Out now! Jackie Clark Mancuso's latest in her much-beloved Hudson series: "An expatriate dog in Paris meets a young stray and helps him search for home…via a whirwind tour of Paris with stops at Hudson's favorite haunts." Order a copy here.
un temps de cochon
: lousy weather, beastly weather,
Thanks to my friend Dominique for sharing today's expression!
Audio File:
Quel temps de cochon: click here to listen to the sound file
Quel temps de cochon!
What lousy weather!
BORDEAUX AND THE DORDOGNE small group tour Sept 17-25 – culture, cuisine & wine. Click here for itinerary.
A DAY IN A FRENCH LIFE
My friends from North Dakota just visited us here in La Ciotat and got soaked! Erin, Brian, and daughter Miranda (joining us from Slovakia, where she's working with Cru (an international campus ministry), are avid hikers, used to the rugged outdoors, so we didn't let the pouring rain and this veritable temps de cochon hold us back from some local sightseeing.
We began our tour at the Parc du Mugel, but no sooner did we drive into the parking lot than the sky opened up and it began to pleut de cordes! That's when Jean-Marc suggested we take the Route des Crêtes and see the countryside via car. As our car lurched up the side of hill toward the famous cliffs overlooking Cassis, some of us kept our eyes off the snaking, two-lane road which did not have a safety wall. It helped to focus, instead, on all the calming wildflowers that carpeted the national park! The rosemary was blooming and its purple-blue tint drew our vision–and our feet–out over the gorgeous landscape. You can see how windy it was by the state of Miranda's blond locks, which took flight!
Miranda walking arm and arm with mom, Erin
Le Cap Canaille–the almost-highest sea cliff in France, above the Mediterranean along the Route des Crêtes–or "Road of the Ridges"–which joins La Ciotat and Cassis.
Erin took this photo after we arrived in the little port of Cassis. She loves bird of Paradise (l'oiseau de paradis), which, we decided, would go well in our garden here in La Ciotat. Qu'en pensez-vous?
Even in off-season it is sometimes tricky to find a parking spot, so Jean-Marc kindly dropped us off near the port and went searching for a place to se garer…
My friend Erin and our trusty parapluies. It was so windy that one of the umbrellas broke!
We noticed all the potted jasmine dotted throughout town, and lots of "window cats."
After checking out all the menus along the old port, we skipped back to Rue Severin–one of the little streets without a sea view, and found a delicious menu at an affordable price! Only 14 euros for both an entée (we had salade de chèvre chaud) and a delicious filet of fish. One waitress served all the tables and did a great job (even our basket of bread was crispy and hot from the oven!) (The place: Restaurant A Table, 7 Rue Severin Icard, Cassis)
Jean-Marc introduced Brian, Erin, and Miranda to the world-famous white wines of Cassis, which our friends loved.
Thank you Miranda and Erin for these pictures. My friends are already headed back to North Dakota. They've escaped the deluge, here, but face a blizzard at home. Wish them luck, and Miranda, too, as she continues her work in Slovakia.
Something else about Erin: she created the interior for my books Blossoming in Provence and First French 'Essais'. She works with my friend Tamara and TLC Book Design.
I will be uploading more pictures from our visits to La Ciotat and Sanary-sur-Mer… so check back this weekend for some more colorful scenes. Thank you all very much for reading and enjoy your weekend.
FRENCH VOCABULARY REVIEW
Quel temps de cochon! = what lousy weather!
il pleut des cordes! = it's pouring!
l'oiseau de paradis = bird of paradise
La Route des Crêtes = Route of the Ridges
qu'en pensez-vous? = what do you think?
se garer = to park
salade de chèvre chaud = salad with hot goat cheese
la parapluie = umbrella
Merde!: The Real French You Were Never Taught at School (Sexy Slang Series)
T-Shirt "I Don't Need Therapy I Just Need to Go to France."
A window with a lot of character, that never seems to change each time we visit.
Looking in the opposite direction…here is the phare, or lighthouse.
Old wooden fishing boats, or "pointus", and the Château de Cassis (now a hotel-restaurant) high up on a sea cliff.
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Glad to see you made the best of the week en dépit du temps de cochon! Nice photos and sweet story. Summer MUST be close now!
Ditto here .My daughter arrived from rain soaked U.K to one day’s sun & then rain,cloud & cold It seems to do this whenever she visits ;she doesn’t believe me about our Mediterranean climate !!
Great photos .I look forward to seeing the next .
Pouring most of our week here in sunny south of France aussi! What is with this weather? You all were brave to use your time well.
My heart is so happy that you all finally got to meet in person and hang out. Friendship is a beautiful thing. 🙂
Dear Kristi,
Really enjoyed your story and photos today! It reminds me of a four day weekend we spent in Charleston with friends a couple of years ago. The city shut down because of a hurricane just after we arrived! We still managed to get out, wet as it was, and see some things. Such weather drama can provide good stories and great memories. And to quote a friend of my daughters, the best thing about memories is making them!
I stubled across your blog by pure accident while searching for something else. Thinking it was the universes’ way of taking me back to my roots and childhood adventures. Thank you for posting these wonderful pictures and stories that follow. You see I spend a betterpart of my summers in La Ciotat. In fact my grandparents owned un petit batement’ dans le vieux port.
I currently live in Delaware and look forward to returning to one of the best places in provence !
Yes, I am multi-lingual while spending my summers in la ciotat and PAU, I lived in Italy, Naples ( my father is American and worked for NATO)
I look forward to your blogs and seeing more pictures !!!
