South of France (Day 1)

We tearfully said good-bye to Paris as we drove via taxi to the train station to make our way to Aix En Provence.  Getting 5 people and 13 pieces of luggage (that includes backpacks) onto the train was a huge pain.  We made it off the train with 5 people but only 12 pieces of luggage (I guess that is better than 4 people and 13 pieces of luggage).   Because of a mishap with another passenger's bag and the rush of getting all 31 of us off the train, we lost a suitcase.  We've tried for four days to find it.  It has been remarkably hard to get a live person on the phone or even find the right phone numbers.  I've tried my best to be zen about it and remember that is only stuff.  I should say, for anyone expecting a souvenir, we got you one but it was in our lost luggage.  That sounds like a cop-out but it is the unfortunate truth.

On to happier events.  The area around Aix En Provence reminds me of California.  It is a little hilly and a little desert-y.  We did some sight seeing around the town on our first day and got settled in our hotel room.

The view out of our hotel room window.

Our room was a suite with separate bedrooms
and a kitchen which was great.

Cathedral Saint-Sauveur d'Aix

Baptismal font.

Someone was practicing the organ while we
were there.  The pipes are on the right and left.

Aix is full of small streets that you may think
are walkways until a car drives (surprisingly)
fast down it.

The narrow streets led to a head injury for Luke.
He hit his head on a windowsill (while walking
backwards).