June 22

We actually slept in as we only had one big stop to make on the way out.  We could have gotten up early and walked to and fro but we had two really big walking days with yesterday being just over 12 miles of city sidewalks, the day before was at least 10 miles, and actually the day before that was 14.  So we were good this AM!

Our destination was Jim Morrison’s grave.  He was buried in the Pere Lachaise Cemetery in France, among other great artists, musicians, poets, and more.  His grave is fenced off but fans still find ways to leave flowers, pictures, and other trinkets of admiration.  Andrew had a beer with Jim, and then we wandered around the cemetery for while, finally finding Chopin’s grave, an amazing Polish composer who mostly wrote for piano.  This cemetery is old, dating back to 1804! Tombs and mausoleums are stacked against each other with small trails meandering through. There was a basic map at the entrance for the most “popular” residents but there are “regular” people buried there as well.  In fact, there was a small service going on as we walked around searching for Jim’s grave.  It is the largest cemetery in Paris proper.  Some stones and trails and sites are very well maintained, many others less so; ironically, Chopin's site was very tidy with fresh flowers, and he's been dead since 1849. While we were there, a young woman was watering flowers that surrounded his site and there were also candles and other trinkets placed on his tomb.  Again, some grave stones have fallen, literally, into disrepair, with some the doors open or the windows cracked or missing, due to vandals at some point.  Some stones tilt precariously over, or have pieces missing. Cemeteries are such fascinating places as you can learn just a little bit about someone by their stones.

We then headed out of Paris.  It was a LONG journey.  We’d been walking for two days and had to get used to driving (rather Andrew did as he’s been doing all the driving).  We drove through more specific areas of Paris, such as their own Chinatown and an area that caters to people of India based on the restaurants and stores that we saw while driving past.  We saw a fender-bender, which was our first!  Considering everyone except for Andrew drives like a maniac we were surprised by this.  We also had a car try to squeeze in front of us and his side view tapped into ours.  Yeah, it gets close!!  To luck, no damage for either party and we didn’t even have to stop beyond that red light.  That would have been dangerous all the way around.

We are heading to near Calais, where we will cross the English Channel via the Chunnel.  We stopped at a rest area about half way and encountered three tour buses that had just pulled in.  :)  The lines to the bathroom were LONG!  However, two of the buses were kids from Katy, Texas.  I noticed several had name tags with similar motifs so I asked. They were high school students exploring Europe and they were going to being playing their instruments in various places along the way.  Their first stop, besides this gas station, was to be Paris!  It was fun to see them shopping, buying “French” Pringles and Snickers. :)  One group did snag some French bread!  

Down the road to a quaint French town.  Cheryl really enjoyed Paris but too many people and too much everything.  Living in a small town, picturesque with its fields and cows and, just by chance, the English Channel as a backdrop was enchanting, beautiful and very relaxing.  The waves and wind of the Channel must be perfect for windsurfing and kite-surfing as there were maybe 25-30 people out there with their colorful sails and parachutes.  All dressed in their wet suits and all ages, young to very old.  It looked so pretty!

We found a site for camping!! YES, our 2nd night we got to sleep in our tent.  It was VERY windy today so the host put us between two campers to hold down the wind a bit.  There was one other tent here, but mostly small campers and some rentals that people can stay in as well.  We ate at the one restaurant in town and Andrew had the fisherman’s plate which had shrimp, prawns, winkles (?), and snails.  Cheryl tried one snail to say she did, and it really wasn’t that bad.  They do look funny and not very appetizing when you dig them out, sort of curly :/. Andrew really enjoyed them as well as everything else.  We are hunkering down for the night as we need to be at the Chunnel station early in the AM and then onto London, and beyond.  Side note: There are large rabbits everywhere here.  They are huge!!  And they are just hanging out!!  

Nighty night!