Hospitality Plus

As I mentioned in my last post, when Sue had come aboard, we had arranged to meet for dinner. As Jean-Charles is interested in sailing and matters naval, we invited them aboard for a pre-prandial drink. During the course of this exchange, I had mentioned our low opinion of French rhum. Sue looked aghast.

WW went in to the marina in Boffo and collected our guests at 6:30 that evening. I had planned a batch of RPs, but that was nixxed when they arrived. JC had rhum, sugar and citrons verts (the Caribbean French refer to green lemons and JC explained that they are different from limes, though uneducated palates such as mine cannot make the flavour distinction). The citrons had come from their own tree in their own garden. He also brought a triad of small spoons. We were to be introduced to the French equivalent of an RP: the ti-ponche (sp?).

WW and I had actually experienced this drink in Deshaies on our first visit. We had sworn it would never pass our lips again. We were to be forsworn.

Jean-Charles, with flourish, sliced his green lemons into chunks. He put two or three in a small glass. He mashed them with one of the spoons.

Citrons verts are step one.

He added sugar and mashed again. Then he poured in a measure of white rhum. More mashing and...voila!

The alchemist at work.

It was absolutely fabulous.

That said, we gave Sue a bit of Mount Gay on the rocks and she was stunned to learn it could be drunk like that, unsullied by other ingredients...and tasted OK. Both the Anglos and the Francos had scored direct hits. No need to re-enact the Battle of the Saintes.

After our delicious libations, we crowbarred all six of us into Boffo and headed, very carefully, back into the marina. It was a short walk to a wonderful pizzeria. Sue said she and JC eat there often, and she had made reservations. The meal was delicious, the conversation sparkled. I was deeply happy the swimmers had swum and made this all possible.

Jean-Charles and WW at the pizzeria.

Sue, Dana and Enn at the pizzeria.

As the evening drew to a close, Sue offered to pick us up at 8:30 the next morning. She works from home as a translator and wanted to get to her desk at a reasonable hour. She would take us there, lend us the car, and provide us with instructions for getting to La Soufriere. I mean...wow.

We parted well pleased with the wonderful evening we had spent.