Before completely signing off Duane feels compelled to add a few parting memories of RoggowAdventures 2012. Vacationing with Relatives is not nearly as horrific as one would think. No, really! We had a great time with Betty and Chris and would do it again in an instant. Next time, however, Chris must hit his "Auto Immune" button before leaving "The Villages." Sorry Chris. . . . . Duane never likes to utter absolutes, but this may be our last trip to Italy. Holy Smokes we Love the place, but we have done it 5 times now and must move on. . . . . . As much as we enjoyed our time with Betty and Chris and all the nifty places we visited we still think that renting a car and hitting the backroads is our favorite way to vacation. One misses the wednesday farmers market in St. Giron when on the trains going from one BIG sight to another BIG sight. One MUST experience the St. Giron Market!! . . . . . . . When back on the plane headed for home we've always said, "We are glad to be going home to the United States of America." We still say that. But after almost 20 years of extensive travel in and around the world we have learned one thing. We, the USA, don't have all the answers and we should open our eyes and ears and learn from other countries now and then. They don't have all the answers either, but they do some things very well and several things better than us. Wake up America listen to the rest of the world once in awhile. They've got some nifty ideas. There are no clear winners here as each country has its own demons, but everyone could be smarter if they would lay down their flag once in awhile. . . . . . . The argument is over: The French do food better than anyone else. They just do. . . . Case settled. . . . . . That said, Duane thinks we won't go back to France either. "Been There - Done That" is the operative phrase here. (We've been to France 6 times). . . We are probably not done traveling (Horrors!!!), but we must branch out and see some new stuff and when I say "New Stuff" I mean really new stuff. Paula doesn't know this yet, but she will get the hang of it. She is, in case you wondered, the BEST traveling companion in the world. Duane's a lucky man!

Cars, trains and more trains. . . . Getting to Paris never seemed like this big of a deal before. Now it takes all day. Good thing we are vacationed out! Just riding the train is kind of nice. Paula booked First class, so we don’t have to ride with the farm animals, etc.  Today may be a little random as there is no great vacationing to report on.  Observation one: When we rode the high speed train in China there were numerous little Chinese people at the end of the line scrubbing down their nice, clean, snappy train engine. Wow did it shine! It was spectacular!!  In France the engine looks like it was last washed when it left the factory many years ago. Since then it has collected bugs, grease, grime, dust and dirt. . . It looks like crap. Still, it runs like the wind, so we don’t mind. The rest of France (Except for the ever present dog poop) is clean as a whistle. Observation two: The French do LOVE their dogs! They take them everywhere; restaurants, shopping malls, grocery stores, to the beach, vacations, on the trains. . . Everywhere! And we’re not talking service dogs, we’re talking about dogs of every size, breed, stripe, purpose and demeanor.  Duane does not approve. Mostly he doesn’t approve in the ever present doggie leave-behinds (Poop). Observation three: Except for the ever diligent Germans, the rest of southern Europe is in trouble because they just don’t like to work very hard. On the way to the train station this morning at 9:00 AM on a Monday morning we noticed very few people out and about scurrying to work. We asked our taxi driver about this. . . . . . . He said, (And I quote) “They’re probably still sleeping. They won’t get up until later.. . . . What? ? ? It seems they like the Biarritz Life Style. . . . Sleep late 8 months of the year and don’t work much. The other 4 months (Tourist season) they work like crazy. Nice deal if you can get it. But working 4 months a year pays the bills? ? ? ?  Observation four:  The French, in particular, have been great hosts. Even in Paris we found English speakers, polite, agreeable, helpful and accommodating. If the French have ever been rude, obnoxious and cold, we have not seen it. We love these goodly people and Duane, in particular, is excessively fond of their food. For the bread alone it is worth a trip to France. Many more do speak English these days (They do learn it in school) and most are happy, even eager, to use it. They like to practice. . . . I’ll stay out of their politics as it is as smelly as ours. Observation five: Everything is EXPENSIVE!! This trip, even though the exchange rate is better, we have noticed that most things are VERY expensive. Yesterday we paid over $10 US dollars for two small coffees. That’s just wrong.  Duane figures that when you’re not selling very much stuff you have 2 choices. . . . Sell more stuff or raise the price. The French decided to Raise the price. It does not seem to be deterring the tourists. Time will tell if this is a good decision. Duane thinks not, but then he was the one that just said, “It is worth a trip to France just for the bread alone!!”. . . If the French can keep a lock on bread, crème brulee, foie gras and croissants they just might make it after all. . . . Observation Six:  We drove the Fiat Punto like a truck, race car, hauler and sedan. . . . It worked well. Not exciting, of course, but everything held together. We had a diesel and we got great gas mileage. I didn’t keep track, but we drove all over (Really, ALL Over) and only put in about 10 -12 gallons of diesel fuel. . . America needs to get its act together and make diesel cars again. They are clean, efficient and quiet. Diesel fuel is about 2 dollars cheaper a gallon over here. Much smarter.    

