Joyeux Noel

Rue Ste Opportune, Paris 1er , France

This was my neighbourhood for two of the nine years that I lived in Paris. My former flat is just out of view, further down the pedestrianised street leading off to the right.

A week or so before my final Christmas in the city it started to snow - thick, powdery flakes. Paris does not often experience a white Christmas, and the manager of one of the shops in the quartier, obviously a quick thinker, grabbed a camera, went outside and took this rather nice photo. He ran off several dozen prints which he mounted on card and sold in his shop, very successfully, as Christmas greeting cards. The snow did not settle so I am all the more glad he seized the moment; if I knew his name I would give him the photographic credit, but after eighteen years I hope he won't mind if I don't.

This will be my last post for about a week. I have a friend from out of town staying with me for three days over Christmas and social events before and after, and in addition life has thrown a mini-crisis in my direction. It's not life or health threatening but is nonetheless going to demand a considerable amount of my time and attention well into January. So not much time for sitting down and writing. I will go online when I can to visit other blogs, and hopefully I will be back blogging here again around 29th December, but at a less frequent rate.

A good Yule and a very happy and peaceful Christmas to all my blog friends and visitors - and as the man says, don't sweat the small stuff (note to self: that applies to you too).