Bourgogne

Welcome to the premier of the very first production of Swafford.Dunlap Films!

The second weekend in May we took our first weekend vacation with Rocky and Maria since their arrival. We went to the Burgundy (Bourgogne) region of France, known for it's wine, and saw MANY vineyards, chateaux, and French countrysides.

We hope to continue the trend of making videos of our adventures. I'll try to keep them a decent length. This one is on the long side...a little over 9 minutes. Enjoy!

...and this little doggie goes "arf! arf! arf!" all the way home...

At 3am we load the car to bring Duncan to Frankfurt.

At 6am he will be in the hands of PetAir headed to Atlanta.

All things new.

Today's story begins on Saturday morning...

David and I woke up to happy thoughts about heading to Belgium to go kayaking. On our way out the door we stop down in our cave to get an old t-shirt for David to wear that has previously been packed away with all our winter clothes. At our cave door David asks, "Susan, why did you leave the cave unlocked...and why did you throw our winter clothes all over the place?" "Huh?" I replied. After walking into the cave I noticed that our winter clothes were thrown all over the place...definitely not how I left them. I had packed them all away in some of our suit cases to store them for the summer and now they were out everywhere. This is the point where David and I realized that someone had gotten into our cave. They had pried to door open and gone through all of our stuff.

In our cave we have, out of season clothes, our 2-second tents, 4 pieces of luggage, a jar of apple sauce, a can of green beans, and lots of boxes. After repacking everything we have found that nothing was taken. It's strange - what were they looking for? Not clothes, not food, not shoes...something more valuable? Like an old TV maybe? So, the conclusion is that they wanted something different than what we have, or our stuff wasn't good enough...both are fine with me. We also looked around in the cave area a little more and discovered that another cave had been broken into, and a third had been attempted. We can't really tell if any one's stuff was taken though. We also saw the door that leads to the outside of the building to the street...it was open...broken open. So that is how they got in. We're going to tell the agency tomorrow morning and post a note in our building to inform everyone. I don't know how often people go down to their caves. BUT, if someone left the door from the caves to the main building open someone could get into our apartments and that is really scary. I won't be going into the cave by myself anymore!

We went to a new country...well, it was new to me, David had been there before. With some other students from GTL we car pooled through Luxembourg and up to Belgium. What we saw of it was very beautiful. The river that we went down had a lot along it to see as well. We saw this really cool castle on a hill (more pictures on my PicasaWeb site) and there was another really large rock that some people were climbing. Then we saw some cows. They were mooing like crazy. It sounded like they all had a stomach ache. There were also a few places where the water was a little rougher and that was fun too. We stopped a few times at various places. At one of them we got out, some people bought drinks, and I headed to a bathroom. Right next to the bathroom there was an ostrich. It was enormous and kind of out of place. It was a "camping" area with a random ostrich. At the same stop, when we were getting ready to leave David and I realized that our boat was missing... Eventually we found it about 30 feet from where we had tied it, and a paddle was missing. Some friends found our missing paddle a ways down the river...

We deep cleaned our apartment today. While doing so, we decided to do a little rearranging. It was fun and we really like the result. We just moved things around in our living room but it now feels much more spacious. A new arrangement of things is always refreshing.

What else is new? David has discovered that with PicasaWeb you can post locations with your pictures. So he has been sitting here placing each picture that he has on a map exactly where the pictures were taken. It is pretty cool, but I think he's obsessed.

I made blueberry muffins for breakfast this morning in one of those silicone bake ware things. It's the first time I've used one but it worked really well! Too bad we don't have anymore blueberry muffin mixes! I guess I'll have to look up some recipes and make them from scratch. Oh well.

Harry Potter this Wednesday! Hope you are as excited as we are!

Villefranche & Antibes

Next we went to Villefranche. It is a very small place between Nice and Monaco. Most tourists don't visit Villefranche like they would other places because there really isn't much to do here. It is very peaceful and quiet, but there isn't much to see. We saw lots of boats...lots of boats...and that was good enough for David. We also found some decent places to eat, but it took us a really long time to find them. It didn't take long to see all of Villefranche, thus, we only stayed for 1 night. Then we headed toward Antibes. BUT, check out the gare in Villefranche. It's really neat because it is so close to the water. Most of the time that you travel by train around the south of France this is the kind of view that you have...darn.

