If I were to write a list of “things I know about my Dad” one of them would be the fact that he worked at a hot dog stand in Buffalo, New York after graduating from high school. There are 3 things he’s taught me that he learned from that experience:

1. How to cook a hot dog. Specifically ways to score or puncture the outside surface (or casing) of the hot dog to ensure even cooking and an attractive finished product.
2. When returning change to someone, hand it to them, don’t slide it across the counter, because it’ll take them a long time to pick up.
3. He didn’t want to work at Pat’s for the rest of his life.

That he spent the entirety of his career working at IBM, and yet his summertime stint at Pat’s Charcoal Hots left such an indelible mark is worth taking note.

Pat’s doesn’t exist any more, not since 1984, but Buffalo’s love of Sahlen’s hot dogs cooked over a charcoal fire lives on in the form of Ted’s Hot Dogs. I remember my Dad taking me to Ted’s during our visits to Buffalo when I was younger and telling me his stories from that summer in 1967. I don’t know if I have my dad to thank, or genetics, but I do love me a good hot dog (Exhibit A, Exhibit B), so I was excited to relive the experience while we had the chance—even given the circumstances.

On Saturday morning, my Grandfather, Colin Stewart Watt Jr., passed away. He was 92. My full name is Justin Colin Watt. I’ve always known that I got my middle name from him. It only just occurred to me that I got two names from him. Most people knew him as “Stew”. I knew him as “Papa”.

The last time I saw him was two years ago during his 90th birthday. Here’s a great picture I took of him then with my Dad and Mom. Didn’t he look great at 90?

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We traveled back to Le Cannet on Saturday so the whole family could be together for Aurelie’s birthday on Sunday. That afternoon Stephanie and I wrapped slices of melon with prosciutto, Aurelie and Michel prepared a proper Italian pesto pasta, and we all sang Joyeux Anniversaire around a crème pâtissière fruit tart studded with candles.

On Wednesday, we woke up in Le Cannet, had lunch in Pertuis, nougat in Montelimar, dinner in Le Teil, and went to bed in Valence. I may return from France 10 pounds heavier.

Lunch was with Stephanie’s Aunt Chantal, in the house where her grandmother used to live, before she passed away last year. Jean-Claude fired up the barbecue and cooked up some french-style pork ribs which we had with haricots verts (green beans), pastis, wine, cheese, and bread. Later Stephanie’s cousin Severine and son Theo joined us, who we’d visited during our first trip to Pertuis (together) two and a half years ago.

Nougat was at the Arnaud Soubeyran Factory and Museum. We learned how nougat is made, predominantly honey, egg whites, almonds, and we tasted several different varieties.

Dinner was with Sabine’s family: mom, dad, brother, brother’s girlfriend, brother’s girlfriend’s daughter, and of course Sabine. We had a salad with magret de canard and tomatoes, steak with potato gratin, a tasting of Stephanie’s Camembert, and an apple cake with whipped cream. Oh mon dieu. As they say in French, my back teeth were swimming.

We arrived in Valence at Jean-Claude and Sabine’s apartment quite late, and tout la monde collapsed.

On Saturday night (just after we arrived) we had dinner with Stephanie’s mom, sister, and niece. On Sunday night Aurelie’s husband, Michel, joined us all for a barbecue. On Monday night, Stephanie’s aunt and grandmother came all the way from Fayence for dinner and stayed quite late! And tonight, Stephanie’s dad, Jean-Claude, will be coming over for dinner, along with Aurelie, Michel, and Luna. Then tomorrow Jean-Claude, Stephanie, and I will drive to Valence to stay with him and Sabine through Saturday. Wow! Here’s a smattering of photos from the last few days.