La Cabane a Huitres - again!

I went to the Cabane a Huitres twice this week. I went by myself on Thursday, my laptop computer in hand so that Francis could listen to an NPR article by Eleanor Beardsley on January 1st, 2007 featuring him.

When Francis learned that I was American a couple of weeks ago, he immediately trotted out an envelope from NPR with a letter and CD recording of the program. Unfortunately, Francis doesn't have a computer so he hasn't been able to listen again to his program.

I promised to bring the computer, along with a printout of the transcript, and Eleanor's contact information. You can hear the story for yourself here:
Here is my own photo of Francis shucking oysters:


I went again on Friday. But not alone this time. My friend Colleen from Boulder had to come to Paris on business. She and Lisa came early for a mini vacation. When Colleen arrived, she reminded me how much she loves oysters, having grown up on the East Coast. She has also been following my blog, and of course I wanted to introduce her to Francis and his oysters. Here is a photo of Colleen and Lisa:



I realized this morning that all of these oyster stories are not just about the oysters. Nor are they about Francis and his Cabane a Huitres. For me, oysters are inextricably linked with Charlie and our 40 years together. We both grew up in landlocked Colorado and never imagined eating something so foreign. We discovered them together and the story of our romance is interwoven with stories of oysters. Perhaps if I stay here long enough, I can create a new story about oysters - one that doesn't have Charlie in it.