Olga's birthday

Parties are common at the Cabane à Huîtres, and almost everyone you meet there has been there before or will certainly come back again.

I was there last Friday for lunch and was chatting with Francis when a couple came in. Francis immediately recognized them from a previous visit (he has a prodigious memory for names and faces.) Sure enough, it was a couple from Belgium, Olga and Andrzej, visiting Paris for a few days.

After oysters and foie gras and cheese, and yes, a few glasses of wine, Olga asked permission to stand up and sing a song. But what language was she singing? It was very difficult to identify. Maybe Russian? No, not Russian, she is Greek, a sculptress from Naxos, Greece. And it was her birthday.

We sang Happy Birthday (in English) and Francis broke out a favorite wine for a birthday toast.

Everyone joined in for the singing and the toast, including Madame Blomet, another regular, shown here with Francis. Mme Blomet is 91 years old - but she certainly doesn't look it!


Olga told us more about her sculpture, and the differences between Naxos marble and Carrara marble (larger crystals, higher luminosity.) She finished by inviting everyone to come and visit Naxos. I haven't been to Greece since 1972. I just might take her up on her offer and go for a visit! You can see Olga's work here. Andrzej is also a sculptor, and you can see his website here.