fete du travail

Happy May Day!

Today is Labor Day, or Fete du Travail in France. It is always on May 1, so bad luck for falling on a Sunday this year. That's ok, because there is another holiday later this week (which I will write about in another post).

In this region, in addition to the inevitable manifestations, or strikes on the Town Hall, it is celebrated with selling lilies-of-the-valley in the streets. Today is the only day of the year that anyone can sell these flowers, which grow wild in the woods here, in the streets. In fact, on my way to the boulangerie this morning to pick up a baugette (which was warm from the oven, I might add: miam miam!), I passed two people selling them, and that was just within a block of our apartment.

It is a gorgeous and warm day today! I would be surprised if it didn't hit 80 degrees today. Happily, this apartment which kept my fingers blue all winter will be a cool retreat for the summer. Without the aid of an air conditioner, we can keep it cool just by opening the front and back window to let a breeze through. We had hoped to join the in-laws at a vide grenier today, but Steph has succumbed to a terrible cold. Last night I introduced him to the wonders of NyQuil (man I love that stuff!) and he felt so much better today that he suggested we could possibly take a little stroll through the neighborhood later this afternoon, albeit at a "grandpa's" pace, as he said. I may even bring my camera, if I'm feeling touristy.