What is a "nappe" in French?

The family hat. John bought it for Mom, in Mexico. Mom left it to me, in France. Marsha borrowed it in San Remo, and yesterday, while sitting out in the morning sun enjoying our coffee together, Dad asked: may I use your hat?

une nappe (nap)

    : tablecloth, sheet (layer)

la nappe phréatique = ground water, water table
la nappe de mazout = oil slick
la nappe de brouillard = layer of fog

In English--nappe refers to either the ability of a liquid to "coat the back of a spoon" or the act of coating a food (i.e. to nappe a leg of lamb with glaze). --Wikipedia


While at the market in San Remo, my belle-mère Marsha saw this tablecloth. Les coquelicots! Poppies! It would be perfect for the faded metal table we use, on the front porch, where we have breakfast and dinner these days. Plus, it's plastified! You can use a sponge to clean it. And we did, when I spilled spaghetti sauce last night, and when my young friend and upcoming novelist--10-year-old Madeleine--spilled hot chocolate. These self-cleaning nappes are formidable!

That's all for today's word (more pictures below), you can read more about the word "nappe" in these stories from the French Word-A-Day archives: 

brader = to discount
coussin = cushion 
brusquer = to rush, hurry, hustle 

Now for more photos of Italy, where we spent the weekend with Dad and Marsha... 

Jean-Marc rinsing giant cherries in the fountain. He bought them at the market stall, after Marsha mentioned they were excellent for gout. 

Who needs one more laundry photo? There are so many, but it's hard to resist! Clotheslines remind me of the slow life, simple times, and eco-friendliness. Plus, they force you outdoors, if only for the time it takes to etendre le linge or hang out the wash. Depending on zoning laws, it may be illegal to hang out your laundry in your neck of the woods!

My turn to wear the hat, and Dad has his trusty cap. Above, more laundry in the streets of San Remo, Italy. 

I love window vignettes! You'll find hundreds of them on this blog, including this one from a 2006 blog post on "10 ways to say No! in French". If you are a pushover, like me, that'll be a helpful article to read!

Forward this edition to a friend, and help spread the French word. Thanks! For more words, buy the book. 

 A clever floor runner! We also saw these coffee sacks used as wall paper at a local wine bar in San Remo. Repurposing is alive and well in eco-friendly Italy. To comment on a photo, or text, click here.

 Les poivrons, les haricots, de la laitue... peppers, beans, and lettuce in the hilltop village of Ceriana. The Italians love their produce and almost everywhere you look you'll find a kitchen garden. 

The camera lens turns on the photographer. Jean-Marc's iPhone rivals my Nikon D-60. Look at the crispness of those stones!

Wonderful flowers outside what looked to be a nunnery facing this church.

At Il Ponte Restaurant where Jean-Marc and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary. Ten years later and we brought these sweethearts with us to enjoy an unforgettable meal. No menus at Il Ponte. Just sit down and let Sergio bring you course after course of Ligurian deliciousness!

Mr Sacks (Jean-Marc's side-kick ) came with us, of course! If only we had snuck a Tupperwear inside, we could have brought home leftovers!

Jean-Marc and my dad. Time to drive home to France. Will the market lettuce (lots of baby romaine to plant) make the three-hour trip?  

Did you enjoy your virtual travel to Liguria? It's not far from Nice, so next time you are in France why not cross the border and wander up to the magical hills of Italy's hinterland?

Comments

[Francoise]

Napper, le verbe, a la mème signification en français et en anglais : Recouvrir d'une sauce ou d'un coulis ou d'une autre préparation onctueuse.

[Bill Facker]

What an excellent vacation it appears you enjoyed. Thank you for taking the time to put smiles on 42,784 faces today! Kristin, you just get better and better with every posting .. FWAD is truly a treat for the mind & soul. Aloha!

[Phil Restifo]

I love Liguria. As a child, I spent a summers there, once in the hilltop village of Bussana, just 7 km. east of San Remo, once in a summer camp in Camogli, east of Genova, and other times in Rapallo, Santa Margherita and Porto Fino. The Riviera del Ponente ( west of Genova) and the Riviera del Levante ( East of Genova) both offer unforgettable experiences. Your photos capture the spirit of San Remo and brought back wonderful memories. Felicitations!

[Eileen deCamp]

Hi Kristin,
Cute photo of your dad on the porch. What is the title of the book on the table? I love the plastic coated tablecloths! I have one decorated with lavender!
Pretty photos of Liguria. I love the shrine above the archway in the 5th photo.

[Julia ~ Falling Off Bicycles]

Wow, looks like a beautiful place! And your photos capture the place and people so well. I really love how you shoot people as they are and don't pose everything just perfectly. Brava!

