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09/17/2004: "Friday@Collieure"

Today we were to meet at 9:30-ish and so at 8:30, I thought I'd wash a load of towels...consisting of all (4) of those I'd used to mop the floor after each 'water episode'. I gathered them up, put them in, added the soap and closed the door, choosing the shortest cycle I could find. An hour later, the cycle had not finished, so at a quarter to 10, I moved it to the spin cycle and finally, at a bit after 10 we hurried to Esperaza. John was at the curb waiting for us. He had made 12:30 reservations for us at a 1 star Michelin restaurant and it is a long drive to Collieur. We rushed off with me on Ellie's bumper (almost literally)...Kaye said I should put a towing sign on the car. Anyway, with great effort we got there only to find that all parking was reserved for hotel customers only...not people like us with lunch reservations. We searched and searched to no avail, the big green Ford right behind the small bright blue Renault Twingo, and finally on the third trip, pulled into the restaurant Le Neptune, right before the 'unfriendly' place with no parking, but no STAR. We unloaded and had a lovely, 2 hour lunch and took a number of pictures and then full and happy, moved on to a Le Mer resort beach where all but Cheryl put our feet into the water and felt the coarse Med. sand on our toes and feet. The waves were compelling, but not for us...then the drive home! Again, I stuck to Ellie like a snail on a bottle and didn't get separated but once, and then found her. Ellie had a clever way to 'find' us...she'd enter a roundabout and go round 'til all were off but us and then lead off. We had a map, of course and could have gotten there, but this was more fun! At times I felt like Mario Andretti as I sped along hugging her bumper! The Ford we have is Waaaay too wide and eats far too much gas, so it took a half a tank of gas (24 Euros) to make the trip, but they were so kind to be willing to take us there. Ellie's car only holds 1 back seat passenger comfortably. John is a tall man needing a bit more leg room. It can be done, but not easily. Not sure how they got home from the airport...and we'll see if we can fit everything in going there on Sunday. We hope we can since if we can, we can spare them the extra trip and expense of time and money. We'll see.

On the way home, we stopped at Quillan to see her 'studio/storage' place and take a few pictures so that we will know what she is talking about as they 'fix' it up...and then on the the nearest Champion store (translate French small Wal-Mart) to buy John some CD's to burn our images on for our culmulative pics...and then on to Esperaza to drop Kaye off and run home to buy dinner for us at the local bakery for our simple dinner of cheese and quiche to go with our fruit, wine, and DESSERT!

We then realized that we'd forgotten Suzanne's gear which was in the back seat, so we dashed back to Esperza to deliver it to her.

It's been a good day, a fun filled day and I've learned that all the money spent on re-hab for my torn Achilles' could have been better spent on a 5 manual transmission car and would have done a lot more. The 'clutching' required has certainly given the front of my foot more exercise than any re-hab. Cheryl doesn't want to drive a manual transmission, so thus far, I'm the sole driver. Thank God we were too poor and I too stingy to buy automatics for years. And thank you, Daddy for making me learn on one! Anyway, this driver is tired and will be asleep soon.

The views and gorges around Quillan are reputedly gorgeous. Couldn't prove it by me. I was ordered to look at the road and not look as the passengers commented about them. They really are spectacular, even tho' I had hardly a glance as the turns are challenging...they aren't hairpins, but very close and a large camper could and did give me chillbumps!