Lunch at Nathalie and Stéphane’s

As most of you will likely remember, we were a bit concerned when Roger and Dominique, our original landlords, told us they had sold “our” apartment.  As it turned out, our new landlords, Nathalie and Stéphane are also delightful and have become friends. Over the years we have enjoyed getting to know them and their two lovely daughters.  We have had the pleasure of attending a variety of musical events with them, doing a bit of sightseeing and shopping (Nathalie and Anna), providing material for Lucie’s senior project, cheering on Lucie and Fanny in their dramatic and musical performances, sharing meals, and more.  And, there’s a further bonus – all of us, Roger and Dominque, Stéphane and Nathalie and family, and the two of us enjoy getting together every so often.  Which brings us to the subject of this posting: our recent lunch chez Nathalie and Stéphane.

Here’s a photo Lucie took of (L-R) Roger, Anna, David, Nathalie, Dominique, and Stéphane.  

It has become sort of a custom for all of us to get together for lunch during our stays in Lyon.  So, off we went to Nathalie and Stéphane’s with Roger at the wheel.  (Nathalie and Stéphane live in the ‘burbs, far enough out to be beyond Lyon public transportation.) We don't see the girls often since they are grown up now and busy with their own lives; Lucie works and lives in Paris, and Fanny is attending University and has an Internship. (Not sure how that happened so fast – weren’t they just in middle school?)  But, both of them were at home with Mom and Dad, and it was great to see them again and have them join us for lunch.  

This was a full French meal:  aperitif, appetizer, entrée (first course), plat (main dish), cheese course, dessert, and digestifs (after dinner drinks).  With that many people at the table, there are bound to be a variety of drink choices. Before dinner Stéphane brought out a new drink for us to try, an Italian aperitif that is served with tonic water.  Anna gave it a try, actually a couple of tries, and found it quite pleasant. One of the great things about these French meals is that they take place over a period of time and include LOTS of great conversations and, of course, the appropriate libation with each course.  They are really a wonderful way to reconnect with friends and discuss a wide variety of things – even a bit of politics in multiple countries. 

The Italian aperitif.

In addition to delicious food and very enjoyable conversation, we were treated to a bit of entertainment.  Stéphane has added three hens to their domicile. The hens have their own house and fenced yard and reward their owners with eggs each day.  Those hens have quite the setup!  However, the red hen had somehow found a way to get out of the confines of their enclosure to go exploring.  How she managed to get out was as yet undetermined, but each time it resulted in someone at the table discovering her escape and Stéphane jumping up to catch her and put her back into her enclosure. (Is the grass truly “greener on the other side of the fence” - is this a case of “why did the chicken cross the road/escape”?  It’s a bit of a head-scratcher.)

The three hens just hanging out and behaving themselves in their abode.

The time went by incredibly fast, and suddenly it was time to say our goodbyes.  It is great to spend a few hours and share a delicious lunch with such pleasant folks.  We may not have commented on all the positive world events or solved all the problems of the world, but we likely did identify and discuss them.  

How fortunate we are to have such wonderful friends (and landlords) in Lyon!