The clock is ticking. At 05:00 Sunday morning we'll be saying goodbye to Leran once again. It is a bittersweet departure for us. We are especially anxious, in this year of the most critical presidential election of our lives, to listen non-stop to National Public Radio or CNN TV news. We won't breathe until it's over.
But we leave behind what has become our Leran family. With our second summer at 14 Rue du Four under our belts,
we now have that sense of 'belonging'. In Leran we discovered a community---friendly, funny, welcoming, real. Brits, Aussies, Irish, Canadians, and, yes, of course, French. And a couple Americans.
Last evening, at Le Rendez-Vous, our little Leran family hosted a send-off party for Doug and I. It was like the continuation of the Marche Nocturne. Pichets of rouge, rose, and blanc constantly appeared; and bountiful plates of scrumptious finger foods lined the banquet table. Mushroom samosa, quiches, saussices, smoked salmon and cheeses---Shirley, who has been in a cooking frenzy all summer in the bar's kitchen, offered to cook for us. To all who organized and sponsored and attended the gala event, thanks and thanks again.
A question lingers: are we leaving home or going home? It may be a family secret.
