Off We Go!!!!

Today at 1235, it began.... our FATHER DAUGHTER EUROPEAN ADVENTURE!!! but really it began 6 days ago. Here are the highlights from Dad's past 6 days here:

• He learned , much to his delight, the french word for dog poopy "caca" as we were exiting the covered market on Sunday. A precious little girl, hair in curls, all prim and proper, was frollicking through the courtyard square thing... and she came to stop, intently stared at something on the ground, and slowly stooped to pick it up when all of a sudden, French big brother came barreling from across the way screaming "non, caca!! non, caca!!" lol.. After I regained my composure, i then explained to dad what just happened... and since then, Dad has been very pleased with himself that he learned a new French word.

• We took a boat ride to the other side of the bay on Monday and sat on the very tip top deck where it was very windy and according to our boat driver was where it "go splash", but it offered the best views. We enjoyed walking around St. Tropez briefly.

• Mimosa Festival was this past weekend. As we went out walking one day, we were greeted by THOUSANDS of little yellow flowers littered all over the sidewalk. There was also a skating rink ... we did not partake. But i might when I get back!

• We enjoyed sitting in cafes and drinking coffees.. However, dad did get sorta acclimated to my instant coffee I had at my house. We ate pretty well.. Feeding him was a bit of a challenge, but now that i know how everything works, I think I could do it again easily. We found a news channel on my tv (several actually) that were offered in English. So, at least Dad had that. We watched some movies both on my laptop (via iTunes) and also some of the movies we had at the house ( we have a total of 7). Then, last night, we watched Mentalist because it IS OFFERED in the original English format.

• Laundry day was a success. Dad couldnt get off how much effort had to be put into packing up all my laundry, dragging it to the place, and then dragging it back, but I was just happy to have his company.

• We ate Moules. Very Yummy Moules in St. Raphael. He also bought a comb in St. Raph, checked out a church, and then came home. He think the French buses are too hot.

Ok, so that puts us at today I guess. Are you ready? Cause it's about to get good. Real Good.

Ok so ....Woke up to chainsaws cutting down some limbs across the street.. but it was already 845, so no big deal. I woke up dad, fixed my instant coffee, got dressed, and at 10ish, dad and I set out for the post office to pick up two out of the three care packages I had been expecting. We even rearranged our whole day just so that we could go pick up these packages! I had been waiting SO patiently for them, and I finally got word yesterday that I could pick them up today after 10. Originally, we had wanted to leave by 945 am... but the packages were more important, so ... there we were at the post office. Let me just tell you, the biggest care package was so large it couldnt even fit through the pass window lol.. the guy had to come around and hand it to me. Mom claims it only weighed 28 lbs.... regardless, it was awkwardly shaped, so... it made for quite an interesting trip back to my apartment. One of us would carry this tiiiinnnyy little package while the other would grunt and groan witht he big one... I wont mention who carried the heavy one most of the time ( cough *** ME***cough).. but I didnt care. I was so happy to have that care package, I was practically skipping down the street with it in my arms.

Step Two, we get home. Dad literally ( and im not trying to be funny) I think was going to have a heart attack.. at least thats what he said. So i tell him to sit and rest. I meant sit at the kitchen table or on the couch, but HE decides to sit on the ground. Next to my shelf that holds my TV.... (it's one of those shelves that are bolted into the wall... no support. nothin... just juts out into the room.) Ok well so, like I said, Dad decides to sit on the floor (why you may ask? I'm STILL asking myself the same question lol)... but anyways, he takes his blood pressure while he is down there.. still huffin and puffing, god bless him. Then, he decided to get up.... and in doing so, decided it would be a GREAT idea to put every bit of his weight on the shelf which holds our flat screen TV ( on loan to us by our landlord) and all my books. Of course, the shelf doesnt hold... and things start tumbling. Thank Goodness, the TV didnt crash ... but, it made for an interesting 30 seconds as we were scrambling to get everything off the shelf before things started to go everywhere.

STep Three, Dad rushes out to our little garden and finds two flower boxes, fills them to the brim with rocks, and places them under the now wobbly shelf. He proceeds to ghetto-rig the shelf so that it is close to usable again. It's sturdy enough that we can at least place the TV back up there. All the books, etc had to go UNDER the shelf, on the floor. ... so... yeah. That was fun. At that point, we only had like 25 min left before we needed to leave the house in order to catch our bus out. So, ghetto rigging had to suffice for the moment.

