Boxing Day

Christmas in Carcassonne was quiet.  It was warm and sunny here--when I took out the garbage and recycling, and purchased my newspaper, I didn't even need a coat. I made some delicious leek and vegetable soup, took care of some household chores, and then went for a walk in the gorgeous sunshine.  I came across a patisserie that was open, and treated myself to a slice of buche de noel.....that very French concoction--the yule log.  I didn't purchase an entire log, because I would eat an entire log.  Believe me, one slice was rich beyond even my imaginings.

Later in the evening, we had a thunderstorm, of all things.  There has been very severe weather up on the North Atlantic coast area of France--flooding has washed away parts of buildings.  People were without power for the holiday.  Officials closed the airport in Nice, so many travelers were stranded in the south of France.  Today we are to get some wind, but it's not supposed to be too cold. 

I Skyped with friends, read and felt myself coming down with a little cold.  So, I took myself off to bed after a dose of Airborne.  It was actually a perfect day, and I felt blessed.

This morning, I am still wrestling with a little cold.  After getting my morning paper and my daily French conversation, I went to the pharmacy right next door to the tabac to get some lozenges for my sore throat.  I just preface every conversation now with, "I'm sorry, but I don't speak French very well."  I explained that I had a little cold and a sore throat.  Together we found some lozenges and I made my way to the market for some fruit.

There is a big controversy brewing in France about the pharmacies.  You must buy all of your "medication" from a pharmacist.  You can't go to the grocery store and buy an aspirin or any other over the counter medication; you have to go to the pharmacist to get it.  The lawmakers are trying to end this monopoly on the OTC medications and allow them to be sold in a "regular" store.  Predictably, the pharmacists are against this change. 

So, Boxing Day finds me tucked into my apartment, feeling only slightly sorry for myself because I have a little head cold.  I now have a real excuse to stay in and read, and have tea, toast with milk and a soft-boiled egg--the healing foods of my childhood.  There's soup melding in the fridge if I get hungry and the sun is warming my living room.  I have plenty of lemons for my drinking water, several good books and plenty of pillows and warm blankets for napping.  It's shaping up to be another perfect day.