Dear Friends, Following the attack in Paris last night, so many people are speechless. I don't know what to say, either, and so I will share a story and hope it comforts you as it did me. Each of us will react in his or her own way in the face of terror. Don't let anybody tell you how you *should* feel. And be careful … Continue reading A Short Letter from France
In front of Smokey: just-harvested jerusalem artichokes. More about these meaningful root vegetables in today's story. TODAY'S WORD: le topinambour : jerusalem artichoke, sunchoke ECOUTER/LISTEN – hear Jean-Marc pronounce the example sentence, with topinambour, below: Download MP3 or Download Wav file Sa diffusion en Europe se développe rapidement grâce à sa culture facile, sa rusticité et sa forte multiplication végétative, même dans des sols pauvres. Il est … Continue reading Armistice or Veterans Day & France’s Wartime vegetable
Several olive trees have now been moved to make way for our 2016 vine planting. My husband and I don't agree on the uprooting of some of these trees, so this has been a rough week! How ironic to squabble over an olive tree when its very branches symbolize la paix. Read about prise de bec, in today's story column. TODAY'S EXPRESSION: la vengeance est douce … Continue reading Lovers Quarrel and Accidental Revenge, in French
Following his bike accident, Jean-Marc got his staples out Saturday and was out inspecting the fields around our home for our 2016 vine-planting. More photos you may have missed, at Instagram. TODAY'S WORD: immobilier : property, real estate ECOUTEZ/LISTEN – Hear Jean-Marc pronounce today's word and this example sentence. Download wav file or press the mp3 button: Immobilier My belle-soeur, Heidi, est une expert dans … Continue reading Immobilier, My Sister Heidi and Word of Mouth in French
Recipe for Pesto in Bed at the end of this post. TODAY'S WORD: Le Pistou : pesto ECOUTER/LISTEN – hear Jean-Marc pronounce these French words: Pistou Le pistou. La sauce au pistou ou tout simplement pistou est une sauce, équivalent provençal du pesto ligure, à base de basilic pilé, d'ail et d'huile d'olive. Pesto. Pesto sauce or simply pesto is a sauce, the Provencale equivalent … Continue reading Pesto in Bed. A delicious–and alluring–recipe!
I wanted everything to be perfect when Tess and the artists arrived. But when I went to check my appearance in the mirror, after greeting my guests, there was pink toilet paper stuck to my eyelashes!! Read on. TODAY'S WORD:le papier toilette : toilet paper ECOUTEZ/LISTEN – hear Jean-Marc pronounce today's word: click here or here: Papier-toilette A DAY IN A FRENCH LIFE… by … Continue reading French Toilet Paper and other disasters
It was this… or a picture of a broken elbow. Read on in today's story column. And for more pictures of our garden, and these citrons and these guavas, join me on Instagram! TODAY'S WORD:le nid de poule : a pothole, or pit in the road's surface Un nid de poule literally means "hen's nest" WHERE TO RENT IN FRANCE? Special thanks to our … Continue reading Broken bones and Broken French
Join us for tomorrow's (October 14th) winetasting at 3pm. Or meet us October 19th.We would love to see you here, near Bandol! Email your confirmation to jm.espinasse@gmail.com (Thanks, Nick and Jill Cook, for this photo!) TODAY'S EXPRESSION"To get one's money's worth" : en avoir pour son argent Mas de Perdrix. A home in France that artists and writers love to rent. Work on … Continue reading To Get One’s Money’s Worth, in French + Downton Abbey
A tornado on the outskirts of our village! (filmed by firefighter John Liqr (c) photo copyright /Facebook) TODAY'S WORD: une trombe : whirlwind, waterspout, torrent démarrer en trombe = to hurtle off, leave in a whirlwinden trombe = at full throttledes trombes d'eau = a downpour WHERE TO RENT IN FRANCE? Special thanks to our longtime sponsors–Marilyn, David, and Marianne–who have been a great … Continue reading A rare tornado in France over the weekend!
Join us for tomorrow's wine tasting here near Bandol. If it's raining, we will sit around our kitchen table, warmed by the fire. Reserve your cozy seat at jm.espinasse@gmail.com TODAY'S WORD: une betise : a silly, foolish thing dire des bêtises = to talk nonsensefaire une bêtise = to make a silly mistake ECOUTEZ/LISTENHear Jean-Marc pronounce these French wordsDownload MP3 or Wav Arrêtez de faire des … Continue reading Betise: Our naughty visitors
