I find myself once again sitting in the rain in Northern France.  This spring is a wet one…  We left sunny La Palud Verdon to finish up the trip in Ceüse, where we are hoping the weather might be better.  Sam and Keith had arrangements to meet with Millet, so we:  Roman, Beck, Whitney, Sam, Keith and I all piled in to catch the scenery from our overstuffed Renault Kangoo.

As we waited for Stephan, the Millet exporter, next to the South entrance toll we realized that the car next to us was stripped and robbed of every valuable possession.  Petty theft tends to be a constant concern, especially when everything of value is neatly packed in a portable bag.  Stephan showed up and hurried us along to our guest chambers, which were in the basement of a very modern home.  We were elated to have our own separate rooms and bathrooms — no more commuting from the gîte’s room to the public toilets/showers.  It was a small luxury that seemed like heaven.

It ended up that we were the first guests in the rental property, so it was a big to do…   The elderly couple was overcome with nervous excitement.  We were served aperitifs and quiche over a toast to… toasting their bed and breakfast.  Hungry and ready to carry on with the evening we headed to the city center.  Old cobble streets lined with restaurants, high fashion stores, galleries, business offices, flower shops, bakeries, chocolateries and waterways throughout the city surrounding an old jailhouse. 

Annecy was a charming city filled with great rainy day entertainment, but it was short lived.  We spent our day touring around between specialty shops looking for specific teas, jerseys, toys, chocolates, cafes, and of course some Kebabs.  We finished the afternoon changing tickets at the Air France office.  With all business and pleasure aside we headed to Sigoyer, in hopes of getting some face time in with the pristine limestone of Ceüse.  The weather wasn’t giving us any breaks and we were shortly planning to leave for Marseille.