last Saturday...

...was frankly, fantastic.
After a night out dancing with the international peeps, Betsy and I walked back to her's where we enjoyed Baileys and cheese before bed. (Krista and Jonathan are en vacances!) And on Saturday morning, (after a lie-in without any kids running around to wake me up) she made us American pancakes which were amazing! Soon after, I headed back home where lunch was practically ready - after too may fat pancakes with maple syrup, I wasn't really feeling it.

Anyway, this weekend, the Gospel Choir was singing at the wedding of some people at church, so after lunch, I put on my nice dress and headed to the Temple Protestant with Betsy, where the wedding was taking place. It was a really great atmosphere, everyone was so joyful and the wedding was amazing - so unlike a British wedding! I thought we sung pretty well too! Afterwards, it transpired that we were all invited to the aperitif reception for the wedding, so somehow, we all managed to get lifts to the venue a little way out of Nancy. It was so much fun, we all had champagne and lots of banter among the young people from Church! When it was time for us to leave, none of us wanted to, so Matthias invited us young people to his for a BBQ. This was great and we spent the evening eating, chatting and singing to Guillaume on the guitar. Later on, we all headed back to the wedding - about 11:30pm - for desert and dancing. It was so great of the couple to invite us as we don't really know them, but I think we livened up the dancing - 'till 4 in the morning!!! This is crazy, as all the weddings I've been to before have been wrapping up around midnight - this one was only just getting started at this time. How I love France! I don't think anyone made it to church in the morning... but I think it was just about worth it!
I can't really describe how good this day was. This post isn't really doing a good job. But it was just so fun. It's great to have friends here - real friends now, I never thought this would happen like this! The Church youth are so cool, and I'm really enjoying being here so much! When work gets tough now, I don't even care! Thank you God.

The couple leave for the reception!

Apero!

A rose between two...brothers!

The soon-to-be marrieds!

Justin attacking a hot dog

Crazy desert

Matthias

Alban et moi

These French men loved a bit of the 'Can Can'

Home: Part 3. (including a Royal Wedding!)

Friday:
The day Britain had been waiting for arrived! I woke up and lazily headed downstairs about 9am to find mum already glued to the television, a pain-au-raison in hand. I also noted the union jack bunting that she had her school children make then bring home for herself! Ha! After ribbing her for being so lame, I decided to grab myself some lovely coffee (another good thing about home - the coffee machine) and join her since I too wanted to see a bit of build-up!

We thought it would be fun to wear red, white and blue, seeing as by this point, we might as well go the whole hog with the festivities. Alice joined us, and soon after Grandma was here, also wearing our national colours and waving union jack flags! Hilarious. Mum made Pimms and some yummy snacks then Erin and Eddie turned up... not so lamely dressed us us, but bearing strawberries!!

We all sat down to watch. It was just completely amazing. I am sure you all watched it and know what I'm talking about, but it was just so moving, so genuine and down-to-earth amid all the pomp.
There were some really special moments:

Princes William and Harry turn up...

Kate and her Dad

It was great to see all the royal family, always love a glimpse of Prince Phillip - what a legend.

And the little bridesmaids and pageboys were so cute!

The service, although old-fashioned was meaningful. I think one of the things that stood out for me was when the bishop of London preached. His opening lines were:

“Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” So said St Catherine of Siena whose festival day it is today. Marriage is intended to be a way in which man and woman help each other to become what God meant each one to be, their deepest and truest selves." (http://www.officialroyalwedding2011.org/blog/2011/April/29/The-Bishop-of-London-s-Sermon)

Amazing words. I was kind of proud to be British at this point. Watching two royal celebrities (let's be honest, they are), committing their lives to one another before God.

We cracked open some bubbly once the ceremony was over, and it was all very celebratory. We waited until the couple appeared on the balcony for the flypast. I thought how crazy it must have been for Kate's family. I am sure that never in a million years would they have believed that they would be in that situation!

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2011/04/the_royal_wedding.html

Well after it was all over (for TV viewers anyway) it all felt a bit flat. There were no street parties in our street... But it was a great occasion!

Later on, I went to meet a friend for a drink before coming back home for a family meal. Arthur and Rosanna were back and it was so nice to see them; it felt like old times again!

Later on we watched a bit of TV. I never much liked Friday night TV before, but it's amazing to watch a bit of British comedy chat after 3 months of French TV which is really shocking!

On Saturday, Arthur, Mum and I went to clanger wood with Brammy. It was so beautiful, and we saw a deer really close up and it stood there and watched us for ages! 

Later on, Dad, Mum and I went into Bath for a bit of shopping etc. We had a really nice lunch in the sun watching the amazing opera singer in Abbey square and just enjoyed the atmosphere. It really was packed with tourists there and it reminded me of when I used to live in Bath and popping into town for something was like doing battle with the tourists! Anyway, it was a really nice day, and later on, we had sausage and mash with onion gravy as I'd been craving it while I was in France...they just don't do sausages like in England! Lizzie came over and she stayed and I woke up in the morning and knew I had to go back to France and it was pretty horrible. But Lizzie, Alice and I went to Maranatha, and afterwards I said goodbye to Lizzie and then we went home and had some lunch and then Mum and Dad took me to the station and I had to leave them. It was so horrible leaving my family, but I know now that three months goes fast and Mum and Dad are coming out to visit in 4 weeks :)
The journey back went fine, except for a slightly scary trek through Gare du Nord area with my huge case. I arrived back at the apartment feeling totally surreal but not too awful and this week has gone well, although it's been full on. More of that in the next instalment.

Missing you,
Lucy xxx