Julia

[Amber, Peoria, IL]

Kristin,
Beautiful pictures, as usual!
Happy Anniversary to you and Jean Marc!
Bisous,
Amber

[Anne]

Thanks so much for the virtual tour Kristi...
I (with my husband) will be making out first trip to Italy next month...really looking forward to it. We will finish up in Paris (my favorite city in the world ..so far)wish we could pop by and see your part of the country ...but sadly , not enough time..Will continue to join you and your family for our little visits though and pick up more vocab in Francais as an added bonus.
Love your photography !!

[suzanne dunaway]

I love it that your father, in this blog, looks as if he is having a lovely nappe!!! Haha.

[Debbie Houston]

As a Francophile I don't understand why anyone would leave France for a vacation! But wherever you go, Kristin, beauty follows you, and you find beauty as you focus your lens. I love the photos of French doorways, but your best subjects are people. You bring out the soul in them. You see it in their eyes or smile or even beneath the family hat. I have followed you more years than I can remember. I am a true fan. Come to Atlanta the next time you are out selling your books. We have a big book fair in Decatur (just outside Atlanta) once a year. That would be a great time to come.

[paula hill]

Love your photography. your family photos.
But, would like now to see the locals and hear their stories. Thanks for the French
though some of it may be hard to work into
a conversation. Yes, I have passed you on
to other Frenchies. merci bien.

[persis]

Thank you for all the voyeuristic pleasure, plus the wonderful photos and commentary. Now for a general question: What is the "policy", informal and formal, on "doggie bags" in France and Italy. We often leave wonderful morsels on our plates because it seems brut to ask for a take-out.

[Debbie D]

I so enjoy your posts! I get a little trip to start my day with you and your family. I enjoy you writing and have forwarded various posts to friends. Keep them coming!
Merci! Deb

[Ronald Holden]

The photos are gorgeous and I'd give plenty to be there right now. But, fact is, it's not St. Remo, it's San Remo. (Yes, it's St. Rémy de Provence, but that's short for Saint Rémy.) All the :sainted" Italia towns are San or Sa (abbreviation for Santa).

[Cassie Alexandrou in Dallas, TX]

I am living vicariously through your beautiful photos. Such a lovely way to start my day! Couldn't help but notice -- Jean Marc is wearing the shoes (dark green mocs)that he just bought.

Happy anniversary!

[Dennis]

Bonjour,

Great photos BUT the one of you carrying your Nikon gives me chills. Please wrap the neck strap around your wrist if you insist on carrying your camera that way. Other wise you are looking for an accident or trouble to happen. One bump or little slip and the camera will have a shorter life than planned. No camera does well after it is inadvertenly dropped on the hard ground.

In the unlikely event you are in a city that has some "opportunists" for a snatch and grab, it would be very easy to come up from behind you and grab the dangling neck strap and run away. They could be 5 meters away by the time you could react.

Just some friendly adise from a reader that truly respects you and appreciates you work.

Dennis
San Francisco

[Antoinette]

I really enjoyed seeing the pictures of your trip to Liguria. I was born in Italy, but I have never been to Liguria, not yet any way! Keep up the good work and the pictures!

[Christine Webb-Curtis]

I, too, am curious to know what your father is reading there on the table. I don't know if we're insatiable readers or just nosy! But do tell. Thanks.

Chris

[joie]

Looks like le chapeau went full circle! I want some of those coffee bags! I have been looking for decent ones that are inexpensive. And you can never have enough photos of laundry hanging in Italy. Just like you can't have enough of windows and doors. Or Farmers markets of which I am about to head out to to photograph and buy some peaches and rasberries. Maybe some fresh cheese and honey and have a couple of oysters for lunch. I have a couple of uses for them. Living on the coast in California one forgets the closeness of another state let alone another country. How can it take only 3 hours to get from Bandol to Italy? Is there a super highway?

[Robin]

Hey maybe I do not have to spray paint my furniture this year, just buy a great table cloth! great foto of your dad. Lucky you.

[joie]

For some reason I thought Bandol was on the Atlantic. So now that I see where it is I see why it only takes 3 hours to go to Italy.

[Trina, St. Petersburg, Florida, USA]

Oh, yes! Enjoyed this virtual travel immensely! As always, thank you for sharing.

[Ellen from B.H.]

Delightful! Your adventures are as much vicarious fun as a summer movie set in France or Italy.

