Bonjour mes amis and amies,
I hope you all had a great Christmas Day. It was a national holiday in France and almost everything was closed for the whole day while families and friends relaxed after Le Reveillon, the traditional long, lingering dinner on Christmas Eve.
Normally I’d be home relaxing too but this year was a bit different. It was the 100th anniversary of the Christmas Truce of the Great War. So, on Christmas morning I drove just across the French border and a few miles into Belgium to one of the places where the truce took place. I had a quite different day from usual with a few rather unexpected encounters. You can read about My Christmas Day here…
To celebrate the time of year we’re holding a Twelve Days of Christmas Give Away, starting with a pair of gorgeous French birds nest boxes. We also have loads of books to give away and free tickets for The France Show in London. Check the website every day or Facebook to see what’s on offer and how to enter the contest!
This Christmas has been the warmest on record in France but that’s not going to last, so if you’re making plans to come here – bring your warmest jumpers and if you have a second home here, don’t forget to drain down the water so the pipes don’t freeze.
It’s New Year’s Eve as I write this and I’ve spent quite a bit of it French style in the local boulangerie. Where ever you are, however you spent it, I hope you had a wonderful New Year’s Eve and I wish you happiness, good health and joy for the New Year,
Bonne Année
Bises from France
Janine
Editor
