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Posts Tagged ‘food’

Visit to Paris

Aude and her mother along the bank of the Seine.

Visit to Paris

Time to play tourist — we visited the city by Bateau Bus

Visit to Paris

Aude’s father gets ready to make a wish as he celebrates his birthday

It’s been a very busy month with visitors. Aude’s parents also came to spend several days with us in May, taking advantage of one of the long holiday weekends. We did all the touristy things, walking all over the city and taking a bateau bus down the Seine.

We also had a great meal at Le Train Bleu.

Another set of photographs from a few weeks ago that I haven’t had time to upload yet. In this case, I think I will have to let a picture be worth a thousand words as I haven’t really got time to write much today. Suffice it to say the high-level summary is that:

– Julia isn’t so great with addresses, so we got a nice, long tour of the area before dinner
– Dinner was great

It is a small world — five days later I found myself sitting next to Julia on the Eurostar from London to Paris. What are the odds?

Celebrating Julia's 30th birthday

Celebrating Julia’s 30th birthday

Celebrating Julia's 30th birthday

Celebrating Julia’s 30th birthday

Celebrating Julia's 30th birthday

Celebrating Julia’s 30th birthday

Celebrating Julia's 30th birthday

It’s like the old Corey Hart song: “I Wear My Sunglasses at Night”Not the best look for an evening out, Julia. Sorry.

Celebrating Julia's 30th birthday

When asked whether he had managed to get everyone into the picture, the waiter replied emphatically “Oui!” Which, I suppose, is technically correct. There is a PART of everyone captured in the photo.

Celebrating Julia's 30th birthday

The smiling birthday girl

Celebrating Julia's 30th birthday

Happy birthday to you…Happy birthday to you…Happy birthday, dear Julia…Happy birthday to you!(Mind your eyebrows)

Celebrating Julia's 30th birthday

Celebrating Julia’s 30th birthday

Celebrating Julia's 30th birthday

Celebrating Julia’s 30th birthday

It has taken me ages to get these photos edited and online, but here are a few snaps of our game of boules in the park in late April. Depressingly, it was warmer and sunnier then than it is now.

Boules in Paris

Aude, Karine and Julien prepare for a game of boules with a quick glass of pastis

Boules in Paris

This joke remains as funny as it ever was…

Boules in Paris

Emergency Chinese take-away to stave off the hunger. You need a lot of energy to play boules.

Boules in Paris

Aude surveys the landscape.

Boules in Paris

Julien has more boules than most…

Boules in Paris

Textbook form!

Boules in Paris

The ladies are up…

Boules in Paris

Matthew adopts an unconventional technique…

Boules in Paris

…which proves remarkably effective. Laugh if you will, but we won.

Boules in Paris

The girls are up again…

Boules in Paris

Aude seems pleased with herself…

Boules in Paris

Karine, on the other hand, is a little skeptical.

Boules in Paris

Some serious adjudication going on here to determine the winner. If you need to know who won, I suggest looking at the thumbs.

A few more pictures from Easter Sunday in the South of France…

There are definitely worse places to spend a Sunday afternoon...

There are definitely worse places to spend a Sunday afternoon…

Aude's mother, hard at work preparing Easter lunch

Aude’s mother, hard at work preparing Easter lunch

Minouche watches everything from the garden

Minouche watches everything from the garden

Jerome and Liher relax with a book before lunch

Jerome and Liher relax with a book before lunch

Even if my parents couldn't be here in person, they were with us in spirit!

Even if my parents couldn’t be here in person, they were with us in spirit!

Aude has always been rubbish at hide-and-seek

Aude has always been rubbish at hide-and-seek

Aude and her mother in the March sunshine

Aude and her mother in the March sunshine

Jerome and Liher beside the pool

Jerome and Liher beside the pool

Everyone in front of the pool

Everyone in front of the pool

Matthew, Jerome and Liher

Matthew, Jerome and Liher

Aude puts the final touches on the starter...

Aude puts the final touches on the starter…

Foie gras and cepes -- a great way to start Easter lunch

Foie gras and cepes — a great way to start Easter lunch

Another evening of gluttony is over, although a malfunctioning oven meant that some last minute jiggery-pokery with the microwave was required to make sure that we all got fed (and the veggies were still a little on the ‘al dente’ side). Nevertheless, we managed to make a good dent into the roast beef and traditional trimmings.

Matthew presents the roast beef

Matthew presents the roast beef

Teaching Aude's parents how to play backgammon

Teaching Aude’s parents how to play backgammon. I promise I’m not making up the rules as I go along.

So the gluttony of the season continues. Last night I cooked two ducks (Donald and Daffy) with all the traditional trimmings – orange sauce, stuffing, cranberry sauce, green beans and plenty of wine. After we’d finished dinner and watched the Queen’s speech, there was only one thing to do – head off to the pub. It was a great way to celebrate my last official English Christmas for a while.

Both Daisy and Calypso seemed enthusiastic about some of their presents (mostly the toys) but Daisy refuses to go inside her new carrying cage, preferring instead to sleep on top of it. What can I say – cats are weird.

Daisy is very excited about her new Christmas present

Daisy is very excited about her new Christmas present

Never a stupid cat, Daisy figures out quickly that it's safer to be on top of her cage than in it!

Never a stupid cat, Daisy figures out quickly that it’s safer to be on top of her cage than in it!

Calypso looks on cautiously from the sidelines

Calypso looks on cautiously from the sidelines

Relaxing after dinner

Relaxing after dinner

Putting the final touches on Donald and Daffy before they're served for Christmas dinner

Putting the final touches on Donald and Daffy before they’re served for Christmas dinner

Daffy a l'orange

Daffy a l’orange