The tie to France...............my brother

In the cool of the evening...............

................he flew across the Channel, from his home in France, and helped us wash down the delicious chevre from Normandy with a nice bottle of wine.  My dear brother, my only sibling, who almost lives in a vineyard.  

What a great evening.  The apartment buzzer rang as I tossed the salad.  The fish pie was baked, DH had opened the wine................and there we were, after far too long, toasting and eating in the company of real family.  

John, with his easy Summer haircut - apparently my SIL gave him the once over and tidied him up before leaving home!

Although I am eight years older than my brother, we were very close as children and, despite the many miles between us since I left home and came to the USA, thankfully still are.  He, and his family, left London to live in a small village in the south of France several years ago.

Sailing regatta in the bay.

For the next couple of days we explored our home town, visited with our cousins, their children, and friends, shopped a bit, had meals in our favorite fish 'n chip place, hung out in some favorite pubs, and enjoyed our lovely seaside.

An old-fashioned hardware shop full of things you can't find anywhere else - we love shopping there!

One of our special village pubs down at the end of a narrow lane winding precariously toward the sea - always nice for lunch and a drink.

All too soon it was time for him to leave.........to return to his village where the wine is cheap (and good!), to his garden where the ripening tomatoes needed TLC, and his wife and daughter too of course.  What a great time we had at home together for a little while.