Loving the Countryside

Dom and I had lunch with Marie Francoise (my host mother from last year), and we went on a walk through the hills near her house. It's one of my favorite areas in all of Aix. Just a few minutes walk outside of the city center and you are surrounded by olive trees & vineyards, and have a fabulous view of Mount Saint Victoire. It's quieter in the country and you have more sunlight. In town, all of the tall buildings cast shadows on the maze of streets. Marie Francoise loves parties, and she opened up her home last night for a Birthday party. She hadn't even met the Birthday boy, Riahd! Riahd is a restaurant owner some of us have gotten to know, and he is one heck of a jimbay player! He brought some of his drums last night and people were dancing- African style! Different people played music and it was a great time. Dom and I have been looking at apartments, and after last night's late night loud partying, I realized that only if we lived in the country could we throw a party like that. The neighbors in the buildings in town would have been fuming. It was a great mix of friends from work and church and locals.