Christmas in Aix

 

Our Christmas Eve dinner party, minus Kiley, who took the picture.  We went on an adventure in the fish market and came back with squid, which we made into a lovely tomato and white wine pasta sauce.  I really have to give Kiley credit for that one; her enthusiasm to clean them overpowered my giggles.  She did most of the work while I made the salad.

 

Kiley carving up her first roast chicken.  We determined this officially makes her a woman.

 

My contribution to the Christmas dinner: quail marinated in port wine and apples.  When I put them into roast they were so small, doll-sized turkeys.  They were delicious, but made me feel a bit evil to eat them.

 

Provence is famous for its nativity scenes of santons, or little saints.  These are not those, but ones I found at Carrefour for six euros.  I couldn't resist buying them because it is exactly the same nativity scene we have had at my house for as long as I can remember.

 

The others indulged me in one of my family's most important Christmas traditions - the pre-presents walk.  Note the sunshine and coat-less weather.

 

Presents! We spent so long cooking that we didn't open them until almost 10 PM.