The adventueres continue

DG and I have had a lovely time visiting the south of France. I would share some of the fantastic pictures he has taken with you, except, well.... you seeeee....

... our rental car was broken into in Marseille (our last city on the French coast.) Our GPS, suitcases, and backpack were all taken. These aforementioned suitcases contained many important items, notably my computer, diamond earrings, and our passports! Ahh! That was just the beginning of our drama, as the whole story turns out to be quite a horrible and yet strangely amusing saga.

My French skills have been excercised in interesting new ways... namely, in flagging down passersby to ask what the number was to call the police, making a police report, explaining to the car rental company why our car had a broken window, negotating with the train controller when we jumped on a train from Paris to Marseilles for which we did not have tickets, getting new emergency passports at the Consulat this morning, and spending some quality time with: some Air France agents trying to change our tickets, because we missed our flight out this morning because we were getting passports.

Fortunately, we had both of DG's cameras with us, and on them all the pictures from since he's been here! Unfortunately, his camera charger and card reader (and my camera with all my pictures from before he got here,) were among the many things in the suitcases that were stolen, which is why I can't post pictures until we get new ones. HOWEVER, you should definitely check back if you are interested, because we have seen some really beautiful places.

A difficult end to an otherwise spectacular trip. However, there's nothing like getting all your belongings stolen to remind you that what really matters, is that you still have each other! This whole situation will end up costing a fortune, but we are already looking at it with a lighthearted eye because everything that has happened is so riduculously unbelievable, it rapidly reaches the border of comedy.

I will now take this opportunity to share some of the interesting facts we have learned over the last few hours about various French companies and governmental agencies:

- the French National Police do not have internet in their offices. National Police. No internet. Right.

- following in this vein of reasoning, Air France (a huge international company,) does not have a 24 hour phone line. Not even for emercencies. They are closed all night until 8:30 the next day. Despite the fact that their customers have urgent business to discuss with them regarding impending flights. They, in fact, open AFTER some of their flights have left for the day.

- again, in the same theme, the Air France office on the seventh arrondissement in Paris CANNOT CALL INTERNATIONALLY. So if they need to talk to say the airport in Manchester who didn't record me getting booked on an alternate flight coming over here about why my plan tickets are blocked, they can't. They can't call internationally. Air France.

- and finally, the people on the train are unable to look up your ticket order on the spot. Apparently, instant confirmation about whether or not people actually ordered their tickets is not their priority. I can go to my email and view a confirmation of my order instantly, but the people on the train do not keep a record of ticket orders.

And there you have it, the interesting facts we have learned lately. More to come, I'm sure.

Eventually we will return to the States, and more eventually, we will post pictures of our recent adventures before the Recent Unpleasantness.