FRENCH WORD-A-DAY

Today, my belle-soeur, Cécile, shares about the carénage--that yearly maintenance all wooden boats undergo. (photo of fisherman caulking a boat, the ancient way--with rope. picture from Wikipedia, by Rmoorlag)

Book update: For those reading our vineyard memoir (we are finally telling the story. Do not miss it. Sample chapter here.), Chapter 3.5, written by Jean-Marc, will be posted Saturday....

Today's Word: veinard

    : lucky person (lucky devil, lucky duck)

Click here to listen to Jean-Marc say the following words:
Lundi si le temps le permet, il y a de fortes chances pour qu´il aille faire un tour--le veinard !


UN COUP DE MAIN by Cécile Espinasse

Il y a de cela un mois frère Jean-marc m´a proposé de lui donner un coup de main pour l´entretien annuel du pointu que lui et Kristi sont sur le point d´acheter. L´organisation de ce petit chantier nécessitait quand même de savoir quand une place pourrait se libérer pour le carénage. C´est en effet la saison où les propriétaires de pointus sortent leur bateau pour
leur faire une beauté.

A month ago my brother Jean-Marc asked for a helping hand for the annual maintenance of the wooden boat he and Kristi are about to buy.  This boatyard being very small, organization is required so as to know when a space would open up for the refit. It is in fact the season when the owners of these wooden boats take them out of the water to 'powder their noses'.

Rendez-vous pris, nous sommes attendus vendredi 4 mai á 8h45 pétantes! Jean- Marc explique qu´il faut absolument être à l´heure, une armée de volontaires est prête à nous accueillir pour sortir Chrisline de l´eau et nous expliquer toutes étapes du travail à faire. Tout ce petit monde sous le contrôle d´Henry exécute les gestes nécessaires au bon déroulement de la sortie du bateau et au calage de celui-ci.

Rendez-vous taken, we are expected Friday, May 4 at 8h45 sharp! Jean-Marc explains that it is essential to be on time, an army of volunteers is ready to welcome us to take Chrisline out of the water and explain all the steps of the work to be done. All this small world under the control of Henry, executing the necessary gestures to the good progress of (this enterprise)--everything from taking the boat out of the water to bracing it.

Une chose est intéressante à noter : Trois pointus sont en carénage, le premier a presque fini son entretien annuel. Son propriétaire est très méticuleux, le bateau est rutilant, un travail de longue haleine qui a demandé quinze jours de travail acharné qu ´il a effectué avec, on le sent, beaucoup de plaisir et de respect de la tradition. Chrisline est au milieu, chacun s´accorde à dire qu elle est en bon état. On va juste lui refaire une beauté.

One thing is interesting to note: Three wooden boats are in line for repair: the first has almost finished its annual maintenance. Its owner is very meticulous, the boat is gleaming, a lengthy undertaking that has required fifteen days of hard work that he has done with, we feel, a lot of pleasure and respect for tradition. Chrisline is in the middle, everyone agrees that she is in good condition. We just need to clean her up.

À notre droite il y a Gérard, un peu dépité, une longue maladie de trois ans l´a empêché de s´occuper de son bateau. Les dégâts apparents sont nombreux et c´est sans compter tout ce qu´il va découvrir au fil de la restauration. Il se fait charrier de temps en temps par ses collègues quand d´autres s´approchent aussi, tels des chirurgiens ou des médecins spécialistes pour un diagnostic douloureux mais pas sans espoir!

On our right there is Gerard, a little irritated, a long illness of three years prevented him from taking care of his boat. The visible damage is vast and it is not counting all that he will discover during the restoration. He is teased from time to time by his colleagues, when others also wander up, too, such as 'surgeons' or 'specialized doctors' for a painful diagnosis but not without hope!

Liste faite de toutes les fournitures dont nous allons avoir besoin nous partons faire les courses pour pouvoir nous atteler à notre tache. Poncer, gratter, enduire, re-poncer, re-gratter, re-enduire, laver, peindre...Chaque étape est cruciale, je me rends compte qu il y a quand  même du travail!

A list made of all the supplies we will need we go shopping in order to be able to tackle our task. Sand, scrape, coat, re-sand, re-scrape, re-coat, wash, paint ... Every step is crucial, I realize that there is still work!

La matinée est belle, soleil et ciel bleu au rendez-vous participent à la bonne humeur. Henry nous donne les clés du local où l´on pourra aussi prendre des outils, que l´association met à la disposition des bateaux  en travaux.

