Today we leave our beautiful Provence. I cannot believe we have already completed a week. I think this is the first trip where I did not have one pang of homesickness, nor did my fellow travelers.
The wonderful women I travelled with were, Sheryl and Billie. Mother and daughter. Sheryl is from Newbraska, marked with 2 children in College. She is an Occupational Therapist. She travelled with her mother and what seems like her very best friend, Billie. Billie is 73, bad knees, an army wife from Mississippi and the nicest person you could ever know.
She struggled a bit during the trip with her knees but ever, ever did you hear a complaint from her. Sheryl is just as sweet and dedicated to her mom. billie's husband sent the2 of them on the trip together.
While I was waiting at the Marseille airport, it was Sheryl who first approached me.
Cindi, is a lovely woman, who became my close friend. She is married, and from Park City, Utah, but is moving back to Arizona. She is very positive and has inspired me a number of times during the trip. She is well read and has a wicked sense of humor that had me giggling on many occasions. She works in the non- profit sector and is very environmentally aware.
Denise is a Professor from Sacremento, California, is divorced with 2 sons and a granddaughter. She seems to have travelled the world and I enjoyed a wonderful lunch with her and then a dinner together in Paris.
Robbi and Jim, are a wonderful couple from Australia. They have been operating Aroma Tours for 18 years. Robbi is an Aromatherapist and author.
Jim reminded me so much of Steve. He was more gray, but they had some very definite similarities. They both enjoyed talking, teaching and laughing.
We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast together and climbed into the van for the last time.
We said hugful and tearful goodbyes with promises to stay in touch.
We were being dropped off at the airport, but funnily enough, none of us were flying.
Sheryl and Billie were staying another night at an airport hotel, Cindi was traveling onto Aix-on-Provence for a few more days and Denise and I were headed to Paris for a few days, but different trains.
When we departed ways at the airport, it became like a culture shock. I went from talking and laughing daily with friends, to being totally anonymous. My cab driver did not speak our entire trip to the train station, I spoke to no one at the train station or the entire ride to Paris.
The train was pretty uneventful. It was full and unfortunately,I was backward facing that didn't allow me to read due to motion sickness, so I basically just listened to my IPod and dozed off and on.
It was a vey long walk from disembarking to a taxi stand in Paris and lugging all of my luggage was a challenge. I managed to score a very old, decrepit cab driver that barely spoke English and hadn't a clue where my hotel was. I basically had to direct him the entire way.
I was happy to be back in room 24 of Les Degres de Notre Dame and for the life of me could not be bothered unpacking for a third time.
I headed out for a walk, saw my beloved Cathedral and then went to a familiar restaurant for a bite to eat. It was early and not busy, but that did not stop the waiter from all but ignore me. I didn't take it personally, he ignored everyone. I had a glass of wine and the obligatory Croques Monsieur and headed out for another walk. I wandered over to Isle St. Louis and wandered the cobblestoned streets . I bought a small cup of delicious ice cream and headed back to the hotel.
My friend Denise and I emailed about meeting up the next day and she too felt the anonymity of the city after the charm and overt friendliness of Provence.
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