Reunited with the ones I love (The Trail's Our Thing)

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My wonderful family: Charley and Kelly in Sault

I didn't sleep well last night... much too excited about seeing my precious family again and thinking about them on their overnight flight. This is the longest I've been separated from my husband and daughter, and finally today we'd be together again!

I was up at the regular time this morning, my last morning at Isabelle's. The bathroom routine now seems normal, but I was happy this is the last day for the quirky shower procedure. I had a last breakfast with Fillippo and Isabelle, and then he was off to meet the school's excursion for the day to the Gorge du Verdon. I would have enjoyed staying here longer with him.

I finished my packing and just barely managed to cram everything into my rolling bag, my carry on shoulder bag and my little backpack, but the suitcase was now much heavier. I like to collect booklets and free literature when I travel, and this adds a lot of weight. I also had three English language books to drop off at Paradox, an international bookstore in Aix. (Another English bookshop in Aix is Book in Bar, just a block away.)

I had booked the TGV from Aix-en-Provence to Avignon at 3:44, so I had several hours to spend enjoying Aix. It was market day and I headed out to walk the streets and hopefully check out the "soldes" (sales). The French government regulates sales, and they are just held two times a year-- in summer and winter. The dates vary by departément. Here in the Bouches-du-Rhône, the soldes started on July 4 and will run six weeks until August 14. I had three hours to browse the markets and the stores. I didn't come away with much, but I had a really good time. There were lots of people out shopping. I bought a pair of cute sandals for myself and a small birthday gift for Kelly. She will be 14 years old on July 22.

I had lunch promptly at 12 noon at La Pizza, a restaurant I like on Rue Aude with really good pizza. I chatted with the couple at the next table, from Boston, spending the day in Aix while docked in Marseille on a Mediterranean cruise. This was their first trip to Europe, and definitely not a "slow travel" approach. I kidded them a little about having Italian food for one of their two meals in France. While I was eating, my portable sang its song: "Hi Mommy, we're here!" It was Kelly, calling from Paris. They had arrived at Charles de Gaulle and were waiting for their TGV train. Just a few more hours.

I headed back to Isabelle's. Her daughter Anne was there with her two children, and Isabelle and the children were napping, but Anne went in and got Isabelle so she could say goodbye to me. Isabelle and Matthieu tiptoed out to kiss me goodbye, careful not to wake baby Lola. I think even Matthieu had come to like me.

I decided to try to take a cab from near the apartment, perhaps even to the TGV station, since my suitcase had gotten so heavy and it was so so hot outside. But I only saw one taxi, and he wasn't taking a fare. I ended up walking all the way from Isabelle's, down the entire Cours Mirabeau, to the Gare Routière. I think it must have been a mile and a half. I was drenched with sweat, and then there was something happening at the Rotonde... the police had blocked the road off... and I had to take a much longer way around the roundabout. I stopped and bought a large bottle of Evian near the end and drank almost the whole thing. Let this be a lesson once again about packing!!! I should have mailed a small box of literature home.

The navette to the Aix TGV station is quick and cheap (3.60 euro). I was there an hour before my train. I ran into someone I knew as I went into the station, one of the technical men I had met at the meeting my first weekend in Aix. He had a family with him visiting from Knoxville. It was a quick 20 minute trip to Avignon, and then I waited about an hour for Charley and Kelly to arrive from Paris.

I went to the Meeting Point and watched the people coming down the ramp from both sides of the upper platform. Finally, there they were! They looked so good... Kelly perhaps even taller than four weeks ago. We hugged and kissed... it was wonderful. Then we found the man with our leased Renault and began the familiar drive to Bonnieux, sharing our experiences from the past several weeks.

And so my solo trip to Provence comes to an end, and we begin yet another family séjour in the Luberon.