Christmas Beginnings

So, I had been sick after the foie gras incident, so sick that I could barely stand at school. It took five days to recover. But that Saturday was so perfect that it made up for it.

I met Raphaëlle, a student , for lunch at this incredible Chinese buffet in Tours-Nord. We at our weight in spring rolls and stirfry vegetables, capping it off with mandarin ice cream (a gastronomic triumph), while talking about everything from how I was finding France to traveling in general to school to her  plans for exchange and how much we both like Chinese food. Her and her parents are saving for her to do some sort of exchange when she has finished the baccalaureate. We talked about being in a different country and my thoughts on having to be doing something, like teaching or university or school if you want to stay for a long time. She said she is quiet and that makes it difficult. She is also worried about her English, which is crazy good. All French people are like that. They don’t realise that to us, having another language and being good at it is amazing, let alone having two or three. She is the sweetest.

I left Raphaëlle and headed down through Tours-Nord, toward the shopping district of Tours. I ended up seeing parts of Tours-Nord that I had never seen and despite the chill in the air it was lovely. When faced with the bridge across the Loire River, I realised that all the Christmas lights had gone up, along with a Ferris Wheel and giant Christmas tree.  Having been out of the way for the past week, it was as if magical elves had come along to give me a little Christmas present. I ran into Monoprix to buy a men’s woollen scarf (about 15€ less expensive and still pale pink). Bundled up, I walked down Rue  Nationale, realising that Christmas carols were playing from speakers (not only on rue Nationale, literally all over town). I turned off onto one of the main roads and was confronted with a german style Christmas market. Perfection. I wandered through, soaking it all in. I felt betterfor the first time in days, but I felt more Christmassy than I think I have in my life. Something about the cold makes it even more Christmas.

Arriving home, I made a big pot of pumpkin soup, accidentally pouring in half the cinnamon, spreading its lovely scent all through my house. Pat and I had moved in together and this was the first night that it felt small again. Me size. It was warm and Christmas and a package had arrived from my parents and my house felt cosy and sweet and was everything I ever wanted it to be.

(On writing this now, I miss Christmas! The really cute Christmas market, the carols, the visitors- still haven't taken down my Christmas tree!)