Gormand's Week
Last week I took my annual holiday in Normandy. As usual, Mom flew across and stayed with me in Brussels for a night before we headed off. We take our time driving down, usually staying in Honfleur or Deauville over night.
The journey is something I have come to look forward to very much. Crossing the Pont du Normandie is such a liberating feeling. Once I get over the bridge, I feel holidays are truly starting. It's like the Chesapeake Bay bridge for those of us who grew up spending summers going to the beaches in Delaware and the like. It just feels different on the other side.
We had very close family friends along this time. It was lovely although a bit overwhelming on the food front. I am a bit of a gourmand but I was not prepared for spending a week in close proximity to people with Gourmand's Disease. Not only did they buy everything in site at every market, but they planned meals all day and every day. They ate meals at meal time just because it was meal time and not because they were hungry. And one of them was a bit of a kitchen Nazi if you know what I mean...sort of controlling everything going in and out of the fridge, monitoring what's eaten, what's left. It was weird. I was overfed the whole week. At one meal - I swear, we were all seated at a table (heaving with seafood, salads, bread, cheeses, and fruit) and just as I took the first forkful of food, one of the friends announced exactly what we would have for the following day's lunch and dinner. Seriously, had it all already planned out! I thought OMG - let's do one meal at a time folks - oink!!!
At the start of the holiday Mom announced that she was going to eat oysters every possible chance. She wasn't lying. She hoovered Oysters - I calculated the number of oysters I think she consumed that week - somewhere around 70 - no kidding. She ought to have a pearl in her stomach by now!! But the Oyster thing paled in comparison to the butter and cheese thing. For the love of god that small woman can eat a lot of cheese. It's no wonder that every few days she would discuss he inability to go number 2! Waay Too much information - but lay off the cheese Mom - eat a peach or something - geez!! Leave a tiny bit of Pont L'Eveque for the rest of the planet. Don't get me started on the butter....
Bunny Dog had a nice time until he hurt his dew claw on his right paw. He was in terrible pain and couldn't be persuaded to really chase rabbits. He chose to quietly stake out briar patches and huge rabbit warrens in the dunes hoping a rabbit would just pop out. Kind of like when he hangs around the kitchen hoping I'll drop a roasted chicken on his head or something. He was pretty sad for a couple days though. He soon perked up when we spent a whole afternoon splashing in the salty surf together. I think the salt helped his wound heal a bit.
The weather was spectacular this time. Not a bad day the whole week.
All in all, it was lovely. But I never want to eat again. YA right
posted by Brussels Confidential @ 10:11 AM
<< Home