Time to jump into the holiday season. And wow – after last month, this one was quite a switch in gears. Out came the decorations and our tree, an all-natural branched marvel that we found during our first year here. It swivels from a flat stance to a three dimensional replicate of a four foot tree. We add cut boughs to the arms to lend some additional color. The front hall was decked in miniature lights and stars, our balcony with holly garland and lights, but we held off decorating the tree until our friends, Caren and Bret, joined us. The lights on our tree are left on the entire month so people from the street below can enjoy it as well.
As is our habit, learned from our mothers and grandmothers, G and I readied the kitchen to begin baking treats for friends and neighbors. We made a variety of items to ensure that something in the gift boxes would appeal to everyone. This year’s picks were; cranberry spirals, gingerbread men, star sugar cookies, hazelnut squares, carmelized nuts, chocolate almond toffee, dark chocolate fudge and almond stuffed, honey drenched dates.
The kitchen became a serious mine field as batches were completed, wrapped and stacked on the kitchen window sill (which kept them all chilled perfectly). Boxed and wrapped for gift giving, we delivered them to all of the building neighbors, our favorite café and bar staffers, our pharmacists, dentist and lastly, our friends. All done in time for them to have on hand through the holiday festivities. Then the kitchen cleaned and closed, we went to Bruges for a few days to see their Christmas markets. We had been to Bruges previously and loved it and this quick trip was to enjoy their Christmas market and festivities.
We stayed at a fabulous, centrally-located, historic hotel named the Grand Hotel Casselbergh, next to the Market Square. The rooms were plush and a nice warm respite from the bitter cold excursions we took around town.
The Huis (house) Casselbergh has housed notable figures since the 13th century. The name possibly refers to Robrecht van Cassel, lord of the area around the Casselbergh (French Flanders). The main resident of the house was the English monarch King Charles II during his exile (1656-1659). Afterwards it was occupied by several well-known Bruges families and in 1922 the house was purchased by the City of Bruges, repurposed as offices and went through a period of deterioration. The Grand Hotel Casselbergh was opened at the end of 2009. This after a two and a half year restoration and went through another restoration and reopened in 2021.
A couple of comments on G’s photo’s below in Bruges: We came across the VW bus below set up as a coffee truck and a Tupperware store with real Tupperware products we’d never seen!
Back to Lille, it was time to put our own celebrations together. Last minute treks about the bustle of downtown for shopping, enjoying people out-and-about and the hot frankfurter and sauerkraut rolls with hot wine at the Christmas market, then back home for wrapping and calling loved ones. It was the perfect season for us, filled with innumerable blessings.
Before I forget, this month I also went to the Prefecture and waited for what seemed like an eternity (18 months overdue) to pick up my 10-year Carte de Resident de Longue Durée. No longer will I have to reapply each year for my Carte de Sejour. Poor G hasn’t yet heard about his application other than the Prefecture wanted updated paperwork for his dossier. Fingers crossed. Oh, and we went to a favorite Italian restaurant to celebrate my new carte! And yes, like all good French folk, we ate our pizza with knife and fork.
Here we are, suddenly at the end of the month – completely surprised at how fast it all went. We will enjoy tonight’s New Year’s Eve quietly, from our balcony. Thankful for our wonderful life and wishing the best for all of you in the coming year.
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