We then arrived in Antibes. Although very touristy Antibes was wonderful! We finally saw some sandy beaches (the others were rock beaches) and we found a really good restaurant that we went to twice during our stay there. Our hotel was really nice too. It was the only hotel we had that did not have air conditioning, but it was the nicest looking room with the most comfortable bed.

We also had a really nice view of a playground. The first day that we were in Antibes it was a little later so we went to one of the playgrounds to talk and watch kids play for a little while. While we were there we saw a rat that was hunting for food. Someone had thrown out some very large chunks of left-over baguette that pigeons were picking at until the rat found them. It was hilarious! He would jump into the crowd of pigeons, scare them away, steal their bread, and hop off towards his little hole. The funniest part was watching this small rat trying to run with a huge piece of baguette in his mouth...it occupied us for a while.

Also while we were there we met an American girl who was working in an ice cream shop. It was very strange how we met her. David was ordering our ice cream by speaking french...then the girl looked at him a little funny and said (in English) "So, that is 2 cones with one scoop of chocolate each?" We were blown away...we weren't expecting her to say that. Then David asked her where she was from and she said Atlanta!! Weird huh? She said her mom was French and they moved back to France about 3 years ago. She said that she had met someone else from Atlanta a little earlier that day - it's a small world.

The most exciting thing we did while we were in Antibes was watch a group of old folks play Botchy (although it has another name here). It was neat because while we were watching, one of the men started talking to David and when we told him we were American he said very well: "Oh, do you speak English?" then laughed - we think it is because that is the only English he knew. But we talked to him about living in Antibes, which seems a lot like Florida in terms of a good place for the elderly to retire, etc. It was neat...they were very competitive in their playing and it was cute to see the little old lady's sticky out their tongues at their husbands when they made a better shot.

So that wraps up our vacation!

The Principality of Monaco

Traveling to Monaco was definitely an adventure. We actually went twice. From Nice we took a bus, for about 40 minutes, that took us to Monaco. The first day we could only walk around select areas because it was the last day of the Monaco Grand Prix.

Monaco is the world's most densely populated country and second smallest independent nation - The Vatican being the first (population: 32,410...area: 485 acres).

The first trip: It was very interesting. I've never been into racing (and still am not) but encountering it while in a foreign country is pretty neat. The entire country was full of security and police and barriers to keep people from seeing the race unless they had purchased tickets. They must have taken a lot of time prior to the race to walk everywhere and determine where the "track" (road they were using) could be seen because we weren't able to see anything no matter where we went. We heard it though! It was so loud! We were able to walk around some areas where they were selling racing merchandise and even get really close to the road where they were racing because the sound was deafening...we had to walk around with our ears covered because it hurt not to...but we still couldn't see anything. So, after a somewhat disappointing day of site seeing, we decided to come back again. We really wanted to go to the aquarium, but the day we were there, was the only day of the year that it is closed...the last day of the Monaco Grand Prix.

Our second trip to Monaco was much better. While many of the barriers were still up, we were able to walk around everywhere and even on the streets they were using for the race. We could see tire tracks and some of the advertisements were still up.

We visited the palace of the Prince of Monaco. (Monaco is a constitutional Monarchy so the Prince is the head of state.) There were guards outside that walked back and forth in front of it. Then we watched them change. The area all around Monaco is beautiful. The large cliffs that look over the very blue Mediterranean...it's very nice. Many rich people live/move to Monaco because of it's nice atmosphere.

So, some history of Monaco... Monaco has been ruled by the House of Grimaldi since 1297, when François Grimaldi ("Malizia", "The Malicious") and his men captured the fortress protecting the famous Rock of Monaco while he was dressed as a Franciscan monk. He gave David some pointers on using a sword...

Then we ran into Prince Albert the 1st. HE gave David some pointers on how to steer a boat. Prince Albert the 2nd is currently living in the palace (Albert the 1st's grandson). I'm pretty sure we walked around everywhere possible in Monaco. It is pretty small. But it was very pretty. There were boats everywhere - which David loved. And the scenery was just incredible. Most of the things we saw looked like they would be part of a resort or something and they also had a bunch of casinos...and those were very pretty buildings.

