Revelry Under the Full Harvest Moon

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Antraigues usually is a peaceful place, but this weekend the village came alive for the annual Ardèche chestnut festival, drawing people from across the mountains.

Crisp autumn air and the scent of woodsmoke greeted us as we walked out from our townhouse and into the square just as the festivities were beginning.

Villagers mingled, as they awaited the evening's revelries.

Tables were loaded with honeyed figs, freshly cooked chestnuts, soft cheeses and crusty bread.

The smell of roasted meats drifted from fires crackling nearby, while children scampered about.

As darkness fell, the festival really got going.

Everybody clustered together, clinking glasses of chestnut beer and warming spiced wine.

At long tables, families shared platters piled with food.

A makeshift stage was set up for musicians tuning their fiddles and accordions.

and eventually, couples began whirling across the square, dancing to the upbeat melodies of a local band, strangely mostly playing zydeco music.

Tonight was about togetherness, about marking the end of the harvest season and the transition from autumn to winter, while, above us, the full moon, occasionally popped out from behind the clouds, and at one time became dimmed by the shadow of a partial lunar eclipse.


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Now, crisp nights and bare branches may lay ahead for the villagers, but for Rita and me - we have another life to look forward to, as we tomorrow pack our stuff and leave for Denmark.

In a few days we we will be back with family and friends, and after seven months away, that thought feels both strange and wonderful.

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