Countdown to Colorado

     There's a flurry of activity surrounding me at the moment as I prepare to return to Colorado a week from Tuesday.  I have lists and piles and more lists and more piles . . .  And I must admit to shedding a few tears as I think of leaving this beautiful place that has been home for the past seven months and that I have come to love - almost as much as I love Colorado.
     But I am ready to return to my life that I love in the Springs and to see all those people I love and have missed since I left the end of August. 
     I had a busy past few days which I will tell you about today as they were quite eventful - each in a different kind of way.  Thursday I drove south towards the mountains to visit with friends who live outside of Lannemezan and have a fabulous panoramic view of the Pyrenees!  I first met Marianne and Brian on Facebook a few years ago.  They own a holiday cottage and bedrooms that they rent out and are dog lovers - Marianne is active with a rescue group in that region.  So we have many things in common. 

A view of the mountains that I took on my last visit with Marianne and Brian

     I had visited them when I first arrived in France and spent the night in one of their bedrooms on a return trip from Spain.  CoCo did OK with their dogs, Monty and Maddie, who really wanted to play with her, but she just doesn't understand the concept of play.  This time she seemed more at ease with them, but still spent the entire visit in my lap!
     Marianne had baked an apple walnut cake and fixed a pot of tea.  We sat outside and enjoyed the view and were entertained by her dogs and the neighbor dog who seems to prefer their home to his!  I had some doggy items that I wanted to give her for the rescue group as I have no more need of them and don't want to pack them.  So it all worked out great.
     Friday was the "selling the car" day which didn't go as well as I had hoped.  I left for Toulouse (about an hour and a half drive) in the morning and arrived a little early for the appointment I had booked at the "sell your car" ("vendezvotrevoiture") business.  After looking it over, he gave me a much lower estimate than had appeared on their website calculator.  I was really disappointed!  However, I did not want to have to advertise and try to find a buyer and deal with all the paperwork myself, so I agreed to their price.  Other than that everything went quite smoothly - paperwork taken care of, title transferred as well as the money which was sent to my French bank account.
     Then I took a taxi (rather expensive, I thought) to the airport to pick up the rental car I had reserved.  That was a pleasant surprise as they put me in a much larger/nicer car than I had booked for the same price.  Of course now I have to get used to driving a stick shift again for these last few days.  I don't know what the French have against automatics!!
     Yesterday was one of my favorite days since Beth left.  H and G took me to a most wonderful restaurant in the tiny medieval village of Basaste about 45 minutes north of us.  The restaurant, called "Le Moulin des Saveurs", is in what used to be part of a 13th century fortified mill on a little stream.  We ate inside a stone cavity that went back into the limestone hillside.  It was so charming and the cuisine was superb!!  Then they drove me around to some nearby villages that I had not yet visited and we enjoyed the beautifully sunny day and the very enjoyable company.

The 13th century fortified mill and stone bridge

A closer view of the mill

The outside of the restaurant

Inside the restaurant

Walking from the car towards the restaurant and mill

     So now comes the final week of getting everything done - packing, cleaning, sorting, washing, etc.  I will leave my fairytale cottage in the Gers on Monday to drive back to Toulouse, return the rental car and spend the night near the airport for my Tuesday morning departure.  It is coming up fast.  Then who knows what might lie around the next bend once I return to Colorado?  If you stay with me a little while longer, you can join me on my next great adventure.