A series of anecdotes with or without any connection to the running of a restaurant.

Saturday, May 20, 2006

International gathering...


Last night after work, I went to see my French friend, Didier at the restaurant where he works. We had a couple of glasses of red, chatted about life and my Edinburgh weekend...
He has been collecting Daily Mail flight tokens. So we are planning to go to his native Carcassonne in June for a few days.
"Ma mère nous fera un bon cassoulet!" He promised...

After the wine had run dry, we decided to go to another restaurant for a top-up. It is managed by Nuno, a gentle Portuguese guy from Estremoz (Alentejo). As soon as we went in, Nuno filled two glasses with red wine and carried on doing his till. The last customers had long gone. His heavily pregnant wife made us feel her tummy to the sounds of Paulo Conte, Gypsy Kings and Santana...
Her mother and stepfather work in the same restaurant and were very pleased to share memories and photos of their last Portuguese holiday. We nibbled a packet of salted broadbeans and waffled on... Nostalgia, Sodade... Cesaria Evoria and Amalia Rodrigues... Sardines, Vinho Verde...

All in French, English, Spanish and Portuguese...

What a classy evening!

I wonder what languages I'll be speaking next Friday night...

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12 Comments:

Blogger lettuce said...

what a fabulous evening!
And that photo is fantastic. We have some friends who live in Aveyron - there are some wonderful walled templar towns near them too, they are simply amazing. And still inhabited as "normal" towns!

20/5/06 11:23 AM  
Blogger DCveR said...

That's almost like traveling without leaving your own town! I wouldn't mind joining you in one of those gastronomical journeys!

20/5/06 12:54 PM  
Blogger Hayden said...

sounds perfect. good friends, good wine. there is nothing better.

20/5/06 2:15 PM  
Blogger Cream said...

Lettuce, this kind of evening is very common in my part of the world and I cherish every single one of them! Carcassonne is amazing!

DC, you're welcome mate! I love it when we gather like last night, compare traditions and get excited when many of them cross borders...

Hayden, absolutely right! Nothing like it!

20/5/06 5:16 PM  
Blogger Caroline said...

Hmm the nearest I've got to carcassonne is playing the game of that name...

Seems like you have a pretty amazing set of friends on your doorstep

20/5/06 10:34 PM  
Blogger Tanya said...

oh a proper job cassoulet made by sa mere, cool, I'd give my right arm to taste that..We get in in tins here, uck as Titch (2) would say...
PTB didn't see Eurovision last night, was watching something on LDV and then started watching BB for some bizarre reason...

And yes I think I am picking up a catalan accent!

21/5/06 10:24 AM  
Blogger The fabric of my life said...

Sounds like a great evening.

Thanks for your comment on my blog. I love Corinne Bailey Ray's album, she has a great voice. Have you heard her version of 'Venus as a boy'? I missed the Jools Holland performance. Too late for me at the moment. The Leg is wearing me out and I have to go to bed early, hahaha!!!!

21/5/06 1:26 PM  
Blogger Cream said...

Christine, That's my kind of life! Beautiful!

Caro, you'll have to experience Carcassonne! Great place. Yes, a great set of friends...

Tat, BB? Oh, my God, you're gonna get hooked!
I've had tinned Cassoulet in the past and to be honest there's nowt wrong with it. I'm sure that if you put your mind to it, you'd make an amazing one from scratch!
I know the catalan accent cos Didier speaks like that.
You really did sound great!

Dons, I agree she has a great voice! No, I haven't heard her sing that song. So I'll have to search for it.
I hope your leg is not getting down too much! I bet it's not funny!

22/5/06 10:13 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

is there anyone you dont know!? :)

22/5/06 4:19 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Cream, its great isnt it, my last fishing trip consisted of Spanish French, English and a little Polish. Very strange and very good learning tambien! Sounds like you a had a good night, great stuff!

22/5/06 5:21 PM  
Blogger Cherrypie said...

Carcassone is on my To Do list. I love evenings like that

22/5/06 5:32 PM  
Blogger Cream said...

Ale, it's a small world if you open your heart!

CR, I am sure your Spanish will be better than mine! I am jealous!

Cherrybabe, Sunday was much in the same vein as my usual Sundays. Friends, food and drink...
Carca, as the natives call it, is a must!

22/5/06 7:00 PM  

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