My brother-in-law invites us to a barbecue…but getting to his house in Avignon, Sunday morning, would be another adventure! (Don't you love his "Vacation Hour" T-shirt? From 12 o'clock on, here are the translations: Wake up, Cocktails, Meal, Siesta, Boules (or Bocce ball), Cocktails, Meal, Hugs.)
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TODAY'S Expression: to go with the flow
Two ways to say go with the flow: prendre les choses comme elles viennent and suivre le cours de la vie
ECOUTEZ – Listen to Jean-Marc pronounce today's expressions:
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prendre les choses comme elles viennent and suivre le cours de la vie
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A DAY IN A FRENCH LIFE
When Jean-Marc said we needed to pass through Marseilles, on the way to our family get-together in Avignon, I knew this was not going to be a smooth trip! The ride would be more complicated and less comfortable (requiring an early-morning departure) than if we took a direct route, as planned. But the detour would now allow us to pick up Jean-Marc's mom, in La Ciotat, make a wine pick-up and delivery, in Marseilles, and offer my sister-in-law a ride to the barbecue at my brother-in-law, Jacques' place!
While it would have been easier to cruise from point A to point B–and catch up on our sleep–there was no question that this detour would help a lot of people. And it was a good exercise in serving others instead of doing what was easiest for us.
You would think that with our motives in the right place, the universe would suddenly align to smooth out the path before us. Mais non! No sooner had we set out on our zig-zagging Race to Avignon, than we hit one obstacle after another! From the triathlon that blocked our shortcut from Cassis to Marseilles–to an almost-foiled wine delivery (at Stop No. 2 the bottles were not ready) to a sudden case of dry mouth (Jean-Marc's mom urgently needed us to stop somewhere for water!) it was one hurdle after the next. I began to wonder if self-servitude would have been the better way to go (the initial point A to point B "me-me-me" plan!). Instead of a peaceful ride, I was now listening to my husband shout at other drivers, waving his arms out of the car window for effect. I wanted to shout too!: Je t'avais dit! I TOLD YOU SO!
Instead, I refocused–from the frustrated driver to his mama who commented on an entirely different scene from her passenger window….
"Look at all these trees.They're called microcouliers… Years ago, these boulevards were lined with plane trees so big they almost formed a canopy over this boulevard! But the beautiful trees came down with a disease and were replaced by these. They seem to be doing well…."
As we inched forward along the busy Boulevard Michelet, Michèle-France looked down the Prado–a street that leads to the sea. "When I lived here in the 60s, I would leave my little chambre de bonne and go to the Plage Borely for a swim. There was a cabanon…there with a restaurant called "La Mer". (Turning to the frustrated driver, Michèle-France offered, "We had your baptism lunch there, after you were born!)
"Ah! Le Castellane!" Michèle-France exclamed as we advanced past the Prado boulevard. "There is a farmers market that lines this entire street. I loved to do my shopping here. Les bigarreaux cherries are the best kind to buy this time of year! "
I smiled watching my mother-in-law sit up in her seat, dry mouth gone from all that salivating! Her head no higher than the seat back, the head rest high above her crown of wispy fine hair, Michèle-France gazed out the car window, taking it all in, her beloved Marseilles.
Not far from the St Charles train station, we made a right onto my sister-in-law's street. Here, Michèle-France studied each and every detail. "Ah! there's a bank… and a bakery not too far. Oh, and blood-analysis lab. That's always handy!" My mother-in-law was happy to see that her daughter lived in a lively neighborhood. Seeing Cécile appear, with a sunny Bonjour and a kiss, my mother-in-law was now beaming!
As convenient as it would have been to have driven straight to Avignon, I'm so glad we took the zigzagging, inconvenient Path of Growth. Wishing you a good day, dear reader, and the courage to go with the flow, to prendre les choses comme elles viennent, and to suivre le cours de la vie. You are sure to be on the right path.
Amicalement,
Kristi
COMMENTS
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I ran into my friends Ricard (left) and Tanja (right) while on a date with Jean-Marc Friday night in Bandol. Tanja is so stylish every time I see her! So I thought you would enjoy seeing which shoes she had on, on a midsummer night in the south of France! SOLUDOS! I was surprised to find this brand on Amazon. Read the customer recommendations, which suggested sizing up one size? Check out all the styles and order some espadrilles HERE.
