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Published: June 13th 2023
Our 77-day odyssey is rapidly coming to a close, as we begin to prepare for our return to the states in a couple days. We'll probably maintain a low profile in our little garden cottage until then, while packing our suitcases for the last time on this trip, and attending to other sundry tasks in preparation for our departure on Thursday. Our taxi driver will meet us here at 6:00 AM for the ride to the Charles de Gaulle airport outside Paris. We'll fly via Aer Lingus to Dublin; then connect with a transatlantic Aer Lingus flight to Orlando, where we're scheduled to arrive around 6:30 PM local time.
Yesterday we enjoyed a visit from our charming French friend, Sophie Lamarre, who lives in Tours, a city in the châteaux region of the Loire River valley. We have known Sophie since we rented a cottage at her villa, much like our garden cottage here in Malakoff, when we visited Tours in 2018. She extended many kindnesses to us during our stay, including escorting us in her car to several of the châteaux in the area, and even prepared a farewell luncheon for us on our last day. We have remained
in contact with her ever since, and Dee fondly refers to Sophie as her "little French sister"!
We had originally invited Sophie to visit us in Sorrento, but her scheduling conflicts made it impossible. Since she has a daughter living in Paris, we suggested she visit us here, and she graciously agreed to make the long bus ride from Tours to have lunch with us in our garden cottage. She has far more
chutzpah than we do! She declined the use of a taxi from the Austerlitz train station in Paris (where the bus arrived) in favor of riding the metro to Malakoff, which resulted in a lot of walking.
When she arrived, I had expected Dee to burst into tears, but it turned out to be a happy reunion after all. After some conversation and
hors-d'œuvres, we sat down to a sumptuous feast, planned and prepared by Chef Dee, of roasted chicken with potatoes, salad, Prosecco, and some pastries for dessert. Shortly before Sophie had to begin her return journey, we introduced her to Madame Dominique, who was sitting outside with the daughter that would be taking her mother to the hospital later today for her hip
surgery scheduled for tomorrow morning.
As we had anticipated, Sophie and Dominique hit it off immediately, chattering away in French for quite awhile. They are two of a kind; gracious, charming and independent women with a real zest for life. It was soon time to say our good-byes to Sophie, who marched off on her way to the metro station. We cannot thank her enough for making the long journey to spend a few hours with us before we leave Paris.
Today we enjoyed a fabulous farewell lunch at L'Hirondelle, the brasserie on the main square of Malakoff, where we've had several pleasant experiences during our stay. Then we began the tedious chore of packing and tidying the cottage. But the most important souvenirs we will bring back with us are the priceless memories we've made along the way; so many vivid images of places, sights, and moments shared with friends (both old and new) during our long journey.
The reason we devote so much time each day (2-3 hours) to our travel blog is to preserve as many of these memories as possible, so that we can someday reminisce, and ask each other, "Do you remember
when we were
here, or did
this?" Nevertheless, it will no doubt take quite awhile for us to fully digest and reflect upon our experiences, even with the benefit of over 38,000 words scribbled in this blog, along with 600+ photos. In an effort to capture some of the highlights of our trip, I've selected a potpourri of previously-posted photos to include in our final blog entry today.
Finally, I want to thank my lovely wife and intrepid travel partner, Dee, for sharing the many special moments we experienced on this odyssey. Hand in hand, we made our long and memorable journey together. Her exuberant spirit and unflagging determination, through thick and thin, was a constant source of inspiration for me, as well as for many others with whom we came in contact.
Dee's Final Comments: I have no words to describe the magic of this trip. As we come to the end of this 77-day journey, I must thank my wonderful husband, who has been the best travel guide and companion...from finding such wonderful apartments for our "homes-away-from-home" wherever we stayed, to offering encouragement when I became frustrated or disheartened.
I'm very thankful we stayed
well, except for our normal aches and pains. You learn to expect some daily struggles, to overcome them, and to learn what brings you joy. Travel certainly makes you wiser; you must learn to adjust, and to be inquisitive about the surroundings and cultures in which you are immersed.
So as we embark for home, I take with me so much new knowledge, and better appreciate the importance that kindness and love play in helping me to cope with my daily struggles. I also am hopeful that perhaps we have at least one more adventure ahead of us...so where to next? The Greek word
hodophile describes someone who likes to travel. I believe this applies to us, since we have now visited 22 countries, including 11 times to Paris!
Je t’aime, Dee
P.S. Remember, good-byes are not forever...it simply means "Until we meet again"!
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Cindy Vogt
non-member comment
Au revoir, arrivederci!
Another specular Odessey almost in the books! Love the recap pics. Here's wishing you safe and smooth travels.