Bon Voyaging ...

Schwaebisch Gmuend Bahnhof - train station

Arriving back at my apartment, after our dinner party at Julia, Michael and Valentin's, I lied down but it was impossible to sleep. I was thinking about all of the wonderful moments I had in Schwaebisch Gmuend and also wondered about what would lie ahead of me in beautiful Antibes.

I knew I had to get up at 5:15 a.m., take two trains, two airplanes and then two buses to reach my destination. Although navigating airports poses few, if any, problems for me, I am not used to taking the train and I'm traveling alone ... with heavy, heavy luggage !!

The Cockpit

I didn't bring my luggage scale with me ... and of course my large suitcase was 5 kilos OVER the allowed amount. My large suitcase weighed 55.11 pounds. So, I took out my Adult Beverage prints and carried them along with my laptop bag and purse. WHY do I over pack ?? Well, I had to bring my paints, easel, canvases ... and a whole assortment of clothing that I might not even wear. I always wear the same thing .... the same blue jeans, the same skirt, the same black t-shirts ... but then it's like ... hmmm ... maybe I might need this blue sweater that I haven't worn in three years ... you get the picture. Anyway, it was a lot to lug around ...

So ... I treated myself to a visit to the 'cockpit'. A nice, cool German beer at 9:45 in the morning ... but, since I didn't sleep at all, it was like it was still last night. Prost !

Take off !! I always try to reserve a window seat. I am fixated on looking out the window ... flying over Germany and France is amazing. Germany is very recognizable because most of the rooftops are red .... soooo charming.

Arriving in Zurich

One of my favorite sights from the air is flying over the Alps. How fantastic !! I don't believe it's ever possible to tire of this amazing sight ! You can see the long hiking paths ... which my friends Julia and Michael hiked on ... from Germany, through Austria to Italy. Hiking nine hours a day, for seven days. Whaaaat ?? I saw the photos of them climbing up steep rocky cliffs. Now, if there's anything that I avoid in life, it's climbing up steep rocky cliffs. I'm a scaredy-cat and I'm deathly afraid of heights ... BUT ... it's a different feeling being high in the sky in a plane ... I love it !!

So ... there is no longer the 200 bus coming to the Airport. So, it was either take my 55.11 pound suitcase - now even heavier since I jammed my prints and jacket back in it, my heavy computer bag and my purse, while wearing my black suit jacket (it was chilly in Germany) ... and walk down the road in very warm Nice, climbing down stairs, going under the Promenade des Anglais, climbing back up the stairs on the other side and waiting for the bus for just one euro ... or taking the express bus from the Nice airport directly to Antibes for 8.50 euros. I took the express.

Then I had to lug my stuff several blocks until ... voila ... I have arrived at the office of my friend Patricia !!

Patricia

Beautiful Antibes ... I have arrived !!