The morning is beautiful, sun and blue sky at the rendez-vous all add to the good mood. Henry gives us the keys to the place where we can also take tools that the association makes available to the boats under construction.

Sont arrivés durant toute la matinée,le président de l´association du port des Capucins et une bonne partie des adhérents dont la moyenne d´age est entre 75 et 80 ans ! Chacun vient dire bonjour, on me fait la bise , on se tutoie facilement, on a vite le sentiment qu´on se connait depuis toujours ! Il y a de la bienveillance dans ces regards et c´est plutôt rassurant!

Arriving throughout the morning, were the president of the association of the port of Capucins and a good number of the members whose average age is between 75 and 80 years! Everyone comes to say hello, give me a kiss, we get to know each other easily, we quickly feel we have known each other forever! There is kindness in these eyes and it is rather reassuring!

Si l´ancien propriétaire n´est pas là, celui qui l´était avant, André, explique à Jean-Marc que Chrisline est né en 1925 sur les chantiers navals Ruoppolo implantés à Marseille, et rachetés depuis par Trapani à Cassis. Elle aura bientôt cent ans et on dirait une demoiselle ! Cent ans d´amour pour conserver ce petit bijou et l´on peut imaginer les heures passés en mer à pêcher,les sorties en famille, les piques-nique, les apéros, les déclarations d´amours avec un joli coucher de soleil, les moments de quiétude pour apprécier le paysage, l'horizon, l´infini.

As the previous owner is not there, the one who owned it before him, André, explains to Jean-Marc that Chrisline was born in 1925 in the shipyards of Naval Ruoppolo established in Marseille, and since redeemed by Trapani in Cassis. She'll be a hundred years old and looks like a young lady! A hundred years of love to keep this gem and you can imagine the hours spent at sea fishing, family outings, picnics, aperitifs, declarations of love with a beautiful sunset, moments of tranquility to appreciate the landscape, the horizon, the infinite.

Cent ans d´histoire! Ce bateau aurait tant à raconter s´il pouvait parler!
One hundred years of history! This boat would have so much to tell if she could speak!

Durant les travaux et sous la peinture se cachait quelques petits problèmes vite résolus grâce à l´efficacité et au savoir faire d´Henry: Le pointu est en bois et l´étanchéité entre chaque planche est assurée par de l´étoupe. C´est une fibre naturelle en chanvre que l´on incruste à l´aide d´un outil nommé: fer à calfater.
le geste est précis et très technique. Tranquillement Henry m´explique que depuis l´époque romaine on n´a pas trouvé mieux !

During the work , we found some small problems were hiding beneath the paint--problems quickly resolved thanks to the efficiency and know-how of Henry: The boat is in wood and the sealing between each board is provided by the tow. It is a natural fiber made of hemp that is encrusted with the help of a tool called caulking iron. The gesture is precise and very technical. Quietly Henry explains that since Roman times we have not found a better method!

Le vent s´est mis à souffler le samedi pour devenir vraiment violent le dimanche. Nous n´avons pas relâché nos efforts, Jean-Marc, moi-même et nos voisins pour avancer dans notre mission. Kristi nous a chaleureusement préparé des petits plats et bons desserts lorsque nous rentrions manger. Une bonne bouteille de vin était toujours sur la table, de quoi donner du cœur à l´ouvrage.

The wind began to blow on Saturday to become really violent on Sunday. We have not relaxed our efforts, Jean-Marc, myself and our neighbors to advance in our mission. Kristi warmly prepared us small dishes and good desserts when we went home to eat. A good bottle of wine was always on the table, enough to give us the heart to continue the work.


De retour sur notre chantier des badauds se sont approchés pour nous demander quel était le nom de ces petites embarcations. S´il est vrai que dans le département du var on les nomme pointus, à Marseille on les appellera barquettes marseillaises. Certains ont le privilège d´appartenir aux Bateaux d´intérêt du patrimoine.

Back on our site onlookers have approached to ask what was the name of these small boats. If it is true that in the department of Var they name pointus, in Marseille they will be called barquettes Marseillaises'. Some have the privilege of belonging to the Heritage Interest Boats.

J´ai laissé Jean-Marc finir le travail car après ces trois jours, un autre programme m´attendait. Je commençais un travail dans les studios de cinéma de Martigues où j´étais embauché avec trois autre personnes pour peindre 800m2 de décors ! J´entamais l´écriture de cet article ce matin, quand mon frère m´a envoyé une petite vidéo de la remise à l´eau de Chrisline !

