France really enjoys the Xmas period with every town and village having a Xmas fair or parade. We have been out and about enjoying these celebrations. Roanne has had a parade celebrating chocolate - each square has an event and you follow a band around between the squares - a fair with a skating rink for kids, molten chocolate dancing, in one , a flash mob dancing in another, and an Ariel act in the main square. This culminated in the Lady Mayoress taking to the sky as part of the Finale. It was chilly and the major restaurants were selling soup in the square at the end. As it was a bit crowded we headed off for a warming libation before tasting the soup and heading for home. .soups included chocolate and Clementine, Joesph gamely chose this unusual variety and quickly moved onto a more rustic vegetable soup. It was a very special evening and although it started with rain the skies cleared for the walk through the town.
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| Molten chocolate! |
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| The Flash mob! |
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| Laurel and Lorna in the Parade |
On Saturday the Christmas celebrations continued with a huge market around the port - the foire froid - dozens of stall selling everything from food and wine to gloves and carpets..... as well those 'special' offers...not one, not two but 3 free gifts with every purchase.
It was interesting for us to see how little 'Christmas' was on sale...no cards, no wrapping paper, just the occasional Santa hat .....no carols and certainly no 'Santa' Grotto or anything like it...certainly Christmas here is a very different celebration.
Back in the Port many of the barges added Xmas lights to celebrate the occasion! When Andrew put ours up we were surprised to see that they were the 'flashing' kind....all very gala!
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