June 20: Miami to Bellingham

We woke early before the alarm in Miami and showered and got ready for our last day of travel. We headed downstairs at 6:15 and grabbed some yogurt before we met the shuttle and went to the airport. There we went to a bagel restaurant and had a delicious breakfast after checking in for our flight. After that we had just the right amount of time to board and take off, no wait time, no hurry.



We got window and aisle seats and were lucky to have an empty seat between us. The flight was easy and took just under six hours. I spent most of the time on my iPad, working on my journal, playing games and reading. The time went fast. I took pictures out of the window as we left Miami and came into Seattle.









We almost gave up our Bellingham seats for $300 each in flight vouchers but in the end they only needed one seat so we stayed on our flight and were home by 4:30 thanks to a yellow cab driver.

We spent the day unpacking and settling in. The house looked good and the kitties were fine. The young cats were delighted to see us and came up for love and attention as soon as we came in the door. Fiona gave us the silent treatment but did eventually consent to getting a bit of loving. Eventually she was her old self demanding attention from us both.

Alissa came by and picked up a small gift and a check. We told her how happy we were with the house and the kitties. We were so glad she was here to take Mehitabel in when she had a problem. She turned out to be fine and I'm pretty sure all she had was stress from her fear that the predators had gotten us. She is perfectly fine now.

All in all it was a great trip. We would have stayed longer if it hadn't meant leaving the kitties longer, being away from friends longer, and coming up with more money. ;-) It was a great trip.
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Location:N Shore Dr,Bellingham,United States

June 19: Paris to Miami

Because we got the tickets free via "frequent flyer" miles, our flights turned out a bit odd. Instead of hopping from Paris to Seattle or somewhere close, we hopped from Paris to about as far away from home in the continental US as possible. So here we are in Miami. Tomorrow morning we fly out to Seattle-Bellingham and will be home in the afternoon. Only took a few pictures today so I decided to goof around with one of the ones I took at the Charles de Gaul Airport in Paris.

The original with no post processing


Playing with filters in the Filtergene app on my iPad

















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Location:Minola Dr,Miami Springs,United States

June 18: Back in Paris

We woke at 4:15 am today to be ready to drive to the airport with Rick and Judy. They had a morning flight to catch. They dropped us at our hotel at Charles de Gaul Airport on their way. We were able to check in early and went straight to bed for a long nap. When we woke we were refreshed and ready to take the train in to Paris for a last visit. It was a changeable day with sunny times and rain squalls. Our first stop was the Cluny Museum. I wanted to see the Lady and the Unicorn tapestries and the other medieval art there.

















When we left the museum we stopped at the Watt Cafe for a mid-day dinner. I had lamb and Arvin had duck and the food was delicious. Really yummy French cuisine. Afterwards we walked by Notre Dame and were amazed by the crowds.






















It began to rain and we ducked into a place called Cafe Panis for coffee and desert. We were wise to eat inside as it began to pour outside. By the time we were finished the sun was back.





We continued to walk and bought a bag for our travel home and a T Shirt for Arvin. Finally it was time to take the train back to the hotel and get ready for our flight home tomorrow.
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Location:Roissy-en-France,France

June 17: Last Day at the Chateau

I woke really early and had breakfast alone in a quiet kitchen. Then I took off on a solo walk along Route Port Joie toward the Mairie of Tornados Sur Seine. The sun was going in and out behind the clouds. When I reached the Mairie I walked along the Seine away from our chateau and then turned back to walk along the river home.











Rick and Judy woke and the three of us headed off for Giverny to pick up a miniature that Carol asked us to buy for her. We had a lovely time in the town and ended up buying more miniatures for ourselves. The artist who makes them gave us each a free one as a gift. We stopped in the garden shop and had coffee and pastries before driving home. We met a nice Scottish couple with rescue dogs while we were there.






Arvin joined the three of us and we drove to Poses to see the locks there. The rains and winds came and we made our visit short as we were all very cold.









At the end of the day Judy and I repeated my morning walk. We had a lovely quiet time together walking, taking and taking pictures.






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June 16: Wandering Back to the Chateau

We spent a relaxed morning at Les Blotteries. John fed us soft boiled eggs, fresh rolls, bread and a kind of cup-shaped bread that was almost like a cracker. That turned out to be something Rick had had as a child and he was delighted to find them again. The jams and jellies were all home made and the coffee was delicious. We met a young couple from Brussels with their little boy Lucas who were also staying at Les Blotteries. John showed us a new room in the main house that is almost ready for guests. I should say a restored old room as the ceiling beams were old and beautiful as were the stone walls.

















We wandered back roads on the way back to the chateau. We stopped at Falaise and visited the walled chateau of William the Conqueror that is in the process of being restored. when we arrived home there was a chicken dinner awaiting us that Wade cooked. It was a good long day.














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June 15 Afternoon: Mont Saint Michel

After settling in at Les Blotteries we took off for Mt St Michel. We were tired but knew that late afternoon was a good time to visit because most of the tour groups leave around four. We got there at 4:30 and found the number of visitors very manageable. We began the long trek up the stairs to the cathedral. The day was cold and soon began to rain. We ducked inside and followed the self-guided tour of the cathedral. We visited many different rooms and walked up and down many stairs. It was well worth the tired feet and backs. When we emerged the tide was rushing in. The speed was amazing. We stopped at the Brit Hotel on the way back to the B&B and had a real gourmet dinner. Judy was happy to have finally had the kind of food she expected to find in France. We got home tired and happy.






























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