Yes! This afternoon we picked up our new rental car just outside of Toulouse. The transaction followed two morning phone calls and a 2 1/2 hour taxi ride that cost 250E. A bus/train trip would have been cheaper, but by the time we got the phone calls the bus/train was not available today. We didn’t want to wait another day. Europcar’s Roadside Assistance contractor offered to contribute 75E toward the cost. Enough said.

The taxi driver was great. We got to practice our French and he took the scenic route and gave us a travelogue along the way. In France taxis are paid by distance rather than time. His scenic route proved to be significantly shorter than the quoted distance, thereby saving us money while having a great conversation. I wish I had written down his name to give him a plug. The Europcar folks in Toulouse were friendly and helpful. We exchanged contracts for the new car and were able to change the drop off in Paris to the airport, which will be more convenient with our changes in travel plans. In no time we were on the road in a red VW TDI.

Our return to Montcabrier was via a similar route to that of the taxi. We decided to see more of the countryside and did so. This is a beautiful part of France. Despite the rain and grey skies we enjoyed a leisurely spin back to our adopted home.

Tonight, our last night at Atelier de la Rose, we have two hikers joining us from Corvallis, Oregon. We haven’t seen much of them because we left soon after they arrived. We will get to chat over dinner. We also may get to meet Sally’s new kittens that arrived this afternoon.

It will be a bittersweet day tomorrow as we leave this place we have come to cherish as an artistic retreat and a home away from home. Sally has been a wonderful hostess and  friend. We will miss her. However, art marches on and Provence awaits our paints and pastels. My next post should be from there.

Paul