Easter Celebration
Two glorious days of Easter in France
24.04.2011 - 25.04.2011 18 °C
EASTER SUNDAY
As you might have guessed, the French don't skimp on food when Easter comes along. In fact, it is Easter Monday rather than Good Friday that is the big national holiday, which means two serious eating days in a row. And thus, we celebrated royally!
We started the day off with an "Easter miracle" of sorts. Our juicer was on the fritz from the time we arrived in France. That is to say, the motor would run, but the juicer didn't actually turn. Eric had resigned himself to squeezing the oranges by hand to produce freshly squeezed orange juice. However, on Easter morning, the juicer suddenly started turning.
Voila!
I made a mushroom, leek and artichoke crostini
Cecile ventured out in the morning for fresh bread, and also a surprise dessert for Easter - YUM!
Mmm fresh bread
Easter flowers blooming in the garden
We celebrated Easter Sunday at our house with Aunt Claire, along with Eric's Aunt Cecile and his cousin Marc, who were visiting from the Geneva area. We also hosted Aunt Hélène and Uncle Alain. Our menu included fennel and orange salad, roasted rabbit, spring asparagus and other vegetables, bread and cheese, and an ice cream cake and Swiss chocolates for dessert.
Waiting for company to arrive
Alain and Hélène arriving with our new tomato and lettuce plants
What lovely lettuce Hélène had started for us to plant in our garden
Cecile and Claire making mousseline for the asparagus
Mmm fresh asparagus
Rabbit!
A "good" wine
Pass the bread please!
A little cheese for a snack
Time for dessert
Nothing like a little advertising on your cake
Oooh la la, chocolate!
What a happy group
Easter was exhausting for Fanette
After lunch, it was time for a little ping pong, followed by Scrabble.
Claire showing her game face
Marc wearing cool shades and new shoes!
Eric and Alain played next
Cecile and Jennifer played a not so serious match
Cecile won!
Fanette got into the act
Alain imitating Jennifer's style
And finally, a game or two of Scrabble
EASTER MONDAY
The next day, the whole gang chez nous headed over to Alain and Hélène's house for an even bigger celebration.
We stopped for bread along the way - four huge loaves, so Eric couldn't resist trying one of them
Alain and Cecile
Bonjour Claire! Bonjour Pierre!
This time there was a live rabbit - as one of the guests, not one of the dishes
Before lunch, there were motorcycle rides for the kids
Doesn't it look like Alain is about to run away with those merguez sausages?!
Everybody loves homemade pizza
Carving the lamb
Roasted leg of lamb (with zucchini and eggplant too)
Quinoa salad
Homemade chickpea salad, with grated beet rave and lettuce from the garden
And let's not forget dessert, for there was plenty of that to go around. Even for Fanette.
Alain and Hélène's daughter Emmanuel - "Manu" - passes out dessert
Tiramisu
Vanilla bean flan
Colombe, a traditional Italian Easter cake baked in the shape of a dove
And chocolate eggs
Marc received a special Easter treat from the other kids
Time for a nap
Seriously, Hélène spread out blankets for everyone to take la sieste or siesta
Ahh the beautiful shade
After la sieste, it was time for day two of competitive Scrabble playing
Others took a serious walk in the woods
Alain's "secret" getaway place
We found a frog
Cecile took a rest to contemplate the meaning of life
While Eric collected batons - sticks to support our new garden tomato plants
Alain showed us some bones he found in the woods… apparently he kept stacking them nicely, only to find them tossed about the next time he returned to that part of the woods
Then it was time for a little gardening… Hélène says she becomes folle (crazy) when gardening season begins
Hélène's garden is a little bigger than ours
What beautiful flowers!
And what a lovely day, two days of Easter actually. Happy Easter everyone!
Posted by jlamarre 23:15 Archived in France Tagged parties holiday living_abroad