Stories Collected While Living in France

French la Vie

Chalk Board Pen

IMG_0760

 

 

Menus on chalkboards are as French as:

 

 

 

 

Baguette-girl

 

Baguettes at the boulangerie,

 

 

Frenchman-with-beret

 

  Men wearing berets painting on the square,

 

 

 

A-glass-of-red-wine

 

 

A glass of wine at a bistro,

 

 

 

French-Cheese

 

 

A hunk of cheese,

 

 

 

Eiffel-tower-from-bridge

 

 

The Eiffel tower,

 

 

 

Bucket-of-flowers

 

 

Flowers in zinc buckets,

 

 

 

Cigarette-holder

 

 

Cigarettes,

 

 

 

Friday fille scarf

 

Scarves worn just so,

 

 

French church tower

 

 

 

Church bells….

 

 

 

Tour de france

 

The Tour de France,

 

 

 

 

Silver-napkin-ring

 

French food and the daily ritual of meals.

 

 

 

 

Cafe-au-lait-bowl-child's

 

 

Cafe au lait bowls in the morning,

 

 

 

Chalk-board

Tell me what says France / French to you?

 

I'll randomly pick someone from the comment section and send them a CHALK PEN. Have you ever seen one? It beats dusty chalk and the sound of it anyday! I'd like to send you a bottle of wine and some Oh la la, but it is a little ackward posting it through the mail.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

69 responses to “Chalk Board Pen”

  1. Ed in Willows

    Romance !

    Reply
  2. deborah

    Oooo, I love the flowers in zinc buckets and the chalkboard menus! I want a chalkboard and a chalkboard pen! :)And the baguettes-beautiful! Your blog has definitely madde me want to visit France! The baguettes say France to me and “merci” the one French word that I actually know! ha!ha! One of my friends took French in school and I learned “merci, beaucoup” from her.

    Reply
  3. Zosia

    Edith Piaf, Jacque Brel, the sound “R” that must have originated from gurgling with wine during wine tastings (as opposed to the English “R” rolling from the tongue), Citroen, the shrug of shoulders while talking, the Impressionists….

    Reply
  4. marlis

    Love Ed’s comment..
    France says to me… chic people dressed in chic clothes, gitanes, les pissoir dans les rues, pernod, a perfect baquette au jambon, lavande, antiques, the mona lisa, tall ceilings in old homes with stone facades, church bells (I miss those the most I think), pate de fois gras, Coco, Bastille day, la tour Eiffel, Napolean, la Bretagne…..

    Reply
  5. Cindy

    Oh, it must be the lilting greeting of “Bonjour” upon passing someone on a village street.

    Reply
  6. Kathleen

    Lavender,sunflowers,poppies,scrolled street lamps,window shutters,lace curtains,croissants,baguettes,cafe creme,rose wine………..I want to be there NOW!

    Reply
  7. Cheryl ~ Casual Cottage Chic

    Dijon mustard!! It always reminds me of a train trip from Geneva to Paris, and all the yellow mustard fields enroute…like gold spread across the landscape.

    Reply
  8. Kristin

    Art Museums!!!! Ancient Ruins, like fortresses and viaducts, Roman roads, TREES! The french even plant their forests all in rows… that amazes me! Oh and the trees that grow in every town that they trim each winter! We call them ‘French Trees’ even when we see them in San Francisco! They look like something from Grimms fairy tales! All black and nobbly! Baguette crumbs in the car… and amazing churches! croisants! I could go on for a long time… rose jam…. Chocolat! Mmmmmm Og and around Christmas, Santa’s sneaking into peoples windows climbing up ropes! That tickled me! I had to get one! So now we hang a Santa and it looks like Santa is breaking into our house! HAHHAHAH

    Reply
  9. g

    what says france to me is “O de lancome” perfume….but what says french to me is Pierre….heavy sigh

    Reply
  10. Carol L

    The windows filled with beautiful pastries,little dogs, old world architecture and the fountains tinkling away in the town centers.

    Reply
  11. Carol L

    And Corey !!!!!!

    Reply
  12. Patti

    I’ve never been to France nor do I know anyone who is French, but what comes to mind when I think of what it is to be French is to be elegant, romantic and full of joie de vivre!

    Reply
  13. Tracy

    colorful shutters and doors.

    Reply
  14. Diane

    Women who just KNOW how to dress.
    Escargot, because that is what I remember from 7th grade French class.
    Diane

    Reply
  15. becky up a hill

    Chalk pen? Sounds amazing..

    Reply
  16. georgie

    The Eiffel tower, milled soaps, croissants.

    Reply
  17. Amy Kortuem

    The immediate “non!” and the gentle persuasion into the smile and then the agreement.
    In broken French, that persuasion. Maybe that’s what helps me get my way? 🙂

    Reply
  18. Brenda L. from TN.