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Kristi,
I love to take the back roads…the roads less travelled, even if the autoroute is faster. Look at the adventure and all of the beautiful sights you saw through your mother-in-laws eyes.Being stuck in traffic is the pits, but from that comes new growth.
i’m sure that you had a great time at at your brother-in-laws and that the food was fantastic, especially having someone else prepare it.
Enjoy August as there is still a full month of summer and September can also be beautiful in Provence.
Bissous,
Kathleen
I like the back roads too..so much more to see. Your trip was one of love not of speed. The autoroute is for going quickly from one spot to the next which certainly was not the purpose of the trip. How much joy it brought to your mother-in-law
.
Kristi,
Thank you for a reminder to take the back roads. It took me back to my first trip to France in the summer of 2009 when a dear friend and I rented a car and drove around Provence. We discovered there are no wrong turns in this magical place…. I most recently took a trip with my college bound son across our gorgeous state of NC with the same mindset and it was a lovely experience for both of us. Stepping off the beaten path is wonderful!
My question to you is “Where can I get the vacation t-shirt worn by your brother-in-law?”
Have a grand afternoon!
So wonderful how something as simple as a drive can become a “family” time – seems to me you have another charming memory of your mother-in-law which someday will be remembered with love and affection. I always take the back roads if I can – especially enjoy those round-a-bouts. Thank you for this post. Go with the flow – a phrase from my youth. My espadrilles arrive today.
Kristi, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate today’s reminder to suivre le cours de la vie. I have been going through a bit of a challenging time and have been finding it difficult to trust in the natural ebb and flow. Reading your story and the enthusiastic exclamations of your belle mere (it feels as though I’m right there in the car, seated by her side) reminded me to bring back the daily practise of pausing to experience gratitude for what is.
Dear Kristi,
Your delightful account of the effort involved in getting to a family gathering reminded me of a quote I often heard from my mother. It has been a guiding light in my life…
“There is a destiny that makes us brothers,
None goes his way alone.
All that we send into the lives of others
Comes back into our own.”
Edwin Markham ~ an American poet
Where can I buy that T-Shirt ( L’heure des vacancies) ??
Thank you, Nancy, for the espadrille order! And it is true about car time being family time. My mother-in-law had been wanting to go back to Marseilles for so long. This unexpected detour helped with that.
Bonjour Kristi,
Several years ago, my mother came from South America to visit us in Ct. She arrived in the Fall and we insisted she stayed until Christmas. Winter arrived, tons of snow that she had never seen before. One day we went to visit her
brother who lived 45 minutes away from us. After a lovely visit with my uncle, we got ready to go back to my house, driving back winding back roads, I said to my mom, it would be so much better if we didn’t have winters, and she said, Marti, look at that landscape, it is so beautiful, she made me
appreciate winter with different eyes, she noticed so many things about nature along the way, it really made me see the beauty of the seasons. Your story about your mother in law reminded me of that time with my mother. In the sense that our elders concentrate more in the big picture.
Love pour posts. Amicalement, Marti
Thank you , Kathleen, we did have a great time at Jacques. And had the chance to see a long lost cousin!
Lovely story. Thank you, Marti!
Catherine, I love your summary about the trip being one of love and not of speed!
Thats the million-dollar question!
Thank you, Kristi!! Excellent example of loving others as Jesus wants us all to do. Well done. And so beautiful yours ane Jean-Marc’s relationships with family! God bless, C-Marie
Such a wonderful story today. Giving to others is the best reward but remembering to take care of yourself is just as important. Being with the family priceless!!
xoxo
Bonjour Kristi! I was excited to see your story regarding a trip to Avignon and here is my totally random story to explain why!
I have a Beauceron with the name of Avignon – or ‘Avi’, for short. If you are familiar with the breed, there is a letter assigned to the year the pups are born and thus, their names must start with that letter. Our Avi was born in 2005, an ‘A’ year. But why ‘Avignon’ for our dog? Well,we needed an ‘A’ name and wanted a French name (being she was born in France and is obviously a French breed). But also, in 2005 Pope John Paul II passed away around the time we were researching names. During that time we discovered that for some time in the 1300’s the papacy was in…AVIGNON! It seemed like a sign so there was our ‘A’ name for our little girl.
By the way, we also have a male, born during a ‘D’ year. He is named Despereaux. As in, ‘The Tale of…’ because it was my daughter’s favorite book at the time and she got to name one of Avi’s puppies. 🙂
Safe travels and enjoy your trip!
