🌟 A Special Invitation — November 19
In less than two weeks from today, I’ll be live in conversation with Renée Amory Ketcham, Vice-President of the Federation of Alliances Françaises USA, sharing about the making of A Year in a French Life.
👉 Click here to register. The event is free thanks to the Alliance Française and:
The Renaissance Française, USA
The American Society of the French Academic Palms
The American Association of Teachers of French.
TODAY’S WORD: éphémère : short–lived, fleeting
PRONUNCIATION: [ay-fay-mair]
–From the Greek word ephemeros “lasting a day”
A DAY IN A FRENCH LIFE by Kristi Espinasse
“I’m sorry I’m late,” the awning salesman apologized. “Have you seen the sculpture down on the beach?” he smiled, offering his wrist to a barking Ricci.
Jean-Marc and I stood beneath our tattered awning, waiting for our dog to calm down. With each sniff, her nose sorted the possibilities: an intruder? A dog lover? Ah, an art enthusiast! He’s harmless.
“Pas de souci,” I laughed, as Ricci returned to my side. “Isn’t that a wonderful sand sculpture? We saw it last night,” I shared, remembering the cross on the beach.
I recalled the artist — un étranger. He had a Spanish accent and wore a black bandana on his head. Last night, as the sun set, he was putting the finishing touches on his seaside creation: La Crucifixion. A sign propped on the boardwalk beside his bike read:
NOMADA ERRANTE.
Je voyage à vélo, de l’Europe jusqu’en Mongolie… puis vers El Salvador. Chaque sculpture que tu vois nourrit ce voyage et me garde en vie. Si cette œuvre t’a fait ressentir quelque chose, laisse ton geste m’emporter un peu plus loin.
ERRANT NOMAD. I travel by bicycle, from Europe to Mongolia… then on to El Salvador. Each sculpture you see feeds this journey and keeps me alive. If this work made you feel something, let your gesture carry me a little farther.
A small crowd had gathered just above the beach and the sandy conversation piece. Through a cloud of whispers — Regarde ça ! C’est magnifique ! Quel travail ! — I approached, searching my pockets for change. C’était la dèche !
Then I remembered the cash tucked between my phone and its case. Handing the nomad un pourboire I asked, “Est-ce que je peux prendre une photo ?”
“Bien sûr.”
Pinching the screen of my smartphone, all the details of his poignant sculpture came into focus—even the nails in Jesus’ wrists and the letters above his head: INRI (“Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews”).
The whispers around me softened into an inner stirring as one man’s work of art touched this heart.
This being les vacances de la Toussaint, with so many people on the beach, I imagined the cross would eventually be trampled, ultimately abandoned like the other châteaux de sable. As the tide crept closer, I thought about the fleeting nature of an artist’s creation… contrasted with the eternal gesture he was honoring, grain of sand by grain of sand.
The sculpture, painstakingly made, was éphémère — “lasting only one day.” By tomorrow it would be kicked or washed away. I couldn’t bear to pass by and see it deformed, so this morning I took another path.
Just back from my walk, it was time to switch out our old cloth awning for a new one. As Ricci finally released the salesman from her vigilance, I listened to his report that the sculpture was still there, intact. It seems the artist slept beside it.
Even if it wouldn’t last forever, it would endure a few more days, this ephemeral œuvre delighting passersby and giving us all something to consider — not least of which is eternity.
FRENCH VOCABULARY
Pas de souci = no worries
un étranger = a foreigner
Regarde ça ! = Look at that!
C’est magnifique ! = It’s magnificent!
Quel travail ! = What craftsmanship!
C’était la dèche ! = I didn’t have a cent
un pourboire = a tip
Est-ce que je peux prendre une photo ? = May I take a photo?