    The Eiffel Tower, of course, but mainly the…MOST beautiful language ever spoken…lovely flowers and roadside stands…scenery…old master paintings of street scenes…Moulon Rouge…abandoned castles…baguettes, wine and cheese…quaint villages with fountains in the square…the cote’…
    I could go on and on but you get the idea!

    Reply
  19. sharon

    french poodles, haha! red lipstick, wine, wonderfully dressed women! i have been looking for one of those chalk board pens. thanks for the chance!

    Reply
  20. Patt

    A Red Beret. And Yann.

    Reply
  21. Salut15@aol.com

    Fields of lavender throbbing with bees,the sound of Cicadas in the trees,the smell of a boulangérie,olive trees shining silver in the breeze,villages perchés,……..in other words…la Provence!

    Reply
  22. Merry

    The secret that French people seem to just know …. it’s all about how to live, on a daily basis! Good coffee, great crusty baguettes, croissants, simple ham and cheese, wonderful wine (simple or not), sweet macaroons, perfumes, a beret here, a scarf there, incomparable beauty absolutely everywhere you turn, whether humble or haute … I could go on and on but I think the essence is the attention to living life well. It’s the stop-the-world-it’s-time-for-lunch at every flea market or antique show I’ve ever visited in France, complete with tablecloth and glasses of wine, and no dealing until done. Can you imagine such a thing in the States? Or the magnificent “Toilette” at the flea market that plays classical music while washing itself down for the next person! It’s ordering a coffee on a train in France and being served a disposable individual French Press … no mediocre (at best) stale brewed stuff here. It’s the man traveling on a train with his young son, telling him to step aside to let me pass through first, and answering the “Why?” with … “because she is a woman!” It’s the young man at the station running after me out to the sidewalk, carrying a bouquet of flowers that I’d forgotten and left on the counter, and responding to my “only in France” with “do not wait too long to come back!” Oh I do want to come back! And it would be lovely to jot my itinerary down on a chalkboard ….

    Reply
  23. Franca Bollo

    French penmanship.
    And, of course, fart face.

    Reply
  24. Laurie in SF

    Here is a passage from Bohemia, that sums is up for me.
    A fellow Fullbright scholar, studying in Belgium, happened to arrive for his first visit to Paris on July 14, Bastille Day, when the entire city was strung with colored lights. Bands played on every corner, or at least flutes and musettes: people were dancing, singing, embracing, inviting us and anyone else nearby to join them for their wine and food. It recalled the soupers fraternels of revolutionary times, when the people of Paris set their tables outside, lay extra places for hungry or convivial passersby who wished to share bread, wine and cheese. The Bastille Day mood, after war and Nazi occupation, was one of spiritual orgy, a festival nourished by deep griefs. My friend saw only the gaiety. He looked about at the hubbub, sighed, and said, “I always knew Paris would be like this.” Paris, of course, is not really like this. But we know it must be, therefore it is; the Paris of our dreams is a required course.
    Signed with a chalkboard pen,
    Herbert Gold

    Reply
  25. Chris Wittmann

    My only experience vising France was enroute to or from England, briefly stopping at Cherbourg, but I think what most brings to mind the French and France to me is a beautiful but simple meal accompanied by wine, in an outdoor cafe.

    Reply
  26. Kathie B

    Wild mustard fields — that reminds me of California’s central valley (San Joaquin, Sacramento) in early spring! Purple lupines and bright orange California poppies (Eschscholzia californica) too… Oh dear, now I’m having saudades for my home state.

    Reply
  27. Kathie B

    Baguettes with Camembert (thanks for the inspiration, Chelsea!), and REAL croissants!

    Reply
  28. Sharon Penney-Morrison

    The joy of being and living that you feel when you are in France. Taking time…talking…sipping wine and tasting the cheese and fresh tomato’s.
    And you………..

    Reply
  29. BV

    fields of red poppies…be still my heart

    Reply
  30. Jeanne

    Sending you much love and many blessings
    Kisses……….
    Love Jeanne

    Reply
  31. Becky F

    It would have to be the outdoor markets.I have been to Paris only once and for only about 12 hours. We were vacationing in London and decided to take the train over for the day.
    As soon as we crossed under the channel and were on land and seeing beautiful farm houses I recall telling my husband that even though we had barely seen any of France I couldn’t wait to return. We spent the day exploring the most wonderful, picturesque markets and shops in France. Ten years have passed and we may finally be coming back this spring to celebrate our 25th.

    Reply
  32. labergerebasque

    Paintings and the French love of art.
    It is well perceived to have your child take drawing/painting lessons or for an adult to belong to a theatre or dance or singing group…or photography.
    Come to think of it most adults have an “artistic” pastime or hobby for which they usually register in September. It is considered necessary for the “equilibre” or life’s balance.

