Of Saints and Sinners

Toussaint
Yesterday's weather: Sunny, cool.

For the last few days the shops, supermarkets and hypermarkets have been full of the most beautiful sight. Hundreds of pots of the most gorgeous chrysanthemums in every colour, their blooms perfect, small flowers to huge pompom flowers, they have been a wonder to behold.

The biggest faux pas would be to offer these wonderful displays to a friend over here as they are only associated with death and mourning. Today is All Saint's Day. Another of those strange public holidays in a secular society which I find hard to understand. People have been buying up these pots of chrysanthemums to take to the graves of their dear departed. Today, and for a few weeks now, every cemetery in every village in France will be a picture of colour in remembrance of those gone before.

In contrast, yesterday was Hallowe'en. We, stupidly, went shopping yesterday afternoon, forgetting that it is half term holiday here. The shops were full of pumpkins and scary masks. In one, parents were hurridly buying costumes and judging by the way they were flying off the shelves we expected to see the town full of ghosts, ghouls, witches and skeletons last night but on our way through Cahors at 10pm all was quiet. The brasseries and restaurants were beginning to serve the last coffees and even the fairground set out at the top of town was beginning to close down for the night.

Unless these frightening creatures were just waiting for their parents to go to bed before they came out to haunt?