This weekend there were more than 30 of us seated at the table for our family reunion in Fuveau. Listen to the previous sentence, in French, below.


"une cousinade"

    : family reunion

Click here to listen to Jean-Marc read the next sentence in French

Ce week-end nous étions une trentaine de personnes à table, lors de notre cousinade à Fuveau


A DAY IN A FRENCH LIFE...

by Kristi Espinasse

On our way to our family reunion (which, I just learned, the French call charmingly enough une cousinade, Jean-Marc added a total of 5--five-- delivery and pick-ups to our journey--in keeping with his efficient nature! This meant that instead of a direct route to Fuveau, and a later departure, we were now going to stop in La Ciotat and then weave in and out of the impossibly narrow streets of Marseilles in order to deliver wine (and pick up another family member. This last part doesn't count in my grumblings....

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Spectacular views from every window, a charming, private courtyard, comfortable spacious rooms, and air-conditioned bedrooms make Maison des Pèlerins very inviting all year round. View this rental property.

Don't put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear. Ne mettez jamais rien de plus petit que votre coude dans votre oreille. Don't miss the rest of this post...and thanks for sharing it with a friend who might enjoy learning French.

"le coton-tige"

    - cotton swab
    - cotton bud
    - Q-tip

Coton-Tige: click here to listen to Jean-Marc read the following text in French

Particulièrement polluants, les cotons-tiges en plastique seront interdits en France dès le 1er janvier 2020. Dans le cadre de la loi Biodiversité adoptée le 20 juillet, le Parlement a interdit la mise sur le marché de ces bâtonnets très utilisés en France pour l'hygiène ou le maquillage,...

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On Sunday, we took the long way to the beach, enjoying one of the many sentiers, or walking paths--this one fragrant with sweet-scented Scotch Broom! What with the perfumed air and feel of the sea's breeze, it was a sensual Father's Day morning--especially when my ears began to be tickled by a funny Southern French exclamation soon after we arrived at the beach. With that I introduce today's southern expression:

"Oh pétard!"

    : Oh my gosh!, wow!, #$@!&

Click here to listen to Jean-Marc pronounce the following expression

Oh pétard! T'as vu ce qu'il a ramassé le pêcheur?
Oh my gosh! Did you see what the fisherman brought in?

Note: OK, it might be a stretch to translate "Oh, pétard" (a word that likely comes from the more profain "putain") as "oh my gosh," but it seems right to me -- and it would fit with the example in the following story. If you have...

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The fishing village of Porticello, Sicily, where we had a memorable meal and celebration.

"RACINES"

    : roots

Hear Jean-Marc pronounce the following sentence. Click here RACINE

La famille - Comme les branches d'un arbre, nous grandissons tous dans de différentes directions, mais nos racines ne font qu'un. Family - like branches on a tree, we all grow in different directions, but our roots are one.


A DAY IN A FRENCH LIFE
by Kristi Espinasse

I was going to title this post: Family Reunion in Sicily, but that could be misleading--you might assume we have Sicilian roots. While that would be exciting, the fact is, on my father's side of the family we are English (my maiden name is Ingham).

Before joining my Seattle Family in the coastal village of Trabia, my daughter Jackie and I (with the help of speed-reader Mama Jules) did some catching up on our family, thanks to Cousin Laura (my dad's first cousin) who...

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In the 5 years we've lived here, I have posted photos of our home here and here and here. This one, of Jean-Marc's DIY waterfall (a garden hose secured by a few rocks) shows the boulders on the side of our farmhouse and the almond trees that shade them in summertime. You can also see the giant agave succulent. The flowering vine is a bougainvillea.

Ça passe ou ça casse. As we wait for news on whether or not the sale of our vineyard will go through, we are going to take a few days off and join my American family on vacation in Palermo. To see photos, hit the follow button my Facebook or Instagram page.

"ça passe ou ça casse"

    - it's make or break
    - it's hit or miss
    - it's sink or swim
    - it's do or die

=> Listen to Jean-Marc pronounce today's expression, click here

A DAY IN A FRENCH LIFE ...

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