The church bells rang continuously in celebration Easter morning – Christ the Lord has risen indeed! Mama and I awoke to a misty morning, enlivened by the lovely peal of the numerous elaborate wrought iron encased bells that rang throughout the town.
The stones of Collégiale Saint Martin coolly encased the church, but the congregation filled it with the warmth and joy of Christians on Easter morning. A spirit of celebration filled the air; Easter lilies reached toward the sky and the cloying scent of holy incense filled the air. The exuberant priest joyfully exclaimed the good news, while his good-hearted but bumbling assistant scrambled to keep up.
After singing of Christ’s great victory over Hell and ascension into Heaven, in French, of course, and hoping our neighbors weren’t cringing at our pronunciation, we exited the cathedral with a blessing (that the priest so generously extended to the Protestants too :-)) and went home to experience a little of the hell that Christ had so valiantly vanquished – Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred.
Afterward, we perched our glistening bodies upon the couch to share a lunch of Provincial chickpeas, assorted cheeses, olives, fresh bread, and spiced olive oil. A meal that led to deep relaxation, until the sun awoke me from my slumber….Easter Mass in French, freshly baked breads and aromatic creamy cheeses, chocolate lemon tarts and naps - a wonderful French Easter with ma maman!
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