Arriving 8-26-15

Everything took a LONG time.  Customs was not its customary self at Charles De Gauls and it took forever, My suitcase wheel is cockeyed and it is more like dragging it rather than pulling.  I could just cry, I had found a perfectly cute little floral tapestry piece, bought it, and then took it back because it felt frivolous!  God is ALWAY talking to us if we just listen! Getting the car was fortuitous (we are driving a automatic, diesel with navigation!), but still took a long time.  Then, the drive after not sleeping well on the plane, made the 3 hour drive feel like it, too, took forever.  We drove via Amboise, I knew it was an easy first castle for Austin to see.  And then because the cottage would not be available until 3-4 PM, we stopped at the LeClerc to buy provisions.  There was a convenient bank machine, bathrooms and a French version of Meijer's.  I hesitate to say Walmart because no one wore their pajamas, nor was there any fighting in the aisles.  I thought I knew RIGHT were we were going, I had studied and studied, and when we pulled my heart sank.  This was not the place in the photos, and no one appeared to be close.  So I called and fortunately we were not in the right place.  So we drove  bit more and found it.  It is absolutely lovely, photos never do justice to a place and this little house is not exception.  Gabriella was kind and welcoming.  There is everything we could need and more available to us.    We had a quick "parlay" and decided to go to Amboise for dinner.  We found an easy Italian place right on the main drag and all had pizza and a small bottle of wine.  I ma not wanting to create drunks out of the kids and the waitress was very serious that there would only be  three glasses of wine in the Demi I ordered.  So serious, that she only bought three glasses for us to pour.  I had told her about my fathers refrain of " I am not trying to fatten you up, just keep you alive,"  when she argued with me about having enough, but her sense of humor was lacking, it was lost in translation, or as ever soulful Jodi suggested, maybe she has a problem with anorexia and I was offensive, so she was not amused.  My pizza was good and all of the margarita pizza (cheese)  vanished, along with the wine. After a stroll around, a quick trip back and a hot soak in the baignoire (bathtub) it was bed time!