Craig and I slept in, having been up quite late on Christmas Day. The comfy king-sized bed was a warm nest from which it was difficult to arise. Eventually, we stirred enough to brew coffee and then just lazed around, sipping from hefty mugs and nibbling on madeleines. We straightened the house and put away our gifts before walking over to Desmond’s for lunch. We made sandwiches from the delicious leftover chicken and helped ourselves to braised chestnuts and even some decadent foie gras.
 |
| I may have nibbled on a couple of these, too. |
 |
| Azur looks comfy! |
 |
| The ice skating rink was a temporary installation for the holiday season. |
That evening, we all treated Desmond’s friend and neighbor Mathieu to dinner. It was a brisk, cold night and we were glad to take the tram to Courtepaille. Des had mentioned that it was Mathieu’s favorite restaurant. We all enjoyed our meals of salad, steak, and fries, accompanied by tasty cocktails. Mathieu has a good sense of humour and is fun to talk to. He invited us back to his place for a dessert of pastries. I chose an opera cake which was as delicious as it was attractive. Mathieu had recently moved to the apartment in a building adjacent to Desmond’s. It was roomier than his previous apartment and had obviously been recently renovated. He said he was quite comfortable there and was still near his friends.
When we left for our own little apartment, I was glad we didn’t have far to walk. The evening was very cold and a stiff breeze had sprung up. Before long, we were snuggled into our warm bed.