After our self guided walking tour we finally went back to the Aquarium. Of course it wasn't as large as our new one in Atlanta...or most other aquariums I've been too, but there were a bunch of neat things inside. We even saw those eel things that are in the Little Mermaid movie - Flotsam and Jetsam. Well, we think that is what they are based off of...they can be 6 feet long and have those creepy looking faces. We also saw a lot of the characters from Finding Nemo. Nemo of course...Mr. Johansen (the flat fish with eyes on top of this body..the "kids" got into his yard before school one day)...I'm pretty sure I saw the fish that Gill was based off of...star fish (Peach)...and one fish that looked like Gurgle (the fish that hates being dirty). The Aquarium also included a Museum. Most of the things in the museum are from the travels of Prince Albert the 1st and they was also a section that Prince Albert the 2nd had contributed to. Albert the 2nd actually brought a chunk of ice from the North Pole back with him and they have it in a container that is keeping it frozen. They also had models of Albert the 1st's sail boats and equipment. And this model of a very old submarine that David tested out. I can't imagine trying to use this thing...there are so many knobs and handles and things to think about....and I wonder if it had a window so they could look out of it...I guess they would need one or what is the point huh? It was all pretty interesting and we were really glad that we were finally able to go.

So, David and I recommend visiting Monaco if you are ever in the south of France...just don't go on the last day of the Monaco Grand Prix.

Nice - and it was.

Here begins the recap of our vacation to various locations in the south of France.

Today we begin with Nice. (pronounced like "Niece").

After an 11-hour overnight train ride from Metz, we were in Nice. We walked to our hotel and checked in. We were a little early to check in but this ended up being to our benefit. We were planning on leaving our bags in the hotel lobby area while we began site seeing but just as we were about to leave the lady at the hotel gave us a key so we could take our things up to a room. We thought that this would be a temporary room but it turns out that they gave it to us for the duration of our stay. Why does this matter? Well, they gave us a room with 3 beds! 1 double and 2 twin! If you have ever been in a hotel room in France you will understand that this is a very large room. Most French hotel rooms are very small.

After we washed up a bit we headed out to our first site seeing destination. La Turbie.

Here, there is a monument and small museum. Before we went it we walked around a little because we heard a very strange noise. It sounded like a billion gigantic bumble bees swarming around. At the edge of a sharp cliff, we realized we were looking down on Monaco. Then it made sense... the Monaco Grand Prix was going on and we were hearing the noise from the race cars echoing off of all the cliffs and buildings and the water. At first it was hard to pinpoint where the cars were actually driving but eventually we got a glimpse of a tiny speck moving really fast along a road. I'm not a big racing fan but it was neat to see.

Then we went to the monument, which is currently very destroyed, as are most pieces of history in Europe. It is called Trophée des Alpes...or the Trophy of Augustus. erected between 25 -14 BC in honor of Emperor Augustus, who subdued the Gaulish tribes. Although it isn't much to look at now the museum had a replica of what it looked like when it was first built. There was hardly anyone here because it isn't a typical tourist attraction, but when you have the help of Rick Steves you can find anything! :o)

Since there were so few people there we got a guided tour up the monument (it has been slightly renovated thanks to some rich Americans who fell in love with it many years ago...so now it has stairs to the top and a few columns so that you can get an idea of what it was like long ago.) It was also getting a little rainy and windy so we didn't linger long.

After our time there we headed to find some lunch. We ate a a restaurant (also recommended by Rick Steves) that overlooked part of the Mediterranean. We spoke with our waiter and he told us that about 10 days prior to our visit Rick Steves had actually been there...and he sat at the table that was right next to us. Darn, just missed him. It would have been funny though to bump into the guy whose travel advice we were following as we were following it.

After lunch we did some walking around just to see the area - because the monument was actually the only thing really exciting in the town. But, we did find some animals. There were two cats...this red one was the most friendly. It was rubbing all over my legs. ...I've been seriously cat deprived, I loved it. Then we found some goats. Haha, yep, goats. They were standing on the edge of a cliff...like mountain goats...BUT we are pretty sure they are milk goats because they smelled just like goat cheese! It was weird! The goat cheese (chèvre) that I buy at the store smelled just like these guys - seriously. There were a couple little ones too and they were cute.