Things are winding down in France. Today about all we have to do is drive to Biarritz, hotel up and get the car turned in at the airport. It has dawned cloudy, but with the weather patterns here it may turn sunny at any minute. (it did!) Tomorrow we catch the TGV train for Paris and one last night before flying home. One observation we’ve made is that we’ve seen very few Americans in this part of France. Could be that no one comes here (It is WAY off the beaten path) or that Americans are just staying home. I suspect that most are still traveling, but to more mainstream places like Rome, Florence and Paris. We’ve been told to avoid London at all costs as the Brits are NOT ready for the Olympics and it will be a madhouse. The Underground is STILL not working and most everything else is in a state of disrepair. I doubt it is that bad, but if you are not actually an Olympic athlete, I expect you should stay home.  You know who you are.

Getting to Biarritz was a breeze. We turned the car in first and then took a taxi to our hotel on the beach. These people are surfing! Not just one or two, but dozens of sun and surf crazy dudes and dudettes.  Biarritz turns out to be a dynamite little city and we amuse ourselves with a walk along the beach walk. Now all we have to do is see if we can get everything back in our bags. We’ve had this little pile of goodies growing in the trunk of the Punto and now that has to be integrated into the baggage.  Duane has little hope, but has planned ahead and will leave behind his flip-flops and misc. odd T-shirts/undergarments. He must make room for his new Pikolinos and Paula must make room for her linens, pottery and miscellaneous other acquisitions. Hope springs eternal!!

