Poser un Lapin

                                                                            
                      Last Week's Clue 
                                                           
Expression:  Poser un Lapin       Literal translation: To place a Rabbit  
    
French Colloquial Meaning: To stand someone up.  


     ......... BUT..   NO ONE was stood up on our  Maison des Pelerins home buying trip.  Within a few days of closing and moving into “our dream” – still setting up and making sure that we acquired everything we needed for the smooth running of the house, we were invited to  the late summer inside the walls neighborhood pot luck dinner, which was taking place at the newly refurbished Place des Barrys.  Dinner was to be on Friday night  – “.....please bring your own chairs and tables as well as your contribution for the potluck dinner.”

    Getting there was a bit hectic. We moved into the house on Tuesday morning and dinner was to be on Friday evening – no problem, lots of time to prepare!   Monsieur and Madame who sold us the house, knowing that we were starting from scratch, had been kind enough to leave us several items that would prove invaluable over the next few days.  They left a bed, a sofa, a table, the refrigerator,  the click-clack and some dishes and silver ware – it is very unusual in a French property transaction. Shopping to set up a house and everything in it whilst finding places to sell the necessary items rendered every minute critical, if we were going to get done before heading back home in three weeks.  Fortunately, we had the help of our good friends who had travelled all the way from Australia (Dieu merci for friends with such dedication!)    The neighborhood dinner was however, something that we wouldn’t have missed for the world – what a wonderfully welcoming gesture for our new neighbors to invite us.  
    
    So…. In the midst of a shopaholic’s dream ….it was suddenly Friday….. the living room and dining room furniture had been delivered on Wednesday and Thursday, the guys were at the house watching over the workers who were installing the new Poele (wood burning stove) on a 90+ deg. Day!   Mon amie et moi  - we  were in the middle of buying rugs, lighting fixtures, end tables, knick knacks  and so on.  Dinner?  Potluck?  No need to be intimidated …. We were in Provence after all – with great food all around us.  So... while in Vaison la Romaine, with the help of the Traiteur and the Patisserie -  all was taken care of. The aperitif - paté and cornichons with a thinly sliced baguette and a mixture of locally cured olives;  The meal: Cavaillon melon with ham for starters, Roasted Chicken, ratatouille and salad, followed by local cheese, finishing with  an incredible tarte citron.  It was all taken care of (and not by me). 

    The appointed time for dinner was 6pm. We managed to pull it together and walked hurriedly to the Place, arriving just after six.  We were greeted by…. no one!   OK, deep breath ….. we’ll set up our tables and chairs and surely the others will arrive soon.  Still no one.  Had we got the time and day wrong or had we been stood up?

                                 
                                                               Table, chairs, food, wine, camera...... action?         
    
    The four of us enjoyed a glass of wine and looked around nervously – trying not to feel completely silly, when we were saved by one of the neighbors who came out into her garden.  When asked about the evening's dinner (with our fingers crossed) she replied, "le diner commence vers sept heures. (dinner starts around 7pm)" ....  Well …. one out of two isn’t bad!  We had the right day but we were an hour early.    Nevertheless, we were very relieved when others started arriving soon and the rest of the party was set up.  No, they did not posent un lapin!

                   
                       Great company, great food, great wine, memorable evening - spectacular sunset.


    As we watched a spectacular sun set over the Plan de Dieu on that hot August night, les vioisins du quartier started to assemble and we finally met many of the people we had hesitantly exchanged “bonjours” with over the past week.  We met the gentleman whom we had heard singing as he worked in his garden each morning;  our new next door neighbors on one side and another new next door neighbor  the curé, who  resides in the presbytery which backs onto our courtyard;  we met families and people who had been born in the area and lived there all their lives, and others who had moved to Provence from larger Cities. We  also met other part-time Sabletains like ourselves who owned  vacation homes in the village.   The children were eager to finish their dinner, and get on with playing with their friends.  The evening progressed with lots of fun in French, English and Franglais.  There was much good natured teasing amongst the varous neighbors.  Those of us who were new to the scene, thoroughly enjoyed the music of it all, the rhythm of the conversation, the laughter and the after dinner sing-along. The evening lasted until well past midnight.

       Little did we know then,  that this would be the first of many, many enjoyable evenings with our new neighbors and friends.  Although it was not our experience during the years we had travelled in France,  people say that the French are very “closed” and don’t accept new arrivals into their midst very easily.   
                                                 ...............They haven’t visited Sablet.


Translations:

Dieu merci - Thank God!

Traiteur - Caterer - Shop that sells prepared food.

Patisserie - Cake shop - Bakery

les voisins du quartier - the neighbors from the area.

click-clack -  sofa-bed (one that lets the back fold out to make a bed)


                                              ~ French Expressions ~

Here's the new clue.....    

                                    
                                                                                      Know what this guy is about??

    Tell us what you think..... we'd love to hear from you!

Posted by Marianne at 6/7/2009 4:48 PM
Categories: Vacations, French Expressions, Travel, France, Sablet
Tags: we were invited to the late summer inside the walls neighborhood pot luck dinner
 

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