Thanksgiving Gratitude

A first for Barbara - making confiture with Elizabeth.  First, cooking the fruit.

Then filling the jars.

Letting them set and seal the air out.

Finished product - peach confiture.

Denise LeBrun and Jack Campbell invited us over for his perfect duck dinner.

Jack is quite proud of the result.

Denise let Jack do his magic while she related an interesting event.

She is a former French musical performer.  She was performing with her friend Jacques Brel in Israel in November of 1963.  They had to go on stage right after the announcement that President Kennedy had been assassinated.  It was the most difficult moment of her career to sing and act perky under such circumstances.

Our next door neighbors, Cecile, Frederic, and Edouard dropped in for a casual evening.

Although everyone thinks our anniversary is the day before Thanksgiving (our wedding was the night before), it is actually November 21.  To celebrate our 7th, we went to Tours for a gourmet repast.

Amuse bouche - duck, snail, salmon cream

Crevette bisque

Salmon and chèvre

Frog Legs

Sea bream

Salade

A week later was Thanksgiving.  We had 5 guests for dinner - 3 Americans and 2 Frenchmen who had never had a Thanksgiving meal previously.

Nicolas got right in the mood consuming a turkey leg.

A box of chocolates made out of white chocolate

Coffee and dessert finished everyone off

We hurried into Paris to attend Helene White's 60th birthday luncheon.  She, her children, and the entire Levin family were in Paris to attend a family bas mitzvah.  It coincided with her very special birthday.  Helene, who has 4 dogs of her own, specifically requested that Lola attend also.

It also happened to be her daughter, Frankie's 18 birthday, so there was much to celebrate at La Fontaine de Mars.

While in Paris, we stopped in at the renowned Harry's Bar.  We have been to the one in Rome but not the original in Venice yet.

You can see Barbara's alma mater honored on the wall behind Ron and Lola.

They really do make the best Bloody Mary, which they claim to have created.

Our landlords, Christiane and Franco, have been renovating for 4 years a grand house next door to our bungalow.  It is 200 years old as you can see from the beam below.  Franco being Italian loves modern design, and they have installed all contemporary furnishings.

After being the first guests to share champagne in their new home, we went out to celebrate.

Another grand meal - it is hard not to gain weight with all this dining.  Below the amuse bouche of duck, beets and cucumber, and sweet potato bisque.

Appetizer of scallops and shrimp

Pork with beaucoup legumes

Dessert

Après dessert