Back to France

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I feel better today- emotionally. Physically my ankles are still swollen and my knee also feels swollen and stiff. Hopefully that gets better.

This morning we were up at 6:15am. Ate breafkast, picked up our clean laundry (12 euros for a little Spanish lady to wash and dry a bag of your clothes), and left the campsite at 8:15am. It was a long driving day to the French Riviera. I slept a bit on the coach. We stopped four times, once in a cute town called Arles. We usually stop at gas stations off the side of the highway (I'm sure they aren't called highways in Europe), so it was different to stop in a town. At our first stop today, I ate a bigger meal than normal. Usually we just buy snacks, but this time I went to the caffeteria and got pork chops done in mushroom sauce with rice and then chocolate mousse. Yum!

I didn't buy anything else today. We got to the campsite at 7:00pm. What I have seen so far of the French Rivier is gorgeous- more views of the ocean, old earthy coloured buildings jam packed within huge huge hills and lots of trees. Simon and Mecha told us this place would give us the best views on the coach.

Tonight was pretty laid back. Supper was great - sausage, potatoe salad, garden salad, and coleslaw. Showered- communal showers, but lots of them and they are warm. The cabins are broken into four seperate parts at this site, each with 2 beds- no bunk beds!! Karen and I are sharing a room.

We went to the bar for a bit. Not too much drinking going on- moreso visiting outside in a large circle with lots of conversations going on at once. Karen and I ducked out early- travelling days are tiring!

Tomorrow we go to a french perfumery, spend the day in Nice, and go to a casino in Monaco!!! Should be awesome and I feel up for a party. I just hope the swelling in my joints goes down so its more comfortable to walk.

These cabins aren't sound proof at all! I can hear people all over.

It's interesting to share your holiday with other people. It is nice to be in the same situation as other people - far away from home in a foreign country.

It still seems impossible to sink in that I am on my dream holiday right now, on the other side of the world, visiting all of these beautiful historic places that I have only known on a map, globe, or on tv.

I do wish for more moments to just sit and take it all in- some moments to just be quiet, to realize the gravity of it all. Sometimes listening to our day song (In the Summertime by Thirsty Merc) does the trick.

"Take me back to....the sweet times, the hot nights, everything is gonna be all right, in the summer time, baby in the summer time! Even if I have to wait till' next year, I don't care, all I know is that I'll meet you there, in the summertime!"

So cool. I also love the line "they said I was wrong, but I knew better, I live my life like I'm dyin!"

This is a once in a lifetime experience and I am goin to make it the best ever!! Here's to the memories....

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