It is Official - Cees is Ancient !

This year Cees received an invitation for the “Repas des Anciens”. A free meal given to all the old folk in town. When you reach a “certain age” your name gets added to the list of participants and Cees’ time had come this year. Interestingly we are members of the group that organise and run this meal (the Amicale de Cormatin) so we were closely involved in all the preparations, but we ducked out when it came to asking for volunteers to do the work on the day.

We had been planning and preparing for weeks, with the usual French style and to us a somewhat chaotic approach, but everything came together on the day despite all the arguments over whether we should have beef or duck and which wine should be bought. As treasurer I was sent out to buy the chosen wine and I was very pleased to note that the white wine brought huge compliments, but the Mayor (sitting opposite me at the dinner) didn’t like the red wine he had personally chosen and insisted we should buy, which made me giggle rather.

We made table arrangements in tune with the time of year and a suitably Easter-ish theme was chosen and doesn’t that little chick that I suggested we buy as a joke look so cute. I really must stop my attempts at humour and sarcasm in French, they really do take me too literally sometimes.

We were treated to an aperitif, terrine de lapin, paupette de saumon (bouchée à la reine for the non-fish eaters like me), trou Bourguignon (cassis sorbet with Marc de Bourgogne the local fire water), cuisse de canette with gratin dauphinois, assiette de fromage or faisselle and Délice de Cormatin a special dessert from one of the bakers in town, all washed down with the appropriate wine. White wine - Mâcon Villagees Clos de Mont-Rachet 2009, red wine - Bourgogne Pinot Noir Buissonnier 2008 and crément - Crément de Bourgogne Blanc de Blancs all from the local cave, Vignerons de Buxy and then of course coffee and digestif.

They know how to do free meals round here.

Even though the meal was a month ago, I waited until today to publish this story because now it is official!

La Tuilerie Website