Tag: vineyard

Marriage, Travel

Bonjour from North Africa + A Gift from Strangers!

Twilight in Agadir, Morocco, in Northwest Africa. Jean-Marc snaps a photo of le coucher du soleil. Do you want to continue receiving these emails? Each week my overzealous, automated listserver sweeps several subscribers into the "inactive" bin, eventually deleting them! Here are two ways to ensure you receive this journal in your inbox from here on out: 1. Regularly click on the links in my … Continue reading Bonjour from North Africa + A Gift from Strangers!

Kristin Espinasse49 Comments
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French strikes–and Lunch at Chateau de Pibarnon with Eric De Saint Victor!

Doing much much better around here. Many thanks for the warmth, understanding and support you have sent. Picture of Jean-Marc and me taken two days ago, at Chateau de Pibarnon. Photos by Phyllis Adatto. Today's French Phrase: HISSY FIT     : un caprice ECOUTEZ: Listen to Jean-Marc pronounce these French words: Download MP3 or  Wav Caprice. Phyllis a fait un caprice afin que Tim accepte de venir … Continue reading French strikes–and Lunch at Chateau de Pibarnon with Eric De Saint Victor!

Kristin Espinasse49 Comments
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Fleurs des Champs & medicinal plants in our vineyard

Purple tansy, or phacelia cetifolia, is an excellent insectary plant and heaven to the local pollinators (a veritable bee magnet!). While phacilia is known to attract les abeilles, my husband, alias Chief Grape, uses it to clean the soil of his vineyard (folding it into the soil, once the flowers have passed). The parcel, above, was planted with grapevines last year. See what the field … Continue reading Fleurs des Champs & medicinal plants in our vineyard

Kristin Espinasse26 Comments
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Tirer sa reverence & Jean-Marc’s quiet tribute

Jean-Marc, watering 5,600 baby vines by hand. When I posted this picture on my Facebook, Jeanne Asakura wrote: Such a peaceful scene. There’s a reverence about it as well. Jeanne, your words couldn’t be more true. Read on in today’s story… Tirer sa révérence     : to go, to pass away     Beautifully renovated and decorated home in the Luberon. 4 bedrooms and a study … Continue reading Tirer sa reverence & Jean-Marc’s quiet tribute

Kristin Espinasse55 Comments
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Planter des Vignes + photos of our growing vineyard!

Baby vines are capped in red wax. The leaves will soon burst through. Bonjour! Mostly pictures for you today–an exciting phase 2 in the story of our Bandol vineyard, “Mas des Brun.” Enjoy and thank you for reading. (To see the videos, visit my instagram page.) planter les vignes     : to plant vines AUDIO FILE: listen to Jackie read the example sentence:Download MP3 or  Wav … Continue reading Planter des Vignes + photos of our growing vineyard!

Kristin Espinasse31 Comments
garden, gardening

How to say late bloomer in French

First corn! Pictured this way it reminds me of The Good Witch's wand from The Wizard of Oz. That sure explains the magic going on around here, in the veggie patch! (Forgive me for the over-saturated photo. All that Instagraming is driving out the purist in me! More photos from our corner of France right here at Instagram.) Today's word is in English – for … Continue reading How to say late bloomer in French

Kristin Espinasse68 Comments
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veuve de la vendange

I wrote the story “crush widow” two years ago. Were you reading then? (Photo of a modern cabanon with its carpet of white flowers taken in Sainte Cécile-les-Vignes. In wintertime, the old, leafless vines always look, to me, like upended chicken feet—as do all the pollarded trees.) la veuve de la vendange (lah vuv deuh lah von danzh)     : crush widow Audio file: Listen to Jean-Marc pronounce … Continue reading veuve de la vendange

Kristin Espinasse60 Comments
Jean-Marc, wine business

la mère porteuse

Jean-Marc who earned the title "Chief Grape" after years of caring for his precious "babies". Read about them, in the following story.  la mère porteuse (mair-por-tuhz) n.f.   : surrogate mother (One who carries a child for a couple or for a single person is also called "une mère accoucheuse") Click on the following French sentence to hear it spoken by Jean-Marc: La législation concernant … Continue reading la mère porteuse

Kristin Espinasse7 Comments