5th December. A mad rush to finish dressing 6 windows with collections as part of the VillCo project today. They need to be ready for the weekend as it is St Nicolas which is a big festival in these parts. Marie Jeanne pitched in and helped.
As did Danielle and Mark. Joel came and sorted out the lighting and in the evening I went round to take some photos as they show up much better after dark. I was very pleased with the results.
The town looked very festive too with the Christmas lights turned on.
6th December. Another really good evening at Sauconna with live music. Two young women on Harp and Guitar with frame drums and xylophone as well. They were called The Wild Sisters and were very good.
7th December. St Nicolas arrives in St Jean de Losne today. He arrives by horse-drawn carriage along with torch bearers and the town band to the quay across the river in Losne. There he boards Gerrard’s boat and crosses the river while the entourage hot foot it across the bridge in order to line up in time to meet him. He then gets back into the carriage and the whole parade goes round the town ending up at the community hall where the children are given gifts and sweets. St Nicolas is a big thing in this part of France, that is the east and Allsas in particular. Here he is regarded as the patron saint of both children and canal and river boaters. For these reasons Joel Blanquard, the founder of the other boat yard in town, started the current tradition many years ago. Today he plays a very credible St Nicolas. It is for this reason also that the bulk of the torch bearers, who actually look rather more scarily like Klu Klux Klan, are drawn from the boating community. There was a market along the quay with Christmas gifts and fare, warm wine and hot chocolate. The children were out in force and it was a very pleasant early evening.
Later on this evening Jon and Nikki will arrive to two nights and one day.
Later the same day. Jon & Nikki got a bit locationally challenged on the way from Geneva airport and did not arrive till after 9pm. However the good news is that they are staying for two days rather than one.
8th Dec. Off to Beaunne for the day. I will do my usual thing of sitting in the coffee shop while they go round the Hospice and after that a walk round town which was as delightful as ever. In the evening Helen and Steve will come for aperos.
Beaunne was as delightful as ever and we were even treated to a heron in the Lavoir in the middle of town!
On the way home we took the road less traveled through Nuits Saint George and the wine growing region. Taking a detour along the way we found this delightful little Chateau, with the wonderful traditional glazed roof tiles that are such a feature of Burgundy, with its little vineyard spread out below it. In contract to the large wine estates of the Cape the estates of Burgundy are relatively small and usually family owned where they will make their own labeled wines rather than giving their produce to a co-operative.
Jon & Nikki spend the best part of the next day enjoying Dijon and we had a lovely dinner together. Short and sweet but a real joy to see them.
22nd Dec Well we are past the shortest day and just to reinforce that today was one of those glorious winter days of blue shy and bright sunshine, a nip in the air but not too cold and rounded off with a blazing sunset.
24th, Managed a five kilometer walk today 
along the canal de Borgoyne to the next
lock where there is a pretty little lock
cottage, blue skys and sunshine and not
too cold.
25th, CHRISTMAS DAY> I was picked up just before noon by Helen and Steve and we joined Glennie and Pete on “Slo-:Motion” where we proceeded to eat and drink the day away. We started with blinis (home made by Pete) topped with smoked salmon, creme freshe and caviar and washed down with a good bottle of Van Louveren’s best dry fizz, Papillon. After a suitable break this was followed by some really good snails.
After a suitable interval we moved onto the most delicious plate of huge oysters. These were big beasts from the Brittany coast where they are washed twice a day by the cold Atlantic tides.
With the edge taken off our hunger (we had all been saving ourselves for this feast) we had some down time and exchanged gifts.
The girls went out for a walk around the marina in the sunshine where we met a number of townsfolk taking their after lunch promanade. Back on the boat and at the table it was time for the main course of roast leg of lamb with roast potatoes, celeriac and sprouts topped off with a really good gravy. Desert was oranges in cointreau.
We all had to agree that it had been a really lovely day. When Steve, Helen and I left along the pontoon the temperature had really dropped, the pontoon was slippery with ice and the car windows frosted up. Our first frost of the winter.
26th Dec. Delivered marmalade to Peter, John and Barry, the three men alone on their respective boats and walked out to L’Abbayotte to join Jane & Robert, their family members and various friends for lunch which started at midday and finished at 7pm!
27th Dec. Lest night there was a bit of snow and a lot of rain. Probably our second frost but I didn’t venture out till 11am so I missed it! Took a walk down to the Old Lock, 6k. Some of the guys were going down to do some work on ASTER and I wanted to get some photos. Water is getting into the boat and not doing it any good so the aim is to cover it. They have nearly finished putting up the framework.
28th Dec. Dispite the cold and wintery weather there is still a bit of heavy commercial traffic on the river. These big commercials have a small living area at the stern around the wheelhouse and the whole forward section is a covered cargo hold. On the Soane there is a lot of grain moved by these vessles.
31st. Dec. Our first light dusting of snow as seen from the lounge window into the garden of the apartment block, past my Christmas tree. The year ended with a convivial munch with the usual suspects a.k.a Helen, Steve, Glennie & Pete of traditional for this event in France, French Onion Soup!
capetocarpe 