Welcome

We are a retired American couple living in France, enjoying the good life with our cats. Our house is in a small hamlet among the Ste. Foy vines. We also have a sailboat that the male half of the spousal unit sailed across the Atlantic in the summer of 08. When the weather warms we will start to visit the sailing ports of Europe. Our stories chronicle our life in France: the good life, the hard life, and the sailing life.

Friday, April 2, 2010

Poisson D'Avril is Participatory







Yesterday was Poisson d'Avril or the French equilivant to April Fool's Day. Chocolate fish are produced, given, and shared among friends. This year was a real challange for the chocolate makers because this ritual fell smack in the middle of Holy Week. I guess a lot of people give up chocolate for Lent. While the shops were overflowing with chocolate eggs, chicks, baskets, and rabbits to be given on Easter Sunday there were few fish and not nearly as elaborate as last year. We bought a small dark (me) and a milk (rxc) chocolate fish at M. Chevailer and hidden inside were additional treats.

In our household almost all activities are participatory. Calypso loves the crackle of cellophane so she was drawn to the fish still in their lovely packaging. Dante soon decided he wanted the ribbon that tied the fish closed. However, only the humans actually got to eat the fish!

1 comment:

beeinstitches said...

Chocolate Fish! YUM! and healthy too! (especially the dark chocolate one) Give up chocolate for Lent??? I think. . . NOT!