10 February 2003

Snow in Senlis

A rare thing happened today.  It snowed!

Even though France is on the same latitude as Calgary Canada the weather is mild because of the ocean breezes.  It used to snow here quite often, but to actually have snow covering the ground is very rare.

We had the good fortune to be invited to Natalie and Jean Paul’s house for lunch.  As we walked to their ancient stone house in the center of the village we were covered with tiny balls of ice.  The balls looked more like teeny tiny miniature hail.

Cat, and Natalie’s two little girls were almost hysterical over the sight of the snow.  As soon as we entered the house they all started hugging and jumping up and down chattering away in French about the neige (snow).

During lunch we sat looking through the French doors out into the garden.  The backdrop of their garden is a huge stonewall that is three stories tall.  On the wall is an ivy vine and a wooden box with the bottom nailed to the wall.  Jean Paul uses this box for a bird feeder. The whole time we were eating we had a wonderful show of chickadees, sparrows and even robins flying from a small tree to the bird feeder and then onto a tall pine tree.

The tiny ice balls started to become snowflakes about midway through lunch.  The snowflakes became bigger and bigger until they looked like small pieces of lace floating down from the sky. 

The girls grew more and more excited as the snow covered the ground.  They could hardly get through lunch.  Periodically they would jump up and start to put their shoes on.  Jean Paul would tell them that they had to wait until all of us were finished eating, and were finished with our coffee. 

After lunch we bundled up to go for a walk.  The gate was frozen shut so we had to fuss with it by breathing on the lock. 

We walked through Senlis and admired the snow-covered roofs of the ancient stone buildings.  We all took the liberty of scooping snow off the parked cars to make snowballs.  I kept yelling to aim at “butts” because I didn’t want anyone to get hurt.

We ended up at the WWI park memorial.  Our goal was to make a “real” snowman but by the time we got to the park the snow was too dry to pack into snowballs.  After lots of snow throwing and a few snow angels we took the path along the top of the ancient wall of the city.  It was feeling colder and colder.

In the bend of the path we discovered a snowman about the size of Cat that actually looked more like a snow pig.  Earlier in the day someone had sculpted ears and a snout.  We all stood behind the snow pig and Jean Paul took a picture of us.  Further down the path we saw a much more sophisticated taller snowman with ivy sprigs for arms and clusters of black ivy berries for the two eyes.

When we got back to Natalie’s house we sat around talking about Maurice (Ma rish us), Natalie’s birthplace.  We even got around to talking about a variety of other topics including prisons in the US, French dogs who pee on the corners of couches at the Paris Marriott, and the cost of real estate in Senlis. 

It was a marvelous afternoon of good food, snow and interesting conversation.  I was sorry to leave the coziness of the stone house and garden view.

When we entered our garden gate the view was breathtaking.  Everything was covered in white.  There was no green grass, or rose bush or fennel or Bibb lettuce anymore…only a bed of snow.

The fire in the fireplace is calling to me as I write this.  The smell of the chocolat chaud (hot chocolate) comforts me.  The birds in the garden are still flying up to the feeder for a late snack before the last bit of daylight fades.  All is right with the world today.