HOLIDAYS IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE

Monday morning at a quarter to 3 am I got up, dressed and Mr. G. drove me to the airport. There was a long line of cars and military trucks and 8 or 9 soldiers heavily armed with machines guns, and black socks with two holes (for the eyes) on their heads. If they wouldn't have been in uniform, I would have taken them for bank robbers. They stopped car by car to check if we had boarding cards. I had and Mr. G. was allowed to drive me into the parking and from there I followed the sheep flock until the entrance of the airport.



Fortunately it was not winter and snowing ! Then our passports were again checked by two soldiers. Inside again by two employees before we could get rid of our luggage. Controls again, I had to open my suitcase, probably I looked like a Granny terrorist. Then finally we could take the airplane. The whole procedure had lasted 2 h for 1 1/2 h flight. But then came a big surprise in Marseille. Instead of walking through the airport to the exit, we were again controlled, which is absolutely not right in between the countries of the European Union ! And the worst was, from 4 counters only one was open with two guys who controlled the passports and identity cards ! I felt like in Egypt ! When it was my turn and the guy saw my German passport he waved me away like a naughty fly he only controlled the Belgians. We are all terrorists apparently. I thought how crazy is that, the terrorists must rub their hands causing so much trouble, they certainly won't attack twice an airport and certainly not such a little one like Marseille.

It was very early at 8.30 I was already sitting in the airport hall enjoying a coffee, when Claudie came and picked me up.



The weather was not as usual when I am here, it was cloudy and rather cool but it was nice to drive through the mountains again !

I was very tired in the afternoon and fell asleep reading a book. Claudie had gone shopping. In the evening her highly pregnant daughter came over together with her boyfriend. She looked as if she had swallowed a football (soccer) ! It will be a little girl. We had supper together and then I went to bed and slept through until 8.30 am !

The next day the sun came out and it also was much warmer. I spent the morning sitting on the terrace taking a sunbath !

In the afternoon we visited a friend of Claudie.



In her garden she had two enormous turtles 13 kgs each !! As they are two males they live in two separate enclosures and the winter they sleep like two stones in the dining room. They were so beautiful !



I took this picture from Claudie's daughters flat, we picked her up and as it was so nice and warm
we went to the sea !


And there we sat on the terrace of a café on the beach and had a drink ! It was the first time since November that I have seen a sea again ! Last time was in Egypt. It didn't look very blue, but that will certainly be for tomorrow !