Reader, it happened: a stranger bonjour-ed me first. On a tiny back alley off Roi René, I was minding my own moustache when—bam—unsolicited civility. After months of hearing “we don’t say hello to strangers on the street,” I have identified the obvious scientific variable: the beard.Last year I began the Great Grow-Out™ and noticed subtle changes: lingering glances, double takes, the occasional small child pointing as if I were a migrating ibex. My Los Angeles neighbor insisted people were just scared of me (rude, but fair). I miss our trips to the Underground Shaving Parlor—hot towels, existential chats, and enough bay rum to pickle a ship’s crew.
The current mission: a classic handlebar by Christmas. The sides are twirling nicely; the middle remains… shy. Patience, wax, and the steadfast belief that I will one day look like a postcard from 1907 that says “Greetings from Aix—please admire my facial architecture.”
Mini field notes: “Bonjour” etiquette in the wild
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Shops, offices, elevators: always “Bonjour” on entry; “Au revoir/Bonne journée” on exit.
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Residential stairs & small alleys: a nod or “Bonjour” is common, especially if you make brief eye contact.
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Busy streets: optional; Provence is friendlier than Paris, but context rules.
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Rule of thumb: if someone looks at you like you’re already mid-conversation, go for it. If they’re locked in AirPod-world, let them be.
Tiny vocab for beardy banter
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la barbe / le bouc / la moustache — the beard / goatee / moustache
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Je la laisse pousser. — I’m letting it grow.
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Ça me va ? — Does it suit me?
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Le barbier / un rasage à l’ancienne — the barber / an old-school shave
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La cire à moustache — moustache wax (aka hope in a tin)
Conversation starters you can steal (A2-friendly)
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« J’essaie le style “guidon”. Ça marche ? » — I’m trying a handlebar. Is it working?
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« Bonjour ! J’adore votre moustache — très Aixois ! » — Hi! I love your moustache—very Aixois!
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« Je vais chez le barbier. Vous en recommandez un dans le centre ? » — I’m off to the barber. Any recommendations in the center?
Until then, I’ll keep strolling alleys, practicing my wax twirl, and conducting further research on spontaneous bonjours. If this keeps up, I may have to register the beard as a social device with the prefecture.