France and England for Celebrations

We leave tomorrow for three weeks of celebrations. For the first few days, we'll be celebrating our friend Peter's 70th aboard La Belle Epoque, a canal barge on the Canal du Bourgogne. Then we spend a weekend celebrating the marriage of our friend Joanna in Bristol in southwest England. A few days by the sea in Cornwall, one of the few English counties we have never visited, will lead to a week in and around London seeing family, condolences on the loss of a dear cousin, Alice, theater and then back to Paris to celebrate John's birthday. We look forward to an enjoyable three weeks before returning to Washington in the glories of Fall in mid-October.

Asbury Park and early September

We headed north to Asbury Park to spend a weekend with our friend Pat, regrettably without his other half, Michael, who was working in Germany. A weekend full of people: friends Linda and Scott, and Letty. Linda works with Pat and Letty is an old friend. Scott is an archeologist on the Ground Zero site from 9/11 in New York, so lots of interesting conversation. We lunched at a local restaurant on Saturday, August 28, Old Man Rafferty's, in the old downtown of Asbury Park, and then wandered through antique shops, many selling 50s-70s pieces. Rafferty's does some good sandwiches and it was lovely day to eat outside.




The evening, outside in the wonderful weather, meant barbecue and good salads. Sunday we had a grand afternoon at the beach. Many hunky bodies spread out on the sands, and the water and waves were perfect.








An easy return home, stopping at the stand just off the New Jersey Turnpike Exit 2 for fruits and vegetables, including a bottle of peach cider for our young friends Pia and Ella, ages 7 and 4, from Australia, living up the street.