A green Christmas means no shovelling, walking around in our regular shoes, skipping the gloves and scarves.  It’s not all good though.  It is terribly dark.  Evening starts  at 3 pm.  I finally figured out that having no snow means that light is not reflected.  The trees their leafless branches silhouetted against the dark stone building, stand sad sentinels  all the short day long.  People are certainly making an effort though.  As I walked up a solemn street in the Plateau yesterday, I was happy to see someone had decided to lighten things up a little.  I wonder if he comes out late at night and lights candles in his hanging chandelier.