In anticipation of Nicholas and Lindsey's arrival next week(hooray!!) we are trying to make this place a little festive. For starters, Nick, Sarah and I put up a little Christmas tree on sunday night. We are doing the minimalist thing this year; small tree, using a large clay pot as tree stand, single strand of white lights, star on top and best of all it's decorated with beautiful, foil wrapped chocolate ornaments! There are pine cones, bells, Santas, round balls and snowmen. They look wonderful now, will be delicious later and won't need to be packed up to bring home next year!
While we're on the subject of Christmas and trees etc, from what we've observed around here, there is definitely a pleasant lack of commercialism to Christmas. Don't get me wrong, the stores have decorations, the garden shops are FULL of every possible tree decoration it makes your head spin and their are lights decorating each town. Aix looks spectacular!! But, in general, there is just less of everything, in a tasteful way. The Cours Mirabeau is all lit up and there are little chalet like houses where the merchants sell their wares. You can buy all kinds of foods; cookies, sweets, chocolates, olive oils, jams and callisons(the almond candies this area is famous for) to name a few. There is jewelry, stuffed animals, crafts, soaps, lavender products, hats, scarves-you get the idea. Most of it is great stuff and then there are things you look at and wonder if they will sell even one item!
Lest you get hungry or thirsty while you stroll and shop, there are also vendors selling Vin Chaud, something like fried dough, roasted chestnuts, nutella crepes, cotton candy(and we thought that was an American thing) and more.
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