A family dinner

I woke up early in case the Hartmans did as well and would be coming 'round.

But I definitely paid the price for my excesses (non-stop talking and then hours of shouting). My throat felt about the worst it's felt since the end of the treatments. I knew there was one simple solution which was rest, water and not talking. I couldn't do much about the rest part. I filled myself with water and kept it coming which helped. I did my best to not talk. But, as most people on this planet are aware, I am a lifelong sufferer of verbal diarrhea and just have great difficulty turning off my vocal chords.

We finally heard from the Hartmans a bit after noon. They had slept in and had a relaxing breakfast at the hotel. Both was good news. They were heading out to get lost in the city, which they did quite well {g}, and we would see them in the evening for dinner.

I went round and picked them up at about 18:00 and we drove home going through the Champs-Elysées so they could see the Arc de Triomphe and other tourist sites.

It was still yet another nice day out so we had dinner out on the terrasse. Desney had prepared some foie gras for starters which went down well with a Château le Fagé 1998 (Monbazillac). The foie gras wasn't Desney's own as it wasn't the season. But it appears to have went down well all the same. I personally found that the bread gets in the way for me. Jerry doesn't drink wine, which I knew, and Sharon wasn't having wine this evening so there was a lot more for the rest of us!

Desney had prepared a raclette which was delicious. It was the first time we had ever done this outside and it worked very well. Often when we do this in the kitchen it gets too hot too quickly and a bit smokey from the cooking cheese and frying meats. Outside it was great. This too went down well with an Ehrhart Riesling Grand Cru 2001. The GC Riesling, more than slightly sweet and biting, cuts through the cheese very well and makes digestion much easier. After two potatoes I realised that I was going to have to experience raclette without the potatoes from now on. It's much lighter which means I can eat more. But I just can't eat more than a couple of potatoes without them sponging up just about all the saliva and fluids I may have in my mouth making it difficult to eat, speak and even breath.

It started getting a bit chilly so we retired to the kitchen for salad, continuing with the Riesling, and then on to dessert. Desney had made her apple crumble which we accompanied with more of the Château le Fagé which we had not finished with the foie gras. The crumble went down well but I can eat much more of the apples and the ice cream than the crumble itself which quickly gets dry as well.

Over coffee we offered Jerry and Sharon a bit of an excursion for tomorrow...

They accepted!

I drove them home where they could get some sleep in order to be ready for a relatively early start tomorrow...