Brig continues… I slept well for plane travel… I awoke with a question “did you order the special breakfast?” (In a French accent). I did of course (low salt meal), but I responded ”
Did I?” I was still asleep. I’m not used to having chicken in the morning… But this was what I got… Along with bread.

I got to conversing with my steward on the plane, Matthew. He is an artist,too… A collage / painter… And he showed me some of his work on his phone. Having brought along a book of Squid Row, I gave him a copy… he seemed to like it… He did a sweet little cartoon on a box of Godiva chocolate wishing me good travels. It was a nice way to start the trip.

Customs was a massive line of weary travelers. Apparently, the police de frontiers were striking… And so there were few border police available to check passports. Harold hardly looks suspicious… And got in fine… Even without a passport… I guess stuffties are pretty harmless.

Train travel followed our luggage retrieval… But not before a cup of cafe and pastries (we’re in France after all!). Judy got a beignet chocolat and I sampled. Then it was onto a fast tren a Le Mans with a layover long enough for dinner and then onto Nantes.

The tren was comfortable and clean, and full. I really like train travel… Fast, expedient and I can sit and draw or watch the landscape. There were fields of wheat, lots of cows and modern windmills (les moulins). In Le Mans, we ate at a place called Cafe Parisien… A bar right across from the station. I had a salade Nicoise and Pelligrino. Judy & Nelson shared a carafe de vin rouge, Cote du Rhone… To toast our travels. Harold only sipped at the wine… He wanted to make sure he stayed sober for the rest of our train ride.

We arrived in Nantes… At about 8:15. Our vacation rental person failed to meet us at the apartment and we could not contact her… I noticed on our taxi ride that we passed a Hotel Mercure … We will be staying at one in I believe La Rochelle,… So we checked ourselves in there. It was comfy and right near our rental, so when we did finally get in contact, J&N were able to meet and get keys etc.