I let Jean-Marc finish the job because after these three days, another program was waiting for me. I started a job in the movie studios of Martigues where I was hired with three other people to paint 800m2 of scenery! I was writing this article this morning when my brother sent me a short video of Chrisline's release!

Lundi si le temps le permet, il y a de fortes chances pour qu´il aille faire un tour--le veinard !
Monday, weather permitting, there's a good chance he'll go out for a ride--lucky guy!

::::::
Many thanks, Cécile, for sharing this wonderful story!
Follow Cecile on Instagram, to see what she is doing over there at the movie studios in Martigues. You can also see the furniture she makes 

To view this touching video of our boat going back into the water, click on the arrow in the center of the image, below.

My dear friend, Barbara Barrielle, an investor in our first vineyard and a longtime resident of Aix-en-Provence, has found Provence in the U.S. in her hometown of Healdsburg in the heart of Sonoma County. A well-published travel and wine writer, her travel book on Sonoma County titled THE DOWN LOW allows the reader insight into what the locals know and love in this magical and diverse part of Northern California.

Today's Word: carénage

    : boat service, boat maintenance, careening

Click here to listen to today's word (and try your luck at writing what you have heard, in the comments box below)


A DAY IN A FRENCH LIFE by Kristi Espinasse

To caréner is to turn a boat on its side for cleaning, caulking, and repair--a chore made easier when two or more people are involved (two to do the grueling work, and another dozen to chat with the two workers while sharing bits and pieces of history, and when thirsty, to share apéro with rosé and olives!).

These two brave workers in question were my husband and his soeurette. You may know Cécile through her French stories here and/or through her beautiful woodwork seen on Instagram (she makes furniture out of found wood). We were very lucky to have Cécile--and her love of wood and knowledge for working with it--for the yearly carénage we were encouraged to do for a certain wooden boat....

Yearly maintenance -- that's right! One thing we learned as soon-to-be owners of an historic pointu, is that you must pull your boat out of the slip once a year--and do the weeklong maintenance work--or suffer the consequences (the guy working on the boat next to ours was facing 18 days of of carénage, to make up for 3 years of neglect.

'ChrisLine' - our (almost ours) pointu, or wooden fishing boat -- the 'before' photo. Behind our boat, you can see ever-so-helpful, Henri (one of the managers of Port des Capucins) and Cécile.

BOATS AND VINES...FISH AND WINE!
This reminds me of how boat maintenance is very similar to vineyard maintenance... Just as vines need to be pruned once each springtime, so does a wooden navire. To leave those vines would mean extra labor the next year, and c'est la même chose for un bateau en bois.

And, just like our former grapevines--which Jean-Marc spent months caring for before the purchase of our first vineyard went through, we are caring for this little boat which still does not belong to us. That means (for our vines) we paid for the clippers and various pruning supplies...and for this boat there have been a lot of back-n-forths to the boat supply store (conveniently located near the old port) for paint supplies. As I said, both the vineyard and boat maintenance required a lot of elbow grease, and how can you put a price on that? Except that in the end, as Jean-Marc points out...

One pays you back in wine...and the other in fish! 

On the third day of le carénage, Cécile and Jean-Marc braved the Mistral, which sent one of the old men in our city to the emergency room (the wind knocked him right over). As for the other old-timers who belong to this particular charming port, Les Capucins, they sat en brochette on a bench, with their hunting dogs and their stories of back when...quand c'était leur tour de caréner....

***

The 'after' photo!

P.S. Would you like Cécile to write a story, in French, about her colorful carénage experience? She was the only woman caréner in a line up of longtime mariners. Leave her a note in the comments and she just might be encouraged to share about the maintenance she did and the adorable characters she met.   

FRENCH VOCABULARY
caréner = to clean and repair a boat
la soeurette = little sister
carénage = to clean and maintain a boat
le pointu = Provencal fishing boat
un bateau = boat
en bois = wooden
quand c'était leur tour = when it was their turn

BOOK UPDATE
We've made it through Chapter Three in our memoir The Lost Gardens (about what led up to our decision to sell our vineyard). I planned to publish the chapter yesterday...when suddenly I bent that chapter all out of shape (going back in time, to Jean-Marc and my first breakup...).

