Summer is Coming

IN FRANCE SUMMER doesn't begin until July. School finally finishes around the 2nd or 3rd of the month, and then the vacations begin. As we have done for the past three summers, we are leaving the Cote d'Azur. Because we have a unique rental agreement which requires us to be out of our house each summer, and because I am a teacher and therefore don't work in July and August, we spend the summer months elsewhere.

Last summer we were in Strasbourg and the summer before that we rented a house near the Pyrenées in a village called Puivert. This summer we are taking a slightly different route and spending two months in the central part of Italy. Each year we go through the same routine: getting out of our house, renting a small apartment for a couple weeks, gathering our things, loading the car, and heading to our new 'home.' The task of preparing for our move gets old quickly -- be we always know that a nice summer is in store. We are certainly hoping for the same this year. We sure are looking forward to getting there -- hopefully by the end of next week.

Kerri and I joke that we'll probably pick up Italian in 3 or 4 weeks -- as compared to the 3-4 years it seems to be taking for French. With no pressure and no friends who speak English, we'll probably soak it all up. Actually, as long as we get to go to some great summer markets and cook some spectacular means, we'll be happy.