#12- Christmas Spectacle

On Tuesday, David had a Dr. appt. and got the go-ahead to begin driving again.

This is a glass recycle depot and for the first time, I got to see them unloading it. Throughout the towns and cities there are these bins where you take all your glass for recycle and get to push them through a bottle-size hole and hear them smash. I never knew how they got emptied till I came on the process as I was strolling around Grenoble. A big garbage truck comes and lifts the whole thing up over the truck. The floor gets released and the glass falls out. Then they lower it back to the sidewalk and the floor locks back in place. It's a very noisy operation.
On Thursday, we went to Grenoble to do some errands and we walked around in the Christmas market

and tasted some samples. Lots of lovely crafts made by artisans-such as-candles, soap, leather work, wooden toys, hats, scarves, and also lots of food and drink booths.

The Quebec/Canadian booth was present again with maple products and beer.

It was a beautiful day and not a lot of people because it was a weekday morning.

These are the sugar cookies and salt ornaments the kids made for their teachers.

Strings of lights made with M&M's, and on the ornaments, they're done with their fingerprints.

Thursday evening the parents left for Paris to pick up Madeline in the morning at the airport. They stopped halfway and had a 20th anniversary get away for the night.

Her plane was 2 or 3 hours late and they arrived home after 9 p.m. Friday night, much to the delight of everyone.

Saturday 21st was the town's day long celebrations. 

I went to the market in the morning, watched some entertainment, saw a petting zoo and a 'cow' you could milk

 and had coffee with Mme. Blondeau, Veronique, and her sister, Vivien. Veronique is the landlady of my family.  I met them in the town square and we chatted in our broken French and English. We also helped to create one of the sapins (Christmas trees) that were being constructed by the public.

Later, the artist showed people how to spray paint green, and garland to make them look like trees. I didn't manage to get an 'after' picture as I was busy with other things. There was a flash mob at 3:15 but I was busy on the wagon ride singing carols. We did manage to see many people arriving with Santa hats on before we climbed into the wagon, but I'm not sure what they did. 

There were clowns and lots of activities and socializing, including vin chaud.

In the early evening there was a 'magic show' which was more illusions and entertaining than magic. I enjoyed watching the fascination on Joanna's face, but couldn't catch a picture because I was outside looking in.

I did manage to catch the 'Pere Noël' band arriving.

That was followed by the Spectacle (Show- not French for fireworks as I previously thought)

a 15 minute, non-stop fireworks show to the music of Queen, with the finale "We Are the Champions". It was a great day and beautiful weather, which finished with rain, after we got home.

Monday, in Grenoble, I captured a rainbow over the Bastille

Tuesday Madeline finished off our Advent tree.  

You may notice that our Christmas tree is now smaller. We had to get a new one. When the boys carried the old one outside and thumped it a couple of times this was the result.

On Christmas Eve we carried candles over to place on Mme. Blondeau's outdoor table. And she sent some for ours. She did that the first year they were here, but I haven't been able to find if there is a tradition.  She and Vivien also brought over gateau for us to share and visit for a few minutes.

Now we wait for Norad to tell us Santa is close (which is what we threatened, to get little kids to bed). The rest of us played a game and then close to midnight the parents did the usual wee hours wrapping after the rest had gone to bed.

Merry Christmas to all and a Happy and Blessed New Year.

🎄   🥂   ❤