Nous sommes ici! Encore!

Rue Traversiere before dawn.

It is now Tuesday, July 2 at 4:16 am and we have been up for several hours already. Our journey began on Sunday, June 30 at 10:00 am with a Bel Aire cab ride to the airport. The driver was on time and it was a great ride, well within the estimated cost. Thanks! On arrival at the airport, we noticed it was much busier than usual, even the driver said he hadn't seen it like that. Entering the airport, you couldn't help but notice the crowds and lines. The queue for the international security check in was half way down past the check in counters. We were worried that we might not have the time in the lounge before our flight. The Air France/KLM check in line was not too long, and we were quickly at the counter. We were fine, but when the agent got to the cat, she had to call over the supervisor. She examined the documents from our vet which showed the cat had the 3 things France needed:
    1) a rabies shot
    2) a chip implanted
    3) a clean bill of health
We were unaware that there was a specific document that also was needed, that was hidden away on the airline's web page. With a lot of discussion, and almost tears, she succumbed to her love of cats, and Puffin's cute face through the carrying case, and attached the Cabin Baggage tag to Puffin's carry case. She wished us well and hoped that her decision would not come back to haunt her. More about this latter. She also put Fast Track stickers to our boarding passes which helped us by-pass the extremely long lines and we got right through security. We were wondering how this was going to work. Steve had to carry just Puffin through the metal detector, which with all the crowds around her, we were glad she was on her Xanax. She was a trooper. With Puffin back in the carry case, we were off to the lounge for a well deserved beer or two before boarding thanks to the time saved by the Fast Track stickers. Sitting there, we thought about what might have happened if the agent wasn't willing to forego the form, but in the backs of our minds was the reception we might get in France trying to explain to them why we don't have the form.

The flight was uneventful, but sleepless as these thoughts of dread kept our minds on the tread mill. A few movies and meals and two trips to the toilet for Puffin, all was fine. She was a little squirrelly in her case, but overall she traveled well. Thanks to the two Air France blankets that we used to soak up her pee....

As the sun began to rise, and the plane was over French airspace, premonitions of our arrival loomed over us. Even though we have always been fortunate to have little go wrong on our travels, there is always the first time....

The trip from the plane to the customs hall was quick and painless, and even better when we saw that the queue was very short. We got through in about 10 minutes. Then to pick up our luggage, the the final hurdle looming ever closer. At the baggage carousel, the Air France agent let us know that many bags did not get on the flight and we would have to make a claim. The very nice Air France agent in the baggage department helped us use the kiosk to make the claim. The nice thing is we didn't have to lug our luggage around to get the car and it will be shipped to us in a few days. Now the walk of shame through French Customs and hoping all will be well. I'm sure that they are watching from cameras, as no one is there, but we kept walking and then quickly through the exit door into France, much like the Ikea commercial, start the car and just keep going.

Now normally I am well prepared for travel and have read through the documents and know what to do. Well with all the excitement of retirement and a false sense of knowledge, we headed to find the Renault agent to pick up our lease car. The map on the form showed that their location was in the parking lot of Terminal 3, so off we went, without reading that we should have called them to arrange a shuttle pick up. Well we knew better. After a walk out to a vacant building in the far reaches of the parking lot, we headed back to Terminal 3 for help. We approached a woman wearing the airport uniform and asked. She wasn't sure where it was, but she asked another woman at an airline desk, and finally, she saw the guru of airport knowledge and asked him. He gave us advise, which didn't seem to make sense to us, so I asked if we could use his phone to call the number we had. So he dialed and handed me the phone. The car company was a little miffed that we were now in Terminal 3 instead of were they thought we would be, Terminal 2, but he sent the shuttle to pick us up. The driver was very understanding and within a few minutes were were back to eastern outback of the parking lot, instead of where we were in the western outback. Not long after, we were in the middle of a Parisian traffic jam, which our GPS kept trying to avoid, but enough of the slow back roads, we though it would be better to be on the slow but moving 104 around Paris. Even our French bank cards worked at the toll booths, a far cry from chasing after a blown away credit card on one of our first toll booth adventures.

With a few switches of drivers, and a few stops and even a mutual nap, we made it to Bellac, a record of 7hrs, should have been 4 1/2. After a quick stop at the grocery store for basics, we were home opening up the house. All was well as we turned on the water and electricity and opened the shutters. Even the wifi turned worked right away. Puffin spent time wondering getting acquainted with her new home. A far cry from a one bedroom apartment to a 3 story house.

After settling in, we had a frozen pizza and some of our favourite deli salads and a bottle of red. Our neighbour from across the street popped by to say hi. Right after dinner, early by French standards, we were in bed before 8:00pm.  It is always a process to get over the jet lag. We knew we would be up early, and by 2:00 am we were wide awake. With a little luck and a nap latter, we will be able to stay up later tonight, and sleep until a decent time. Mornings come late here in Bellac, as even as I type this at 5:00, it is still dark outside. We make up for it at night as it is light right now till almost 11.

This morning Puffin had her first adventure. We opened up the door to the second floor balcony, and out she went to investigate. Turning our back on her for a second or 10 minutes , she made a leap to the deck below, from back door dormer to deck (12 feet) unawares to us. A few minutes later, Steve heard scratching at the back door, she wanted in, well at least she knew how to get back in the house. Later today, we are off to the store to buy something to fence off future leaping possibilities.

Well breakfast calls. We will post pictures of the over grown back yard and more once the sun comes
up.

The hard work continues.

Down by the river.

A French Cat Nap

Beginning to tame the jungle.