06.03.12.

Well the last weekend has been truly hectic!!! Our old friends the "Cave Vagabonde" were back at Auxerre last Thursday so as usual a very enthusiastic taste went on of their latest wares...... Also a bit of creative cookery from me when I had to extend a curry leftover (which was our supper for thursday night) extend in order to feed two young, and very hungry frenchmen. We hadnt wanted to be rude, so we didnt have our dinner but when it got to 10pm and they still hadnt left I just had to get on with it!! They seemed really happy with the meal although it lacked my usual thought..... But seriously it was lovely to see them all again as they were our mainstay last winter when the boat was being finished here in Auxerre. Im ashamed to say that the bottle count the next morning ran into double figures.....

On friday night we had our friends from the port in to supper as it was Phil (from Philosophe) birthday so we had a dinner party and had a very good evening with them, I did my roast salmon special and strawberries, meringue and cream for dessert, they rolled home about 1.30 am......

On Saturday we met up with old friends again and were invited to dinner at 'Milly' a little village near Chablis. Our friend Adrien lives there and is the producer of some very fine wines which all had to be tested.... I drew the short straw as I was driving home but I did have a sip of most of them and very impressive they were too!! Adrien and Gabrielle are getting married this November and Gabrielle cooked a lovely meal, even doing me a special vegetable moussaka as she had done a huge casserole for the others, John loved his turkey with prune dish and also ate some of mine!! Gabrielle also made spring rolls with bean shoots, mint and prawns as a starter. They were quite substantial and difficult to eat with nicety but who cared, we were with friends after all...... We spent a fab evening , with those who could, speaking in english whilst we communicated in a strange mixture of french and english. I must say John is beginning to get the hang of the language and now tries to communicate very well. He has at last got over his shyness and is beginning to extend his french knowledge.  We are grateful to them for inviting us as Im sure we are probably older than their parents but they all make us feel most welcome in their group.

So, this is how the french spend their saturday nights, when we are looking in vain for somewhere to go in the local bars which all seem to shut about 9pm....!! 

Sunday night we were happy to hunker down in front of the fire, with the TV, chocolate treats and poor old Patrice who was feeling a little neglected we think!

Yestewrday was Phil's actual birthday so we went for drinks on board 'Philosophe', our poor livers were to be tested for a fourth time in 5 days!

This morning we woke to great activity in the port, apparently some of the boats had been burgled over the weekend, thank goodness they missed ours........