I then turned my attention to unpacking my AWESOME care package. Oh my goodness, I am the happiest girl in the whole world! I got all sorts of candy, and food, and COOKIE MIX, and make up, and perfume samples, and my counted cross stitch stocking I am going to start making for me and Erin, and the most beautiful apple pendant from Gigi that is now proudly displayed on my big winter coat, and ziploc bags, and heating pads for my neck!!, and deodorant, and ... ahhh, it was marvelous. But I had to unpack it all so quickly that I didnt get to revel in my glory as long as I wanted to .. so the reveling will continue when I get back after Dad goes home.

Next, I quickly cleaned the house, took out the trash, started the dishwasher, doubled checked all the lights, closed the shutters, and we were getting ready to leave when the POST OFFICE truck pulls up and gives me my THIRD care package!!! So, all of them safely found their way to my house. IN my third one, I had a French grammar book, and my SOUND MACHINE!! oh, how I missed that glorious sound of "Waterfall" as I slept.

We set out at 1215 to catch the 1235 bus to St. Raphael so we could catch a train to Marseille, where we would spend the night. Well, we got to the bus stop only to find out that, according to the bus driver, the buses were NOT running today due to 15 cm of snow that fell in St. Raphael this morning. "trop dangereux", said the bus driver. ("too dangerous"). SOOO.... trying to remain calm , we head back to the house where we called a Taxi. We had no option. We HAD to get to Marseille tonight because, otherwise, there was no way we could get all the way here tomorrow mornning in time for our flight that heads out at 1040 for Amsterdam. So, call the taxi. 60 EUROS!!! But, like I said, .. we had no other option if there was really that much snow in St. Raphel. (BTW, at this point, I had also checked online for any train cancellations and , as far as I could tell, there were none)... so we headed out on our taxi at 140. As we were approaching St. Raphael, I kept looking out the window, waiting to see this "intense snow storm" that had hit St. Raphael. LET ME JUST TELL YOU..... we are talking like... MAYBE a light dusting was on the ground. I hesitate to even say a light dusting. It didnt even look like a bad case of dandruff... Seriously, France. Seriously.

So, 60 Euros (and two train tickets) later, we DO arrive in Marseille safe and sound around 4 pm. Dad took his FIRST FRENCH METRO ride!! Honestly, that was probably my favorite part of the whole day lol. I get down into the underground... and this is a sampling of dad's questions that ensued.... "why are we going uderground?" "where does my ticket go?" "I CANT GET THROUGH THIS TURN STYLE" "Is this our train (when obviously, that was the ONLY train in our near vicinity)" "we're going awfully fast on this metro. Don't you think we're going awfully fast?"...... ahhhh, aw I love you Dad. It was so funny because I was so at ease and so relieved when we got to the Metro because there were only 2 LINES, and it was very clearly marked where we needed to go and when we would get off at our stop. It was like a cake walk compared to the metro in Paris. But, for someone who had NOT been dealing with metros for the past 5 months, I can see how it could have been a bit overwhelming. BUT ALL HE HAD TO DO WAS FOLLOW ME. lol.. anyways, we made it. Safe and sound. Got a little lost on the way to our hotel, but... really it was only for like 12 minutes. I asked directions =) Look at me asking directions in a foreign language =) so proud. ( on that note, I feel like I have been able to show off my french language skills alot more in front of Dad than I did with Erin)

Dinner was a fast food Chinese place... Probably wasn't Dad's first pick, but I LOVED IT SO MUCH!!! I've missed asian/chonese/ japanese food sooo much. Afterwards, we hung out in GALLERIES LAFAYETTE ( a big retail store... similar to Macy's)... Did you know that European men's underwear don't have that flappy opening hole thing ? in the front? for pee time? SO WEIRD. You learn something new everyday.

Our Hotel here in Marseille is actually SUPER nice... even for American Standards... there is even a decent bathroom. WITH A TUB!! i took a bath for the first time in FIVE months almost! IT was so fabulous! We just came home early to relax and bathe and ... now to write this blog. Dad has been so patient. I know he wants to read what I have been over writing for like the past hour and half! soo.. now i think I am done , so he can!

Tomorrow, be thinking bout us. We catch our plane at 1040.. and get to Eindhoven at 1230.. but Eindhoven is about 1.5 hours away from Amsterdam. It was just cheaper to fly into Eindhoven. So, we probably wont get to OUR HOTEL til like 3pm...THEN, we are going to go to the VAN GOGH MUSEUM!! cause it doesnt close until 1000!! should be a good day if all goes as planned.. but as we saw today... not everything works that way here.

YAY FOR DAY 1 OF FATHER /DAUGHTER EUROPEAN ADVENTURE!!!!!! Love to all and Gros Bisous!!!