Because it was a four-day weekend, all of Josh's classmates--except himself and Clovis--decided to skip town, some heading to Paris and others to Torino, in northwestern Italy. It was fine with us because we had the building to ourselves. We took advantage of the available washing machine and dryer (there's one of each for everyone to share), the guys studied, and we ventured out to find Yssingeaux's only thrift store (called a "friperie"), where we bought some inexpensive decorations for our apartment. On Sunday, there was a flea market and, though we missed most of it because we didn't know about it in advance, we snagged a pretty awesome shelf unit for 10 euros. It completes our living room nicely!
Sunday was also election day--they hold elections on Sundays here--and by 8 p.m. or so a winner had been declared. Francois Hollande, a socialist, had defeated incumbent right-winger Nicolas Sarkozy. I admit, a bit shamefully, that I hadn't followed the French election all that closely. We don't have a television and I don't understand enough French to pick up the newspaper here. Since then I've made an effort to learn a little more, but I assure you it's not enough to truly explain what it all means. This much I do know: Hollande is the first socialist to win a French election since the 1980s. Because France, along with the rest of the EU, is in a recession, that was a big deal for voters, who apparently decided they wanted change. Hollande has said he will challenge Germany's prevailing attitude of "austerity"--a huge buzzword around here.
Sitting in our apartment, we heard fireworks outside and decided to go check the pulse of Yssingeaux. In the town square we found a folk-music group playing, well, folk music. A large group of revelers danced and drank, obviously celebrating Hollande's victory. We stood around absorbing the good vibes for a minute, then walked to a nearby bar, where we ordered a drink and sat outside. We could hear the music and see a bit of the dancing. The vibe at the bar--called Bar a Boss and owned by a guy named Boss--was much different. When we asked if they were happy with the election results, many of the patrons shook their heads in clear disappointment. A group of seven or eight people, including a few children, came in around 10, chanting "Sar-kozy! Sar-kozy!" The whole thing was offered a very interesting contrast.
Monday came and went, and as we woke up Tuesday morning we heard the unmistakable sounds of a marching band nearby. I quickly got up, got dressed, grabbed my camera and puppies, who hadn't yet gotten their morning walk, and headed out to track down the music's source. I didn't have to walk far, as our apartment is very centrally located and Yssingeaux just isn't that big. The music was fun and the mood lively, despite the light drizzle. That drizzle did dash my hopes of getting any good photos, though, because everyone had their umbrellas open. Oh well. I got this one, toward the end of the celebration, outside city hall.
You can sort of see the military band in the back, and there was also a local band wearing yellow jackets. They played the French national anthem and then, because puppies were wet and cold, I took them back home.
Fin.
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