By agreement, Bernard picked us up at the Hotel Carlton where we spent a restful evening and had a healthy breakfast. The dining room was filled with mostly business people dressed in dark clothes.
We drove from downtown Lyon to the suburbs where Dominique and Bernard reside. First stop: the local boulangerie for a baguette--of course. Since it's Monday, two of the three boulangers are closed for the day; the schedule rotates so that the populace is never without their bread!
The town where D. and B. live is a charming village called Charbonniers le Bains--isn't that a beautiful name? Prior to reaching their home, Bernard drove us around the town, up to the top of one of the hills (it is quite hilly in this part of France). Then it was on to their home where Dominique had been cooking all morning (they traditionally eat their big meal of the day at mid-day). Lunch consisted of a scrumptious lamb shoulder, salade with viniagrette, and tiny roasted potatoes plus baguette and wine. A nice way to get acquainted. Their home is beautiful--fitting a retired Air France pilot with a wife who loves to decorate and cook!
JoAnn and Dominque chat about recipes in Franglais!
Voila! Is this the connection that was missing from Lloyd's research?! The family Denuziere had a large tombstone that contained the name "Merlanchon" whereas Lloyd's family had always told him the name of his great-grand mother was "Melanchon". Etienne and Eugenie Merlanchon are apparently the relatives common to both families--more research is necessary, but Lloyd thinks he is getting "warm".
Next we set off for another cemetery to see more family connections and then a visit to the town of St. Etienne--what a surprise it was. Both Lloyd and I had always imagined a small, sleepy village in the heart of the heart valley where his grandparents and further back relatives had lived. The town is actually a small city--much, much larger than Easton or even Annapolis. There we visited the location of Bernard's parents' wine business had been located:
Lloyd and Bernard in St. Etienne
At this point we were exhausted; time to head back to Charbonniers. We made a quick stop to meet D.'s and B.'s son Jerome, girlfriend Anne, and 6-year old grandson who is becoming a golf sensation. Then back to their home where we met daughter Diane (pronounced Dee-Anne).
Most of the Denuziere family
As I mentioned, it seemed that Dominique had been meal planning for days. For dinner we enjoyed a Lyonnais specialty: saucisson in brioche--what a treat! (I've got to try this when we return!)
A pleasant end to a very exciting day--we are thankful for so many things!
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