Cold , grey weather has arrived.
So too have the Christmas decorations. Three wooden reindeer appear on the grass in front of the town hall. The mayors secretary has festooned the antlers with baubles. There are exactly five baubles per reindeer. Sophie eyes them up with studied caution.
The old weigh station by the church has been cordoned off with red and white tape. At first I think it may be part of the Christmas decor but closer examination shows that two of the wooden beams have rotted through. The new mayor informs me that there was nearly an 'incident' when the post van parked there. The right rear wheel of the post van 'sank' into the decaying timbers. How exciting is that !
On the other side of the lane a solitary Christmas tree has appeared. It is covered in what must be the shortest string of lights ever made.
So it is that our little corner of paradise segues into the Christmas spirit ( the man with anger management issues and the German billionaires builder - excepted ).
Even in a little French village where nothing ever happens .... something usually does.
6 comments:
I always enjoy the village's low key approach to Christmas decorations. An oh what excitement - a sinking post van!
I'm with Gail - once I got over my shock that the French are not inherently tasteful in their decorating, I've come to look forward to your holiday updates. We are having a Christmas tree shortage in Japan this year. It's not a local custom, as you might imagine, but they do bring over a bunch of trees from Oregon for the gaijin every year. They always arrive before the end of November and usually lose all their needles by mid-December. This year, there were very few and the price was tripled. So we will rely on a "rescue" tree from a few years ago that has managed to stay alive on the patio. It's looking a little scraggly, but it's been a pretty scraggly year and it will look fine with enough ornaments.
Sadly the Christmas decorations seem to be echoed by the dismal weather! Will any of them survive the festive season?
Will there be a ceremonial switching on of the lights? No doubt there have been secret meetings in the Town Hall to decide upon the level the whole village will be involved, and "eyes only" memo's passed back and forth? Canapes and wine, accompanied by a choir, at the ceremony?
A sinking post van - well perhaps that's excitement enough...
The big question though is - will the new mayor need to borrow your ladders Angus?
Nothing like a sinking post van to usher in the festive season
I would hasten a guess that the decorations will take flight ( literally ) when the first storm barrels down from the Pyrenees.
No maniacally flashing Christmas lights in the window of the village hall this year. We are divided as to whether that is a good or bad thing.
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