Kurt checked the forecast and it was showing a 90% chance of rain for the remaining 2 days of our trip. When it rains, there isn't much to do, so we decided to change our flights home. Sad to leave, but we could all benefit from the extra weekend at home.
Before the rains came, I took Mom and Kathy out for a morning excursion. I wanted to show them one of my favorite places, Domme. They were just as amazed at the views as I had been. You can literally see for miles and miles. It is not just the distance. It is the perfectly manicured beautiful french country with the Dordogne river running through it. So breathtaking. We walked around the quaint hillside town and picked up a few more gifts. What's a few more, right?
Back at the house,we realized we had a lot of packing to do. Unsure how we would protect our paintings and other delicate purchases, we asked our neighbor, Margot for help. Her husband, the paintings restorer, had packing boxes and he kindly retrieved them out of his barn for us to use. Who knows what precious paintings those very boxes may have held.
Margot took us on a little tour around their lovely home, showing us a few of their many treasures they've collected during their exciting charmed lives. Even their house would be described as "charming".
Their enchanted cottage A piece of the Berlin Wall!
Their very own backyard lily pad pond Walking out back of their barn
We began stuffing our luggage, rearranging and restuffing it. We were trading things. Will this fit here? Will that fit there? Finally, after throwing away purses, toothpaste, deodorant, shampoos, makeup, etc..., we got it all in there. Every piece of baggage was bursting at the seams.
Once we had everything packed up, I took Mom and Kathy on one last excursion to the castle ruins of Commarque. It was late when we arrived and the tours were closed. But I really wanted them to see it. As I said before, it is a long walk down to the castle and they were a little worried about our safety since no one else was around, but they went along.
Sign at the head of the trail
It's a long walk down through this beautiful forest....
but, so worth the effort.
It's a long walk down through this beautiful forest....
but, so worth the effort.
Julie checking out her pictures
Once we were all packed up, we took one last look at our lovely home for the month.
Our wonderful Boyntanac a Baran
Then came the problem of getting all that luggage and the four of us into that tiny European car. We kept rearranging things, saying "this will never work, we will have to rent another car to Paris". But, persistence paid off, sort of. All of us had luggage at our feet so our knees were up to our chests. Mom and Kathy were in the back seat with luggage stacked to the ceiling between them. It was hilarious, they could not see each other in that tiny space.
Packed in like sardines
I also had Kurts HEAVY backpack in my lap. My legs kept "going to sleep", and about 4 hours into the trip, it gave me restless legs syndrome. That was fun. Not. We arrived at the Paris airport at 2am, hoping to be able to sleep before our flight at 11. Wrong again. That was the only miserable part of the whole month long trip. There was no way to get even a little comfortable.
Waiting restlessly at the airport in Paris
We couldn't wait to get on the plane. I was asleep before we took off, and was able to sleep a lot on the plane, thankfully.
Waiting restlessly at the airport in Paris
We couldn't wait to get on the plane. I was asleep before we took off, and was able to sleep a lot on the plane, thankfully.
For some reason, we had to pick up all our luggage in Philadelphia, and re-check it. Ugh. Then, a short plane ride to Nashville where Jeff was waiting, sitting on the tailgate. So good to see his face. Our luggage took up the entire truck bed. He didn't know how we got all that into that little car. Neither do we.
Ahhh, the good old USA
Home
It was the trip of my dreams and I can't believe I am so blessed to have been able to do this "once in a lifetime", if you're lucky, thing.
No comments:
Post a Comment