Communion

A few weeks ago, the family got all dressed up and we went to attend a family friend´s first communion. Anna is the granddaughter of one of my mother-in-law´s best friends, Anita. Anita and her family used to live in the apartment under Carme and her family for most of Carme´s youth. Carmen and Anita are still good friends and always invite each other´s family to family functions. Anita and her family came to our wedding and Natalia´s.

So one good invitation deserves another one. So we travelled Maçanet, which is a skip inland from Tossa, where Anna and her parents live. Like all small towns in Spain, and there are millions it seems in a square kilometer, There is at least one church, Catholic of course, that is the hub of social and religious events. People here, despite all considering themselves to be Catholic, only visit the church for "special" events like weddings, deaths and COMMUNIONS!!!

I cannot even begin to tell you the significance of this event, as I am southern Baptist and you can be baptized anytime you want and go and tattoo it on your forehead to make sure everyone is aware of your born again status. But I think it´s a coming of age in the church for a youngster when they truly begin their personal relationship with God and taking in the bread and wine, the ritual of the body of Christ.

After the event we ventured to another nearby city, Santa Coloma de Fornes. There we had the reception in this beautiful setting. Carme faintly remembered the reception place as she attended a wedding there and only remembered the first hour of the reception. I am learning how much of a drinker she was.

The meal lasted pretty much 3 hours as we were treated to 8 or 9 tapas, or appetizers, while we sat at our tables. The main course was a lovely seared and pan roasted cut of meat with a roasted split fig and caramelized apple sauce. Then for desert, we were brought a chocolate soufflé with a molten chocolate sauce aching to erupt when we cut into it. Lastly, we were treated to a final celebration "cake" of what seemed to be layers of some flaky crust with the typical non descript cream and baby strawberries with a strawberry glaze on top. Light and beautiful and if not for the glaze, tasteless. As I have said before, desserts here are works of art but leave much to the imagination when it comes to taste. I am just a child of butter cream frosting and pound cakes!