-Lora
Bon courage, Katia. Thinking of you. Always touched by your thoughtful response. Thank you.
Kim, good to read about your road trip with your son. And re the T-shirt, I have that same goal. Finding one! Ill be sure to post it if I do locate one!
Thank you, Chris, for the wonderful quote that your mother shared. And thanks for your previous comment, which I meant to respond to.
“Taking the road least traveled” always has unexpected rewards just as your trip to Avignon did! The description of your belle-mere’s reminiscences and Jean-Marc’s gestures with his arm out of the window completes the picture. Your readers were all squeezed in between the four of you loving every moment.
The photo of your friend wearing her pretty espadrilles next to her French bulldog (I think) is charming. Thanks so much and my best wishes.
Bonjour, Kristin,
I was wondering about the bigarreaux cherries; are those
like the rainier cherries here in the states? Also, thanks to the
reader, Chris A., who posted the Edward Markham poem.
My family also just spent a few days in reunion. I cannot
even begin to list the myriad of ways they have supported and
loved me through the years. I once read a quote by Zelda Fitzgerald, “No one can measure what the human heart can endure.” I know my heart could not endure some of life’s tragedies
without the hearty companionship of my family and friends.
Count me in, Kristi, for the T-shirt order!
Love this tender story, as I do the wise, pithy comments from your mother-in-law on your Instagram account. Michele-France clearly possesses the characteristic French joie-de-vivre!
Sort of off the subject…..but seeing those Espadrilles brought back so many memories. i bought my first pair in probably about 1973. We had a small store here in Carmel that sold only Espadrilles and if I remember correctly the plain ones were$6 and the ones that tied around your ankles were maybe $10. The last pair I bought at a super marche in France in 2001,. I think I may be ready for another pair….but the prices…. I am willing to go into the low $20’s, but $69….I don’t think so.
Excellent story reminding us to BE present.
💕
Hi Kristi,
Wonderful story! I bet your belle mere took your minds off any traffic with her cute comments! There is nothing better than spending time with family, even in the car! 🙂
I love Jacque’s t-shirt too!
Yes, I am up for one of the t-shirts! Let me know if you track them down. Otherwise We can always get them made!
Kristin !
Where in the world would I be able to find a T=shirt like the one
your brother-in-law is wearing ?
🙂
Loved this post. I could picture every part of it, like a sweet scene from a movie and everyone blessed by
the moments. Love the picture with the shoes and the frenchie that looks a lot like mine named Amelie.
For those who do not speak French, an English translation of the French words would be useful. Or perhaps the blog is intended only for those who have a working knowledge of French, in which case I apologize for mentioning it.
Hi, Leah, French Word-A-Day is for all levels. I did not add a vocabulary section in this post, but you will find one in other posts. Thank you for reading.
Joanne, Thank you for asking. I réalisé, now, I have made a mistake. The cherries my my mother-in-law loves are called BURLAT:
http://www.poteletchabot.com/en/the-story-of-two-men/a-gourmets-notebook/gourmet/article/cerise-burlat.html?no_cache=1
Thank you, Cynthia. So touched by your response to the story!
Your story telling put me right in the seat next to Michele-France! I so vividly remember a similar type of ‘road trip’ that Chris and I took which included his mother and all her wonderful remembrances of various places, shops, streets we passed – where she had not been in a number of years. It made her so happy, and in turn, made us happy and so glad to have taken the ‘road less traveled.’ What a wonderful day you had with family – it’s everything, isn’t it!
Imagine having a mother in law origins from Marseille! What stories she must have to tell! Boel
Lovely and vivid story, Kristi. It’s just as good as everyone says. Michele France makes a terrific main character, and your writing made it all come alive.
I’ve had SO many trips like that, but what a happy ending. My question, is that a Boston Terrier or a very large French Bulldog. I just can’t tell. Please, tell us more about the BBQ and the food. Love your posts. Wish I were right there. Happy days to you from Emerald Isle, NC.
Hes a French bulldog.
Hi Kristi, loved your upbeat post! I was in the car with all of you, ducking JM’s waving arms and nodding along with Michèle-France — it’s always convenience to have the laboratoire d’analyses nearby! Cherish the rest of your summer experiences and keep us filled in please.
So many details, so delightfully described!!! Merci, dear Kristi!