Final Entry
I believe that Einstein postulated that time eventually circles back upon itself, what starts, ends. Shakespeare tells us that we start out as babbling helpless babies and in similar fashion. So here I sit in the cool lounge inside the Nice International Airport. The choices remain the same, beer, wine, water, and tasty morsels. What is missing is the adventure of adventuring, the unknown.
This need not be a sad moment, far from it. For now is the moment of quiet reflection, of letting the waves of positive experiences wash over me. My mind jumps to the kind Madame who welcomed us into her home near Paris and told us how to smuggle raw cheese inside our clothes to “fool the dogs”.
Long hours in the park beside the monastery where we used to devour our flawless falafels, moving from bench to bench to get the best free WI-FI connection. Then there was the smiling and cooing bakery lady in St Remy. Besides a warm smiling welcome she often asked about yesterdays purchase, stopping every once in a while to rock and tease her baby in the cushioned wicker basket at her feet.
Then there was the enormous meal we created in St Remy on market day, shared by a family of friends, where stories were spun about our experiences thus far.
How about the Asian lady who asked if she could take a picture with Ralph and Cindy’s precious Hanna in the Champ De Mars nestled at the foot of the Eiffel Tower and then almost before they could answer reached out and swooped Hanna into her arms. We’ll never forget Hanna’s stern scowl at this surprise!
Then there was L’eau Vive whose memories are still too close to recall without getting overly sentimental. Mention that time with any of our friends and you will get a response that reflects their special place in our heart.
I fondly recall that moment, Gayle holding up a small sign saying “Welcome Connie and Steve”, as we fought for space among all the tour operators and limo drivers at Paris Gard du Nord train station. It was a welcome sight seeing hometown bud’s, Steve slashing through the EuroStar departure crowd and Connie bobbing behind.
How about Beaune, king of Burgundy wines, with snaking streets and acres of underground caves containing lost grottos of fine wines. I will never forget moving through the cool darkness towards a wine keg upended and holding a single candle and two open bottles of wine. Be careful, drinking $45 per bottle wine unattended can be harmful to your camera!
Linda told us about her encounter with the car-leasing agent when she returned their car. With a big smile and welcome the young lady said, “You have accident?” in a very expectant tone. Linda replied, “No accident just the car.” The lady’s response: “Okay, bye-bye!”
We all had an accident; our trips were full of roundabouts with signs pointing in all directions. Fortunately we all seemed to take routes that brought us together, special friends sharing a special time! The call just came for boarding for Dave and Linda and Steve and Connie. Ours will come a few minutes later. I wonder where this accident will take us?
Footnote: As we drove up to our home, Sharon and Bruce our neighbors, drove by and stopped to give us all a big hug. Then as we walked inside much to our surprise we discovered that Arnold and Shirley had vacuumed, straightened up, and left tasty treats for our morning breakfast. Does life get any sweeter than this?
Picture Set
posted by Bob and Gayle @ 5:38 AM
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