Then we left La Turbie (via bus) and went back to Nice. We spent a lot of time walking around Nice by the water and looking at the really huge hotels that line the shores. It is just like the popular beach destinations in the US with some 'surf' shops, restaurants beach-side, and other beachy things, but the water was beautiful and we didn't get sick of looking at it.

One day, when we were heading the beach to get a little sun I walked into a fence that had been set up because they have been doing a lot of construction. It hurt pretty bad and bled a lot but the most interesting part is... Right after I cut myself we looked for a place where I could clean it out (aka place with public restrooms). The closest place we found was a McDonald's. :o) We walked in and noticed that all the tables and chairs were stacked up like it was closed. Well...it was. They were about to have some repairmen work on the water line or something. But, after they saw my arm, they were quick to help out. One of the ladies that was there got some hydrogen peroxide-like stuff and some gauze and a band aide from their first aid kit. I didn't think about it at the time, but they could have just told us to go to the nearest Pharmacy. Lesson: (if American) when in need in a foreign country seek out a Micky D's! haha.

After all that David bought me a strawberry ice cream cone :o) and we headed to the beach. Honestly, it was a little too late for a beach trip. The sun was setting quickly now and it was getting a bit chilly so we didn't stay long. Eventually we left, found some Chinese take-out for dinner and ate back in our hotel room with chopsticks.

The last night we spent in Nice we went to another Rick Steves recommended restaurant. Here we ordered a Menu (this doesn't mean the booklet you get to see your meal options), in France a Menu is a 'coursed' meal - in this case 3 courses (appetizer, main, and dessert). David followed a Rick Steves recommendation for his appetizer and this is what he got! The largest pile of sausages and pate we've ever seen served. At first he was a little nervous, thinking that he was supposed to eat the whole thing, but he asked the waitress and she told him to just take what he wanted and leave the rest. We think they just pass it around to whoever orders this stuff until it's gone. It was definitely a memory making moment though. I got a salad. For our next course David had duck and I had veal (I know, I said I'd never do it). Then for dessert David had ice cream and I had chocolate "cake." ..in France cakes aren't the same as they are in the US...not fluffy, more dense.

While in Nice we also did some people watching at the beach, tried some bread from an award winning bakery, and went into their most famous hotel - Hotel Negresco. It was a very nice first destination for our trip.

Easter Weekend

I'm back in France! I was lucky enough to get a flight out on Thursday the 5th so that I could be home for Easter Weekend. I was in Georgia for a full 2 weeks, but under the impression that I could be there for over a month. Thankfully that wasn't the case - I think David would have gone crazy. But it was very nice to see my family and David's family, and my sister's family, and everyone while I was home, so I'm grateful I was able to make the trip. Although I did miss David's birthday...but we already know what we are going to do to make up for it - Luxembourg...SpiderMan 3...ChiChi's (Yummy Mexican food).

Friday, when I got home I was very sleepy from traveling. I wasn't able to get the kind of sleep I had the first time traveling to France by myself. The other passengers on the plane with me were a little bit more rowdy, and I couldn't sleep as well as I would have liked on the train. This time, I flew into Frankfurt, Germany. It was much less complicated than having to navigate with lots of luggage through Paris, but I do have one complaint. All their information booths were electronic. Sometime's you just need to talk to a person. I ended up having to ask the currency exchange lady a question. But, most people in the Frankfurt airport speech very good english...except for a little old lady that was standing outside one of the doors...

Friday night David made a quiche for dinner. It was delicious. I was very impressed - see, he can survive without me! We slept very late on Saturday morning. I don't know if it was because of my jet lag or just because I was tired from traveling, but either way it felt great. Saturday we had plans to go ice skating. The last time we tried it was closed and we didn't realize it. See:

("Dimanche" means "Sunday" and we tried to go in the "evening" = "soir") See the problem? Katherine and David were very surprised. :o)

Now that we knew the hours of operation we were able to go at a time when they were actually open. It was fun.