Saturday moring in St. Giron is "MARKET DAY!!". . . We are thrilled and this one does not disappoint! All of south-central France shows up to show, sell and shop. What a day! This is truly one of the best things we love about France. All of the Little French people come rushing out of their houses with their straw market baskets to shop for the day, the week or the year and they do have the best time. This one was really great because we are almost certain we are the only aliens. Everyone else is uniquely French and loving it. No showing off for tourists, just The French being French. As this town is near the border with Spain and near the mountains (Pyrennes) and has shreds of Catalan and Basque culture it is abit raucous, rude, dirty, rustic and earthy. We love it! There are shades of 1960s hippie culture as well as a healthy dose of Agriculture culture. As with most of these markets they are selling EVERYTHING. Meat parts are the most entertaining. Rabbits are skinned right down to their head, Including the head, (Eyeballs intact) gutted and left out in the open with its head stll on and its liver still attached. Whatever you do, DON'T cut the liver off, it will make great rabbit liver stew! Chickens are served up the same way plucked and gutted with the feet, head, beak, comb and all, still attached. It looks rather freaky. In one basket are the live rabbits for those who want to dress their own. I could go on forever about the wonders of Market day, but the best part was saved for last. Paula made a fatal error and allowed Duane to walk past the Pikolino stall one too many times. Just like a magnet, Duane is sucked in and before long discovers that he is a perfect size 43. A new pair of Pikolinos will accompany Duane home!! Hurray for Leather shoes from Spain!!
We rush back to meet our checkout time, discover what Duane's single Malt Scotch cost, faint and hurry on to the west coast. On the way we drive through some of the most beautiful farm country on the planet. Green, green, green, semi mountainous, full of trees, grass, wheat, corn, cows, sheep, horses, ducks, geese and assorted goats, rabbits and lambs. Just gorgeous! We discover once again that one can get lost and not really care all that much. . . . you eventually come out the other end. As we enter Basque country we notice a Big change in architecture and the overall neatness of things. Here is the way Duane believes this all happened. . . . . The Mayor of this part of France (Pyrennes Antiquaine) woke up one day and noticed he had WAY TOO much White and Maroon paint from a recent repainting project. So he decides to buy even more white and maroon paint and then he sends out a Mayoral Notice suggesting, in his most pursausive manner, that everyone ought to consider painting their house White with Maroon trim. Everyone considers this and shortly a loud cry goes up from the goodly people of the Pyrennes Antiquaine . . . . . "COOL!!". . . . . And so they did! I kid you not. . . . . . Every house, barn, side building, office, school, post office and fire station is soon painted White with Maroon Trim. It is Stunning!! We did see one outlaw who trimmed his house in blue, but I think they stoned him. We approve!
Arrival (Eventually) in St Jean de Luz is quick, cool and efficient. Thanks to Paula's internet skills, we find a suitable hotel within minutes and settle in. This is a great beach town complete with beach, surf, sand and way too many people. But despite all that we walk all over, get lost, buy chocolate ($10.50 for a small basket full of chocolate balls) and make it back in time to Skype with Piper. A nearly perfect day (Including getting lost several times.)

Duane opens the window and sees FOG and decides NOT to ride the "Little Yellow Train" today. Then Robert (Rowbear) returns from his croissant run (He goes out every morning for fresh Croissants) and announces that just around the corner the sun is shining. Duane makes a mad dash fro thr train station and arrives just seconds ahead of a group of ancient Germans who want tickets too. Duane oout manuevers them and deftly lands 2 roundtrip tickets to Mont Louis. Breakfast with Rowbear and Leanda (Linda) (our newest best friends) and then to the train. We almost are forced into the train car with the ancient Germans, but Paula eyes an opening in another car. Zoom, we are in. This turned out to be great fun as we have landed in a car full of Belgiums intent on hiking the entire length of the Pyrennes. We had great fun with them all the way (They speak great English) to Mont Louis and vowed to visit them in their home town of Kent. Maybe next year.
Now to the "Most Beautiful Train Ride" in France. . . . . Well we can report that we have ridden trains ALL over the world (France, Italy, Germany, England, China, Spain and Alaska) and can now announce that the French are correct. This a a dynamite train ride. Almost as good as the train out of Skagway, Alaska!! What we learned a few hours later is that when motivated (And going in that direction by car anyway) One can bypass the train (And the pricey tickets) by simply driving up the parallel road. . . . . Now we know.  Taking the train does avoid the car wreck however.
After saying our goodbyes to Robert and Linda and collecting the Fiat we take off up the road following the same route as the train (Without the irritating tracks). The drive up and beyond Most Louis is beautiful and worth an entire day of mountain driving (Duane really wants the Boxster). This ski Resort country with a new mountain in every direstion. But after a whole day on the road we are ready to get settled in for the night so we stop in the little town of St. Giron (or something like that). Tomorrow we will head to the Atlantic and St. Jean de Luz. Great day, but Paula is glad to be out of the mountains.  I think we are winding down. . . .      

