Monday, June 30, 2008

Le Mariage

Princeling's mum and dad, Isobel and Pascal, got married on Saturday. Here they are in their wedding car.

M. le Maire (seen below with Iso and Pascal's mother, Gisele) and Marianne bedecked themselves for the occasion in their tricouleur ribbons, and warm words were spoken by the former about the new super-Euro-citoyens their union would produce, and the sterling qualities of Princeling's great-grandfather, whom he had known well.

Marianne didn't say much, but she looked on approvingly.

It was of necessity a small, select gathering; it really had to be all or (nearly) nothing, since all would probably have meant most of the performing arts scene of the département plus the groom's extended family and amounted to a sizeable percentage of the population of Côtes d'Armor. We blagged an invite on the grounds of long acquaintance which got me a position as a witness.

We had to tie crepe ribbon on our nice new car (phew, respectability at last, and we put it through the car wash...)

and adjourned to a very swish and friendly restaurant, Les 3 Lunes, in Dinan (no link, website doesn't seem to be up and running yet...).

It had a little garden out the back just for us for the day, and I was delighted to note this contained a box elder tree! Tucked in a corner against the fence, just like my original one, and offering a pleasant shade.

Many games of Pass the Baby were played.

Alas, I love him but I cannot make him happy. Only a jar of apple compote can do that.


(What did babies eat before there was apple compote, I often wonder. It seems to be the staple diet of babies...)

But the restaurant cat helped to distract him momentarily.

Afterwards we were joined in the garden for coffee by the restaurant dog, who greeted us all as long-lost and much-loved friends, and helped Pascal's dad out with his macaroons.


All in all, a splendid day with much to celebrate and congratulate, and many thanks to them for letting us be part of it.

***

We took an enormous number of photos, and probably bugged everyone half to death in doing so, of which most of those shown here are the rejects, so I've a vast editing task on my hands to get a selection into some kind of shape to put into a book for them. This is really taking up most of my computer time, since the weather is currently too damn nice to be spending too much time indoors in front of the screen. So please any scarcity of presence!

14 comments:

Fire Bird said...

All looks lovely, but why did they travel to their wedding in a military vehicle?

herhimnbryn said...

Looks like it was a great day.

Anonymous said...

Lovely wedding, and such good photos by the official photographers! (Had the same question about the vehicle...)

Granny J said...

Come, come, Tall Girl, speaking as an Arizona, such a vehicle is 1) any every day event and 2) a suggestion of a honeymoon in the boondocks, if there are such in France!

Lucy said...

Thanks all!
In fact a jeep is a pretty rare sight here, but their friend and other witness Jean-Phillipe has one, and Pascal really loves it,so he lant it for the occasion and they simply had fun making a rather showy exit from the town square and then bombing round the country lanes in it! (I don't think they actually travelled there in it...).

As fo honeymooning in the boondocks, well we all actually live in them I think!

Thnks ML about the photos, Tom and I took turns, a few are quite good, I'm disappointed in many, poor indoor light, unwanted strangers in shots, drinpipes coming out of people's heads etc, hence the need for much editing! People pics aren't really my thing, Tom took many of the better ones.

Rosie said...

the trouble with people is that they keep moving so they are hard to photograph. It sounds and looks like a very happy day. Rather nice to find a restaurant with so many pets in evidence

Roderick Robinson said...

Why a military vehicle? It's four-wheel-drive, capable of handling any and all terrains and thus - by extended metaphor - a realistic image for the start of a marriage.

Pam said...

So is that you, looking somewhat quizzical, with baby and earrings?

Looks like a lovely day. I want babies.

Lucy said...

Thanks again.

Rosie, yes and there's just so much clutter about. But it was a lovely day, the restaurant was generally very friendly, the owner lamented white cat hair around the place. The retriever was rather a star, and very handsome, could be a boyfriend for Porridge!

BB - lovely observation!

Isabelle - yep, that's me. I thought you'd had babies, you want more babies? That one's quite a sunnny chap generally, he was just grumpy at that moment because he wanted apple compote. I quite like the custom of having the baby then the wedding, it gives everyone a focal and talking point if necessary, and the baby gets to be in the photos which are therefore of a bit more interest to him later.

Jan said...

Ive got lots of happy memories of Dinan although donkeys yrs ago.
Isnt there a wonderful street where all the craftsmen have their workshops??
Nice ( particularly) to see you too!

HLiza said...

Nice pic and beautiful people! I don't know they allow animals in restaurant there and still the restaurant looks clean and well-kept. Any restaurant that have them here is always deemed dirty..and they are in fact. I'm thinking of making all my pics into books too..sure a lot of work there..have fun by the way..!

Lucy said...

Hi Jan, thanks. Dinan is nice, though busy in summer, we always have a good time there. That street down to the old port is still full of art and craftshops, good ones mostly, and that's a bit unusual here, the craft and teashop thing doesn't seem to thrive here as in the UK!

Hliza - they're a bit more relaxed about animals here than in England, but if the animals were a nuisance, or dirty and smelly, they'd lose business. These two were quiet and discreet and not around while we were actually eating. I guess you have to be more careful in hotter places.
The photo album software is really quite easy and fun to use, I got more than half way through just in one evening, it's the sorting out and cropping and adjusting that takes the time! It's a good thing to do though.

Anonymous said...

Happy pics!

I went to a couple of weddings on the Cote d'Azur in the '80s and '90s, one with a jeep, the other with a personnel carrier, both American. US forces vehicles had a sort of shabby chic down there, so many having been left behind after the troop landings towards the end of the War.

meggie said...

They look so lovely, the Princeling's parents. He is lovely too, in the way of all babies!