July 4th In France

Dear Family and Friends,

Over the past several months, there have been several times when we have missed the comforts of home. As Elyse pointed out to us in many not-so-subtle ways, this July 4th weekend was one such occasion. Rather than going to pancakes in the park, watching the Perry parade, or lighting fireworks, we were here in Provence trying to cope with the hot weather, high humitity, and constant racket of thousands of chirping cigales (see Noisy Neighbors).



We decided to make the best of our situation by doing what many in the area do on hot, sunny days. We got the kids up early and drove about a hour south to the beach near the city of Sausset les Pines. Once there, we found a very nice spot with plenty of room for wading. More importantly, the sand was perfect for making sand castles. Like the eskimoes and snow, living on the French Riviera is teaching us the fine nuances of sand; we are always on the lookout for just the right variety!

Nicolas, Elyse, and Nathaniel built a very nice moat and took turns trying in vain to fill it with water. By the time we were ready to leave, everyone was wet and covered from head to toe in a mixture of sand and suntan lotion.



We then drove into town in order to locate something for lunch. Unfortnately, we arrived a little early and most restaurants were still getting set up for customers. As a result, we ended up going to McDonalds for lunch, which we all agreed was okay because the Fourth is an American holiday anyway.



In addition to seeing some fancy cars, we were able to stop from time to time and watch the fish swimming in the marina. We also found some interesting spots for snorkeling or just watching the ships come in.



In the evening, the kids went for a swim in the pool. Julie also cooked up s'mores using American-style marshmallows she happened to find at a local store a few weeks earlier.

We hope you all had a good Forth of July in the States. We are looking forward to seeing everyone in a few short months.

Bonne Semain!

Joe, Julie, Nicolas, Elyse, and McThaniel