Fresh flowers and fresh perspectives. Photo: at a strawberry, wine, and olive-oil vendor's in Tulette.
ravissant (rah-vee-sahn)
: lovely
also ravissante (rah-vee-sahnt)
Audio File (warning! Jean-Marc is away so you are stuck with my recording. Listen at your own risk: Download MP3 or Wav file
Charlotte est revenue hier! Elle était ravissante! Charlotte came back yesterday. She looked lovely!
A DAY IN A FRENCH LIFE… by Kristin Espinasse
Last November, I began a personal challenge to "Publish a Book in 21 days"! In order to complete the ambitious project, I asked readers to help edit three stories three times per week. Though I failed to meet the publishing deadline, the book was compiled in 21 days (it took an extra two weeks to see it online at Amazon). As painful as the process was (!!!), I reached a goal, one that had been swept back into the corner along with other neglected dreams.
The current book project is coming together. On Monday, we made it to the one-third mark! But the pace is slackening today, with only one story to edit. It is titled "ravissant". If you like, you can proofread it here.
A cool street sign in Toulon. How would you like to live on a Why Not street? What's another interesting street name? Back home in Arizona, I once lived on Never Mind Trail…. To share a funny street name, or to comment on any item in this edition, click here.
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I live in a townhouse community with only 2 streets: Penny Lane and Lois Lane. One part of Lois Lane was once called Abbey Road.
Two streets in neighboring Ipswich, Massachusetts come to mind: “Heartbreak Road” and “Labor in Vain Road.” Also, “Crooked Cartway” in Barnstable, on Cape Cod.
I have started to take pics of humorous street signs…. one of my faves is “Moonya Avenue” in Victor Harbor, South Australia!
My elementary school in CT is on Knowalot Lane.
My aunt lives on Roller Coaster Highway
In Austin, Texas I lived on Ammunition Drive
When I lived in the Bay Area of California, there was an area in the city of Santa Clara where the streets were all named after species of birds. The names included Meadowlark Lane, Nightingale Ave., Nuthatch Lane, Oriole Ave., Parrot Ave., Partridge Court, Peacock Ave., Quail Ave., etc. The street map calls the area “Birdland Neighbors”. However, when people from that area were asked where they lived, they would say, “Oh, I live over in the Bird Cage!”
I live in Cincinnati, OH. In a nearby community, Westchester, there is a street called Barret Road, which intersects with Grinn Dr. And so, smack in the middle of idyllic suburbia, there are several families living at the intersection of Grinn and Barret! Not my idea of paradise.
Here in Key West we have a Catholic Lane and a Passover Lane along with Donkey Milk Alley and Calabash Alley.
I lived on Sesame Street in Dallas.
From Tom Robbins novel “Jitterbug Perfume” my all time favourite, rue quelle blague.
Tell me, are the streets of Séguret still deserted?
We visited family in California last month and were delighted to find a little alley in Santa Cruz named Squid Row.
In Southport, NC, there are streets named for early settlers: Lord, Howe, and Dry. The town named an alleyway I Am
Here outside of The Villages, FL, we have a Little Dirt Road. It’s red-ish dirt and reminds me of Tuscany in the fall, with plowed fields on either side. I love the little road and someday will detour down it (when my car needs to be washed anyway…)
My college roommate lived on Easy Street. Hey, it was the 70s…just saying… My niece now lives on Imaginary Place (the surrounding streets are all “I” words).
Salut Kristin,
Avez-vous eu une bonne Fête de Muguet hier?
In the North Phoenix area, in which I live, the streets are named after golf courses around the world. I live on Seminole Dr which is near Interlaken, Glen Eagles, Coral Gables and Hana Maui.
I grew up in a small Illinois town that was so small, the city limits signs were on the same post……no streets; just a wide place on the highway.
Carefree, Arizona actually does have an Easy Street.
Love all the street stories. This street name Is a mystery to me: No Name Uno, in Gilroy, California. Enjoy your publishing “party”!
How about Skunk Misery Road, in Higganum, CT?
We loved living on Sans Souci Dr. in Miami. Even though we understood that this was French for carefree, the post office insisted on calling it San Souci (due to the Spanish influence there) as in Saint Souci.
aaahhhh …. “Ragged Ass Road” on Latham Island, next to Yellowknif, NWT, Canada.
A place where the float planes still land, carrying provisions,miners, and explorers. It is beautiful, rugged, sad and charming all at the same time. Home to “The Wildcat Cafe” where Bumbleberry Pie is served up each spring, and diners and strangers share rough wooden benches at plank tables, and coffee is served in Mason jars.
