I've been pretty much unplugged these past few days, living the slow life and loving every moment of it. It's good to be back home where there's snow, Sox fans and a preponderance of French names everywhere. Good old Western Massachusetts.
Got in late Friday night on Amtrak. Dad and I did immediately inaugurate the festivities by trying out Noah's Mill when we got home. He said it reminded him of Booker Noe and he really liked it. Reminded both of us more of a Tennessee whisky with its straightforward, linear approach. It wasn't as expansive as the Kentucky bourbons we knew. The switch over to J.W. Dant later was a little comical. Somehow it tasted milquetoast-y and sweet, something neither Dad nor I would have ever expected. It's all in the setup.
The next day we went driving out to the Montague Book Mill ("Books you don't need in a place you can't find"). This bookstore is a real gem and the cafe attached to it is no slouch either. Dad and I enjoyed a leisurely chat overlooking the snow and the stream below after picking out our respective books (Vikram Seth's An Equal Music for me, Kawabata Yasunari's The Lake for Dad). A couple of college guys were playing a board game a few feet away, not a care in the world. This was about the exact speed I was going for.
We followed that up with a great dinner at Chez Albert in Amherst. I finally had my first experience with frog's legs -- you'd think that a French kid would've gotten around to that by now -- and found them pretty tasty. Yes, they do taste like chicken. I think the chef was making a little nod to the American buffalo wing by adding a spicy sauce and some creamy roquefort on the side. Everybody around us was in good spirits, cutting up and making jokes, talking freely with the people sitting at adjoining tables. I was particularly charmed by the family sitting next to us. The mother was French-American and, like us, clearly there for a bit of culturally familiar food and ambiance. She was teaching her young son all about the dishes they were eating, sometimes in French. He took it pretty well although I thought the parents were being a little ambitious -- the kid couldn't have been more than 8 years old. As for me and Dad, we loved the restaurant and will definitely be back.
Yesterday I felt a little under the weather so we took it easy. Dad made chicken soup for lunch and I took a long afternoon nap. We watched the Pats beat the Dolphins and improve to 15-0 for the season (although they didn't look so great in the second half of that game). More chicken soup for dinner, a movie, then a hot toddy before calling it a night. I slept a ton and today I'm feeling more energetic.
So here we are, Christmas Eve. Heading out for a late lunch at our beloved Europa. Time for some Portuguese yummies. Then we'll come back home and finally decorate that beautiful balsam fir in the living room. Think it's going to be a nice Christmas.
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