Day 107 and 108

Activity has been so fast and furious, I continue to have the need to combine posts just to keep up.  Day 107 would have our eldest return from the UK to enjoy the last day we would have such a full house.  The plan for the day was altered a bit due to the threat of rain, but we ventured out all the same.  Instead of cycling, as planned, we opted for public transit in the event the heavens opened up and we had to run for cover.  Once again, our friendship with the American family I have mentioned in the past proved to be far more one sided than I would like.  They have given us much more than we could possibly repay.  It seems they are always there for us regardless the occasion.  The plan was to meet them at the market in the morning, but since our eldest rolled back in town around this time, they invited us ALL for lunch.  As with all of our social occasions with them, it was a joy.  I was glad to share this with my family as these folks mean a great deal to me and have made all the difference in the world in our ability to adjust to a new way of life.  Our parting comments are probably the most profound I have been able to muster and sum up our relationship with our friends from the Centre Ville.  "Thank you for sharing your family with us" was the comment proposed to me.  Without thought, my answer was simple . . . "Thank you for being family".

With a wonderful lunch under our belt we bid our friends a final farewell and went for a walking tour of our fair city.  We hit the important sights and were able to wrap the afternoon up just before the rain set in.  Not a bad way to spend our final day together.  The parental units would leave us on day 108 and I would be sadder for it.  The fact that my brother and his soon to be bride were able to hang around an extra day lessened the blow a bit.  Day 108 was a lazy Sunday at home.  With another 10 days in Italy looking them in the face and a tired set of youngsters on my end, we decided to stay close to home and recover a bit.  While the youngest took a nap and the ladies busied themselves with their careers, my brother and I took the eldest for a bike ride through the mean streets of our city.  It was possibly one of my favorite parts of their visit.  Not only did I get to spend some alone time with my eldest, but I also got to spend some one on one time with my brother who has not been as much a part of my life as I would like.  I admire him greatly and am lucky to have inherited him as my brother.  His sense of humor is much like my own and the afternoon had me wishing that he didn't have to leave so soon.

The evening called for Chinese carryout and a little television to round out our day of leisure.  The entirety of the week was a joy and I know that when we get back to the grind and my house is once again quiet, I will miss them all greatly.  There was but one cloud hanging over their visit.  It seems I waited for the final two days of their trip to lose our only house key.  More than slightly inconvenient, I will now endeavor into yet another home improvement project and hope that this one goes better than the last several.  I will keep you posted and life continues to unfold here in France.  For now, I would like to thank my family for making the trip and let them know that I love them all very much.  I wish them safe travels and a quick return.  Until I see you again, on this continent or another . . . R