Slow news day. . . . We woke up in Colliuore and it was sunny, warm and dazzling. Then we got in the car and headed North. Cloudy, cold and dull made up the rest of the day and the scenery was even dreary. We had lunch in Prades. This is a little town that is trying hard not to attract tourists. . . Any who make it here are lost, misguided, confused or all three. Lunch was fine, however, but very pricey for a dreary little town. We drive on to VillaFranche de Conflent, the home of The Little Yellow train, but it is hard to find. One would think that their #1 attraction would take top billing on the tourist walls, but NO, they hide it. . . . . Must be a French thing. It is too late to ride today so we hunt around and finally find a nifty little B&B run by Robert (RowBear). The B&B is just steps from the train station, so very handy. Now that we've found it and have a room everyone says it is the most beautiful train trip in all of France. We shall be the judge of that. That is all. We have free wi-fi and free breakfast. Life is good.

Hey Winos!. . . We have found the source of most of your problems! The French are growing grapes by the boatload load over here! Today we drove from Carcassone to Collioure and found nothing but vineyards. . . . This will provide way too many grapes. . . Seriously, who drinks this much wine? I know. . . You do! . . . . . . Whatever. . . . The drive was spectacular!!!
Breakfast in Lagrasse (They were playing Donna Summers on the radio. . .  "Hot Love!")  and then Collioure . . . . . .Collioure is our new favorite sea town (Positano excluded, as it will always be the BEST), but this is a championship city and we may never leave.  It's got seaside, castles, cathedrals, museums, a Wednesday Market,  shops, ceramics, linen, artists, gelato, galleries, seafood, vino and much, much more. I will try and post pictures, but the wi-fi is a little cranky. You'll just have to take my word for it. Unlike many other towns which get much of their charm in that they haven't been painted in 50 -75 years, Collioure (ALL of it) looks like it was painted last week! Seriously, it is painted up in the most grandest of fashion in all of the latest and greatest colors. If the picures hold, and they never do, you can see for yourself. . . It is truly remarkable. And the people are nice. . . Every single one of them. It is like a whole different country. Gotta go. . . . Paula is already asleep and we must be up in the morning for "Market Day!"

I forgot to mention "The Band.". . . . We were just returning from our visit to the castle and we heard a big band playing, "The Lion Sleeps Tonight". . . . . Now there is a sound one does NOT expect. It was a group of about 20 college kids in various state of dress and undress and costume and fancy pants. . . . All very wonderful. We listened to them for about 20 minutes in the great plaza of this magnificent castle . . . . It doesn't get any better than this! Rock and Roll!

"Chutes de Branches" is the phrase of the day. . . . Literally translated . . . "Tunnel (Road) through the Trees". . . all over this part of France plane trees (French Sycamore) have been planted on both sides of miles and miles of French roads. When mature (about 3' - 4' in diameter) These magnificent trees span across the road and create a tunnel providing shade and a wonderful scenic drive. We drove through miles and miles of the Chutes de Branches today on our way to Carcassone, the most beautiful castle in Europe. This was a functional castle for almost 2,500 years and survived thousands and thousands of attacks by varous barbarians. (Remember, these goodly people loved nothing more than roaming around the French countryside picking a fight with their neighbors.) Good Times!!!  

Duane learned several things yesterday (It's about time): Strawberries are better in France. . . . They just are! Roads in the country are unbelieveably narrow, even for tiny cars, the Punto isn't as big of a lumber wagon as previously thought. . . . Duane simply missed the apex on several of the first curves and THAT can be deadly! (Into the thicket deadly!!) Hurray for Fiat! The Gorge du Tarn was scenic as can be and the roads, though incredibly narrow, challenging. We picniced along side the road with a magnificent waterfall to our back. The car temperature camembert was otherworldly in flavor and aroma!! Oh My!! We did get to see the "Out of this World" Viaduct Millau (Bridge). Lord Norman Foster has outdone himself yet again!! What a bridge! We did not drive across it as that interfered with Duane's schedule. Getting to Saint Guillhem le Desert before dark was the goal and nothing must get in the way. Saint Guilhem le Desert is everything they say it is. . . Mostly it is just one big, giant, humongous photo op. There is a photo around every corner. Our Hotel is accomodating and offers dinner, breakfast, free parking and wi-fi. It is morning! Paula is out filling up her memory stick and enjoying the sunshine. Funny, it has been sunny every day since Chris and Betty flew home. Duane Thinks Chris is cursed. (Not by Duane). We miss them. Today we have NO idea where we are going. . . . I love it when that hapens! Happy trails . . . . . see you soon!!

