Goodbye and Martigues and flying home..

At last, on the last night of the holiday, I get a good night’s sleep, apart from a brief return of “the beast”...

We’re up at 8 for final packing and a breakfast of bread from yesterday’s petit boule and orange juice...

We hand in the keys and say goodbye to the nice lady who owns the house...



...and to the various cats and other beasts we’ve come to know over the week – the horse has returned today and we wave to psycho dog as we drive past his house...

We stop off at Manosque as we’d heard its Saturday market was a good one – but we’ve been spoiled by Forcalquier and it doesn’t come close...

We do however visit Hyper U to buy some Grenadine for Julia, Meg the black Cat’s ex-mum, and some extra virgin Olive Oil for Anne to use over the coming months in salad preparation...

As we approach Marseilles, the sun is breaking thru the early morning clouds...

Marseilles is a huge city with unsatisfactory signage and so we decide to drive on to Martigues, which is closer to the airport...

By now it’s very hot and sunny (25 degrees on 1 April)...


You need to click on and enlage this picture for proof of the temperature...

The town is in three parts including a small island in the middle and so has canals and bridges and boats a plenty....



We find somewhere to lunch by the canalside...



Then wander around the African carnival which is taking place and on down to the shore...



Back to the car and to the airport where we arrive around 2:30pm, 1.5 hours early and hand the car back paying the balance for the diesel we’ve used...

I have driven over 950km/600miles in the week – but it’s been most enjoyable...

A Coke and a beer as we watch the French blatantly ignore no smoking signs...



We check in early and go to the gate and sit and wait, both reading and me listening to the jukebox...



An uneventful flight home – the old guy sitting next to me is heading for Edinburgh to have his re-written will ok’d by his lawyer. He’s leaving his fortune to Animal Welfare....

I must stop being so nosey..

After landing we pick up our trusty black Seat Ibiza and, an hour and ten minutes later, we’re back at Crispycat Towers to a bundle of junk mail but with loads of happy memories...




Highlight of the Day : It’s good to be home but it was a great holiday...