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Published: June 16th 2017
Geo: 38.6276, -90.199
Lessons learned & other observations:
I don't usually do the blogging on vacation because I spend the evening hours researching our next day's itinerary. I have to write down all the available train schedules, restaurants & gelato places, etc. It's a tough job but someone has to do it. Mary & Paul went off on their own the third day in Italy and managed to take the wrong train thus ending up somewhere going the wrong way!
Our first day in Sarlat, France was a market day. It was a little drizzly & I had my umbrella up, but people were everywhere. Not seeing very well in the middle of a square, I ended up tripping over some little old lady's shopping cart she was dragging behind her. Some stranger helped me up & I just bruised my knee. At least I had an excuse because a few days later, Chris fell off the sidewalk in Italy for no reason & did a full body plant. Her only words were "Save my water bottle!" Mary does a great impression of her. Dee also managed to trip on the sidewalk, but I was in front of her & she slammed into me breaking her fall. No wonder Mary & Paul ditched us after 2 days in Italy!
Lessons learned:
The Index finger is the best tool: Since I didn't learn a single word on French or Italian except “toilette” (same in both languages), I used my finger to point at everything to get what I wanted or to point at Chris or Dee to have them translate.
Euros / dollars: Just pretend you're spending dollars not euros & everything seems cheaper. But a 6 euro bottle of water & 7 euro sodas are a killer!
Fois Gras: Don't know how to say it or spell it or want to know how they make it, but some of my party got addicted.
Speaking of Addictions: Gelato. Can someone really eat 6 gelatos in one day? Yes, they can. My vote for favorite would be tie between Gelato Centrale in Santa Margharita with the pistachio dip cone or Ice Cream Angels in Sestra Levanto where I just asked the guy to give me a good concoction.
Nobody but you is interested in WWII or Prehistoric cave art: Oh well, at least I got them to go to the Museum of prehistoric stuff. Saw “Lucy” the skeleton. And saw sort of a ½ cave, ½ castle in Dordogne that looked like the Keep in Lord of the Rings
Every day is hat day: Except on the swollen river fighting gale force winds & current in a canoe paddling & going nowhere fast.
GPS is essential: It takes 4 people to figure out how it works though & how to spell in French.
Too many Type A personalities can be a mistake: everyone knows the best way to get there!
Paying extra for economy plus is a PLUS! Precious leg room on the airplane
Stand up toilettes, bidets, no flush: They have it all in Italy. I am thankful that I gave up soda before the trip.
You never know what you will get when you order from the menu: I thought I ordered beef in Rocamador, France & got fish & risotta.
Nobody eats as early a 7pm: I'm sorry, we've been eating foccachio, pastries & gelato all day & we need some real food now and not a four course dinner at 10pm.
Doors can open out as well as in: Oh yeah. That's the one I will never live down. Standing outside a restaurant for 20 minutes waiting for them to open when they opened an hour ago. Mary will forever imitate me on that.
Now, all I have left to do is to prepare itemized billing for each of my traveling companions. Maybe I will bill them in euros. They won't think it's so much that way.
Had a great time. Thanks everyone and please excuse my over-planning tendencies.
DOT
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judy
non-member comment
Dot, it's a good thing you did all the planning and kept everyone on the straight and narrow. The others may criticize you, but they couldn't do it without you. (I've been accused of being a little anal, too)