Bien sûr = of course
les vacances de la Toussaint = All Saints’ Day school holiday
châteaux de sable = sandcastles
éphémère = fleeting, short-lived
œuvre = work of art
Do you see any errors in today’s text or vocab section? Thank you for pointing them out at Kristin.espinasse@gmail.com
REMERCIEMENTS
Thank you to the following readers for your donation this past week to this journal!
Al K.
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Allen L.
Joan A.
Emily K.
Garrette C.
Midge & Dick F.
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Each sculpture you see feeds this journey… If this work made you feel something, let your gesture carry me a little farther.
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Hmmm, I thought the Mediterranean Sea had almost no tide to notice.
“ it has to be said that most of the Mediterranean coast has a very low tidal range. In the south of France, for example, the tidal range is limited to 40 cm [16 inches]. Add to this the configuration of the beaches, which are steeper than those of the Atlantic, and you have a phenomenon that is hardly visible to the naked eye, “
That does not seem enough to cover that long piece of sand art.
That quote is from the web page of a hotel in St Malo, which is along the Atlantic Ocean coast.
It is an unusual thing to build in sand, to be sure.
Hi Sarah, We do have a small tide, depending. Our beach is narrow and, on occasion, the water has reached the boardwalk, or the stairs just below.
Thabks.
Dear Kristi,
This story and the photos remind me of your post about the trip to Normandy and the photo of the young lady writing thank-you in the sand. Both are moving and emotional to me. A message for today, only to be swept away by the wind or the surf. For some to be forgotten, for others to remain in the heart…
Chris, Thank you for remembering the young lady who wrote Thank you in the sand. So good to see your note. 🩷
What a beautiful reminder this traveler gives to those who choose to reflect. His skill leaves a heartfelt message that the Lord died for us, to be reborn with gratitude and a desire to continue to share that gift of love He sacrificed for us. Life is fleeting, just as the art on the shore. Let us live each day grateful and reaching out to others with compassion and kindness.
When see “ephemere,” I think about Le Petit Prince, when the geographe says he’s not interested in “la fleur” on the planete du petit prince since flowers are ephemere, and the petit prince realizes that his fleur is en danger and that he is responsible for her.
Hi Kristi This is Joan.The comment above is mine, and, you can see that the provenance for my comment has been hijacked.
Hello Joan, The strange pseudonyms are assigned by WordPress. I know they confounded me when I began this blog! I think you need to sign in to your WordPress account and then assign the username of your choice. Let me know if I may help.
Our dear Kristi ,
Your wonderful posts never fail to wrap themselves around our hearts,and this one is just extra special.Thank you so much.It is exactly the message we need to reflect upon,today and every day.
You and your words are such a gift in our lives!
Blessings always,ma chere. So proud of you!
Arms tight around you all.
Love
Natalia. Xo
Thank you, chère Natalia. Your notes never fail to wrap themselves around my heart 💕💕
Beautiful reflection on how nothing is permanent and the importance of living with change. What a gift to have had that on the beach in La Ciotat. Thank you!
Dear Kristi: Once again, your e-mail sent a wonderful chill through me. When we used to travel to Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, there would be a few sand sculptures always ready for the travelers to see. Such talent is barely recognized; thank you soo much for bringing us this artist. Looking forward to your next installment. A bientot, Ann
Absolutely beautiful sand sculpture! I’m looking forward to the 19 November event! Déjà inscrit!
Hi Kristi! The above comment is mine but I just read the message from “Joan” and have the same problem! I don’t have a WordPress Account so don’t know how they assigned me that strange name, “darkbanana”. What can I do to show my proper name of Eleanor (Eli) Darron? Can anyone else help? Merci beaucoup!
Hello Eleanor,
Good question! I am copying this to WordPress to see if they can help. The pseudonym issue is very perplexing.
Perhaps this occurs with readers who do not have a WordPress account? And so WP issues one of these names? I don’t see the utility in it. Let’s see if they can help us.
Cheers,
Kristi
Merci Kristi! I have a response from WordPress and will see if I can “fix” my name. Eleanor