Home again, home again, jiggity-jig

A funny thing happed on the way to Charles de Gaule airport......um....we got lost. We left Normandy early to drive to Paris--CDG. The map looked like spagetti, the highways signs much smaller and not posted as often as in the States. Paul stopped and asked a shop keepper for directions (really, it's true). They both came outside, Paul showed him the map. The French are very demonstrative, Marci and I laughed as we saw the shop keeper motion to Paul waving his arms...non,non,non to the map. A droite, a gauche, a droite, a gauche, voila. So, off we went a droite, a gauche, a droite, a gauche...and sure enough...voila...the highway. How about that?! Well, we arrived at the airport 10 minutes late....no flight for us that day. We had to stay overnite. We stayed at a cheap (yeah, right) hotel at the airport. After a long nap, we went to the bar and had a couple of gin and tonics and some peanuts. The bartender was pretty outrageous! What a funny guy. He turned out to be a mathematics teacher, tends bar during the summer and travels. The next morning, we ate breakfast, checked out of the hotel, walked to the airport and the process of jumping through hoops began. Finally, we boarded the plane and sat for an hour before lining up on the tarmack. Then waited another 45 mintues to take off, then the 8 hour flight back. Once we landed at O'Hare, the process starts all over again, customs, waiting for baggage, going through the AG dept. because we stayed at a B&B on a farm. Then we called the shuttle to get to Marci's car, then f i n a l l y, we drove 90 mintues to get home. Whew!


So much to think about, these past 5 weeks. We've met so many wonderful people, see so many awesome sights, eaten amazing food, drank fantastic wine and calvados (did I mention gin and tonics?). It feels good to be home. We were ready to come home. More thoughts about the trip later.