A Bit of a Do !

Last week we went to a family wedding in Provence, where some of us hadn't seen each other for a least 10 years, so lots of chat ensued over several glasses of the local wine.

As the ages of the guests ranged from 3 to 88, we covered a wide range of topics. Apparently, the latest craze amongst French kids is to say some words backwards to confuse their parents. It works !!

I'm now convinced that global warming is also having an effect on the growth hormones of teenagers, as they all seem to be over six feet tall these days and still growing !

On the afternoon of the service, there was the most tremendous thunderstorm with hail and lightening. Fortunately, we all made it safely to and from the next village where the service was taking place and the good news is that in France they have a saying (un marriage pluvieux est un marriage heureux), a wet wedding means a happy marriage - allegedly !

The marriage itself took place at the local Mairie, with the Mayor resplendent in his ceremonial sash. The civil service is actually quite short, just being made up of the reading of several articles that concentrate on the way the married couple will live, support each other and bring up their children. After that, the bride and groom both answer "Oui" when asked and they're married - simple as that !

Then it was back to the reception with much tooting of horns and down to the serious business of eating and drinking for a few hours. The next day dawned bright, as the storms had now moved on, the only problem for some was coping with the hangovers from the night before.