Paula really wasn't asleep. . . Uzes is now completely clean. After the great BIG (Over 200 vendors), messy, dirty, trash filled market these goodly people ganged up and cleaned this place like Paula on a Saturday morning. Everything is spit shined and ready to show off its better self. We like. The town square, where most of the market takes place  is really spectacular. It is large, airy (It is outside), packed with locals, decorated with a couple dozen Plane trees (our favorite), and right in the middle a marvelous fountain and on this day a trumpet player and his wife blowing great tunes!! Now normally a trumpet is not thought of as a solo instrument (Sorry Al Hirt), but this guy,who also has a magic music machine to make drum sounds, is great. We plop down and down a couple Edelweiss's and listen to the tunes. We also fill his hat with coin. A local man follows our lead and puts in some coin, we exchange the "Thumbs up" sign and he decides we are friends now so he comes over and sits at our table. He turns out to be a delightful gentleman from France (Duh!) who just happens to like trumpet music, beer and conversation. He speaks just enough English so that we can discuss the urgent matters of the day . . . . . Like, What are we supposed to see around here? Where are we to go?? What to do? His name is Jean-Marie and he is our new friend.  I love it when that happens!
Dinner tonight was in our Hotel . . . . Hostelliare Provencal is supposed to have great restaurant and Duane jumps at the chance to eat foie gras and an entire leg of lamb!! Eureka!! Paula has some risotto and a salad as rabbit, lamb and duck are not in her current list of edible food stuffs. Duane's in heaven. About half way through the first course a middle aged couple comes in the restaurant with a GIANT BROWN DOG!! Now the French are well nown for taking their pets out to eat with them, but we always thought that would be restricted to tiny, lttle cute French Poodles, Maltese and tiny terriers. . . . NOT so!! We've been joined at dinner by a large brown Hungarian Hunting Hound that weighs about 70 pounds. . . . He lies down by Paula's feet. He is calm, nice and friendly. Paula's feet are warm and we enjoy his company. Now that's a new one. today we head for the Gorge du Tarn and see if Duane can keep the Fiat out of the ditch. Happy trails!! 

Paula is down for the count. . . . It is nap time. Duane thinks a few pictures are in order. The sun came out today and that makes for some spectacular Kodak Moments. Duane keeps thinking we may get tired of the French countryside and the cute, little French Villages, but so far NO signs of that. As long as they keep making this food and wine Duane will return!

Going to a good French market just makes for a glorious day. These are country people just out to sell some of their stuff (Good Stuff, I might add) . . . . clothes, linens (Yes, Paula bought some more!), knives, kitchen tools, fruits, veggies, meats, fishes, rotisserie chicken, sausages and CHEESE!! Duane bought some of each as there will be picnics in the near future. Lunch was, in fact, wild boar sausage and a baguette. Paula had crostinis and humus. . . . . and , of course, ice cream. Tonight Duane will get foie gras and Paula will have something else. This year we got a Fiat rental car from Hertz. Duane is surprised they rented him anoher car after last years frivolities in Spain. . . . . Duane nearly drove the Punto into the ditch on the very first round-a-bout. The car has adequate accelleration, freakyly powerful brakes, comfy seats, a dandy radio and extremely poor handling characteristics. Duane will take it into the mountain roads tomorrow and probably drive it off a cliff. This thing handles worse than Paula's Lexus. I want my Boxster!!! The market people have now left Uzes and it is, once again, a small quiet French town with friendly people and a dynamite city park. Duane prescribes a bottle of French Wine. Paula takes a nap. We miss Chris and Betty already, but know that they are happy to be back in the Villages.   

