Well, I guess it wasn’t really a party. Maurice has two sisters who rent a big place every August for two or three years and all of their children, grandchildren and friends of same arrive to enjoy the last gasp of summer. Many of this same group were at our home last week. This year they were at a city called la Ciotat and we were invited for lunch. I didn’t remember the name but it turns out that Maurice and I made a stop there once and he did a little swim in the sea while I sat in the shade with a Diet Coke-my usual position. I’m one of those pale, easily sunburned individuals, one who gets sick if in the sun too long, who peels with the inevitable sunburn. It took me all of these years but I finally learned the secret to avoiding sunburn-stay out of the sun. Duh.
So although the house was rented in la Ciotat, we never did see the sea as there was a swimming pool at the house which was seldom empty. A large table was set up in the shade and we spent hours there eating and drinking. I never left the shade not even to enter the pool.


Some pink champagne glasses on the table waiting to be filled.


Remember that question asked when celebrities are interviewed on that TV show-What is your favorite sound? My answer would be, the sound of a cork coming out of the champagne bottle. It always means you are celebrating something it seems to me. They opened a bottle of the bubbly to celebrate my passing of the written portion for the French Driver’s license. Wasn’t that nice?


I must have taken a dozen photos of champagne being poured or bubbling in the glass. It’s so pretty. Sad to say, said champagne gave me a hell of a hangover the next day. I mixed drinking it with rose which I can’t do. I am starting to wonder if I shouldn’t drink it.


Some cheese served with a Cote de Rhone red wine.
I took many photos of people too but I just don’t feel comfortable showing them here although Slyvette, Maurice’s sister, said she wouldn’t mind. I think I’ll just send those photos to her.

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