Fin

It was with very mixed feelings that we left Entrecasteaux. Quite a lot of time during our last days was spent cleaning and packing up. But we also had to say goodbye to the people who had made such an impression on us during our short stay in the village. The day before we left we had our final coffee and said goodbye to Manu and Steph at the Etcetera Cafe in Salernes (see right) from where we had posted many of our blog entries. At the piano recital we had said goodbye to Bernard and Lucie (Adrian receiving his first double cheeked kiss from a Frenchman) and Fran had rung our Danish friends, Vivian and Lief, previously. Nataline, one of our elderly neighbours knocked on our door the morning we were leaving especially to say goodbye. She told us that two of the villagers had recently died and went off to write in the book of condolences set up on a table outside the Bar Central. We called in to farewell Madame Corti, our next door neighbour, before we got into the car with tears in our eyes. It was a sombre day when we left, overcast, with light rain falling and the bells were tolling sadly as many of the town folk were attending a funeral. We dropped off the keys with Jean-Paul and Helena. We saw Lucie coming out of a shop in the main street so we stopped to say a final goodbye to her. And so it was with an overwhelming feeling of melancholy and sadness that we drove through the town square for the last time, on past the traffic lights, and began our homeward journey.

The first leg involved a drive of about two hours towards Orange on the Rhone river. On the way we stopped at l'Isle sur la Sorgues for lunch and checked out this water- wheel. That night we stayed at a delightful B & B in the village of Courthezon, close to Orange. Our host's name was Albert who was there on his own as his wife was helping out with one of their daughters who has a young baby. Their youngest son (aged 24) is coming to Australia in March for a working holiday. He works in the wine industry so shouldn't have any trouble getting a job. We drove into Orange, planning to see the Roman theatre there, but decided to put it off because it was getting too late. That night we took the advice of our host and went to a local restaurant where we were the only diners. It was somewhat strange as the waitress was also the chef. But she was very nice and the food was yummy.

The next day we visited the amazing Roman theatre which still has concerts, opera and plays. The weather was sunny but there was a freezing wind. We had the entire theatre to ourselves so Adrian sang an excerpt from Carmen (or rather, from the Roller Door ad) and Fran sang Puccini's aria O Mio Babbino Caro (Oh my beloved Daddy), standing just near the impressive stage.

We continued northward to Lyon (200 km) where we said goodbye to our Peugeot at the airport, with a strong sense of relief at not having any driving misfortunes, before catching a bus to the city. Lyon has a lovely old town area with lots of narrow streets and interesting shops which we were able to explore on foot. We caught the funicular up to see a view of the city and to visit the impressive Basilique Notre Dame de Fourviere. This was built by the townsfolk who, in the middle of the 19th century, prayerfully promised to do so if they were delivered from the hands of some invaders. It is a strange blend of Roman and Arab architecture (see top right of photo).

On the TGV to Paris, a 2 1/4 hour journey, we passed through lots of interesting rural countryside, very different to the Var Departement in Provence where we had spent the last two months. It was raining when we arrived in Paris so we caught a taxi to our apartment - My Little Home in Paris. We were welcomed very warmly by the owners, Philippe and Sandy, who stayed for a drink to explain how everything worked and to provide advice on what to see, where to eat, etc. They were very generous hosts and provided a well stocked kitchen and bathroom, WiFi access, and lots of other accessories that you might need while staying there (the umbrellas were very much appreciated!). They also left a bottle of wine, flowers and chocolates. The apartment itself, though, was tiny, having a very compact kitchen, a bathroom, a study/dressing room, and a lounge/bedroom with the bed being a fold-down sofa.

That night we took Sandy and Philippe's advice on where to eat - Cafe Descartes - and ran into them dining with their friend, Steve. We sat at the table next to them and enjoyed their company and their enthusiasm for Paris. Of course their dog, Mulin, was with them as well, dogs being regulars at bars, cafes and restaurants in Paris, and usually well behaved, almost human!