Yesterday we saw Louie's Summer Palace (Versailles) with 50,000 - 75,000 other nasty tourists (Well, all of them weren't nasty, but many were) making the visit almost unbearable. Today we saw the Palace of the Popes in Avignon with about 250 people. . . . What a joy that was!! Now seriously, one can't compare Versailles with the Popes old place (There is NO comparison), but seeing it with 250 other eager tourists made it fun, entertaining and educational. That was about all we saw of Avignon, being more interested in going to the Laundramat, (Paula just can't stand dirty clothes!!)  and generally being burned out of BIG sights!! Tomorrow we hit the small villages in Lanquedoc-Roisillion and get the big city dirt off our shoes. Uzes is our first stop for the morning market where we will stock up on picnic supplies and head for the Gorge du Tarn. Our hotel tonight is small, cheap and friendly. Paula and Steve are already close buds and no one has had to lecture Duane on proper French etiquette yet. Nice Place!! Weather is cooperating and we look forward to sunny skies and the full moon!!

 This is the last morning with C & B. Needless to say, it has been a horrific 16 days and we are glad to be rid of them . . . .  No, not really, of course not!! We had an outstandedly terrific time with dynamic duo from the Villages and would do it again tomorrow. . .. Well, NO, not really. . . . Tomorrow would be toooo soon. But Soon. . . . .

 We ordered a taxi for 0700 and waited. Duane, being the impatient one, took to the street in front of the hotel at 0650 and began to accost taxi drivers (Thinking they were his). He was promptly admonished by the hotel staff that bothering (Confusing) the taxi drivers so early in the morning was not appropriate French etiquette.  This was not the first time Duane has had his hand slapped on this trip and probably won’t be the last. As promised, our big taxi arrived right on time and whisked us to CDG in 30 minutes flat! Goodbyes were said and we all parted friends (Really). C & B will fly home today (Chris is so excited he can hardly control himself!). Duane and Paula will catch the TGV (Really FAST Train) to Avignon and all parts South. From Avignon we really have no itinerary except to head generally in the direction of the Pyrenees and drive all over the place in search of the very best in duck and goose products. . . . Foie gras beware!! Having our own car (Which we pick up in Avignon) will be great fun and great freedom. Being on planes, trains, boats, trams, ferries and shuttles for 16 days will make you hungry for some automobile.    

It was supposed to be the day of all days. . . . Versailles!!!. . . . . And according to plan it all started out perfectly.  Then the Martin-Roggow team came face-to-face with French efficiency! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! The French aren't efficient. They are passionate. They are Philosophical. They are great in the kitchen (and perhaps in the bedroom), but in running a major attraction?  Not so much. The Hamilton girls give them an "F." Versailles just has tooooooo many people trying to visit and to little control over those people!! Yes, it is still huge, magnificent, grandious and out of this world "Over the top," but when one mixes in thousands and thousands and thousands of tourists it instantly becomes, "No Fun!!". . . . The highlight of the "Versailles Trip" was lunch. Somewhere around Marie Antoinette's private palace we find a guy in the street making baked potatoes with extraordinaryly wonderful toppings. (Chili, Curry, etx.) We Dine!!  Who knew that baked potatoes could become a business opportunity? ? ? ? After lunch we evaluate our options and head for the exits!!  We come home. Just when Chris was getting the hang of it we are "Done."  Tomorrow Chris and Betty head back to "The "Villages" and Duane and Paula head to the "South of France."

It may just be that Duane has a mean streak. . . . . No, No, No, Not on purpose, of course,  but there is adequate evidence that he walked Chris, and probably Betty, right into the ground. it all started off innocently enough with a short walk to the Military Museum at the Invilades complex. Then it all fell apart. This museum doesn't open until 10:00 AM and t is only 9:00. . . . Oh! Oh! Betty asks, "How far to the Arc de Triomphe?". . . . . Duane says, "It's just up the street, not far at all, we'll walk." And that is how the whole day went. . . . "How far is . . . . . . . .?" Duane says, "Oh, it is close let's just walk." 6 hours later, after Champs Elysees, Arc de Triomphe, Tuilleries Garden, Louvre Garden, St. Chapelle, Notre Dame, St Germaine, Military Museum, Napoleon's Tomb we limped, staggered and crawled back to the Hotel Relais Bosquet badly in need of rest. . . . But we are strong American tourists! We will recover (I think) and return to do it all over tomorrow.

