A DAY IN A FRENCH LIFE by Kristi Espinasse
I’m back from a last-minute visit to the States. The whirlwind trip, followed by a 20-hour journey home, leaves me feeling wrung out—lessivé, as the locals say. (Lessive = wash.) Picture how your body would feel after being put through the wringer that is international travel—airport security, long lines, bone-chilling air turbulence, passport control… and a crise de larmes following a police interrogation in a glass cell at Schengen border control (long story—my residence card expired mid-journey). Add a 5-hour layover and voilà: a recipe for exhaustion.
Home has never felt so good.
On our way back from a morning walk with Jean-Marc and Ricci, we pass a local resto, Le Nautique, where a delivery’s just been made. “Bon. Allez. Ciao,” the livreur says, waving goodbye to the manager.
The phrase echoes in my mind like a lullaby. Bon. Allez. Ciao. Roughly: Right then. Off I go. See you! I love the solid character of the French language—it wraps me in warmth like a soft blanket or strong arms.
I’m happy to be back in France, home with my family who welcomed me with a fresh tomato tart, a colorful quinoa salad, and a clean house (merci, Jean-Marc and Jackie!). Tiens! A homemade apricot tart for dessert! What more could a weary traveler ask for—except maybe a good night’s sleep. For that, I’ll take 3 mg of melatonin, having learned the trick from Dad (who, I’m happy to report, is doing his best to recover from a series of mini strokes in addition to an unsettling diagnosis. How good it felt to hug him in Seattle!).
I have more stories to share, but I think I’ll sleep for now, enjoy a mid-morning nap beneath the ceiling fan with my sweet dog, and doze to the sound of cicadas trilling outside my bedroom window. Also soothing is the music of my family: I can hear Mom, in her studio below, laughing with Max who’s on his way out after dropping by for a welcome home hug. Jackie is blow-drying her hair downstairs and Jean-Marc’s is watching TV—the Tour de France is underway—not far from our former vineyard, near Mont Ventoux. The memories we have made in France are as comforting as the familiar sounds that rock me to sleep here beside Ricci.
Bon. Allez. Ciao! I’ll see you next week with another Bonjour! A sizzling update—because soon, we have a very special guest arriving from Brooklyn who is here to see Jackie after sending her a bouquet of flowers last week….
[*] Footnote:
When reserving my airline ticket, thank God I opted for the 5-hour layover and not the 1.5-hour one… At Munich Airport, I was escorted by the Bundespolizei—Germany’s federal police responsible for passport control at Schengen borders—to a glass-walled holding room near immigration. This was due to my expired titre de séjour (French residence permit), which no longer granted me the right to move freely within the Schengen Area—a zone of 27 European countries with open borders. Having made a last-minute reservation (owing to a family health crisis), it slipped my mind that I needed to carry official proof that my permit was en cours de renouvellement—in the process of renewal. In fact, I had recently been to the préfecture in Marseille to be fingerprinted! Though I was simply in transit, protocol required the officers to verify my status before allowing me to continue home to France. Eventually, I was cleared—after the German Federal Police contacted French immigration authorities, who confirmed my residency.
FRENCH VOCABULARY
lessivé = wrung out, exhausted
la lessive = laundry, wash
la crise de larmes = crying fit, burst of tears
voilà = there you have it
le resto = (short for) restaurant
le livreur = delivery person
Bon. Allez. Ciao! = Right then. Off I go. See you!
merci = thank you
Tiens! = Hey! Look at that! (used to express mild surprise or delight)
le Tour de France = famous annual cycling race
REMERCIEMENTS/THANKS
Peter S.
Keith A.
Laura R.
Bernadette G.
Love, care, and reader support—that’s what has sustained this journal for nearly 25 years. If these letters bring a little France, friendship, or inspiration to your inbox and you’d like to help keep French Word-A-Day going, your contribution means so much.
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Merci beaucoup.
Have you read Words in a French Life?
Discover the early chapters of our family’s French adventure in this heartfelt collection. Meet the characters who shaped our story, wander through a medieval town full of charm, and pick up some of the everyday French words I fell in love with along the way.
Reader review by Ana B.
My mother gave me this book for Christmas a few years ago and right away, I fell in love with it. I love reading about an American’s experience in France, raising her children in France and all of the trials and tribulations that go along with fitting in. I became a follower of her blog and enjoy every one of her posts. I always learn something! I put this book in my classroom and some of my students were hooked from page 1, so I gave 7 of them copies as gifts to remember their favorite French teacher! While these words are not those that a traveler might need, they are functional words that are part of the everyday life that I, as an American in the US, cannot imagine having to negotiate on my own! Kristen followed her heart and embraced her new country and I enjoy hearing about all of what she experiences, because I know that I would never be able to take that leap! I am also quite partial to Provence and her descriptions of the scenery and lifestyle are dead on. I always smile when I read her work!