    Reply
  33. Linda Smith

    Although it does sound a bit shallow, when I think of France the first thing that comes to mind is a beautiful bottle of the classic Chanel No. 5. To me, it is one of the prettiest bottles of perfume – plus it smells so nice and seems so French!
    Linda Kay

    Reply
  34. Debra

    C, YOU say France to me!! love the education you have given me over the years . . .I would love to send you something – is there anything you would like??

    Reply
  35. deb

    Peonies, baguettes, window boxes, old painted doors and the most melodious language on earth! Oh, I almost forgot – those wonderful chalk board signs at outdoor markets!!

    Reply
  36. Kathie B

    Hmmm, French Husbands (yours and Mimi’s)!

    Reply
  37. Tamara Komuniecki

    Baguette and brie means French to me!!! And I am sitting staring at my black chalk board wall in my office — all it needs is this pen!
    🙂

    Reply
  38. Rosemary

    Of course, Le Tour Eiffel, but also berets, baguettes, the beautiful language, the women who dress just so. The lovely architecture, colorful shutters, the brocantes. Can’t wait to visit France again!

    Reply
  39. mimi

    France means to me… Beautiful Architecture
    Linen
    Cafes
    Paris
    Farmhouses
    Glorious Landscapes
    My Heritage
    A Hope To See It All One Day!

    Reply
  40. Lorelei

    Couples walking hand in hand, listening to each other whether they are talking with their voices or with their hearts, a single flower here, a kiss there, a twinkle of the eye, and a slow knowing smile…..ah amore!

    Reply
  41. jackie

    French to me is stone houses, all in a cluster; warm bread in the morning, strong coffee, dog poop in the streets, sitting down to a meal-never eating in the street or in the car…

    Reply
  42. Rhonda

    Catherine Deneuve, La Tour Eiffel, aged streets and buildings, Versailles and Marie Antoinette! Creme brulee, champagne, croissants and macaroons! Okay, I will….cafes, coffee and bistros. Sigh. Provence and a brocante to top it all off. Oh, did I mention this was my Christmas List, as well….shut up you say? NON – I will not, a girl can dream.

    Reply
  43. Marilyn

    macarons for sure say French to me!

    Reply
  44. carol

    Perfume, baguettes, cafes, berets, lavender, fashion, striped boat-neck tops, mimes, window boxes,shutters, cheese, pastry shops, Monet, wine, accordians, soaps, toile, bicycles,dogs, scarves, poppies…. I’ve never been but I just feel like this is what it’s like!

    Reply
  45. momof5

    Little dogs even in the finest restaurants
    Violet perfume
    fields of lavender and poppies
    Everyone carrying a baguette
    little cheese shops
    monogrammed linens
    pate
    the Eiffel tower
    the Seine

    Reply
  46. Helen

    France to me, means the best perfume in the world.

    Reply
  47. Denise

    What says French to me …….France

    Reply
  48. beate t

    wicker chairs with a red trim, berets and of course, the Eiffel tower
    tacky “love” declarations alongside stunning statues on the bridges of the seine
    man-made beaches in paris, and the flowers. O the flowers…..

    Reply
  49. amylia

    Why, Kissing, of course!
    Quelle bon surprise!

    Reply
  50. amylia

    KISSING!

    Reply
  51. cabingurl122000@yahoo.com

    Wahla… Walah! I was lucky enough to travel with my husband on a business trip to Paris years ago. I learned basic phrases (because I read in many books that is what we should do). I learned the sing song of Bonjour, Merci and Bonsior.
    Noteable to me was Whala… I heard it everywhere and it became my favorite phrase. We just happened into Hermes, where two clerks and a customer were exchanging words about a return and there was some “polite” bickering going on. The two clerks finally dismissed the customer by making large hand gestures towards the item and pronouncing “voila”.
    Went to a cheese shop where the proprietor and my husband somehow worked out a sale by him saying “hard cheese” so many times that the clerk finally guessed, by banging the cheese on the counter several times and asking “Voila?”. Yes.
    I love this and am so happy to listen to your stories. When we were in Paris, we tried so hard. Reading your post makes us feel like we don’t have to try so hard and to enjoy it so much more the next time.
    Thank you!
    So it means said and done, there you have it, done… clean your hands of it, good AND bad. It just sounds so much more interesting in a French accent, not to mention the act itself.

    Reply
  52. Tamra / The Gilded Barn

    Old silver, beautiful monogramed linens, croissants, greetings and salutations said in lilting voices with a slight musical undertone, cocoa so thick it’s almost a meal, delicious cheese and……De Hillerin! The best kitchen shop in the world where the clerk wears a little ringlet pony tail tied with a black bow and a white cotton colonial shirt and little Ben Franklin glasses on the tip of his nose. Fabulous!

