Category: Escapade

Escapade, French Destinations

La Petite Virée: A Romantic Getaway in Saint Mandrier-sur-Mer

TODAY’S WORD: petite virée PRONUNCIATION: [puh-teet vee-ray] DEFINITION: A short, casual trip or outing, often for pleasure or adventure. Typically used to describe a spontaneous or relaxed excursion. A DAY IN A FRENCH LIFE by Kristi Espinasse Before my family flew back to the States, while the house still buzzed with activity, Jean-Marc and I slipped away for an overnight escapade. My husband’s 58th birthday … Continue reading La Petite Virée: A Romantic Getaway in Saint Mandrier-sur-Mer

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Escapade, French Destinations, Jackie

Soyons fous! A Mother-Daughter Trip to La Côte d’Azur

Villefranche-sur-Mer, where Jackie and I spent three days last week. TODAY'S EXPRESSION: SOYONS FOUS   let's be crazy" or "let's be wild".  Soyons fous is a playful and light-hearted expression that encapsulates the idea of taking risks, having fun, and embracing the unexpected. It's a reminder that life is short and should be lived with enthusiasm and a willingness to explore new horizons. A DAY … Continue reading Soyons fous! A Mother-Daughter Trip to La Côte d’Azur

Kristin Espinasse52 Comments
Escapade, Porquerolles, Travel

Demain il fera jour: A reminder not to take work (life, everything) too seriously + Escapade to Porquerolles Island

If today's word is too easy for you, détrompez-vous. Think again. This letter has a lot more to offer when you read to the end. Today's Word: la plage1. beach2. track of music3. time span, range Listen to Jean-Marc read the following in French and English Porquerolles, ses plages de sable fin, ses eaux turquoise et transparentes. C’est un véritable paradis à quelques minutes de … Continue reading Demain il fera jour: A reminder not to take work (life, everything) too seriously + Escapade to Porquerolles Island

Kristin Espinasse34 Comments
Boating & Sailing, Escapade

larguer les amarres

Last week we cast on in the learning to knit post… this week we cast off to sea in today's larguer edition. Photo taken a few weeks ago, in Colmar, Alsace. (Today's story takes place 8 hours south, on the Mediterranean coast, in the town of Fos-sur-Mer.) larguer les amarres (lar gay layz amar)      : to cast off, to slip the mooring ropes ( … Continue reading larguer les amarres

Kristin Espinasse18 Comments
Escapade, Kindness of strangers, Vaucluse Villages & Towns

empreinte

In the village of Sarrians: a slice of scenic life. Don't miss out on the whole pie at Cinéma Vérité. empreinte (ahm-prehnt) noun, feminine     : print, trace, mark empreinte génétique = genetic imprintempreintes digitales = fingerprintempreinte de rouge à lèvres = lipstick mark Audio File: Listen to my daughter, Jackie, pronounce the day's word, terms, and example sentence: Download MP3 or Download Wav Elle … Continue reading empreinte

Kristin Espinasse28 Comments
Escapade, Story Selections 2006

voisin

Note: text from this point on will not appear in the book:
Listen: Hear the word voisin
Citation du Jour:
Chacun voudrait que son voisin ait un peu de conscience, mais personne n’en veut pour soi-même. Everyone would like that his neighbor had a bit of conscience, but nobody wants it for himself. –Maxime Gorki
Families of the Vine : Seasons Among the Winemakers of Southwest France “Sanders’s book brings contemporary winemaking in France to life….Absorbing and informative.” –Library Journa
Continue reading voisin

Kristin Espinasse11 Comments
Escapade, Shopping, St. Tropez

St. Tropez, Brader & the French word for clearance sale or sidewalk sale

brader (brah-day) verb 1 to sell off; to sell for next to nothing2. (se débarrasser) to get rid of Also:une braderie = a sidewalk, clearance sale Expression:brader les prix = to cut prices …………………..ProverbAcheter ce dont on n'a pas besoin, c'est le moyen d'aller de tout à rien. Buying what we don't need is the way to go from all to nothing. A Day in a … Continue reading St. Tropez, Brader & the French word for clearance sale or sidewalk sale

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Escapade

le miel

le miel (myel) noun, masculine 1. honey adjective: mielleux (feminine: mielleuse) = unctuous, honeyed, sugary. ………………… Expressions: une lune de miel = a honeymoon des paroles de miel = honeyed words, sweet nothings doux comme le miel = sweet like honey faire son miel de quelque chose = to profit from something (an idea, information) lit: “to make one’s honey from something” être tout sucre, … Continue reading le miel

Kristin Espinasse
Escapade, Italy

dépayser

dépayser (day-pay-ee-zay) verb  1. to disorientate, to disorient  2. to give a change of scenery to; to give a welcome change of surroundings to Also:dépaysant,e = exoticdépaysé = out of one's elementun dépaysement = a disorientation Expressions:sentir dépaysé = to feel like a fish out of water; to not feel at home Citation du Jour Les passions s'étiolent quand on les dépayse.Passions wilt when we … Continue reading dépayser

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Escapade

une contrefaçon

une contrefaçon (kontr-fah-sahn) noun, feminine 1. imitation, counterfeit, counterfeiting 2. forging, forgery, fabrication, infringement 3. pirating Contrefaçon comes from the verb “contrefaire” which means to imitate, to falsify, to mimic, to disguise, to infringe, to feign or to distort Expressions: contrefaçon littéraire = an infringement of copyright contrefaire une signature = to forge a signature contrefaire sa voix = to disguise one’s voice saisir des … Continue reading une contrefaçon

Kristin Espinasse