Table Talk

Yesterday was one of those not infrequent occasions when a group of us met for lunch - for no particular reason other than friendship, food and talk.  We were three Dutch, three English two Germans and an American;  seven of us were xaintricois(es) with two visiting friends.

Liddy and Gerrit were hosts; we passed a pleasant four hours or so (a normal lunch interval) around a table in their garden with a view across to the peaks in the Parc des Volcans, thirty kilometres away in the Cantal.  The food was 'rice table', a dutch favourite originating from the Netherlands' colonial past; the conversation was varied and ranged from language, through accents and travel to the inevitable food and drink topics.  We passed house prices and royal families on the way.

I'm one of those people who are convinced that civilisations grew out eating together, with family and friends.  Share conversation (even if three or four languages may be needed), food and drink and avoid wars.

Incidentally, the royal family topic popped out of Liddy's table napkins;  paper ones but obviously of superior quality as they were purchasedd at a Dutch 'royal' venue (a palace of some sort?) which boasts a shop with such items, the wrappings no doubt embellished with the Netherlands' royal coat-of-arms.  We were very careful what we did with them after the meal.

Mapmaker