzzy Il y a des régions qui doivent rester obscures. Ni floues ni ignorées mais simplement privées de la mémoire des mots. There are areas that must remain obscure. Neither fuzzy nor ignored but simply disallowed from the memory of words. –Hammerklavier. — Au revoir Les Arcs — On the freeway of life my … Continue reading flou
