Tuesday, 27 July 2010 -- Day 219 (232)

Ron and I decided after out long weekend, it would be best if the kids had a break from our sightseeing so Anna brought just Ron and me to the center of Toulouse and dropped us off to wander around at our leisure. We've become quite adept at going w/ the flow, finding our way around, and enjoying whatever we encounter. We joked that if Dad had been in some of our precarious predicaments during the last two weeks that he just would've said, "That's it. We're going home," and then driven all night to get there. (It was only six days ago that I was ready to say about the same thing.) This wouldn't work now, which is why he'll never leave the U.S. again. Being in France, England, and the Philippines during WW II, he's done all the world travelling he cares to do.

We found the Capitol Square of Toulouse where an outside market was coming to a close, but we managed to make some quick purchases. We then found our way to the Basilica St. Sernin. I lit another candle. This time it was to offer a prayer to St. Jude to heal Mackenzie's Crohn's. No, I'm not converting to Catholicism, but I do believe in covering all my bases, and by this you can read religions.

We did find a couple of other smaller churches, but I have to say that by this time in our travels, I've seen enough cathedrals and chateaus to last quite awhile. I long for the churches and houses back home that actually get used.

We did some shopping to which my daughters should be pleased. We noted once again that service is friendly when stores are open, but when they decide to close, it doesn't matter what the customer wants or needs. I also realized that just b/c I can read the name and type of boutique we're about to enter doesn't mean I'm equipped at communicating in French what I'm looking for. We had been looking for an interesting trivet that Cory and Anna have and found a kitchen gadget shop. I don't know how to say trivet in French so I pantomimed this by taking a pan and placing it on my hand. After a couple of attempts by the clerk to interpret my charade, we came to the conclusion that they didn't carry what we were looking for.

Cory picked us up.........thank God for Alice since we weren't at the pre-arranged meeting spot and weren't quite sure how to get back there. Maps are great, but reading one w/ French rues and boulevards isn't quite as helpful. We were able to tell him that we were standing outside Saint Georges' Mall, and 25 minutes later he was there to pick us up.

We opted for Thai food tonight so I went w/ Cory to their favorite Thai restaurant near where they used to live three years ago when they lived in France the first time. I noticed that some of the fields of sunflowers looked very sad tonight. They must know we're leaving France tomorrow, but I know of family members back home who will be very happy when I get back. I'm so glad I've been able to talk w/ them through Skype video calls and phone calls. This allowed me to see Maddy as soon as she came back from the dentist w/o her braces for the first time.