New Year' s Eve in La Rochelle

New Year's Eve is a big event in France. The store windows in La Rochelle were filled with sparkly party dresses and shoes, the papers full of ads for foie gras and Champagne as well as for restaurant parties. Celebrations seemed to run the gamut from huge events to small family get-togethers. Just like Canada . . . except that here all the parties, no matter how big or small, include dancing. The French people that we know seem rather bemused by our Canadian lack of interest in dancing!
When our friends, Géry and Marie, decided to have a party at their home, they invited us to be with them. An elaborate meal was organized with every couple bringing a course. Ooh, the stress--bring food to a French dinner party?!!** We were tasked with a cold fish course and a salad. It was easy to put together a selection of cold seafood from the market--huge shrimps, scallops and smoked salmon was our answer.

We joined an  interesting mix of people in their 50s, couples and single women, teachers, business men and    
women, social workers, all very lively and funny. We started with Champagne accompanied by amuse-guelles (little nibblies).  Champagne has been the aperitif of choice at the homes we have visited--real Champagne too, not the bubbly wine that we buy in Canada because the real stuff is too expensive!! Then it was on to some wonderful foie gras made by Claude's mother and special white wine to accompany it. Our
fish came next and then the main course of duck on a bed of chestnuts and rare mushrooms called cèpes, all accompanied by delicious Bordeaux. In between all these courses, there was lots of animated conversation and of course, dancing. Conversation ranged over a large number of topics, sometimes in small groups, or with everyone taking part and interrupting each other in a way that we continue to find strange but is clearly tolerated here. There were lots of questions about Canada on New Year's Eve: "Did we stay up all night?" "Could we buy onion soup early in the morning?" "What kind of dances (e.g. waltz, tango, cha cha) do Canadians like?" I began to feel that we come from a very dour place when I had to answer: "No", "No", and "Not much dancing happens." Luckily, we had gained points for our country on the topics of national parks and health care! David helped raise our score on the dancing front by bringing a CD full of dance tunes that he had spent an afternoon compiling. The songs started with Elvis and went through the decades to the 80's. Everyone enjoyed being able to jive, twist and disco and memories of the times spilled into the conversation. They were remembering their late childhood and adolescence while David and I were dancing to the tunes of our teenage years and our young adulthood. But somehow, the music and the memories fit together for us all and we enjoyed sharing them with each other. By the time we had finished the main course, it was already 11:45 so we piled into cars to head to the beach to bring in the New Year.

We made it just in time for a downpour of rain. This didn't dampen anyone's spirits, fortified as they were by
more Champagne served in plastic flutes. Then it was back to the Marchant's home for salad and finally six amazing desserts: 2 Bûches de Noël, a chocolate cake, a cold orange souffle, a cheesecake and fresh pineapple accompanied by more dancing. By 2:15, David and I were flagging. Of course, it was way past our regular bedtime but also we had reached our limit of functioning in French. We are improving but after four hours it begins to be really difficult to concentrate and remain a part of the conversation. We left the rest of them in full party mode. It seems they went on until well after 4 AM! We know this as we met most of them for a walk in the park and coffee by the harbour on the wonderfully sunny New Year's Day. Everyone was still in fine form and full of energy.

There is a reason why the expression "joie de vivre" is a French one. Here, time doesn't seem to be such an enemy. Perhaps more attention is paid to the fun of life and to ensuring that time spent with friends and family is special. Perhaps we do the same in Canada but I don't notice it as much. Or maybe it is because this is a small city and the pressures are less. Whatever the reason, these experiences are teaching us a new rhythm of life,  helping us see the benefit in paying attention to small details and taking time to enjoy life, ourselves and each other. Thanks, La Rochelle.