After such a wonderful day at Rennes last week, how could I decline an invitation to some Christmas events in Lannion with Frances and Laura? I woke up at the crack of dawn to make sure I had enough time to find the bus stop and catch the bus on time. I was about thirty minutes early, but that's always better than missing the bus.
I passed the time by attempting to chat with a lady who was waiting for the same bus. I was really pleased with myself for making the effort, and when she got off the bus, she made a point of finding me, and wishing me luck for the rest of my time in France. How lovely?! Also, the bus is such a bargain compared to the price of the trains. It was only €2 on the bus, where the equivalent journey on the train is just under €7. I asked for my ticket in my best French and the bus driver had a big grin on his face, obviously smiling at my wonderful attempt at a French accent!
After an hour I arrived in Lannion, and I was met by Laura and Frances. The first event on the To-Do List was the decorating of the town christmas tree. Unfortunately absolutely no one was there, so we went for a walk instead. First we walked along the river and watched some people kayaking; some only wearing shorts! They must have been freezing. That said, the weather for mid December was quite lovely, brisk enough to see your breath, but lots of sun too.
We then walked back to the apartment through the town, and I managed to get a snap of some of the town's decorations.
Back at the apartment we had pizza followed by some lovely treats that Frances had picked up from the local patisserie. I must admit that I felt like Mary Berry, sat by the table sampling Lannion's delicious pastries, with my chocolat chaud in hand!
(Lemon tart, Paris Brest and Coffee and Speculoos Eclair)
After a lovely catch up, we made some origami dragons! Thank you Carrie Hope Fletcher for the tutorial. I am so happy to have found people who are just like me in France! I loved our little origami tea party. Before we knew it, the time had come to leave the house in search of more christmas activities.
We walked a different way into town, through a wooded area, which reminded me of similar places back home. We got back to our starting point, and in all honesty, the tree was no more decorated than it had been in the morning. However, there were far more people about this time, and we could see a Mrs Clause who towered about her hubby (how bizarre?), and there were lots of people dressed as elves doing circus type things.
Behind Mr and Mrs Christmas, there was a celtic type band with bagpipes, oboes, drums and bombards (a double reeded instrument similar to the oboe but much smaller, and specific to the region of Brittany) began to play.
The band started marching, following the lead of Father Christmas, some juggling elves and a very enthusiastic man waving a flag, and lo and behold, we became part of the parade!
Conveniently, the parade came to a standstill in the town square which was lined with tents. The band formed a circle and continued to play their music whilst the flag was being waved about.
After the band finished we had a look in the tents, and they were serving free chocolat chaud and vin chaud! Free!!! I should have picked the hot chocolate because mulled wine really isn't my things, and wasn't the most pleasant drink I've ever had. Then, along the table, people were giving out lanterns for a parade that was happening later on through the town. We made our lanterns, but unfortunately it was time for me to go home before the parade began!
Yet again, I had such a fantastic day, and maybe I am starting to enjoy being in France a little bit more than I have been previously. It really helps when you go out and make the most of your time, and experience different things that you wouldn't get at home. When will I ever celebrate Father Christmas coming to town in a celtic parade again?
This was my final weekend in France before the New Year, and it's fair to say, it has been one of the most cultural by far!
Thank you Frances and Laura for another wonderful weekend!
A bientôt!
Bises
Jess
xx
Absolutely loving the pictures!
ReplyDeleteVery festive :D