Nine hour lunch!

This past Saturday we were invited to a family lunch party at the home of some new, Spanish friends who we met through Sarah's school. There were five families at this international fiesta; 1 Dutch, 1 French, 2 Spanish and us, the Americans. Not everyone speaks the same language, but English, French or a combination of the two work well! When we arrived, our hostess, Danci, was just finishing her paella!

While the food was being put out, the children all ran around playing games. They ranged in age from 6 to 19. This family's rental home is on a fairly good sized piece of property. They have a swimming pool and tennis court. They brought furniture for the house from Spain. For many of those living here from other countries, it is only a long drive, not a trans Atlantic flight, back home. This is their second year and they may be here for several more years for the husband's work.

A large table was set up off the kitchen for the kids to have their lunch first. They had macaroni Spanish style, a Spanish omlette-made with potatoes and egg and bread.














It was very hot and sunny!
















While the kids were eating, we were setting up our lunch on the porch on the front of the house.
It was going to be a true Spanish feast!

There were special dried hams, Spanish omlettes, tomato salad, green salad with pomegranate seeds and fennel, spicy, sauteed mushrooms and of course the prize paella! It was all delicious!!

We all sat together in the shade of the front porch and enjoyed a wonderful meal with lots of laughter.

After lunch, we all played a version of family dodge ball out on the hard-surface tennis court. EVERYONE played and it was lots of fun!

After all that exercise, it was time for desert....this was the raspberry tart we (bought) and brought.
After desert we talked and had coffee on the porch. The kids continued playing and we talked some more and talked some more. Then as the sun was beginning to set a light supper, mostly made up of our left over lunch, was put together with some wine and we talked some more until before we knew it it was 10 o'clock. Time to go...the 9 hour lunch was over!!