My New Orleans is famous for strange street names and even stranger ways of pronouncing them – like “Terpsichore St.(pronounced in N.O.”TERP-si-core”. Then there’s “Burgundy St.” (pronounced Burr-GUN-di). But my vote for wierdest must be “Tchoupitoulas St” (Chop-it-TOO-lus”. Bienvenue a’ Nouvelle Orleans – Warren Plauche
The street name is of course interesting. But mostly, I am made jealous by the lovely photo’s of such a beautiful part of the world. A strawberry, olive and wine vendor? Near the source I presume. Enough said.
In Saskatoon, Saskatchewan the Avenues are given letter names (Ave A, Ave B, etc.) My brother once lived near the corner of Rusholm and P.
In the tiniest incorporated town in California, population around 150, there is a street called Pig Turd Alley. True story. The town is Amador City, in Amador County, gold country. I suppose the old miners had something to do with that name!
Last summer we stayed in Vosne-Romanée, near Nuit-St.George. One of the streets was “rue du Temps Perdu” – street of lost time. It was one of my favorite finds last summer.
Wacky Nut Way on Bainbridge Island WA always amused me. I wanted to meet the people who came up with that one.
We always have to use a disclaimer when we tell people we live on “Rich” Road. haha!
But really, I came to tell you how much I loved hearing your voice on the WAV file. You sound “ravissant”!
The man who does my yard lives on No Name Road. I guess they just ran out of ideas by the time it was named.
I passed on the information about your Blog site and your lovely books to two teachers that are taking French 3 with me. They just loved everything you are doing!! And, they both are going to buy your books!! Yahoo!! Hugs! 🙂
In France we live on a cul de sac which is named “Impasse des Celibataires” or Deadend of the single people. When I’m asked for our address the answer is usually met with a laugh and we’ve had the street sign stolen more than once. Around 50 years ago the village of Castelreng allowed the inhabitants of each street to name their street. There are only two houses on the impasse and they were both occupied by single men…thus their inspiration for the name!
In York, England there is a street called “Whip ma, Whop ma Gate”
Kristin,
I adore everything you !write! and French-Word-A-Day is always read to the end…
Comment to WilliamBeard post: Oh my gosh…we lived on Crooked Cartway Road in West Barnstable (Cape Cod) when I was growing up! Small world.
In an Orlando suburb that is a street called “Lots of Fun” Avenue.
When we lived on Brae Burn Drive in Eugene, Oregon, we would sometimes receive mail with a mangled street name; the most interesting was “Bra Burn Drive”.
Kristin, I remember you mentioning Rue Pourquoi-Pas! It captured my imagination then and seeing a picture of the street sign now is just the icing on the cake!
THANK YOU!!!
Love, Natalia XO
Ah, two mentions of Easy Street reminded me of my friend Gail. She was looking at houses to buy and called to tell me she’d found one on Easy Street but didn’t think they’d buy it. She’d be too embarrassed to tell people that she lived on Easy St., she said. Thanks for the memory.
The village square in the heart of the Village of Elkhart Lake in Wisconsin, U.S.A., is called Square Street.
My favorite – the infamous rue du chat-qui-pêche in Paris. This street (or alley really) was opened in 1540!
When we lived in Utah, we rented a house in Lois Lane!
I have a few favourites here in Bermuda-Hesitation Lane, and breezy Corner are two of them!
When we lived in Dijon we lived on Impasse Nugesser et Coli. I always found that the English Idea of an impasse, ie impassable, not going anywhere, to be in conflict with the concept of a street, though I understood that it translated dead end or cul-de-sac etc as well.
My all-time favorite funny street names are both in rural Georgia:
Shake Rag Road and Bug Scuffle Road!
my daughter lives in a street called “forget me not common”
Here in Kerrville TX we have Easy Street. That appears to be not uncommon. We also have Short Street. It is one block long (or short):).
In Northern Minnesota I often pass the intersection of Hwy 10 and Oink Joint Road. Someday I will take the time to turn off and see where it leads me…
Agnes in MN
When I lived in Ohio, the main road to my neighborhood was Polecat Road. I should look at my local map now.
Misunderstandings of Spanish lead to a lot of odd names in Tucson. Rancho Sin Vacas is mild–Ranch Without Cows.And of course their are all of those redundancies in the Southwest like the Rio Grand River (Big River River)
One day, strolling in London, I came upon a tiny lane called “Harriet Walk.” That was my mother’s maiden name!
I have a friend whose nickname is Dirt. When he built his new home, he got to name the street- voila- Dirt Road. Cependant, un meilleur nom Triangle Square Circle !