After our morning coffee and pastries, Desmond headed off to work. Craig and I had decided to do some shopping to find a gift to celebrate Desmond's second Master's degree. I convinced him that he would really appreciate some kitchen cabinets to add to what little he had. That would give him additional storage and prep space, which was desperately needed in that tiny kitchen.
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| I just had to get a photo of the variety of breads at our nearby bakery. |
We contacted Mathieu, who drove us to a large hardware store. With measurements in hand, we looked over several different styles of cabinetry and eventually decided on a nice white set with pewter grey countertop and handles. It had drawers and cupboards, and we even added a pull-out spice rack. The guys drove me back to the apartment and then set out again to stuff the unassembled cabinets into the back of the car and bring them home. Just as they were lugging the heavy boxes up the stairs, Des returned home unexpectedly and we were busted! He was at first curious and then delighted when he found out what we had done.
We broke for lunch before tackling the assembly of the new cabinets. At a little cafe on Rue Jeanne D'arc, sitting in the open air, we enjoyed delicious crocque monsieur sandwiches and crisp fries along with a lovely view of the cathedral. Then, back we went to assemble the cabinets, while Desmond returned to the university. It was a much more lengthy and difficult task than we had anticipated, but we managed to put together everything except the spice rack before Des returned home again.
Our son was very pleased with the gift we had chosen. We were in a celebratory mood, and it was made more festive with the addition of fresh, hot gougeres and kir royale. Mathieu had whipped up the savory gougeres as Craig and I finished the assembly of the cabinetry. By the time we had finished the wonderful apero, we were ready for the short drive to La Ferté de St Aubin.
We broke for lunch before tackling the assembly of the new cabinets. At a little cafe on Rue Jeanne D'arc, sitting in the open air, we enjoyed delicious crocque monsieur sandwiches and crisp fries along with a lovely view of the cathedral. Then, back we went to assemble the cabinets, while Desmond returned to the university. It was a much more lengthy and difficult task than we had anticipated, but we managed to put together everything except the spice rack before Des returned home again.
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| Lunch at a sidewalk cafe always tastes better! |
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| Apero to toast Desmond's accomplishment! |
We had originally planned to visit the Chateau de la Ferte St Aubin, also known as the castle of toys, and then have dinner at La Sauvagine. However, the cabinet assembly had taken a while, and we were too late to be admitted to the Chateau. Instead, we wandered the streets of the village and popped into a few of the shops there.
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| Chateau de la Ferte St Aubin, a castle of games and toys. |
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| The unassuming exterior of La Sauvagine. |
Dinner at La Sauvagine was everything we had hoped it would be. The menu is limited, but the food is delicious. We were seated at a table near the window, where we began our meal with ewe's milk cheese spread on slices of fresh baguette. I had chosen a rabbit terrine as my appetizer. It was served with more crusty bread, a dark red onion jam, and crunchy pickles. My main course was a dish of tender pork cheeks in a mushroom cream sauce, accompanied by thick-cut fries, pureed carrots, and tiny green beans. It was wonderful! I passed on the cheese tray and enjoyed a dessert of pear cake with caramel sauce and a scoop of caramel ice cream. We were all very happy with the delightful restaurant and went home feeling quite satisfied.
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| I could have made a meal from just the appetizer! |
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| A delightful main course at la Sauvagine. |
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