Normalcy

Looking south toward the Porte des Jacobins

Yes, it has been one crazy couple of days.  I have been uncharacteristically glued to the television; I am like one of those ghouls who can't look away from an accident.  I'm not proud of it, but there you are.

I suppose if I were a driver and was on the highway a lot, I might notice more changes in my daily routine, but so far, things are "normal."  I did go to the peace rally yesterday, and saw some people there that I know.  It was short and to the point.  After reading the instructions on-line about complying with "State of Emergency" procedures, I have begun carrying my passport.  I don't think I look dangerous, but I am not the one who gets to make that determination, right? That's about the extent of any effects of the events touching my sleepy little town.

 The country is in three days of mourning, but schools are open. Museums and some national monuments are closed, but local offices are open.   Even before Friday night's horror, last week was already boulversee, (turned upside down) : the buses were on strike from Monday until Thursday, there was Armistice Day holiday; and oh yeah, on Friday, all of the DOCTORS were on strike.  The news reports have not once mentioned that little detail.  I do not know if that was the case in Paris on Friday, (I thought it was nationwide to protest a change in the health care law) but it was indeed the case here. 

Looking north toward the train station

But shopping needs to be done, clothes need to be washed and dried, apple crisp needs to be made.  I got some tidying done yesterday, and the apple crisp is delicious.  A load of darks is churning as I write this and I am thinking about getting a few Christmas gifts ready for the post office.  Given how long it takes for a gift to arrive at its destination in the US (3 to 4 times as long as it takes one to arrive from the US to here) I need to be getting this in order.  The living have to keep living, even after being stunned by such senseless violence.  

After the rally yesterday, it was such a nice day that I decided to go in search of the little huts for the annual Christmas market.  I am sure it won't be at Gambetta, as it was when I was here in 2013.  I saw no signs of them nor did I see any sign of the Christmas tree I so loved.  It may yet be too early.  But the city has installed some of its decorations--they look like oversized wicker or starched string balls that interior decorators favor.  They have a solar system kind of look to them, and I think they have lights inside of them. But we will have to wait until the torch parade to find out--that's when the city turns on the lights for Christmas decorations.  

On the corner at Carnot

So yes, Carcassonne was not oblivious to the events in Paris, but we are all trying to live our lives as normally as possible.

Looking up

 If anyone is interested, the link below will take you to the coverage of the rally at Carnot.  I am in photo #6 and appear several times in the video. 

http://www.lindependant.fr/2015/11/15/p-o-et-aude-hommages-spontanes-ce-dimanche,2114249.phpsible.