Can it be time for another mishmash already? October flew by, but perhaps that’s because we spent the whole month in France. Although I blogged about some of my visit, nevertheless there were some items and photos that didn’t make the cut. I’d already drafted a post about Halloween, but I didn’t manage to finish it in time.

When I first came to France, Halloween wasn’t a ‘thing’. I originally noticed more signs of this event appearing in the nineties. Over the years, I have seen more evidence of Halloween, even in the small town where we have our home. It’s particularly evident in the local supermarkets, as you can see in the two photos below. A clever marketing opportunity, perhaps?

I quite like the display on the left which features pumpkins and other autumnal vegetables. I think the one on the right might appeal more to children.

The two posters below I spotted advertising Halloween events. The one on the left is aimed at children, inviting them to cast spells and collect sweets, whereas the one on the right is for a delicious Halloween dinner with an aperitif included.

The meal featured begins with pumpkin soup, followed by tartiflette. This is a hearty dish which comes from Savoie and is made with potatoes, Reblochon cheese, white wine, onions and lardons. Some recipes for tartiflette include cream or crème fraîche – very hearty! This is followed by cheese and then crêpes. Yummy!

Walking beside the Canal du Midi still has surprises for me. I was very taken by the mobile/wind-chime, hanging outside a canal side house, made from a kettle and some hanging spoons. This must be the ultimate in repurposing! It certainly made me smile.

What have I been watching in October?

We don’t watch much television when we are in France, but we did manage to see Entrapped Series Three.

This is an Icelandic police drama which we first watched on BBC 4. However, this latest series aired on Netflix. It comes under the umbrella of ‘Nordic Noir’ or ‘Scandi Noir’ which is a genre I enjoy very much. I won’t give away any spoilers, but I must admit I didn’t find this recent series as gripping as the previous ones.

In a similar vein, I have just finished watching the third series of Deadwind, another Nordic Noir police series but set in Finland. This is also on Netflix. No spoilers but it is quite grisly!

Apologies if you don’t subscribe to Netflix but in France, we have limited viewing choices.

I love October in France. It’s one of my favourite months to be there and Zeph seems to enjoy the time there, too. I couldn’t complete a mishmash without at least one photo of him. Here he is at the Airbnb in Tours where we have an overnight stop. He is always very well behaved when we stay there and, I think, he looks at if butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth, in this photo! How deceptive images can be…

I am sharing this post with #PoCoLo where there are a variety of blog posts to read on a range of subjects.