On our way - sigh!

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Probably just as well! Turns out that mosquito season has started in Nice and two of the little devils chewed the heck out of us last night! The welts they left behind are remarkable. Bleah.

Thoughts for the trip: I have received numerous compliments on my French again on this trip. Now, I know perfectly well that my French has more holes in it than Swiss cheese (little pan-European word play there in case you missed it). And while it is nice to get the compliments, I didn't understand why I am getting them. NOW I know! It's not that I am any good at it - if my French were that great, I would sound like I was supposed to, to French ears. It's how BAD I am at it - which clearly marks me as a non-French speaker, but one who is willing to try and to look ridiculous in the process if need be.

And one thing that I am definitely good at is charging ahead while looking ridiculous. My major strength, some might say. So, since it is not my competence, what is prompting all of those kind words? I have it: all those nice French people have been encouraging me, about the same way you encourage a six year old finger painter by putting his artwork up on the fridge.

Wow!! That's GREAT!! I never thought I'd ever be good enough even to be that bad!

Enough deep thoughts. We made it out of the apartment okay with handshakes and cheek kisses all around, grabbed a cab to the airport - and, yeah, it is a ripoff, and stood in the security line for about 45 minutes. Then they wouldn't let our jet up to the jetway, and they had to put the passengers on in a relay of buses. Nothing like sitting in a bus on the tarmac in the sun with the air conditioning switched off.

Arrived without incident, car service from Heathrow to Gatwick and are now settled in our B and B in Horley, Gatwick. We are throwing caution and money to the wind and upgrading going home. With luck, we will be reunited with our furry loved ones about 930 Thursday night.

Exciting, late breaking news! Susan has been appointed to the board of the Alberta Professional Engineers and Geoscientists Association.

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Photos

Midafternoon snack, Nice
Giant meringues, dark chocolate something that looks suspiciously like a pile of cornflakes, and my personal inedible favourite, a "fig" made of colored marzipan whose interior is a ball of chocolate ganache. Susan loved it.