In Israel we take fruit for granted.
It is plentiful, varied, and not too expensive.
But here in cold Switzerland fruit is a big deal.
Here at the monastic Community of Grandchamp the nuns serve a platter of fruit -- as the first course -- only at the special Sunday meal.
(Special to me because that is the one day a week we get meat.)
It's hard for me to imagine how all that (mostly organic) fruit has to be imported.
The refectory (dining room) has six tables, seating over fifty people.
Often I get the job of setting the tables before the noon meal.
That's after I lift all the chairs onto the tables and sweep and wash the floor.
BTW, we eat meals in silence.
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I like the look of the place, Dina.
ReplyDeleteSharon fruit in your honor...
ReplyDeleteI can not imagine a place without fruit, something I take for granted!
ReplyDeleteThis looks like a very peaceful place.
You are a hard worker, Dina. I am trying to imagine 50 or more people eating their meal in silence! The beautiful Fuyu persimmon is my favorite among those fruits on the platter. We are blessed to have a friend with a prolific tree here in Southern California, where fruit is plentiful like it is in Israel. What a vivid mix of colors that fruit platter provides once the fruits are sliced and shared - especially the beautiful green of the kiwi with its tiny black seeds contrasted with the lovely orange fuyu!
ReplyDeleteI think fruit is what makes life worth living. The ordinary fruit (apple, banana, pear, orange, fig, strawberry etc) and the exotica (paw paw, mango, pineapple, rambutan etc). My very favourite, which you may not get in Switzerland, is passionfruit; it grows on a vine in our back yard.
ReplyDeleteDo the sisters do public work ? The table arrangement is nice .
ReplyDeleteFriends, thanks for your very interesting contributions to the comments. :)
ReplyDeleteAlice, no, the nuns here do not have paid jobs outside the monastery (although some do volunteer work in the area). There is hardly enough "manpower" to get all the work done inside the community. The sisters work hard and we volunteers do our best to help in the effort.
Ah ha! I see persimmons! That's one of Art's favorite fruit.
ReplyDelete