Twelfth night in France does not seem to be the deadline for taking down Christmas decorations, in the same way that it does in England. It is now March, and you still find the dying remnants of Christmas "decorating" the streets.
This one, I am sure, had a particular storey to tell. What were the thoughts behind it, the sentiments, the sense of design, (or was it intuition, rather than design, that had guided the placement?) Was it the careful and considered work of some elderly, blind, but well meaning widow who wanted to add her bit of joy to the world of Christmas. Or perhaps a spotty, rebellious youth had been given a sharp clip round the ear before being dispatched to put up the obligatory Christmas baubles. Hacked off and disgruntled by this humiliation, and the stinging sensation in his ear, he had been determined to make them look as crummy and ridiculous as he could.
Sadly we'll probably never know. Perhaps we'll return to this street in Villefranche de Rouergue to see what goes up next year - or perhaps they'll still be there.
They are not alone. Only last week we finished up the last of our festive M and S loo rolls!
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