I am in the midst of my Sunday morning trawl through the blogsphere, and I have just read Jaqueline’s Brown’s delightful French Village Diairies.
As a fellow foodie, Jacqui has posted up a lovely piece on Chandeleur- or French Pancake Day.
For those that know me, I hate Winter, and refer to it sullenly as "The Dark Time".
I take the cold and dark as a personal affront, and reader, so should you!
Candlemas, or Chandeleur, as Jacqui points out, is the mid-point between the shortest day and the Spring equinox.
In plain terms, the light quality is going to get better from tomorrow, the days will get longer and people, and we are moving headlong towards Spring.
In France they have the saying to say this:
"L'hiver cesse ou reprend vigueur"
Great News!
Not so if you, like me can now see the grey streaks on the windows that sorely need a clean, or the film of grease laid down over on the pans sitting atop the Aga after months of stolid rib sticking cooking.
Yes, it’s time to Spring Clean alright, but what better time to do it? France’s beauty comes into its own at this time of year, and evidence will shortly stack up around us all to hammer the point home.
Things start to open up - there will be new wine tastings at local Portes Ouvertes, local festivals, and things to do other than chop firewood and skulk out to the supermarket on a dank, cold day.
We might even start to venture out into our beloved gardens once again.
We all know the expression:
"Say it with flowers"
In France, they say nothing, and just sit a table and tuck into yet another wonderful family meal.
Isn't it just what makes France such a great place to live?
I think so.
Read my blog atHaddock In The Kitchen.