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Christmas Day in South West France

Christmas Eve is at least as big here in the remote forested North Tarn as Christmas Day. Christmas_Day_Montmiral_IMG_6692_d.jpg

Normally because of my back ground and being single, I treat Christmas Day as just another marine painting working day, not this year…

Christmas_Day_Itzac_IMG_6683_d.jpg Many Tarnais  families go to Mass in this predominantly Roman Catholic region, many have get together on Christmas eve, even many of the Muslems who live around here in large numbers.

My Christmas started with an invitation for the eve from the Boitel family and friends.  Christmas_Day_Montmiral_IMG_6700_wp.jpg

This meant an old farm house in the hills and forests, a beautifuly laid table and large log fire, all as cozy as any house in winter can be.

The meal included the best roast lamb I have had outside of Cornwall and Wales, wines that would easily beat the best from Britain and finishing with an exchange of modest gifts.

Gifts that had more to do with saying I appreciate you than with spending heaps of money to impress or amuse.

Christmas morning like other days arrived with the dawn.  Christmas_Day_Itzac_IMG_6686_d.jpg

No snow, quite mild and an invitation to lunch at Castelnau de Montmiral with my good friend Helene Ancelot and some of her family.

Lunch in  France is not lunch in England, more so on Christmas day.

Once again all possible had been done to create an amicable mood,  a good meal in cozy surroundings.   Christmas_Day_Montmiral_IMG_6698_wp.jpg

Being France, lunch took even longer than the longest I have had in GB.

Lunch also took in duck liver with salad, 2 of the largest guinea fowl (guinea fowl with turkey or goose pretensions) lots of “trimmings” and finishing with a selection of cheeses.

There was a Tesco Christmas pud (err yes Tesco’s but that is another story) lined up with orders for me to make brandy butter but that had to wait…

Christmas_Day_Montmiral_IMG_6688_d.jpg After that lot not much else got done on this Christmas day, no traffic, easy to wind my way back to Itzac.

I hope yours was a good one to?
If not, think about joining us in Castelnau de Montmiral next year?