Merci,
Brigitte
The views are stunning. We had birds of paradise in our Californian garden. They are lovely. I think they would make a good addition to yours.
Sounds identical to south Louisiana weather, i.e., sunny with blustery winds, followed by rain a few hours later or the next day. This year we had lovely spring weather in February, now in April, it is still winter. It is difficult to keep an umbrella in tact!
I love bird of paradise! I just took a pictiure of one too while at a conference in Los Angeles. I had them in my backyard growing up in LA. But where I live now in Northern California it’s too cold for them. They remind me of my childhood. Very nostalgic! I think you should definitely plant some.
Moi aussi, j’ai eu un oiseau de paradis dans mon jardin quand j’ai habité à Oakland, CA. C’est une plante de pleine terre qui n’a guère besoin de l’eau.
Kristi- Do you know Emilie Johnson and Xavier Joly? I believe they live in your neighborhood. Check them out:
https://www.instagram.com/emilie_joly_johnson/
Our dear Kristi,
What a lovely,sunny story today–and pictures!–despite the bad weather!
Especially enjoyed meeting your friends and learning that Erin created the wonderful interiors for your books!As it always is with you,dear Kristi, it is fun to meet the lovely face behind the talent!
Oiseau de paradis is an absolute favorite of mine and we have many growing in our garden.
Think it would be wonderful for you to have them in yours.They bring a sigh of contentment each time you see them.
Bon weekend!
Love
Natalia XO
Hello, Brigitte, so good to hear from you and learn about your connection to La Ciotat. We love it here. Hope to cross paths with you sometime.
Hi, Roseann,
No, I do not know them. From the link you sent me they seem to live in another town.
thank you for your lovely post. I feel like I just spent my weekend in all those cities with friends. Love your pictures!
Dear Kristin…. What a nice adventure you had with your talented and attractive friends. I wanted to let you know that according to my research.. the cliffs ( les falaises) at Etretat, France are the highest in France. I am assuming they measured from sea level to straight up to the top of the cliffs! We spent a few wonderful days there an I can attest to the tremendous heights ! Gerry hiked up to the very top but not me! Etretat is worthy of a visit! Judi Dunn, Tallahassee, Fl…..Bon weekend!
What delightful pictures, despite the weather. Warm friendships are even more appreciated at moments like these (and a good meal indoors – I had a similar one on a similar day – best salade de chèvre chaud I’ve eve had).
Thank you, Judith, for the info on Êtretat. That makes sense, as it did not seem like these, in Cassis, would be the highest.
Sounds like a great day in spite of the weather! How wonderful for you and
Erin to meet in person after the intimate connection of creativity working on your
beautiful books. Um … and when can we expect the next edition? Bonne idée?
Hi Kristin,
Bad weather here too on the coast of British Columbia, Canada. It’s been raining for days.
Great photo of the Bird of Paradise. I think they would do well in your garden and they are certainly “showy”! My mother was so proud of hers which grew by the front door of our house in Southern California where we lived when I was in high school.
Kristi, Thank you so much for introducing your readers to my new book on French Word-A-Day. I’ll be in Aix in June for the “Staël in Provence” exhibit at Hotel de Caumont. We plan to make a day trip to Cassis and the Calanques If the stars are aligned I’d love to meet you!
Off-the-main-street restaurants with no views are often beautiful discoveries. Your story brings back one occasion in particular only a few weeks after we had arrived in France. The children were at school and my husband and I drove further afield than Annecy to learn more about our new country. We ended up close to the Geneva Lake and stopped to have an early coffee in a tiny café that looked and felt like we were in someone’s front yard. Finished, we sauntered a few steps, around a corner and there was the magnificence of the lake with water views and stylish cafés in abundance. We couldn’t believe our luck – that we had stopped just in time – and still hug this memory close.
Lots of great photos! Thanks!
I’m off with daughters next week for a week near Florence, then a week in Sablet. Watching the weather on line, you confirm it’s reports. When we drive along the area in nice, I will wave to you in your house.
You live in a beautiful part of the world! Thank you for sharing it with us
What a beautiful day you all made out of one that had less than perfect weather! I’m with Patricia, more than ready for another book, ready to help edit again, whenever you give us the next beauty!
How beautiful! We were in Avignon 2 years ago. Cassis was on our itinerary, but just I was so sick from jet lag, we never made it down.
Kristi, When, on earth, are you going to put these (all of them) beautiful, lovely, wonderful photos in a book and sell them. I’d gladly pay! Please, please, please!!!! I’m waiting.
My (French) hubby use to live in Cassis! He took me there 2 summers ago-crowded but charming 🙂 We also visit cousins in La Ciotat as often as we can-they live up in a canyon area-very picturesque village. All your pics are heartwarming for me as I wait to move over (finally!) this summer. Your books were some of the 1st I bought to try to get a better sense of the life there. And now I enjoy your vignettes 🙂 Can’t wait to hear more of your news about the new rental!
What a great story of the pleasure of showing off your town – despite the weather! Great inspiration for my visit to this area soon. I’ve created a whole tour of La Ciotat, and nearby, just from your fascinating blog. One thing I would like to know, is it possible to walk across the Route des Crêtes from La Ciotat to Cassis? I assume there are ‘des chemins’ that would allow sights of the coast and the cliffs. J’espère que le temps est beau when I am there but it seems you can have a good time even in the wind and rain. Thank you for sharing your story.
Loved this post. The pictures were so delightful. Flowers in April? It is snowing here in Syracuse, N.Y. on April 19th. Except for the crocus, there is no sign of a flower. You are such a good host and hostess to all who visit.