I can’t believe I forgot to blog about our dinner with Jenni and Romain on Sunday night. Jenni is Angie’s first cousin, and we visited her and her husband Romain last time we were in Paris in 2011. However, back then, they had a really tiny place so we went out to eat. This time, they invited us to their larger place and cooked us a wonderful meal. It was fantastic to spend some time with them at home, because then we could relax and talk without distractions. We also learned a bit about how apartment living differs between the US and France. In the US, when you rent an apartment, the kitchen appliances are usually included (not always a washing machine or microwave though). In France, the room that is called the kitchen will include a sink, but nothing else. Stove, fridge, all that must be supplied by the renter. I can’t believe I didn’t learn that from House Hunters International on HGTV! We also learned that like many big cities, it’s really important to have connections when seeking a new place to live, since there are usually many applicants for any decent apartment that becomes vacant. Jenni and Roman got lucky because they had friends who were moving out of this place, so they were able to get ahead of the crowd, so to speak.
It was a lovely evening with great food and conversation. Jenni roasted a chicken, which made Angie and I very happy since it’s one of our favorite meals and we couldn’t make it in Paris because our Air BnB has no oven. She served it with butternut squash and Brussels sprouts. This is the second time on this trip I have been served butternut squash and loved it. I guess if something is prepared in a really great way, it makes all the difference. And of course I LOVE roasted Brussels sprouts. Before dinner, Jenni also served us delicious gougeres, which are little choux pastries with a subtle cheese in them. Delicious. And the meal also included a cheese course (one was goat, so I loved it, and the other was very good though less to my taste).
We had a wonderful evening and so appreciate the hospitality of Jenni and Romain.