Escape

Today, once A had prepared the seafood gratin, we opened presents. They were generally edible or usable, experiences or vouchers, so low on "stuff". I then managed to open the oysters without injury to myself. We were just nine people at lunchtime: the four of us with A's mother, uncle, sister, her husband and their daughter. The oysters were baked with a little cream cheese, and the seafood gratin was excellent. After tackling the mountain of cheese that has accumulated, thanks to A buying too much, and me bringing some from Scotland, we finished with the bûche. This is the coffee-soaked biscuit construction that had been glazed with ganache by daughter L. It was delicious, without being excessively rich. 

By then the light was going, so I nipped out for a brisk walk. It was good to be in the cold, fresh air, and the views were pretty in the low light. 

Back in the house, we were visited by one of A's cousins and his wife. She provided a rare opportunity for me to have a conversation in English, when I discovered that she worked at the campus near Paris that I've visited three times in just over a year.