Blending

Last night we were invited to a 13th year birthday party for the granddaughter of one of our summer friends. It was their first in their new house which they are still working on. I'd been with them when they first looked at it and they've since made a wonderful kitchen. The view from their terrace looks out to the mountains and the sky was almost royal blue.

The regular summer people were there. These are those people who come from various countries who host dinners, picnics, etc. throughout the summer months. If we're lucky, they reappear during the year as well.

But also there was a wide selection of locals, Catalans, French neighbours from the hosts' former address next door to me, people whom they play boules with, the head of the language school and her bee-keeping husband, and year round residents.

In Argelès, summer or winter, almost any event is awash in nationalities, as this one was, but once again I was reminded of how lucky we are to blend so many cultures.

And as for the birthday girl, Many Happy Returns.