Honfleur

Just thought I'd drop a quick line to let you know we've officially left Paris and headed to the coastal town of Honfleur. My mother-in-law would LOVE this place. Not that I want to rub it in or anything, but it's right on the coast with sailboats and artsy fartsy shops all over the place. Leaving Paris was an interersting experience this morning, which we are figuring it's just because it's us and we're doomed to have nothing go too smoothly. Let me just let you all know the *only* blessing I can think of in our baggage being so late to Paris was that it was delivered (essentially) to our front door. In the week we were without our two suitcases, Tyler and I acquired some "stuff" and this morning squished it all in the same two suitcases we left Vegas with. Oh my heck! They were so stinkin' heavy. AND I had opted to wear my flip flops; so I a, trying to not complain and whine about all the metro changes and walking and shlepping our bags up and down all these stairs and the whole time I am walking with super quick baby steps or else I end up running over my toesies. Tyler and I had this whole conversation last night about how I am a planner and that has been painfully obvious on this trip, so this morning I did not do my usual study out the metro options before we left and he was the one calling the shots . . . we ended up on a train line that was under construction and having to go out of the station to a bus depot and then back onto a metro. Really, there was no way to know the train line wasn't running the whole way - I am not blaming Tyler, but we were DYING with our 70 lb. suitcases (at least). Through one turnstyle (sp?) Tyler totally biffed it pushing his bags through the security measures. If he wasn't ALSO carrying our two packed backpacks it would have been funny, but since he literally took one for the team I kept telling him it was okay and he shouldn't be embarrassed. It was really the metros fault anyway. Then, getting on the last metro this guy totally tried to pickpocket Tyler. It was this rushed entrance since we have these honking bags and this guy ran into the metro and banged into Tyler and as I was turning around I could see Tyler scuttle and quickly check his pocket. He said the guy tried to get in his velcro-ed pocket. And the guy just sat next to us like it was no big deal. I was bugged. Only I can snoop in those velcro pockets.

So, the drive was beautiful and green and pastoral and SO European looking with these cool villages. We ended up getting a sweet Diesel Kia! Just like the good old days (the first car we ever owned was a Kia Sephia). We were both pretty tired, though, as our sleep is SO jankety since our airport slumber party. When we finally checked into the hotel we power napped and then wandered around. I don't have my camera to download the pictures, but there was an amazing public park that we hung out in for a while and window shopped. There's some cool stores, even one all dedicated to chickens and roosters. Tyler said, "Ah, now there's a store just for your folks, the cock store." I laughed and thought of you, Dad, and Swiss Days and Terry and the cock and I was gonna tell Tyler the story, but he was laughing more at himself than he would at our experience. Oh well. We're gonna go to dinner here shortly and then tomorrow we're headed to some of the Normany sites and I'd like to go back to a town called Roeoun where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake and some of my REALLY OLD bloodline is buried . . . well, his [William the Conquerer's] femur is still there.

I've been checking in lately and it's good to get a taste of home from the blogs. Anxiously looking forward to Stacy's video, loved Nate's pictures, laughed at the pooping bear, and totally studies the Expose pics from Jer. AMONG other entertainments (friends, you are appreciated, too, miss you guys. . . don't have too much fun at FHC without me.) Talk to you soon.