Then, on Sunday, Easter Sunday, we woke up early, prepared some deviled eggs and a roast and headed off to church...a little late. Our service was pretty good...I guess. I read the scripture that he was speaking on, but still can't understand enough to fully listen to the sermon. We also had the Lord's Supper (my first time here in France) which was neat. Instead of whatever kind of bread we use at home, they used baguette. Yummy. But I shouldn't have been surprised - we ARE in France! After church we came home to an apartment full of guests (we had given them our key so they could come in after their service). Our roast was cooking, mashed potatoes were being started, and veggies were being munched on. We continued cooking and then ate a huge and yummy Easter Lunch. We also shared some Easter Traditions with each other. Alex brought some to share about her French traditions, Katherine brought some eggs to color and some eggs to hide, and David and I shared about the Swafford tradition of taking a nap after any holiday meal :o)

Alex brought a huge chocolate Easter Egg (the size of a small football) that each child in her family usually gets (but we all shared it) along with some other candies. After all the eating we all talked for a long while and then sat down with full stomachs to watch a movie. At this point the Swafford nap time was demonstrated by David and picked up by a few others. Then everyone left. David and I went on a walk because it was so nice outside then went back home. We didn't have much for dinner that night because we were still pretty full, especially from chocolate.

Since I've been back my allergies haven't been that bad. My eyes have definitely felt better but I'm still a little stuffed up and my throat has been very scratchy. I can't tell whether my allergy symptoms are slowly going away or am I also allergic to some things here. There has to be something here I'm allergic too... We'll see how the next few days treat me. David had a holiday from work again today. I think it was the perfect weekend to come home to.

Going home to the US - a 24 hour adventure

- March 21st -

David and I walked out of our apartment and began walking in the SNOW to the bus stop to go to the Gare. The snow was very thick, but didn’t even last 5 minutes. It was nice though. A lot nicer than rain! We got to the Gare, bought my ticket, and waited for the train to come. It came and I got on…it’s always hard to say goodbye – even when I know I’m coming back. I’m sorry…I just don’t like it, and it never gets easier for me.

The train ride from Metz was not bad. I was sitting in a block of 4 seats and I had them all to myself the entire time, which was nice. For almost the entire ride I watched the first Indian Jones movie; Raiders of the Lost Ark. Then my computer battery ran out so I was forced to stop watching. I looked out of the window for the rest of the time as we approached Paris. It was a direct train to Paris so it was a little less than 3 hours.

Once the train stopped I got off (at Gare de l’Est) and went in search of the Metro, line 5, headed toward Gare du Nord. In order to get there you have to cross the street to go down into the metro station. At this time it was hailing outside. Hailing A LOT! It was heavier than the snow from earlier. I didn’t want to wait for it to stop so I started walking through it to go to the metro. Walking through it was worse than I thought it would be so I stopped at the nearest bus stop and it about 1 minute it was already over. It’s pretty nice that none of this bad weather is lasting that long…although we would love to have snow stick on the ground every now and then. I went down into the metro and found the billeterie (where you buy tickets) and bought one. This would take me one stop, from Gar de l’Est to Gare de Nord. From Gare de Nord I had to make my way to the RER (Paris’ regional rain network). I found the right RER just as it was arriving and got on. At this point I realized…I didn’t buy a ticket…and I didn’t see a place were I was supposed to buy a ticket…Did I do this right?...Am I riding for free?? In fact I was. Then I remembered that when you get off the RER you are usually required to have your ticket with you so that you can leave the station. This began to make me nervous…especially because the trains are controlled every now and then…and I was pretty sure my metro ticket wouldn’t pass the check. So, I started praying that if the train was controlled that the controller would have pity on me for being an unaware American.

When I got off the RER I was at Charles de Gaulle Terminal 1 – the right place! …the controller never came…now exiting the station… I went up the escalator and voila! No place to insert a ticket. ??? Now I’m really confused. I guess I just got a free ride that would usually cost me 8.20 euros.

