Spending time with my French family made me see Europe differently | Madi Maxwell-Libby
(The Guardian France)

I take carefree joy in the Mediterranean, but it´s deadly for thousands heading to European shoresWhen I was younger, I´d spend summers on the Côte d´Azur. Family scattered across continents regroup, coming back to take stock, chew fat, tentatively touch base. `Holy smokes,` says my uncle, dropping his holdall to the floor and glancing round the kitchen. `Long time.`We drink rosé from 11am, and in the supermarket my Yankee cousins can´t believe there is an entire aisle dedicated to yoghurt. Whenever I can, I sneak off and buy Gauloises from the tabac, because smoking in French is cool. Related: This is Europe: stay close with the Guardian´s email updates Continue reading...