Le Quatorze Juillet

Mercredi, 13 juillet
La Fête commence

Our celebrations started as soon as Wilf got back from work, announcing that he had Friday off as well as 14th. There's a firework display later on the other side of town and something to do with flaming torches outside the Town Hall. These turn out to be paper lanterns with a candle inside. The person in front of me is asked if she deserves one, if she's been working hard. The helper jokes that I need to pay. I tell him that since the referendum, I've paid for it in tears and a broken heart and he gives me a very special spherical lantern. As I ask for a light, a small girl admires it and we swap. I am ridiculously pleased with mine, whatever shape it is.


There is a samba band. At 10.15 they start to move along the square and lead everyone gently across town, tricoloured lanterns swinging gently as we go, past the library, over the river and along the opposite bank. As we meander, I reflect on the difference between French and British Health and Safety. I'm not sure that we'd have seen burning candles, paper and small children in a crowd in the Uk. The band stops, we stop and the fireworks start: a fabulous display for half an hour.

Jeudi, 14 juillet
La Fête Nationale

 A quiet, lazy day. The shops are open Sunday hours (morning only) and people are starting to leave for holidays. There is a big concert in the square up the road but we go up too late and miss all the fun, though the bars are overflowing onto the closed road and everyone's having a good time. It's the following day when we hear about the attack in Nice: 85 people mown down by a lorry. 


Vendredi, 15 juillet
Nous avons des tickets pour un festival
Our "local" is having a promo event for a music festival close by at the end of the month. Free tickets can be won and I'm hoping to repeat last year's success. Unfortunately, the way to win is by a "Name that Tune" quiz so I don't even try. We do, though, have a good supper of bread, cheese, charcuterie with some good beers to wash it down. We admit defeat and buy tickets but at a good reduction. We're just going for the Sunday session but it'll do. My "sanity and wits they will all vanish, I promise.........."