Then I had to find out where to catch the shuttle to go to my hotel; Comfort Hotel. I saw a sign that said “Hotel Shuttles and Taxi pick-up” but on my hotel confirmation print out it said to look for Place Dublin Taxi rank because that is where the shuttle picked up. I didn’t see that anywhere. So I went to ask at the information booth. I spoke with an Asian girl in English (BUT I asked in French first! …”Where is Place Dublin Taxi rank”…so I’m trying David) I wanted to make sure that I got the right information, so this was best. Anyway, I showed her my print out and she told me that my hotel was INSIDE of Paris (where I had just came from). She pulled out a map and told me what metro lines to take and then told me where I could buy my tickets. Whoa…not cool. This is not what I had thought…it was not what the map showed when I booked my hotel…it would be another hour or so to find the hotel. It was SUPPOSED to be right next to the airport! So I went to get in line to buy an RER ticket. =o\ While in line I thought to myself…”There is no way this is right…I need to ask someone else…” So I went back to the information booth area (avoiding been seen by the asian girl who ‘helped’ me before) and found a guy to ask that was standing next to the booth. He pointed me in the direction of the first sign I was going to follow…where the hotel shuttles and taxis picked up. Argh. I was right the first time. I hate that. This is what I used to do on tests in high school….I’d end up picking the wrong answer because I doubted my first instincts. So then I waited. I saw shuttles going by for almost every hotel you can think of for about 30 minutes …Ibis …Radisson …Etap …Ibis …Ibis …Mercure …Ibis …ahhhh! Where was mine? Comfort Hotel! I ended up asking 2 different bus drivers if they knew about my shuttle. One said it was the next one coming…5 minutes. Liar. The next one said to wait 30 minutes. Nope – it came in fifteen. Thankfully.

The ride to the hotel was about 5 minutes long – HA, inside Paris…I can’t believe I almost went all the way back into Paris! I checked in – room 124 – and turned on the TV to see the information channel. I found out that dinner…in the restaurant downstairs starts a 7pm. I have to eat here because there is really NOTHING in this area. I was looking as we were driving down the street on the shuttle in hopes of seeing where I might be able to eat. Oh well…I’ll be eating alone in the hotel restaurant. Until then I watched CNN.

They are doing a special on India. They are talking to Indian students and young adults as well of some famous people from the younger generation talking about the government and traditions. They talked about arranged marriages for a really long time. I was surprised. A lot of the people there said they would do an arranged marriage if their parents wanted them too…and some said they would just by choice anyway. They also said that there are only 3% of the Indian population that uses the internet everyday. Wow. I thought it would be a lot higher. Although everyone in the audience said that they did use it everyday. But they are a very motivated people. Most of them go to the US, get good degrees, and then go back to their country – well, about 50% do. I think this is good and many other countries should do it. Then their economies will improve and it will be better for them. Anyway, I will watch the rest of Indian Jones after dinner. And then start the next one =o) I brought all three with me.

Dinner was interesting. It was just a buffet. You had the option of the starter buffet, main buffet, and dessert buffet. You could pay for one two or three of them. It was 12.50 euros! (for one buffet) I just had the main course one. They had A LOT of meat. Chicken (white and dark meat), a roast, some other kind of meat…but I couldn’t tell what it was so I skipped it…whipped potatoes, a vegetable medley, and these donut hole/hush puppy – like things. It was ok. Everything had a good flavor there just wasn’t much of a variety. And, eating by yourself is strange… It was funny though, there were these two guys that came in and the didn’t speak French or English very well. But, they did know how to say “Beer.” So, naturally, at first I thought they would be German. But they weren’t. They were speaking something that sounded kind of Russian, but it wasn’t Russian, so I’m thinking maybe it was Czech? I don’t know. Other than that, dinner wasn’t very exciting. I don’t know whether I will eat breakfast here. I think there will be more of a variety at the airport. Although, it did say that they had fruits, yogurts, croissants, and pain au chocolat. I’ll take a look at it in the morning…but it is probably going to be way more expensive than I want to pay. Probably 7 euros. Well, time for Indian Jones! Then bedtime.

- March 22nd -

I didn’t sleep very well last night. I guess I wasn’t tired enough because every little noise kept waking me up. The heater would make a noise about every 15 seconds because it kept heating…so I turned it off. Then…although I was an entire room away from the elevator I could still hear it every time it moved. One of this hotel’s main advertisements is that they have sound proof rooms. Well, they do not. Starting at 4:30am people started waking up (I guess to make their way to the airport to catch flights) and they would talk so loud in the halls. They didn’t even make an effort to whisper. It was very rude. Around 6-6:30am most of them were gone and I think I got the most sleep between then and 7:30am when I just couldn’t sleep any longer.