✨ Don’t miss this delightful introduction to life in France—click here to learn more!
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Glad you are home safe and sound, with a little trauma thrown in on the way. I know it meant to world to your Dad and to you to be with him.
Kristi–It says you have been unenrolled in Zelle–can you pls check that.
Hi Robyn, Thanks for the heads-up. I am not aware of an unenrollment. Sometimes the site doesn’t recognize my address when my name is spelled wrong in my email address (it should be Kristin and not Kristi). Or it could be that sending via the app doesn’t work. I will look into it.
Bienvenue…!! Quel horreur to be afraid you would not get home! Travel..may I be crude…s—ks nowadays for many but so glad you are back in Ciotat.❤️👍🏽👍👍🏼🌺🌺🌺
My comment got cut off…happy you are home and.is someone in love?
Stay tuned!
Good News. Your sister did her job. I received your book, well packaged and unscarred. Bienvenu chez vous. It’s always nice to come home, unless of course you’ve been traveling in France and home is somewhere else. ;-).
I still remember the problems my daughter had with the prefecture and her residence card in Savoie. It’s astounding how much discretion they have (and sometimes abuse)…
Happy to know the book made it. Thanks again, Robert, for your purchase!
Glad to hear you are home with your family and congratulations making it through that long and emotional trip. Sending you a big hug.
Our dear Kristi,
So thankful and happy you are home again,safe in your loving family’s arms, and a full heart knowing how much love and support you gave your dear Dad.
What a wonderful daughter you are!
And how blessed we all are to have you in our lives!
(Kristi ,only you would be able to create such a moving ,honest( and scary!!! Glass cell????!!!!!!) piece while fatigued beyond description!)
Such beautiful pictures! Truly looks like your own private piece of paradise!
Thank you for sharing with us!
Blessings always
Arms tight around all of you.
Love
Natalia 🤗 xo
Thanks, Natalia, for your ongoing enthusiasm and support 💗
Thank goodness, you\’re home safe and sound, Kristi!And wonderful news about your dad!We have to renew our 10-year card next year so we won\’t be going anywhere.Get some good rest.Bises, Gayle Gayle Smith PadgettThe Birdwatcher\’s Wife: A Quest across France for Birds and La Belle Vie Passion for Provence: 22 Keys to La Belle Vie gaylesmithpadgett.com
Welcome home!
Bienvenue en France!
Loved your statement, \”Home never felt so good!\” Henri
The end of this entry reminds me of my fav sentiment from Dame Antonia Fraser – that she loves working alone in a room in a house full of people. I add “that I love”. And you can add napping!
Thank you for sharing these pictures! We recently moved from Wash Park to Boston and I’m so homesick for my old community. Ink was such a regular go-to for us.
Enjoy the down time and getting back into the routine.
Hi Matthew. I was going to contact you to meet for a coffee but time ran away toward the end of my visit. I hope you are doing well in Boston, and I do understand your sentiments for Wash Park. I love it there.
So glad you are back home! And good news about your Dad! And more photos of a lovely family! That was a long and arduous trip, so you definitely had a right to be “lessive”! Looking forward to your next update and happenings in Ciotat.
Ciao Kristi! I am basically computer illiterate so I don’t know how to change my name on your site. I don\’t like the name that shows up when I make a comment. I would like to list my real name! So, what can I do to make the change?? Merci, Eleanor Darron
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Loved the way you described being back home in France. Being in a country that values culture makes home mean so much more than just a house. We try to replicate that ambiance here in the southwestern U.S. because nothing compares with being really “at home.”
Welcome Home! Hope your Dad is feeling better and better each day.
xoxo
Kristin, Happy to hear your Dad is doing better! Sister support is a true blessing!
Glad you have yours. 🩷
Love reading about your rich, family-filled life. Glad your dad is better. Congratulations on the recent well-written publications!
Bon retour!
Diane
How exhausting! The emotional rollercoaster you have been on has come to a stop. Perfect time to rest, restore and regroup. Grateful you have such a strong and loving support system to energize you as you return to life at your normal pace. Take time to breathe as you come back home. Eager to read all the updates from your trip.
Glad your father is doing well!