A year and a decade in the rear view…

When you look ahead to the New Year, and in this case a new decade*, it’s tempting to leave the past behind. Especially with a year like 2019, which seemed quite challenging for many people (holding my hand up!). But if you keep moving forward without taking a moment to look back, you’ll miss out on the opportunity to celebrate successes and learn from the rest. Reflecting upon the past year also highlights what you can be grateful for.

Here are some useful dates for your calendars in 2020 – public holidays in France and other key events in the Languedoc area.

Have you heard of the Provençal Christmas tradition of 13 Desserts? They are traditionally set out Christmas Eve and remain on the table three days until December 27.
The usually observed rules: there are 13 desserts representing Jesus Christ and the 12 apostles. The list of 13 Desserts changes from one family to the other and there is a wide variety to choose from. Here are just a few ideas…

“This won’t be easy. I shall probably be lynched. You can hardly blame the pleasant town of Pézenas for gathering France’s greatest comic dramatist to the municipal bosom. Where would many places in England be if Charles I or II – roughly Molière’s contemporaries – hadn’t hidden in oaks or laid their heads here and there? Far be it from me to put the cat among the Piscénois, but in fact Molière’s connection with Pézenas is really a bit overpuffed. There. I’ve said it.”

Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays are the time of year when poultry is on many tables across France. To help you shop for the right bird, and to save you a couple pitfalls, here are some poultry related terms and references that might be useful.

Any town who houses its tourist office in a 17th century chapel deserves to be taken seriously in my opinion. As I step inside, I gaze up in awe at the vaulted stone ceilings below which are tasteful, modern, functional offices — a blend of old with new that the French seem to be so expert at. For me, this careful preservation of the old mixed with a desire to embrace modernity is the essence of present day Uzès.