Puzzled at which photo to put up today… I found this forerunner in Ramatuelle. Picture taken last spring.
avant-coureur (ah vahn koor ur) adjective
: forerunner
synonyme: précurseur (noun)
A Day in a French Life… by Kristin Espinasse
Next month this word journal will set out for—and near—its very dear ninth year! How to sum up one's thoughts about that? With the help of Doctor Seuss, bien sûr:
Oh, les endroits où tu courras!
As you may have surmised, translation is not always on my side. So let's keep le docteur's words intact:
Oh, the places you'll go! To this I would add, with glee and wee-stee-tee:
…and, oh, the people you will meet!
Take Lou, for example. He wrote to me back in 2006.
I've just been able to send an e-mail. I read your book, which I enjoy and get your word a day, which is helping me try and learn French, as I'm planning on spending a month next Sept. in the Provence area celebrating my 80th, hope to try your wine, I'm from Casa Grande, AZ., also a desert rat, much good luck to you and to your family, I'm sure, like most of your readers, you feel like family. Au revoir.
And now, three and some years later, at the age of 83, Lou finally came to visit me! He had mentioned wanting to help out with our wine harvest… and so it was that Lou became our most venerable vendangeur!
Lou has often sent encouraging words (you may have seen them in the comments box):
Happy birthday and holiday greetings from an old fan, enjoy your family news and pics, hope to get over one of these days and meet you all, My best to you and yours.
But there is nothing like hearing encouraging words en direct. I stood there on the front patio, listening to un homme d'un certain âge honor me for following and sharing this writing dream. Next, the man with grape stains from his shirt shoulders to his socks, turned and pointed to the horizon. His face sunburnt from harvesting, a bee sting beneath his eye, he said that I was blessed. My eyes traveled back from the skyline and, looking back at Lou, I could not help but feel so: blessed not for what I have, but for whom I have.
Lou's solo trip south (he first visited London) to gather grapes beneath the sizzling sun makes my imagination spin: will I dare to drive a car across a foreign country when I am the same age as he? Or will I remain a wet chicken?
I look at Lou and see what James Dean might have been, nearing ninety: a rebel runner in Time's race, not about to slow down. Never mind gravity.
Time and lines. I try to superimpose my own face on Lou's: eyes on eyes, nose on nose. Will I be as handsome… with a little chance and then some?
But beauty has nothing on bohemia and, like Lou, it is the unconventional life for which I'll strive at 80 or for as long as I'm alive.
(more photos below… keep scrolling!)
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Speaking of Doctor Seuss, check out Les Oeufs Verts au Jambon: The French Edition of Green Eggs and Ham
French Vocabulary
bien sûr = of course
le docteur = doctor
ouistiti = the word the French say for "cheese" when posing for a photo (pronounced wee-stee-tee)
le vendangeur (la vendangeuse) = grape picker, vintager
wet chicken
en direct = live
un homme d'un certain âge = a man of a certain age
wet chicken = la poule mouillée = a coward
Lou with harvester Zayra. Ah là là!
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PS
At first, the photo at the top did intrigue me. After a while and examining a few details (Ctrl+ several times), I came to the conclusion that:
–> la statue en question est une STATUE VIVANTE.
(the statue in question is a ‘living statue’)
‘living statues’ also called ‘human statues’
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Living.statue.in.rome.arp.jpg
http://www.thelivingstatuecompany.com/
http://encrer-le-monde.over-blog.com/article-34090415.html
AVANT-COUREUR
sending you an e-mail
Thank you for such good cheer! Haven’t heard back from Lou (he is busy traveling to other French towns…) hope he will enjoy the story as much as you have.
Newforest, I can assure you that the statue is not living (it was giant, seated there beside the road 🙂 But every time I look at the picture, I think the same as you: “there’s somebody in there!”
Dear Kristin and Lou,
Thank you both for starting my day in the happiest of ways! Words, wine, and photos from the South of France!
Warmly,
Jan
(about the statue) Hi again,
If the statue is completely immobile, and permanently there, ok, it is not a proper “living statue” as such, but… “une statue” — a “painted” statue, unless the puzzle bodysuit is made of a special material (?).
I believe the main purpose of the thinking attitude (which can also be considered as a foetus posture) is to keep puzzling us! Is the statue “un signe avant-coureur” of… (something that is going to happen?)
or,
is the man of the statue “un précurseur” de … (forerunner / precursor of another statue by the same artist? of some sort of ideology? of….?)
I like statues in buildings and outside buildings, in parks, in squares, but the large size statues in odd places, stir up some strange feelings in me. I am thinking more particularly of “The Angel of the North” -> type of angel that more or less frightened me when I first saw it in the North East of England, near the A1. What an experience!
Bonjour et merci,
Kristin, you have encouraged me more than you know. Your beautiful photos have inspired me to look with fresh eyes at my surroundings here in the desert Southwest of the United States.
I am so glad that you shared the story of Lou! He is an inspiration to us all – just like you!
Merci encore!
Dear Kristin, Your wonderful column has lasted 9 years because you are an artist. As an artist you don’t just write dry, academic vocabulary words – instead you use your camera, your wit and compassion, and your personal life, sharing it all with us in a glorious expression of life in France. Love the story of Lou, he’s so much like my Dad and my grandfather. I venture to say that our own Charles has stayed young and fit, partly though picking your grapes and partly through drinking them. Fortunately, we can get Domaine Rouge-Bleu from Charles and Martha, but never enough of it. Keep on – I hope we’ll meet next year. By the way, a delightful little person entered our life yesterday, a little white rescue dog from a shelter. We named him Yoda because of his ears and obvious wisdom. I have fallen in love. What us the French for “puppy love?” Nan in Dunnellon, Florida
I really enjoyed your blog this …
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Bonjour Paul – I encourage you (and everyone!) to never say ‘never’ to following a dream. For my 80th birthday I bought myself an apartment in Provence, in a building where I have rented for 7 summers, with 23 steps to the front door and another 40 to the balcony in back. I was inspired by a couple of women in their nineties here who still live independently…with stairs and walking all the time. It is an absolutely great life! Oh – I also spent 4 years writing an historical novel about the Resistance: see ‘The Bitterest Wine’ on Facebook & Amazon. Carpe diem! Liz