AUTUMN SURPRISE

I had no idea that the crocus of early spring has an autumn look alike! These Colchicum autumnale are commonly called Naked Ladies and we spotted them on a promenade in the Arboretum de Versailles-Chèvreloup.

©2021 P. B. Lecron

THE HALF OF IT

 What can you not do with une cuillère parisienne? 

Do like French chefs and use what is otherwise called a melon scoop to core apple halves. 

Fast, easy, and clean! 

©2021 P. B. Lecron

Learning a foreign language?

Know that reading children's stories is great practice for young and old alike!

Illustrated and easy to follow, they are great resources for increasing vocabulary 

and becoming familiar with grammatical structures. A new and original fairy tale,

Le Lapin et l'Ornithorynque, written by my French daughter, might be just what 

you need to wake up your French! It and its English version, The Rabbit and the Platypus, 

are available worldwide on Amazon. Click on the titles to take a peek!

HOT COFFEE!

Still life and food photographer Sylvia Schiff shows us how to start the day with freshly ground hot coffee, the emblematic Belgian speculoos cookie, and a good book. Our friend Sylvia arranged and shot the photo on a very rainy, autumn day in the south of France, stirring up nostalgia for the coffee grinders of days gone by. 

Photo courtesy of Sylvia Schiff, all rights reserved.

To view more of Sylvia's work on Instagram, go to sylvia30gsa_color

Vocabulary

un moulin à café: a coffee mill or grinder

moudre: to grind as for coffee beans or peppercorns; to mill as for flour

©2021 P. B. Lecron

 

AT A BEND IN A FRENCH RIVER

A hilltop view of a meander in the Trieux river with the added charm of a woven fence, or une clôture tressée, in the Côtes-d-Amor department of Brittany. Ah, la Douce France! The 72 kilometer long river eventually forms an estuary before emptying into the English Channel. Photo taken looking out a window of the Château de la Roche-Jagu.

Expression

la douce France :  the fair, or sweet France

©2021 P. B. Lecron

A PRISTINE BEACH

 Friend and photographer from the south of France, Sylvia Schiff, contributes this photo of crystal clear water on a pristine beach of Le Lavandou, a village in the Var. Photograph ©2021 Sylvia Schiff, All Rights Reserved.

Vocabulary

une plage immaculée: a pristine beach

l'eau cristalline: crystal clear water

To follow and view Sylvia's exceptional photos on Instagram go to:  @sylvia30gsa_color

©2021 P. B. Lecron

UNE VESPA, N'EST-CE PAS?

 On the streets of Rouen we were wowed by this little beauty, a Vespa Primavera 50 Sean Wotherspoon. Notice that a black covering protects the scooter's tan leather seat. This particular model of the iconic Italian scooter sports the touch of the American streetwear designer, Sean Wotherspoon. He first gained fame for his design of the Nike Air Max 1/97, a highly popular sneaker in 2018. Vespa is Italian for wasp, which in French is guêpe.  

Vocabulary 

filer: to scoot

Like to see an entirely different Vespa paint job? Click here.

©2021 P. B. Lecron

 

BITTERSWEET

Have you ever wondered why grapefruits are called grapefruits? What does the word "grape" have to do with the large citrus fruit?  An explanation is that these fruit grow in clusters, or as they say in French, en grappes. 


Vocabulary

douce-amère, doux-amer: bittersweet

un pamplemousse: a grapefruit
une grappe de raisin: a bunch of grapes
en grappe:  in clusters

un agrume: a citrus fruit

©2021 P. B. Lecron

LATE SUMMER PAPYRUS

 Papyrus, a plant which has a very long history because its stems were used to make writing material 5,000 years ago in ancient Egypt, makes me think of an old and familiar French expression: "Vieux comme mes robes," or "Old as my dresses,"  a play on words for "Vieux comme Hérode," or "Old as Herod."

This lovely specimen grows along the edge of Monet's water garden at Giverny.

©2021 P. B. Lecron

CHARMING FRENCH OUTPOST

AND there it was! At what I like to consider as a French outpost on the small Florida Gulf Coast barrier island of Anna Maria, my Franco-American family and I were treated to a delightful moment and delicious lunch at the My Ami restaurant. Our outdoor table on the terrace and beer imported from the north of France were definite pluses! Like a home away from home, we felt a well-being and were so at ease!

Vocabulary

un bastion, un poste avancé: an outpost

le bien-être:  well being

©2021 P. B. Lecron

POINT OF VIEW

 Le temps est un phénomène de perspectives. Jean Cocteau (1889-1963)

Time is a phenomenon of perspectives. 

From whichever point in place or time you are looking, this door opening into the Vézelay Abbey in Burgundy is breathtakingly enormous.  A masterpiece of Romanesque architecture, this UNESCO World Heritage site, was--and still is, a not to be missed place of pilgrimage on one of the roads leading to Santiago de Compostela.

©2021 P. B. Lecron

TRANSITIONING

My favorite way to transition from the final days of summer to the start of autumn is to treat myself to a visit to Claude Monet's gardens at Giverny. It's never a disappointment. Ce n'est jamais une déception.

Vocabulary

une échinacea:  a coneflower

©2021 P. B. Lecron

MUCH AWAITED

Très attendue

 La fleuraison du marronnier rose

The flowering of the pink chestnut tree through the months of May and June.

©2021 P. B. Lecron

A TALL ORDER

The gâteau battu, is an amazing, traditional speciality from the Picardie coastal area. During its preparation this brioche, rich in butter and eggs, is beaten for a very long time to give it a light and airy texture. A tall cylindrical mould gives it the shape of a chef's toque. Often served at marriages and baptisms in the region, it's perfect for breakfast, too!

