Nantes

It's 8:30 our time Sunday evening and I can hardly begin to explain the past three days. In short, we have been taken in by the warmest, friendliest French family and been treated like sons and daughters of their own. We have eaten the most amazing spread of French food, dined on a family friend's champagne and had cheeses and desserts with flavors beyond ones imagination. Friday night we arrived at the childhood home of Damien, my friend Dorine's new husband, and greeted by each person with a smile and a kiss on each cheek. Every time someone comes or goes, everyone kisses again. No one is ever missed. It's charming. The wedding was on a permanently berthed boat on the river Loire with the most delicious French small bites served all night long. No one sat, we just drank and ate and danced. Dorine danced in Traditional Tahitian style for Damien; it brought tears to my eyes. We were not back at the hotel until well after 2:30am.
The next day we had a beautiful lunch of catered traditional Pancakes from this region of France and also sweet crepes with apple cider. Later in the evening those who were still around ate again wild boar pate, fresh cheeses, apricot compote and cookies with rose wine from Aix-en-Provence. Later that night we found ourselves wandering the central city of Nantes with thousands of natives and tourists alike enjoying a jazz festival on the Erde river. We will return to the carnival tonight I think.
This morning I received a phone call from Dorine that they were headed to the market to buy food for tonight's traditional Tahitian feast that her cousin is preparing. We were invited to the market and to the dinner, both of which we accepted with an emphatic yes! We returned after the market to yet another wonderful slow French style lunch when you don't know exactly when the food will stop appearing on the table. Champagne,, rose, re. Wine, coffee. Everything was a feast for the eyes and the senses.

i had about two more paragraphs that got cut off due to unreliable wifi. youll have to get the rest of the story of Nantes later. this is us with some of Dorine and Damiens friends at the wedding lunch.