So I decided to get up and get ready and be extra early to the airport. I think this was a good idea because when I got down to the hotel lobby everyone was there. At first I thought they were all in line to check out, but in reality, they were all just standing around taking up space after they had checked out. David and I have decided that people in Europe just don’t know how to get out of the way. Is it a pride issue? They think they don’t need to move out of anyone’s way? Or are they just completely clueless to other people around them? We don’t know. I made my way up to the counter and checked out. At first I thought he said that he had just charged the credit card I used to make the reservation, but then I realized that he had only done that for the price of the room. I had to give him the card again in order to pay for my dinner buffet and telephone call I made. I called David =o) I’ve never made a call from a hotel that you have to pay for before. I’m getting so adventurous =oP Nah, I just thought I should call David, plus I wanted to, to let him know that I made it alright, and that I officially need a full length mirror at our apartment. I have seen all of myself in 3 months – it’s strange! It’s amazing that I walk out of the house matching everyday.

I took the shuttle to the airport, well, where they drop us off. I then had to take a bus to terminal 1. Once there, I had to find my way to the US Airways check-in counter. It’s weird how they do it here…I guess if you know the system it will be more efficient…but I don’t so it wasn’t efficient at first for me. The have many check-in counters based on your destination, and each one is assigned a number. BUT, these numbers and corresponding destinations aren’t listen anywhere so you have to ask someone or just look around until you find it. After meeting a nice old couple traveling to Chicago, I was told I needed to go to counter number 22.

There, I waited in the slowest line in history. Of course, there was someone having a problem with checking in. It seemed like a problem with the airline because whatever these people were being told, they were baffled by it. But you could tell they had been in France a while because they kept saying things like “typical” and “that’s the best story I’ve heard yet.” I finally went to check-in and when I told the lady that I wasn’t checking any baggage, she looked at my bags, asked me if they weren’t to heavy, and when I said no she looked at me and made a face that, to me, meant “yeah right.” Do I look that weak? There is hardly anything in my bag… argh.

I hadn’t had breakfast yet so after I checked-in, found ‘satellite 5, I bought a pain au chocolat for breakfast and headed to the gate. On my way I saw a sign for a “worship area.” It had a graphic of a person kneeling and praying. I’m guessing they do this for the Muslims? I don’t know, but I thought it was interesting that they had a designated area like this at an airport. I’ve never seen one before.

At the gate I went through another security check. Here, they took away my peach tea =o( AND my gel deodorant (luckily it as almost empty) and my toothpaste. This is why it is convenient to check your bags. But at least I won’t have to wait at baggage claim in Atlanta at 10pm when I get in – that will be nice! So now, I still have 45 minutes until they begin boarding my plane…then another hour until it takes off. We will get into Philadelphia at 3pm and then I have a 4 hour lay-over (3rd Indiana Jones movie) then off to Atlanta! I don’t mind traveling especially when you aren’t pressed for time, but it isn’t as much fun when you travel alone. Hopefully I’ll only have to do that one more time – on the way back to France. Then David and I should be able to travel together. BUT you never know.


Well, this was going to be the end of my entry but in Philadelphia my flight got delayed. So far it is an extra 45 minutes. I tried to call my dad to let him know but the pay phone wasn’t accepting coins and his cell phone doesn’t accept collect calls. (I was going to do one where when they ask for your name I say really fast “myflighthasalreadybeendelayed45minutes!” then hang up) So I couldn’t do that…and I don’t feel right about asking people to borrow their phone…even if they do have free long distance – ya know? So, I hope he checks the times online first. Supposedly flights have been delayed a lot today. I don’t know why though, the weather is great. When I first got here there was a flight going to Miami. It was supposed to leave at 6:05 but didn’t start boarding until 6:30ish. It was going to be an interesting flight though. I HUGE group of elementary aged (maybe 5th grade) students and a HUGE group of Italians…plus some regular US passengers.

I was thinking about it a few minutes ago – I’ve been awake since 2am this morning (US time)…If we get delayed any longer it may end up being 24 hours. I don’t think my body realizes that in France right now it is 12:30am, I’m usually in bed by 10.

Well, we just got a new departure gate…time to be moving along!

…ok…we’re still leaving a 8:45pm so it says. I’ve had more flight changes when flying with US Airways. I think it is time to try a new airline. Except these guys are the cheapest. Ok, I’m sure you are sick of reading so I’m going to go now and just wait around to leave. Bye.

We ended up leaving Philadelphia after 9pm and arriving in Atlanta at 11:40ish. We got home pretty late and I wasn't in bed until after 2am. BUT Duncan remembers me!! So I'm very excited!