Silent Night
Well, we made it through Christmas. Aix did a very nice job of creating an atmosphere. There were lights everywhere and although bars and restaurants were closed, many of the restaurants on the main squares set up food stalls where you could buy crepes, sandwiches, hot chocolate and mulled wine. It smelled lovely and festive and it allowed people to get out for a stroll, keep their distance and enjoy a bit of Christmas spirit at the same time.
During the weeks leading up to Christmas, the shops were allowed to re-open and this created a big buzz in the town. Once the distance restrictions were lifted, about one week before Christmas, it felt as though the whole of France had decided to come south for the holidays. I went out once to do a little shop and after about 10 minutes decided to come home. It was too busy for me but it was nice to see that some life had come back to the city.
Pia and I did our best to create a Christmas mood. We put up a little tree and we have discussed nightly the bizarre moments of a time where nothing seems normal. Every day there is a reminder of this. We talk about the fact that we will not be seeing family this year and are contented by the fact that we each have someone. Angelica is in Morocco with Nic, Pia and I are together and Maddie is sharing the holiday with a small group of friends that they call their “quaranteam”. Pia and I have been watching Christmas movies, listening to carols and making cookies. We have done our best to create the atmosphere that we love at this time of year and not focus on what isn’t. There is still so much to be grateful for.
We spent a lovely Christmas Eve together with Pia’s boyfriend’s family. We decided that it would be okay as none of us ever leave the house. It was very special and it made Christmas come to life. We enjoyed a nice meal, shared stories and before we knew it, it was midnight and we were beyond the curfew. We said our goodbyes and thanked everyone for a lovely evening as we headed off into the night to cross town to our apartment.
Half way there, we noticed that we were the only people in Aix. We saw no-one. I have never seen a city so deserted in all of my life. We suddenly lowered our voices and whispered the rest of the way home. The air was cool and we could see our breath as we briskly walked through the silent streets in an effort to get home quickly. We smiled the whole way as we had spent such a lovely evening together. We wanted to keep talking about it but kept reminding ourselves to be quiet as we giggled in silence.. We were the only ones out on the street. As we passed each cross roads, we looked to the left and right but we never saw or heard a single person the whole way home. When we finally arrived at the bottom of our square, there were a couple of lights and we saw one small group saying goodbye as they quietly got in their car to drive off.
We stopped for a minute to look up at the sky and it was the bluest blue that I have ever seen. I saw for the first time what midnight blue really looks like. It was as real as the color in the big box of Crayola’s. It was a storybook image as the moon and the stars glowed above the ancient buildings of Aix. We stood and admired it for a few minutes. The stars were bright, the night was silent and we both knew that this Christmas would be one of the most unforgettable Christmas’ of our lives.
Merry Christmas everyone!
“The Walk Home”, Midnight Blue Sky-Christmas Eve-Aix-en-Provence, France