We were so excited about being back in Paris, undeniably one of the most enchanting cities in the world. Our first day was spent walking and walking and walking! Of course our first port of call, as was often the case whichever town or village we visited, was the church. Notre Dame is no ordinary church, but a stunning example of medieval architecture with beautiful stained glass windows. Then along the Seine towards the Musee D’Orsay which was on the top of Fran’s to see list. However from conversations with Sandy the previous evening we were aware that museum employees were holding a major strike affecting access to most of the museums in Paris. But we hoped ... in vain. It was closed and remained closed for the duration of our stay in Paris. Oh well, it just means that we’ll have to come back one day.

The next day, as with our every day in Paris, we pounded the pavement and jumped on and off the metro which is a fabulous way to get around. First stop the Marais district, taking in the Place des Vosges and visiting the former home of French poet and author Victor Hugo. Then on to Cimitiere Pere Lachaise, a very large area with some ornate, grand and ostentatious tombs. It is the final resting place for many famous people, including Chopin (right), Oscar Wilde and Edit Piaf whose graves we visited, as well as many others such as rock star Jim Morrison, French composer Hector Berlioz, French authors Proust and Collette and philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre.

We enjoyed our time in Paris although the weather was pretty bad, mostly cold and often wet. On our final evening there (our last night in France) we loved seeing Paris lit up with Christmas lights and there were thousands of people out along the Champs-Elysees, in the Tuileries and outside the Louvre, all soaking in the atmosphere. We saw the Eiffel Tower all lit up and sparkling, which happens for several minutes each hour.

We left Paris for the airport on Sunday evening and started the looooonngg trek home. The first leg of the trip to Abu Dhabi was a mere 6 hours, which passed quite quickly. The landscape around Abu Dhabi airport is flat sand as far as the eye can see. The flight from Abu Dhabi to Sydney was made even more arduous by our close proximity to two babies, one of whom shrieked long, loud and often, fortunately punctuated by some time asleep.

It was a wonderful feeling to return to Australia after our adventure away. Anna and Sam met us at the airport and we enjoyed a delicious meal with them, before driving Bobbie the Barina back to Canberra on the following day.

It felt strange coming home after such a long time away, but a huge sense of relief to be safely back in our own home and with family and friends. We consider ourselves very fortunate to have experienced so much in our six months and to have met some lovely people and we enjoyed sharing our two cottages with our Australian visitors. It is true that after such an experience you look at places and things through different eyes and it reinforced for us that Australia is a great country. We are now looking forward to spending Christmas with all our children and their partners and our three beautiful grandchildren. It will be noisy but very special.

And as for Karen ... she is back in her box, in a drawer in the study. Our love/hate relationship continued throughout our travels but, overall, she was fantastic. No doubt she is keen to take us on more “scenic routes” on our next adventure, wherever that may be.

Karen and friends

Ode to Karen

To assist with our French navigation
We took "Karen", our GPS sensation.
Though she often confused us, she always amused us
With her French pronunciation.

When we drove in the car each day
We'd take her to show us the way
To a tourist spot, or whether or not
There was a freeway where we had to pay.

"Perform a U-turn when possible" she'd say
When we were lost and went the wrong way.
"Calculating back-on-track" was her favourite attack
To save us from further delay.

But sometimes her directions were wrong
And she'd tell us to take the long
Way 'round. And so we found
We had to give her the "gong".

Well, then she would stall and with all her gall
Pretend that she couldn't recall.
And if we should shout, she seemed to pout
And then say nothing at all.

But her faults were few and we loved her, it's true
For she said lots of funny things too.
If we gave her the sack we always came back
'Cause she knew every "ville", every "place", every "rue".

Now our adventure is over, shed a tear
'Cause she's back in her box - Oh dear!
She became our mate while sharing our fate
So she'll come with us again next year.