French Learning

A Hilltop Village, A Tent, and Good Wine & Company

A charming street scene featuring vibrant purple bougainvillea cascading down a stone wall, with blue shuttered windows above. Hanging wicker lamps decorate the scene, and an ancient stone building is partially visible in the background, against a cloudy sky.
Our story begins in the perched village of Le Castellet…and ends in a breathtaking vineyard

TODAY’S WORD: le souvenir : memory; keepsake; souvenir

PRONUNCIATION: [luh soo-vuh-NEER]

EXAMPLE SENTENCE:

Nos amis ont partagé que cette visite au Château de Pibarnon resterait le point culminant de leur séjour.

Our friends shared that this visit to Château de Pibarnon would remain the highlight of their visit.

Facade of a warm yellow building with blue shutters, featuring a wooden door and various potted plants, including succulents and flowers.

A DAY IN A FRENCH LIFE by Kristi Espinasse

I wish I could remember all of the fascinating words and French phrases from our recent périple, but I was a little in the clouds. This was partly owing to the location—a perched village in the Var—and partly to the lovely people: our friends from New Zealand and the châtelain with whom we’d soon share a picnic.

Though Jean-Marc stayed with them when he biked through New Zealand, I hadn’t seen Liz and Tony in twenty years—not since they visited us in Les Arcs-sur-Argens with their three children (now grown, with kids of their own). Liz, one of my first blog readers, and husband, Tony, were back in France. So far their trip was going well, she shared, apart from a long wait for chickens outside their rental in le Dordogne.

Chickens? My mind conjured up a delightful scene, with plenty of flapping wings.

“That’s so charming! Waiting in the square with chickens!”

“Chickens? No—check-in!” Tony and Liz laughed.

Thank goodness laughter has a universal accent, or I’d have missed the lighthearted cue to méfiez-vous! When listening to travelers, beware of foreign tongues.

On guard lest any more words lead to feathers, I kept quiet while the guys shared cycling adventures. We were standing at the entrance to the hilltop village, admiring the valley below, when Tony spoke of needing a certain “tint” on his last bike tour. By now my ear had caught on. Tent. He means “tent” in New Zealand-ese!

After a scenic tour of the cobblestoned village and drinks beside the fountain, we left Le Castellet to visit another hilltop merveille: the heavenly Château de Pibarnon.

I wish I could remember all the wines and share them with you here, one by one. But I don’t drink—the fruit of the vine tints my brain, causing more check-outs than check-ins. Still, I’d like to thank our gracious host, Eric de Saint-Victor, for his warm hospitality. I hope today’s word, souvenir, inspires others to visit our favorite vineyard in the South of France. If you bring your chickens and your tent, you might even find yourself helping with the next grape harvest.

Four adults posing for a photo in a wine bar, smiling and holding glasses of red wine. Behind them, a counter with several bottles of wine and a large decorative wine-themed poster on the wall.

IF YOU GO….

Château de Pibarnon
410 Chemin de la Croix des Signaux
83740 La Cadière-d’Azur, France

Telephone: +33 (0)4 94 90 12 73

Visits & tastings: Weekdays by appointment.

For more information or to arrange a visit, see the château’s official website: www.pibarnon.com.

A view of rolling hills and mountains in the background, framed by tall green plants in the foreground under a clear blue sky.

FRENCH VOCABULARY

le souvenir = memory; keepsake; souvenir

le périple = journey; extended trip

le Var = a department (county) in southeastern France

le châtelain = owner or lord of a château or estate

la Dordogne = a department in southwestern France

méfiez-vous = beware; watch out

la merveille = wonder; marvel

le Château de Pibarnon = a renowned wine estate near La Cadière d’Azur in Provence

A scenic path leading to a house surrounded by lush greenery and a stone wall, with three individuals walking along the path in a peaceful environment.

REMERCIEMENTS
Thank you to the following readers for your donation this past week to this journal!

Fred P.

Ginny R.

Maureen D.

A woven basket hanging from a tree branch near a building with blue shutters on a sandy-colored wall surrounded by green foliage.

Whether you’ve been reading for years or just stumbled upon this little corner of France, thank you for being here. These stories continue thanks to reader encouragement. If you’d like to help maintain this journal, here are a few simple ways:

🌿 Zelle – to Kristin.espinasse@gmail.com
🌿 PayPal – Click here
🌿 Credit card – Click here

Gift the book A Year in a French Life to a friend. It’s packed with colorful photos and vocabulary.

Two men standing at a stone wall overlooking a scenic landscape with mountains and trees under a blue sky.
At one of the lookout points in the village of Le Castellet, Jean-Marc and Tony talk about bike tours… some require tents!
A narrow alleyway with a brick archway, leading to a cobblestone path. Two people walk through the arch, with buildings on either side and greenery in a planter.
Tony and Jean-Marc walking along ancient cobblestone paths in Le Castellet
A tall stone church tower with a wooden door at the base and a decorative window above, set against a partly cloudy sky.
The church dates from 1040.

EDITS WELCOME
If you spot a typo, mistake, or ambiguity, thank you for letting me know at Kristin.espinasse@gmail.com

A picturesque landscape view featuring rolling green hills and vineyards under a partly cloudy blue sky.
View of Sainte Baume in the distance

BOUCHE-À-OREILLE
French Word-A-Day has always grown thanks to readers sharing stories with friends and family. If someone comes to mind while reading today’s post, why not pass it along?

A group of four people posing together with a scenic landscape in the background, featuring trees and a cloudy sky.
At the second lookout point, Kristi, Jean-Marc, Liz, and Tony.

Wishing you all a lovely weekend ahead. Have fun with words, and spend time with friends. And, if you can, enjoy good wine! I leave you with an interview, in French, with Eric de Saint-Victor of Château de Pibarnon

Current and forthcoming books. Click here to see all five books based on this blog.

Discover more from French Word-A-Day

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

9 thoughts on “A Hilltop Village, A Tent, and Good Wine & Company”

  1. Such a stunning day with you…thanks so much, Kristi and Jean-Marc, and to Éric for the wine tasting and exceptional long lunch.

    Reply

  3. A similar instance happened to me and my husband. We were at church and a foreign priest was saying Mass. I thought I heard him talk about the timber in Jerusalem. My thoughts then began to wander and I was trying to imagine any forests in that arid area. My husband thought the priest was talking about temper and Jesus getting mad. We were discussing it after the service and the priest overheard us and said the word was TEMPLE. That was embarrassing! So much can be lost with a lack of clarity-best to ask when something sounds “off”. Glad you did.

    Reply

  5. Kristi- I have a question about your use of the word “partager.” I thought it referred to a literal sharing, such as a piece of cake or a meal. You used it in a more figurative way, to share a thought. Is that a common usage of the verb?
    Thanks, Judy

    Reply

  6. Our dear Kristi,
    Another wonderful post– as always! You made us feel as if we were right there with you and your charming friends,enjoying friendship(!) and that glorious scenery!
    Such beautiful pictures! And,our dear Kristi, how remiss I would be if I didn’t thank you for making me feel less foolish at my own word faux pas,which( needless to say) seem to be never ending and happening at the most ridiculous( let’s make that embarrassing) moments!
    Your words always give us reason to look forward to Thursday!
    Merci,ma chere!
    Blessings always.
    Arms around you tight
    Love
    Natalia

    Reply

  9. What a wonderful visit with your friends. It is always great to read what you have written – chickens, indeed.

    When we watch shows from England, Scotland or Ireland, we have to put the subtitles on!

    Thank you!

    Reply

Leave a Reply