A smiling girl, a slavering dog, and thousands of stooping vines in the Vaucluse. SmartFrench CD-ROM–"the smart way to learn French": le vignoble (vee-nyobl) noun, masculine vineyard Synonyms: plantation, la vigne (vine), le cru (vintage), le cépage (grape-variety) Si l’on me demandait quel est le bien le plus précieux de la Terre, je répondrais c’est la vigne. If one asked me what is the most … Continue reading vignoble
Along a festive pedestrian street in Collioures, France la noce (nohs) noun, feminine 1. wedding; wedding party En automne, je récoltai toutes mes peines et les enterrai dans mon jardin. Lorsque avril refleurit et que la terre et le printemps célébrèrent leurs noces, mon jardin fut jonché de fleurs splendides et exceptionnelles. In the autumn I gathered all my sorrows and buried them in … Continue reading noce
A peaceful scene in Roquebrune-sur-Argens. The Big Blue with Rosanna Arquette–one of Jean-Marc’s favorite films (I liked it, too!) énervé,e (ay-ner-vay) adjective irritated, annoyed; nervous, edgy L’amour peut énerver l’âme, ou l’affermir.Love can upset the soul, or strengthen it. –Etienne de Senancour … Continue reading énervé
Flowers drinking in the lumière next to an unsolicited fountain. Lumière (loo-mee-air) noun, feminine light The memory of that midsummer night is quickly fading and my mind's eye must squint for the scene to come into view again, fragmented and incomplete. I can just see the subject in the foreground and how the light playing upon him, along with the quiet night, made for a … Continue reading lumière
Entufurnu pizzeria & trattoria in Ceriana, Italy. Larousse Gastronomique. First published in 1938 and last revised in 1988, Larousse Gastronomique one of the culinary world’s most familiar reference sources. –Library Journal le four (for) noun, masculine oven; kiln; furnace Un vieux four est plus aisé à chauffer qu’un neuf.An old oven is easier to heat than a new one. … Continue reading four
Back at the Piazza Rubini in Ceriana, Italy. Not far from the would-be cachot… Printed in French, Cuisine Et Vins De France features dozens of recipes in each issue along with articles on wine, cheese, appetizers, table decorations, and more. le cachot (ka-sho) noun, masculine dungeon, prison cell; solitary confinement J’aimerais mieux être un crapaud et vivre des vapeurs d’un cachot que de laisser un … Continue reading cachot
The Old Port in Marseilles, France Bouchon by Thomas Keller"It may be the best cookbook ever about bistros and bistro food."–The New York Times amitié (a-mee-tyay) noun, feminine 1. friendship 2. amitiés = best wishes/regards L’amitié se nourrit de communication.Friendship is nourished by communication.–Montaigne A Day in a French Life…Autumn 1994. Six months pregnant, I dug through our three drawer commode* to find something suitable, … Continue reading amitié
For sweeping through the serpentine alleyways in Ceriana, Italy. Discover Mark Twain’s classic "A Tramp Abroad""…delicious, whether you open it at the sojourn in Heidelberg, or the voyage down the Neckar on a raft, or mountaineering in Switzerland, or the excursion beyond the Alps into Italy.” —William Dean Howells …………………………………………….le triporteur (tree-por-ter) noun, masculine 1. delivery tricycle 2. three-wheel truck, mobility scooter 3. tricyclist Granlux … Continue reading triporteur (Italy, part 3)
An Italian cat eyeing a desert souris rat "Little House: An Architectural Seduction" — is a forgotten masterpiece of 18th-century literature that has become an underground classic among architects. la souris (soo-ree) noun, feminine 1. mouse Jamais la souris ne confie sa destinée à un seul trou.A mouse never entrusts its destiny to just one hole. –Plautus A Day in a French Life…Feeling small as … Continue reading souris (Italy, part 2)
For draining the tears of the Ligurian heavens. Une gouttière in Ceriana, Italy. Stray (or "alley") cats in France are called "gutter cats" or "les chats de gouttière." Read the story of one here: Max: A Griggstown Mystery / Un Mystere de Griggstown In English and in French. A long missing tabby cat tells the story of his disappearance, mishaps, and adventures along the Delaware … Continue reading gouttière
