What a month ! Sometimes it was overwhelming how fast it went and how much it had going on. The last day of May was the last French language tutor session we had for the summer and maybe the rest of the year. That jettisoned us into the first week of June where we finished up any obligations to make way for what was surely going to be a busy month.
On the first Saturday there was the Vieux Lille Braderie, which is a precursor to the huge city wide one in September. We spent the day wandering through the packed streets, looking at the incredibly eclectic collections, drinking a beer and eventually chomping on a baguette ham sandwich. As is true with the one in September, we were exhausted by the crowds and noise within the first two hours. But it is fun.
Next we got ready for the incoming guests to our 50th wedding anniversary celebration. Our wonderful and accomplished graphic artist/ neighbor Audrey made the invitations which we will always treasure. But now comes the flip side – the race began – out came the guest linens, the recipes and grocery shopping lists. G finished a movie of our combined photo histories from toddler to current time, which was to scroll slowly by on a big screen at the café during the party. I finished barrier banners to loop around the outside seating, to close the event from the public. In what amounted to a two week sprint, our first guest Anya from Oakland, arrived ahead of the rest that were expected, staying for three days before relocating to an Airbnb nearby. While Anya was visiting, the plaza had a huge screen set up and played Die Fledermaus one night, which was a great treat.
Our niece Amanda and best buddy, Becca, arrived next, staying with us through the duration of the time. On Saturday, the day before the party at the café, it was an absolute crush. Lille held its 25th Gay Pride parade – the route passed under our balcony. But first, G and I had to pick up our anniversary cake from the bakery when they opened in the morning. Then we had been alerted that a flower delivery was coming from our friend Guillame by 1:00 pm but G had to find the driver since streets were blocked off for the parade. With assistance from Opera staff on the phone he found him a couple of blocks away.
Next, Kat, another Oakland buddy, managed to just get to our door from the train station, mere seconds before the parade horde arrived down the street. Picture the heroine racing in front of a throng of zombies. She had been up since 3am and so it was pure adrenaline that got her through the rest of the day. Anya came to pick up Amanda and Becca so they could all go out to join the street festivities.
We thought circumstances certainly called for us to have an appetizer and drink party for the ten who had come in from out of the country, so we began the kitchen work. During the parade, G and I were weaving between the kitchen to the balcony to cheer on the crowds. When the three adventurers returned to the apartment, we all began blowing up the cafe party balloons and tying them together. The noise of the air pump was a match for the chaos on the street, which was the best way to feel guiltless about the whole thing. Any other time, we’d be apologizing like crazy to the neighbors. Of course all of the prepared decorations had to be stashed in our bedroom to clear the living room. At this point then, it was a dash to get the rest of the food finished and presented for the other incoming folks.
As is my now regular mode-of-operation, I grossly underestimated the amount of time and energy it was taking me to do things that were second nature 10 years ago. Cleaning, set up, food preparation – all had me doubting my sanity (which is not unfamiliar territory for me, to be truthful) which is part of the reason I have no pictures of any of it. But by the time we had a full apartment (and to be honest, I’d had a couple of glasses of wine) my brain cells calmed the heck down. It was a great party because it was so fabulous to see our closest friends in person again – and a bit surreal, plus a bit overwhelming as well. Besides Anya, Kat, Amanda and Becca, Bret and Caren came in from the Netherlands, Jill and Mike came from Portugal and Bruce and Nicole arrived from South Carolina. After the last guest had left at close to midnight, the kitchen was cleaned, the food stored and the behemoth mound of decorations moved off of our bed back into the living room, I fell into bed swearing that I would never undertake anything like this again, that I would never get up the next day and might not for the next month. But of course, it was all a lie.
There was a party to attend to. You send the invitations out, then …DUH… you better show up and do your frecking job. So according to the original plan, we were up, showered and dressed in time for the long day. Then the bustle began of shoving all of the balloons and decor into our tiny elevator (it took three trips) for the 5 of us to start the trek to the cafe. It had the feel of an old Hollywood western when gunslingers were marching abreast down the street. People parted and stared. Where was our ominous soundtrack?
At the café, parking the cake, putting up the barrier, posting the closed signs, tacking up the balloons and ribbons – our willing volunteers made fast work of it all. Then all our friends in Lille and the ten from elsewhere, collided for a three-hour, afternoon fête. All told, it was 38 wonderful folks. Everyone ate and drank to their hearts’ desire, played darts and foosball and poked good fun at our photo show, depicting us over a lifetime span. Yes dear, there were bad haircuts and some atrocious outfits. Remi and Steph and Thibault (owners of Fool bar) went beyond our expectation by opening the café on a day it’s always closed. Thibault (cook, not owner) did a fabulous job of churning out endless, great hamburgers, fries and at the bar, Remi and Steph manned the cocktails. We couldn’t have had better support or better friends and we were heartily grateful for every single moment. And I swear I’m not doing it again in another 50 years. THAT is not a lie.
The party was done but Monday was one last day of get togethers before the dust settled. Unfortunately on that last day, Amanda was feeling the effects of a cold so she stayed in bed. G and I met for breakfast with Bruce and Nicole, parting with goodbyes. Kat, Becca and I went into Vieux Lille, shopping in the delightfully warm, sunny day before returning to the apartment to join Amanda and G for lunch. Kat said her farewells and in the evening we dined with Jill and Mike, another wonderful time, before parting with more goodbyes. Then the next day, as suddenly as they arrived, all our out-of-town buddies were gone, off in their various directions to return to their homes.
G and I thought we’d caught Amanda’s cold and then she texted when she got home, that she might have caught Covid. Although we were up on all of our shots, by the third day we got suspicious enough to take the home tests. We’d managed to dodge it since it arrived in 2019 but this time the results were positive. At least it was a very mild variation and it felt like it was no more than a slight cold. But that meant we had to inform the entire party attendants of the infection. The universe smiled on us and out of 38, only four of us had caught it. And of those four, all were up on their vaccinations.
This also meant that most of the rest of our month was spent in quarantine. At least we got all of the laundry done and we had a ton of leftovers to keep us happy. The temperatures FINALLY warmed up to the 70’s and the 80’s after such a long rainy winter. While we couldn’t go out, we could sit on our balcony industriously working on said leftovers, which included beer and wine of course. Then we tested negative and we were OUT, enjoying the long awaited summer weather.
Life has returned to normal with regular festivities on the Opera plaza, protests and strikes, people out enjoying the days, wonderful sunsets, our French, snap elections, and yes, Euro2024 – futbol…. It’s a wonderful, crazy life !
It maybe tempting fates but I’m going to be trying to learn to ride a bike again. Poor G has to put up with my efforts. Oh boy oh howdy, here comes July.
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