Christmas Day in France

Pages From Jan's Travel Journal: Tuesday, Dec. 25 2018

Christmas Day dawned sunny but cold. Our first thoughts were on our other loved ones back home, though it was much too early to call any of them. We hoped that someone would be visiting mom in the nursing home. It's possible that she may not have realized that it was Christmas day, but she still deserved attention from her family, regardless. Craig and I had coffee together before walking over to Desmond's place. He greeted us with steaming mugs of rich hot chocolate. The house looked very festive, with the fat stockings on the mantel and twinkling lights on the tree. 

Christmas day in Orleans France

With Christmas carols playing in the background, the three of us took our time opening gifts and "unstuffing" our Christmas stockings. There was lots of laughter and plenty of nice surprises. Desmond especially loved the apron we had given him. It was from the Mennonite Heritage Museum in Goessel, Kansas and featured embroidered zwieback on the bib. Those little rolls, translated as "two breads" are a popular addition to many Mennonite meals.

Desmond tries on his new apron.

Azur joined the festivities.

Because this was the first sunny day since our arrival in France, we decided to go for a walk. The town was very quiet, as I'm sure many families were occupied in the same manner as we had been. Even though the temperature hovered at the freezing mark, we still enjoyed our little stroll. 

In the afternoon, Jeff and Arno arrived within minutes of each other. It was wonderful to have them with us for at least a part of the holiday. We poured drinks and nibbled on Christmas goodies as we chatted. Des was popping into the kitchen at intervals, and some very enticing aromas were filling the air. He really went all out to prepare a magnificent Christmas feast.

We began our meal with apéro, which consisted of more drinks accompanied by a beautifully arranged planche heaped with sausage, pistachios, Gouda walnut crackers, figs, escargot crackers, tiny pickles, and pate en croute. That kept us occupied for a while! Our next course was smoked trout blini. It was very tasty and I preferred it over smoked salmon. We were off to a great start.

What a great start to our meal!

After a while, Desmond presented us with a lovely tray of foie gras with plenty of toasted brioche accompanied by little pots of sea salt, onion confit and fig jam. By this point, I was feeling the need for another walk!

The foie gras was irresistible.

As the festive meal continued, Desmond served a tender, juicy, cider roasted capon, along with sweet potato casserole, braised chestnuts, and fresh, soft rolls. The capon stole the show; it was simply delectable. 

The delightful main course.

The traditional cheese course followed that sumptuous spread. Des had arranged the Gouda, goat cheese, and a tasty local cheese from Olivet on a tray with plenty of seeded crackers to go with it. I enjoyed sampling the cheese, but didn’t overdo it as I knew dessert was still to come. 

Time for some tasty cheese

Jeff had contributed spicy mince pies from Marks and Spencer for dessert, and we also had a layered ice cream cake. The champagne was poured and we all toasted the season as we savored the last bites of that incredible meal. How wonderful it was to share that time with our son and his friends, who over the years have become our friends, too. It was indeed a very special Christmas Day. 

Time for a toast. 

Flavorful mince pies

And ice cream cake to end the meal

Our Christmas Eve in France

Pages From Jan's Travel Journal: Monday, Dec. 24 2018

Christmas Eve! It was strange not to be at home for Christmas; it was definitely a first for us. Craig and I were thrilled to be spending the holiday in France with our son. I had switched on the two sparkling Christmas trees in our apartment before I headed into the kitchen to make coffee. The tree provided by our host was in the place of honor atop the mantel and was surrounded by some of the small gifts I had wrapped previously. I had hung our stockings there to complete the festive look, though we would take them to Desmond’s house later. The tiny tree was on our little dining table and provided another touch of color. 

Des came over with a box of pastries. The kouigin-amann was a delectable surprise. That sweet, flaky, buttery pastry is a traditional Breton delight. We also shared a yummy lemon tart as we planned our day. 

The kouigin-amann is a delight!

We had some grocery shopping to do, but first needed to stop at the pet shop to purchase food for Azur. As the three of us were approaching the shop, we saw a little girl leaving with her parents. Her eyes were sparkling and in her arms she cradled a large water-filled plastic bag in which a goldfish was swimming. The child had a huge smile on her face and both of her arms were wrapped around the bag protectively. As she lagged behind her parents, we saw her lift the bag and put her cheek against it as she gave it a gentle hug. She hugged her goldfish! That was one of the cutest things we had ever seen. For the rest of the day, one or the other of us would break into a smile or chuckle as we recalled it. It’s too bad her parents missed that special moment. 

Lost in translation?

The grocery store was very crowded, as we knew it would be, but it was fun. The store was packed with shoppers milling about selecting delicacies for their holiday feasts, while wide-eyed children waited in line to chat with Pere Noël. We wove through the crowds and managed to find everything we needed. After returning to Desmond’s place, we put away the groceries and then Des whipped up a lunch of vegetarian steak patties, potato puffs, and clémentines.

Those aren't cucumbers, they're avocados!

After laundry and a few other chores, we couldn’t resist a final visit to the Christmas market. The three of us bundled up and walked into the center of town. Of course, everyone had the same idea and the square was crowded with families. 

Enticing aromas of waffles, tartiflette, and roasted chestnuts wafted through the square. The hut with the biggest crowd was the one selling mulled wine, but the line moved quickly and we were soon sipping cups of that warm, spiced wine. Our next stop was for hot roasted chestnuts, which were scooped into a paper cone. Yum! 

Mulled wine is very popular on a chilly evening.

Craig and Des enjoying hot mulled wine
 at the Christmas market in Orleans, France

Roasted chestnuts were a treat

As sunset approached, we decided to ride the Ferris wheel. The lights on the candy striped-wheel were sparkling, as were the ones hung in swags from the wooden huts on the square. We enjoyed the view, though we were becoming chilled. It was time retrace our steps back across the bridge.

A view of the Christmas market from the Ferris Wheel

Another view from the big wheel

In France, most families have an elaborate meal on Christmas eve. Des had planned differently since he wanted to include Jeff and also Arno, who were not available until Christmas Day. He put together a quick and delicious cheese fondue for our Christmas Eve supper. There were chunks of baguette, salami, ham, cooked potato, apple, and blanched broccoli to dip into the melted cheese. There was chocolate fondue for dessert, which we ate with caramel corn, pieces of waffle, and slices of banana and orange. It was a fun and festive meal. 

Christmas Eve fondue

We ended the evening by watching nostalgic Christmas shows, after which we stuffed the stockings and propped them carefully on the mantel. It had been such a fun day.