Beginning the long journey home

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Geo: 48.7912, 2.65432

Bonsoir, family and friends:

Checked out of our hotel and strolled the streets of Avignon one more time before it was time to grab a quick lunch and board the bus to the train station.

On the way to the bus, we said hello to a fellow who was eating breakfast at our hotel the last couple of days. I asked him if he was leaving and he said he was -- in English -- so we engaged in a little conversation. I asked him where he was from, and he said Portland. When I asked Oregon or Maine, he responded Oregon. He asked where we were from and we chuckled Salem, Oregon. Then we shared one of those 'small world' moments. But then, we found out he was an architect who had worked extensively on a neighbor's house two blocks from us, we really had a laugh. He was heading off to Lyon to paint for a week -- something he does to unwind and relax -- so we bid him bon voyage. The serendipity of that chance encounter is quite amusing.

The high speed TGV train sped us off to Paris amid increasing cloud cover and dropping temperatures. Avignon runs about 10 degrees warmer -- and drier -- this time of year, so we left a sunny 73 and arrived in a rainy 63.

Navigating a major train station beneath one of the world's 10 busiest airports required an internal compass, some luck, and the good fortune of a well-placed Information stand. We fly out of Paris early in the morning, so we're staying at a local hotel tonight. The normally 10-minute shuttle bus to our hotel took over an hour into the teeth of evening rush hour, but we arrived in good shape right before a large tour bus. The hotel, the Campanile Roissy, is neat and clean and efficient and Jetsons-meets-Ikea. Dinner in the hotel restaurant was really quite good. Mike had an excellent ratatouille and Sharon had fun sampling just about everything on the dessert bar, a fitting and satisfying last indulgence in France.

We even had a chance to walk off dinner with an after-dark power stroll through the cute village of Roissy, a short distance from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.

Time to sleep and rest up for the long non-stop to San Francisco before the final hop to Portland. We will pick up Charlie and Onnie, our schnauzers, around 7:00pm and then we'll be home. Home sweet home.

Good night, Paris!

Mike and Sharon

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Photos

George Jetson, meet Ikea
Our functional and tidy accommodations for our last night in Paris, France.

Comments

[The Schaefers]

What an experience! Can't wait to hear all about it in person when you return!