Joyeuses Fetes de Paques!

Have been to Mass at the Cathedral (Saint Front here in Perigueux) this morning. Had been meaning to go and check a service out there for a while and figured the happiest day in the Christian calender was as good a day as any. Was a nice, pretty standard Catholic service (but with a cool African choir who sung a couple of the bits) and the cathedral was packed today...as well as Easter there was a baptism. Not enough congretational singing for my liking though...no hymns really and even the service bits people didn't really join in with. On reflection I should really have gone to the 9pm Vigile Pascale yesterday...I was in Cyprus for Easter last year and this service was lovely with all the candle-lighting.

My mum sent me a really cool box of little Easter treats :-) so have been enjoying those. Here in France the children are told that the bells bring them their chocolate eggs from Rome when they start ringing again on Easter Sunday after two days silence, some familys also do hunts and the traditional dinner today is lamb. The chocolate shops and supermarkets have had eggs in for a while now, but there were no Hot Cross Buns on Friday. Town was actually really busy...surprisingly most of the bakers are open today and tomorrow (even though it's a bank holiday) and the market was there with lots of people getting their veg and nice pastries and things.

We're going up to Eddie's this afternoon for a big get together, and our own Easter Feast! I've made this random but yummy looking jelly, stawberry, meringue and chocolate concoction! And day off tomorrow :-)

Yesterday afternoon I went round to Muriel and Nicolas' lovely new house: had sables and some "Lemon Curd" I took round for them to try. Also played two traditional French games with Maya: "Le jeu de l'oie" (The game of the goose) and "Le cochon qui rit" (The laughing pig). Was fun! Then had a nice refreshing stroll back from their place and an early night!

Happy Easter!