French-Irish Wedding Extraveganza – the part where we eat (some more)

So as you would imagine, standing around and eating incredible Canapés (Hors d’œuvre, appetizers, whatever it is that we are supposed to call them) non-stop for hours really makes one hungry.  Well lucky for us [luck o’ the Irish I suppose] we were in for a serious meal. 

We were lead into a candlelit stone barn that had tables from one end to the other.  {don’t worry – Susan will fully cover the food in a subsequent post}  At one point when we wandered outside (between some course, and the one to follow) –  we stepped out into the darkness of the château grounds that was punctuated by hundreds and hundreds of candles. There were candles lining the paths leading back to the chateau itself, there were candelabra in the trees with dozens of candles in them.  It was like something that you would say “wouldn’t it be cool if…” – but you’d never actually pull it off. Later Derv & Stephen lit what appeared to be a firework atop the wedding cake, and the dancing began.

Oldies like us had finally had enough dancing and late-night capers – so we got back to our lovely B&B and noticed – that we did in fact have reason to be tired as it was 3:30 (or as I call it “half seven”). Apparently we missed out on another 3 hours of dancing etc. that continued after we left.  (sheesh – kids these days)  Wait – they’re only a few years younger than me (sheesh – people without small kids these days).   The next day we stopped in for a quick bit at the pool-side party / Sunday lunch before we started our drive home. More great food, outside, in the château courtyard. 

So we finished with our 650km drive home – to fetch our sleeping kids – and get them home as there was school for them the next morning at 8:30.

Moral of the story:

If you get invited to a château in the wine-country of South West France for the wedding of a lovely Irish lawyer from London and a cycle-crazed Irish lawyer …. you go.