Which reminds me of a subtitle I'd been itching to add to the book... The Lost Gardens: A Love Story

But we won't know the subtitle until the book is written... At which point, it could very well be called The Lost Gardens: A Rekindling... Or something entirely different.... If you haven't yet, I hope you will follow us on this memoir-writing journey. I will post Chapter 3 (no matter what shape it is in) by the weekend!

Click here to purchase our book--and follow along as we compose it and ourselves, in the process.

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Many thanks to my friend Barbara for sponsoring today's post! That is a great support and I appreciate it! Here's another book she wrote, about the adventures of a little lost dog.  Click here to buy the book. You can also follow Barbara on Facebook and Instagram @barbarabarrielletravels for travel insights and news about writing and yoga retreats.

Our historic port here in La Ciotat, depicted in this illustration from 1862. It must have taken a year for that carénage!

Are French bakers in cahoots? Read on in today's story. Also, see our book update at the end of this post.

Today's Expression: Se donner le mot

    : to pass the word around

A DAY IN A FRENCH LIFE
by Kristi Espinasse

A few days ago, my husband and I were headed to the old port, to take out the little pointu we are trying to buy. The wooden fishing boat is not ours yet, but the owner has kindly allowed us a few sorties, or outings, until Provencal bureaucracy kicks in and we are granted the honor of purchase.

As I was saying, we were on our way to the docks... when we decided to stop for a pissaladière--a delicious pizza-like 'slice' topped with sauteed onions, anchovies, and an olive... Pulling up to the first bakery, we noticed the iron curtain was down. 'Oh, it's Tuesday!' I said to Jean-Marc. 'C'est fermé le mardi...'

There was a second bakery nearby and, manque de chance, it was closed too! Having left the seafront, we headed in to town. Oh, stop at that one! I said. 'I hear they make everything on site, and that it's delicious!' Jean-Marc parked à la Marseillais (illegally) in front of the garage next to the boulangerie...when suddenly the garagiste appeared. (Not to scold us, but to inform us the baker was closed).

Ils se sont donnés le mot? What--are they all in cahoots? Jean-Marc quipped.

(At least I think that is what I think my hangry husband said. In any case, what a picture his words painted in my mind, of so many apron-clad bakers 'passing the word': Psst! Hurry--Hide the onion tarts! Shutter the storefront! Alert the garagiste!)

That's no way to do business. But, from my experience, the French aren't always in it for business. (I'm thinking of the time the dry-cleaner turned my brother-in-law away. 'Five shirts?' she said. 'No. I can only handle two today...'

And isn't that what we love about France? It is everything on a smaller, more charming scale...just like our little red-trimmed fishing boat. I'll tell you more about that in the future.... For now, I'm off to post the end of Chapter Two of our memoir. I hope you will dive in, and read along with us.

Jean-Marc managed to find a bakery...only they didn't have pissaladière. So he got quiche!

FRENCH VOCABULARY

lepointu= Provencal fishing boat
la sortie = trip, outing
manque de chance = tough luck
a la marseillais = Marseille style (the way the locals from Marseille drive)
la pissaladière = Provencal onion tart
c'est fermé lemardi = it's closed on Tuesdays
la boulangerie = bakery
sedonner le mot = to pass the word around
vraiment faim + irritable = hangry
lagaragiste = mechanic

THE LOST GARDEN BOOK EXCERPT (from Jean-Marc's chapter)

And all went like in a dream, at least that is how I recall it. The wines in the tanks were delicious (one eventually got 91 points in The Wine Spectator), the family seemed happy and I felt like a rock, like the King of the World.

But in November 2007 a few weeks after the harvest, when the vine leaves started to fall, I suddenly felt like my dear leafless vines: dead. A heavy, brutal burnout/hibernation phase lasted for 6 long months, until the next Spring when the new vine leaves burgeoned once again. During that very dark time, my future award-winning wine tasted bad, flat... bland to me.  I could only see black clouds in the sky, my whole vineyard project and even my own physical life were definitely going to hit the wall. I was sure of it.

(For those who have purchased our book, read all of chapter two, here.)

To purchase The Lost Gardens, a book-in-progress, click here and scroll to the end of the post.

Reader feedback from Chapter Two:

Dynamite!!!!...Your writing seems to have one upped your sharing and it's a good balance back and forth. I'm eager to "follow along" but encourage you to take your time. After all you are living it! --John Hawke

A charming Sicilian pointu, or wooden boat