Yesterday we took a breather, relaxing in our peaceful garden cottage the entire day. We both felt the need to recharge our batteries, so to speak, as we enter the home stretch of our 77-day odyssey. Late in the afternoon, we had a very interesting and enjoyable tête-à-tête with our charming hostess, Dominique, as she sat on the back porch of her home. Her English-speaking ability is far better than she's willing to admit, and it soon became clear to us that she is a well-educated, independent and gracious woman who has led a very full and active life. As it turns out, she is 82-years-old, worked as an architect before she retired, while her deceased husband was an artist; in fact, the guest cottage in which we are staying was originally designed and built as
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