Christmas Concert

Place Gambetta--a fellow big foot

Diane and Jerry are gone and safely in London.  Bob and Chris are gone and are safely in London.  Jason is safely in London. It feels a little lonely here; I got used to having all those people around.

Yesterday I could not hold my eyes open.  When I returned from the train station after seeing Diane and Jerry off, I settled in to do some reading.  I have no idea if I even got one page read, much less an entire chapter. I woke up and it was after 1:00.  I tried to read some more, but just couldn't manage it.

I did check and take care of a few e-mails for the district later in the early evening, but then made the mistake of trying to read again.  I finally gave up and went to bed shortly after 9, and slept most of the night through.  I guess I was just exhausted.  The pace we'd been keeping, all of the activities we crammed into their time in Paris and here in Carcassonne and the anxiety produced by the last minute train issues simply did me in.  After the sleep-athon and a nice shower this morning, I was ready to resume my routine---but not entirely as it was.  Jerry and Diane's visit allowed me to go out in the evening, something I had not been doing.  I will work that into my routine.  Things are happening at night, and God forbid I should miss something. 

I went to the market this morning and got the makings for a beef stew.  I also bought a regional specialty called aligot--it's a mixture of mashed potatoes and cheese. Diane and Jerry and I had talked to the guy who was making a big cauldron of it on Thursday morning.  I promised him that I would return on Saturday, and I bought just enough for one person.  We chatted for a little while.  He asked where I was from and I told him the United States.  He talked of his experience living in Washington DC, New York City and Chicago. We both agreed that Carcassonne is a lovely city in which to live.  He gave me the warming instructions for the aligot. I understood him perfectly, and he complimented me on my French.  I had already bought the aligot, so I think he was sincere, and not just trying to be nice to sell me something. I tried the dish, just a spoonful, this evening, for dinner--yum, yum.  But what's not to like about potatoes and cheese? 

Saint Vincent, waiting for the choir

It was raining softly, but by the time I came home, it had stopped.  I spent the afternoon catching up on my writing and doing a little but of housework. I read the paper, and discovered that there was a Concert de Noel at Saint Vincent's church this afternoon at 4:00. 

I took the long way there, just because it was a nice afternoon for a walk.  When I arrived in Carcassonne, the city workers had the street leading there all torn to hell and gone, but now it's fixed and blocked off just for pedestrians.  Nice for a stroll.  I think everyone in the Bastide was out--skating at Carnot, sampling the carnival hot wine, or just chatting in the middle of the street with friends and neighbors. 

Choir de Saint Louis

 The concert?  Oh dear me....Silent Night AND O Holy Night on the same program!!!  In French, no less. They also did Berlioz's Shepherds' Farewell, and Bizet's March of the Kings.  It felt Christmas-y, that's for sure.  I have also decided that I don't like the sound of the piano in the cathedral, at least at Saint Vincent. I don't know if it's the acoustics in there, or the piano that's in there. No wonder there are tuning issues with it; there's no heat, and after about an hour and 15 minutes, even I began to feel the cold. How can they possibly keep a piano in good playing condition?

To my dear ORCA Singers: Yes, I give you a bad time, and drive you pretty hard. But I would match you up against any choir I have heard here so far, and do so proudly. (Except for the Soweto Gospel Choir--and they're pros, so that doesn't really count.) Just wanted you to know that.