[Natalia]

Our dear Kristi,
What absolutely glorious pictures! Starting with the (now family!) hat and taking us along with all of you on this wonderful trip!No better way to be an arm chair tourist! Or start the weekend!
THANK YOU!!
Love, Natalia XO
PS Completely refreshing to see beautiful you in that pink jacket! It is SO hot here in the West that it's nice to remember what cooler weather is like!

[JULES GREER - PUERTO VALLARTA, MEXICO]

Darling Kristi,

I adore all of the photos of you and your Dad - I especially like the one of Kip & Jean-Marc with the lettuce, they both look so happy. I am on my 5th painting in five days - trying to paint my way to understanding how to do portraits of you... I have now added this great photo of Kip and JM to my list.

By the way - all of those photos you took off of my camera in France will not download...what has happened.

XOXO

MOM

[Stacy ~ Sweet Life Farm ~ Applegate, Oregon]

Kristi,

Do you remember the "family hat" you inherited when I accompanied you and your dad to visit family (your grandmother?) back in 1990? I have photos of you in that hat which greatly resembled the hat in today’s photos. One of those walks down memory lane…

Thanks for sharing more of Italy with us. Enjoy your weekend!

[mary]

Darling photo's Kirsten and what a beautiful
day trip for all of you!!!

[Maureenann Hilton]

Your dad photographs wonderfully!

should be modeling, he is a natural....never posing really, just caught in a great pose!

J.M. always looks untidy!! tee hee;)

handsome dad!

[Ally]

Love your photos and your blog- thank you for sharing!

[Jan]

We've just returned home from a long and lovely holiday at Les Arcs. Your three-hour journey from Bandol to San Remo is the same as ours from Melbourne Airport to our home in Dunkeld! Loved your pics. We often used to cross to Ventimiglia from Menton when we stayed there. So close but quite different.

[JULES GREER - PUERTO VALLARTA, MEXICO]

HI Maureenann,

I had to laugh at your comment about JM looking untidy...John and I are always telling Kristi we want to dress JM up because he is so beautiful. I'll tell Kristi over and over, buy Jean-Marc some beautiful clothes...Kristi just laughs and says, "Mom, do you think I am crazy, I'm not going to put him out 'all decked out' on the Riveaira (sp?)...I know what I'm doing!

My John is very, very picky about his clothes, as is Kip. They both look polished perfect everyday...of course they aren't out sawing down trees and triming vines plus all of the other outdoor work JM does to run a vineyard and now an olive farm. It seems to me a few weeks ago when Ann Mah visited for dinner in the garden one of the photos of JM was knock-down beautiful...Kristi please post that photo for Maureenann and me so we can appreciate how GQ he was that night.

XOXO

JULES

[Sarah AUffret]

What utterly charming photos! I loved being able to share your trip. I've never written before, but I had to let you know. Thank you.

[Barbara Penn - Palmdale, California]

Keep the window and door pictures coming. They are so charming. I always wonder: "Who lives there?' I wonder what is in the jars hanging from the window in picture #6.Do you have any idea. I notice Jean-Marc is wearing his new olive loafers; very nice. I agree with your idea of not dressing him up too well. We women know about these things! Love your blog. I can take a quick trip to France (or, in this case, Italy) with all you good-looking, happy people. France is definitely on my bucket list.

[Judy Arrieta]

Enjoyed the pictures in this one, very much.

[Diane Young]

Loved all the photos and the gorgeous colors of the produce. Puzzled about the temperature in San Remo. It's in the low 90's here on the Atlantic but you and Marsha seem bundled up and even Jean-Marc looks bundled up in hoodie. By the way, JM is way too Mamma Mia to spoil by dressing up. Anybody can wear nice clothes but very few can exude the appeal of JM/. Merci from an elderly widow.

[JULES GREER - PUERTO VALLARTA, MEXICO]

Hi Diane,

Love your comment...Mamma Mia!!!

XOXO

JULES

[Judi Miller, Lake Balboa, CA]

Kristin,
Oh, my! I so want to be there with you all! Every picture tells a wonderful story. And, today, I learned an English word - I thought at first your title was a mistake "What is a "nappe" in French?" - because I have never ever heard of the word 'nappe' in English. So much for my linguistics degree!

We are starting to think about an itinerary for Spring, 2014, and are wondering just how much of France we can squeeze in to four weeks -- and, now after this post, I want to add Italy!!!I think I'm in trouble! I want to go everywhere - especially when you show us the wonderful travel pics of you and your family, living life!

P.S. I have a 'Mr. BackPack' who lives & travels very much in the same fashion as J-M, so I smile every time Mr. Sacks comes into the picture!

[Janet]

You are so fortunate to have such cordial and loving relationships with your parents and in-laws! I know it's not always perfect, but everyone tries... When does Jacquie leave for the U.S.?