Christmas 2012 was quiet. We woke up in time to attend Christmas morning mass at St. Louis church located in the town square. Normally their services are standing room only and their homilies a little political, but mass was a little different from the usual that day. I think most of their regular attendees were out of town visiting families. The church bells had stopped ringing before we arrived to the church door (usually a sign that they have started). I was pleasantly surprised to see that not only were there seats still available, but we were not the only people to arrive late. The service and homily centered around the story of the nativity. It is one of my favorite stories. It's familiarity facilitated the translation from french.
Afterwards we tried to bring a bit of the US here in France by having an American breakfast. I found Aunt Jemima's pancake mix as well as syrup at the grocery store- in the International section of course. Hash browns are usually an easy find, but unfortunately bacon remains elusive. Blog after blog proclaim the fact that American bacon can be found here in France. The latest blog I read directed Americans in France to ask for de la barde. So at the Super U (our local grocery store), I went to butcher and asked him if he had any barde... b-a-r-d-e. I often spell things out because I know my accent can be an obstacle to international understanding. After trying to pronounce it a few ways and then spelling it, the butcher finally understood and said he would go in the back to see if he had any. After a few minutes, he came out with what looked like raw pig skin. Nope. No thanks. With that, our quest for bacon continues. We had to settle ham, which is tasty, but it is not bacon.
That evening, after skyping with family, we had our Christmas meal - lobster, homemade crab cakes, green beans and potatoes. Thomas and I are not great cooks. However, fresh ingredients in our weekly markets means that we don't need a ten page ingredients list or fancy sauces to make meals that stimulate and satisfy our taste buds. We just need a few good, quality ingredients. I frankly don't have the patience for a recipe that has more than five steps or takes half a day to prepare. Our Christmas meal took forty minutes to put together and most of it was waiting for things to bake in the oven.
Back in the states, the days leading up to Christmas would involve lots of shopping and the day after Christmas would be spent taking advantage of those after Christmas sales. That is one tradition I am glad we left out of our celebrations this year. I spent a couple of hours on amazon finding books on French history, language, and culture - perfect gifts for our family who will travel to France next year. I found a well reviewed history book - The Black Count by Tom Reiss - on the NYT 100 notable books of 2012 -for my history buff brother-in-law. It is a biography of the Alexander Dumas' father who was not just a general in Napoleon's army but a son of a slave to boot. It is said that his adventures were the basis for some of the stories his son wrote. I also found a Rick Steve's book on the European Art and History, because you get more out of travel if you appreciate the history behind the sites you are seeing. And of course a french book or two for the family, because when in France one must parler français. You will miss so much if you walk around your english speaking bubble. Shopping online meant that with only a few clicks, I could shop, wrap and ship the gifts. They were under the tree at my sister's house in four days.
The day after Christmas, instead of shopping, we took the beagles for a long walk through the Parc de Saint Cloud. We had the park to our selves today. Scout was allowed to go off leash so she could wander and follow the scents like a good beagle. We walked a good two hours today. That is why the beagles slept for the rest of the afternoon.
There was neither hussle nor bussle during Christmas this year. It was spent enjoying the quiet of our town through walks around the neighborhood and parks. There was no frenzied shopping. There was just a trip to the market where the vendors had a little extra time to talk. There was no fighting holiday traffic but instead a hike through meandering paths that wound up and down through a wooded park where during the two hours we saw only four people. I understand why Thomas prefers to stay home for the holidays. It does give you time to relax. Although, I do miss the family. I wouldn't mind a little bussle every other year.
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| Hike always starts at the farm where Molly gets to greet her friend. |
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| Scout exploring the woods. |
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| Scout, exhausted. |
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| Molly is out for the night. |