Buona Pasqua a Tutti!

So, today I finally get to break my chocolate fast! What a shame that it's so hard to find good quality chocolate here. And even the low quality stuff doesn't get sold as eggs very much. They've been in stores for a while now but it's mainly little ones, very few egg-sized eggs and absolutely no 300g, 500g or 1kg eggs available here. (Nor is there the great variety of flavours we have in Australia. Cadbury Creme Egg is the only interesting one.) I think it must be true what the Australian newspapers report every year, that Australians take their Easter chocolate more seriously than any other country.

Nor are there hot cross buns. I have seen just one or two packets of rather nasty looking buns with custard crosses and white glaze, not what we're used to. And none of those terrific chocolate hot cross buns you get from Baker's Delight or Woolies. (I wonder how long they would last in the freezer. If Erin bought me some now, would they still be good when I visit in December?)

But the strangest thing I have to share with you is that in France, they don't have an Easter Bunny. Instead, their Easter eggs are brought by flying church bells! I thought Cindy was having a lend of me when she told me that. But then I saw this on French Wíkîpédïà:

En Belgique et en France, ce sont les cloches de Pâques qui apportent les œufs de Pâques. Depuis le jeudi saint, les cloches sont silencieuses. On dit qu'elles sont parties pour Rome, et elles reviennent le jour de Pâques en ramenant des œufs qu'elles laissent tomber à leur passage.

In Belgium and France, it is Easter Bells who bring the Easter eggs. From Maundy Thursday the church bells are silent, so it is said that they have left for Rome and that they return on Easter Sunday filled with eggs, which they let fall as they pass.

Strange but true.