I don't care what they say. . This is one Nifty Tower! By night it is just STUNNING!!!!  Eiffel knew what he was doing all along.

I have NO idea what happened the picture of the Milan Duomo. . . . . Oh Well!
Today started off well enough and the bus to the Milan airport was uneventful. Then all hell broke loose. Our plane was stuck in some other country and couldn't get out. . . (Probably Greece) (Greece causes most of the problems) Then it got caught in the weather over southern Europe and tried to out run it. . . . Didn't work. . . . Long story short, our plane to Paris arrives 2 hours late.
Arrival in Paris, however, is spectacular. The Sun is OUT!!! Watching the French farmland unfurl from the air is a wonderland spectrum of color and texture. Giant polygram fields of rape (look it up) (Bright Yellow), mega fields of wheat (Bright Green), massive fields of dirt (Dirt) and a field or two of what Duane believes were fields of vegetarians (Sickly Pale) . . . . All in all quite lovely.  Once on the ground we are greeted by wonderful sunshine and a fast Taxi driver. We hit the streets running, attack the Eiffel Tower and get on the slow boat up the Seine. This boat trip is the ideal day one activity in Paris. One sees all the big sights; de Orsay, Louvre, Notre Dame plus all those incredible bridges!  Then we defy all logic and eat hamburgers for dinner!! I know, I know, I know we're in France and should be eating foie gras, pigeon and creme brulee, but we are cranky, hungry, old Americans and hamburgers solved our hunger problem (We're still cranky old Americans).  We're off now to see the Big Tower at night!! WOW!

Imagine you are a street worker in Florence responsible for repairing the decaying streets of this aging city. Now, imagine it is Monday morning and thousands and thousands and thousands of tourists are hitting the streets to take in the amazing sights that are everywhere in Florence. What to do? What to do? Well of course you take your little bucket of wet concrete and right in the middle of all this chaos you drop down on all fours (No cones, no little fence, no guard) and begin to patch a crack in the street complete with a square foot of street that requires complete repair. . . . . what could possibly go wrong? ? ? ? . . . . A happy tourist from Tucson, Arizona, intent on seeing all the artistic wonders of this amazing city, comes tripping down the street and STEPS right in the middle of your freshly patched street!!!! Paula is now ankle deep in concrete and drying fast!!! Well that is how our day started! How about yours?
The train to Milan went smoothly, but the rain followed us to this city of commerce and industry. We hike! We dodge puddles! We dart away from the oncoming cars! We conquer Milan! Betty is the first to lose the full use of her umbrella. . . . It just stopped working. Oh, it still would open (sort of), but it would no longer keep rain out. So, she does the natural thing and buys a new one from an African street vendor (they are everywhere). She opens it. . . . .It falls to pieces. . . . . Really. . . . . It just fell apart. Betty gets into a fight with the afore mentioned street vendor. Street vendor loses. Hamilton girl Wins. Who didn't see that one coming? Hamilton girls always win!!
Today all of Europe is preparing to protest everything. (It is May Day) There will be strikes, protests, civil disobedience and probably some general misbehaving. Sounds like fun! We will head to Paris today where the well behaved French (Ha!  Ha! Ha! Ha!) are sure to provide some entertainment. We'll be lucky to make it out of the airport!! Oh well! This is travel in Europe. . . . . One learns to adapt, overcome and innovate while here as the general masses are always somewhat angry about one thing or the other. Mostly they don't like working and find being unruly much more fun and agreeable. Good Times!