Noel en France

Our arrival in France was unknown to all Elo's friends and family. Nat, was the first to find out because we had to call her from the airport in Nantes for a lift and a place to stay. Although she didn't have a car!!!!!It didn't take her long to find one and save us from the airport. Nat and Vince took us in for the night, and while their english is as terrible as my french, we had a lovely night.


Then to the real surprise. The family. We arrived at the corner of Elo's street and jumped out of the car with our Santa hats on. Then crept around the fence next door to Elo's house. We started for the front door when Elo saw the garage door open and her Dad,Robert, inside. So we looked away and sped up straight to the front door. Then without knocking, walked inside to give her mum, Cathy, a heart attack. There were a few yelps and a couple of tears, and then Robert entered from the back with a very puzzled look. He was very happy to see us but seemed to be trying to work out who the two idiots in Santa hats were skipping along his front yard. Mystery solved.


Elo's family have a long christmas dinner on Christmas Eve, and it was then, at 1900 when they were having an apperitive, that we had originally planned to arrive at the house. But, with our early arrival, there was time to talk to her parents, time to set two more places at the table, the opportunity to surprise her brother when he arrived, then her cousins, aunt and uncle, then finally her grandparents. So it worked out well all afternoon.


We later found out that when Elo and I had walked in to her parents house, her mum had just dialled the number for her sister Pascale, Elo's aunt. But with us walking in just then, hung up and forgot about it. This would have been fine, exept that Pascale had answered the phone and heard the noises of a person getting a huge surprise. Which to me sounded like someone having quite serious heart problems. Pascale had thought the same, and that the phone call had come from her mum, Elo's Grandma. So when Pascale tried to return the call and there was no answer she was obviously concerned. After a few attemps though, Pascale reached Grandma to find out her heart was just fine.

Left to right: Cathy, Steve, Lǽtitia, Pappy, Mammy, David, Jacky, Robert and Pascale.
My first christmas present in France. A Beach Fishing Rod.
The other opening presents.

Everyone had a great night. The family tradition is to open one set of presents before the start of dinner, eg, parents to children, then after the entree, children to parents and so forth.

So between the dozen courses and various combinations of present giving we started around 7pm and finished eating just before midnight!!!! So after coffee and a long game of cards, it was 5am by the time we went to bed. Alors!!!!!!!