Expression

faire une brioche:  to blunder; in music, to hit a false note, stemming from the 15th century practice when theatrical musicians obliged those among them who committed musical errors to buy and share a brioche with the ensemble

©2021 P. B. Lecron

ROSE BONBON

 If in need of a translation for the color rose bonbon, then look no further than this customized BMW.

Photo courtesy of Patrick Lecron

Expression

Il faut le faire ! :  That takes some doing!

Il faut le voire pour le croire ! : You have to see it to believe it!

©2021 P. B. Lecron

THE WAY WE WERE

Iconic, vintage, and collectable

Yes, indeed, a Yellow Cab sits in curbside retirement at le New York, an American 

restaurant just on the edge of Versailles, in the neighbouring community of Le Chesnay.

Délicieusement rétro.

©2021 P. B. Lecron

EASTER TULIP HUNT

À la cueillette

For the joy of yellow tulips and sun at a self-pick farm near Versailles!

La Ferme de Gally, le dimanche de Pâques

Vocabulary

faire la cueillette, cueillir: gather, pick, harvest

Something new!

Having raised Franco-American children has meant adapting to and adopting French folklore and traditions, one of the most charming being the French notion of the Tooth Fairy. In France, it's a little mouse known as La Petite Souris! Now a grandmother, I've taken to illustrating, and now writing, original children's stories in French! Meet my newest creation, Iris, an ordinary French mouse who dreams of being the Tooth Fairy, in Une Véritable Petite Souris. It and its English version, A Genuine Little Mouse, are both available on worldwide Amazon sites. Click on the titles to take a peek!

©2021 P. B. Lecron

 

EASTER WEEKEND

 Le week-end pascal

As it often happens at Easter in northern France, the temperatures have suddenly dipped 

down for the week-end pascal. Cooler weather, though will make the jonquils last longer!

Notice that in French, weekend is still often spelled with a hyphen.

Vocabulary

un trait d'union: a hyphen

Learning French?

Reading children's stories in a foreign language can jumpstart the acquisition of a second language. Illustrated and easy to understand, they are great resources for increasing vocabulary and becoming familiar with grammatical structures. One of the newest books on our shelf is Le Lapin à la recherche du Printemps. It's a new and original fairy tale about an unexpected and heavy spring snow. It and its English version, The Rabbit in Search of Spring, are available on Amazon, worldwide. Click on the titles to take a peek! 

Illustration from Le Lapin à la recherche du
Printemps, ©2020 Birdie Bergamot Books,
all rights reserved.

©2021 P. B. Lecron

SMALL FRIES -- POISSON d'AVRIL !

April 1st in France would not be a treat without some of these little guys!

This year we've opted for white chocolate fritures, or "small fries," rather 

than the larger, dark or milk chocolate fish. April Fools Day in France is known 

as Poisson d'Avril; the typical prank children play is to cut out paper fish and 

then to surreptitiously stick them onto a school teacher's back.

©2021 P. B. Lecron

 

BYE BYE BUNNY

"Toute sortie est une entrée quelque part ailleurs..."

In the words of the very prolific playwright and screenwriter, Tom Stoppard, "Every exit is an entry somewhere else..." 

Stoppard has the distinction of being the first foreign playwright to have one of his works performed at the Comédie Française during his lifetime. His play, Arcadia, had been translated into French and performed in 1998 to a receptive Parisian audience. The Comédie Française was founded in 1680 by decree of Louis XIV.

The above exit sign shows the way out of one of my favorite places to walk for kilometers on end, l'Arboretum de Versailles-Chèvreloup. 

Vocabulary

un lapinou:  a bunny

un lapereau:  a young rabbit

une lapine:  a female rabbit, a doe

Meet Papa Lapin

Papa Lapin is the central character of a series of original French fairy tales written by my daughter, Marianne Lecron. The latest adventure of this intrepid and kind rabbit is Le Lapin à la recherche du Printemps. Intrigue and surprise to delight all ages, with ink and aquarelle illustrations. Available also in English, The Rabbit in Search of Spring. Both books are sold on Amazon, click on titles to have a look!

              

©2021 P. B. Lecron

BURSTING OUT

 Le printemps éclate partout !

Spring is bursting out all over the place!

Photo taken at l'Arboretum de Versailles-Chèvreloup

It's a perfect time to read in French, or in English, a new children's story by Marianne Lecron,

Le Lapin à la recherche du Printemps, or The Rabbit in Search of Spring. Both books are available on worldwide Amazon sites.  Click on the titles to take a Look Inside!

©2021 P. B. Lecron

SAFETY FIRST

 La sécurité d'abord

A life saving buoy on the banks of a large pond at the Arboretum de Versailles-Chèvreloup. The 495-acre arboretum, with more than 2,500 plant species, is a part of the royal estate of Versailles. Distinguished with the French label as a "Jardin Remarquable," it has one of the richest collection of trees in Europe.

 

Vocabulary

une bouée de sauvetage:  a life buoy

un étang:  a pond

©2021 P. B. Lecron

CHAT ET SOURIS

 

It's worth repeating: reading an illustrated children's book in French is a fun and easy way to enhance your language learning. Reading aloud is even better! Une Véritable Petite Souris is a new and original fairy tale that I wrote myself in French, as well as illustrated. The story is about the French equivalent of the Tooth Fairy, known as la Petite Souris des dents de lait.

©2021 P. B. Lecron

A RACE AGAINST TIME

Une course contre la montre

It's been a race against time the past three months to write, illustrate, and publish my new children's story about the French tooth fairy--before my six-year-old Franco-American grandson loses a tooth for the first time! In France, the tooth fairy is a mouse, la Petite Souris! 

Vocabulary

une dent de lait : a baby tooth, a milk tooth

  Available on worldwide Amazon sites. Click here to take a peek!

©2021 P. B. Lecron