    Reply
  53. Terri

    Lavender, soap, bread, cheese, eiffel tower & Tongue in Cheek!

    Reply
  54. Sarah Webb

    Bottom line~~~pain de chocolat every day. And macaroons from Lauderee. And…everything from the time you land

    Reply
  55. Donna B

    French cookbooks, a french house, french baskets, french linens, lavender of course, french herbs, chocolate croissants, that little-French-town on the CA coast going north when you are almost at Santa Barbara (great french antiques) and Sallie Mac’s in Mendocino where you can buy french perfume and other french things and look at sunflowers and poppies growing amongst the lavender.
    That chalk pen will go just great with the new chalkboard inserts I’m putting in my SZero frig!

    Reply
  56. Linda C.

    France = Yearning…

    Reply
  57. Jonathan from Napa, CA

    Lavender and Sunflower
    fields,croissants,
    coffee, wine and
    you,
    your magic blog
    and your Yann
    and children.

    Reply
  58. Marie-Noëlle

    What does say France / French to me (a Frenchie) ???
    Difficult to say, actually, … even after thinking it over for a few minutes…
    ————————-
    [I can remember what school looked like when I was little (OVER 40 years ago !!!)with the “ardoises”:
    http://ecole71musee.free.fr/IMG/jpg/calcul.jpg
    and with the “crayons d’ardoise” (=board pens)and their “porte-crayon” (=boardpen hoders):
    http://storage.canalblog.com/59/06/308627/66423838.jpg
    Things have changed but my memories are still solid !]
    ————————-
    As usual, I enjoyed reading your readers’ answers !

    Reply
  59. Marie-Noëlle

    PS – “foie gras” has just popped to my mind…
    But would it sum up France and the French ???
    -NO !!!

    Reply
  60. Irina

    sorry I’m late with my reply.
    France is Paradise on earth! I love everything about this country: history, art, nature, people, the sound of language, food, movies, fashion, perfumes, colors … EVERYTHING!
    Have a wonderful time in Willows, Corey.

    Reply
  61. Maura

    Oh goodness…what says French to me?
    First and foremost is the Eiffel Tower.
    Croissants.
    Berets.
    Outdoor cafe’s
    Young people on horseback patrolling the parks etc.
    I loved every moment in Paris except for the moment I put my back out moving the little table in our room to see the view from our window!

    Reply
  62. Barbara

    Green Paris park chairs…empty or filled with people of all ages relaxing during the day…reminding me not to take life too seriously.

    Reply
  63. Diane

    I popped over to your blog and it’s wonderful. S.F.= another of my favorite cities.

    Reply
  64. Diane

    There is not a word that fully sums up France. It is everything on every street, on every person, in every town. Omni? Uber? Style, finesse, CLASS, CLASSY, CLASSIEST!!!! The scent, the taste, the feast for eyes and soul.
    How about a post about the how to wrap a scarf in the careless, tres chic way of the French. I saw them everywhere, men and women, even on very warm days and I can’t manage to get the hang of that, ‘just tossed on’ look that says French style. I can’t wait to see it again.

    Reply
  65. Laura McHugh

    Corey – That photo of the napkin and knife – is that your table service? I see just enough of the knife to think it is Christophle, the Marly pattern? How would I know this? Because I have this service too. Many many years ago (30) when I got married, I registered for this pattern at Gumps. I had never been to France. Since then (not until 2006, actually) I discovered a love for France, art, and beautiful things. Somehow this was inside me – knowing about the finer things in life. C’est bon!

    Reply
  66. Denise

    Rosé wine, long suppers with friends, antiques, markets… etc, etc.

    Reply
  67. Dawne Polis

    Just arrived home from France, and all of the things you mention make my heart beat faster. I drink in the sound of the language, the smell of good perfume, the boulangeries, the amazing metro, the rooftops, the cobblestones [ which don’t stop the women from wearing those impossibly high heels],The cheese [at a third of the price I pay here]; and the wine which never gives my a stuffy nose; the supermarkets, almost as good as the museums, and the MUSEUMS, and the café cremes,the perfectly tied scarf; and wine and cheese served after the church service at St. Michael’s on Sunday night, and those adorable little trucks, and FRENCH MEN who flirt with me!!!!!
    [I got a pic of a waiter writing his board, too, but not half as good as yours. Where do they learn to write like that?]

    Reply
  68. Barbara

    I concur with everything that has been posted. It all just distills to the essence of enjoying all that life has to offer and making a celebration of the commonplace.

    Reply
  69. Tanya

    I agree with Diane! Great blog and awesome photos!

    Reply

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