C'est La Vie

Now we talk life, living, La Vie.

I have been to France many times before. The history tours, the surf tours, the business tours, the family tours. All of them good, and learning experiences to cherish. This was my first solo tour. Not until you travel solo to a foreign place (not just language wise) do you have the time and perspective to absorb whats happening.

August is vacation month. Holiday month. Period. Its chill time. This is not a negotiable item in France, and in the business world if you have something to do in France in August, then park it till September. It can and will wait.

Now you have my attention. 

Life first, let the rest wait.. Upon arrival at my hotel, check-in lady advises me that the hotel will be ready at 3pm, maybe 4, best to come back at 5... I'm cool with that. A group of fidgety American outdoor adventure type travelers are anxious. Apparently they have a schedule. They will learn, or not...

I smile, give a thumbs up, and drop my bag. Around the corner is the main drag, cafe culture at its best. Charcuterie, Patisseries, Boulangeries,  to the left and right, all pros at what they do - meat, desserts, etc. Multi stop shopping. No SUV parking slots out front.  Yellow umbrellas reflected sun from the glaciers of Mt Blanc. It was Livingston Montana, with a cultured twist. Not a smartphone in sight... Lots of bread though, and cheese, wine, coffee, and cigarettes... No one sweating the caveman diet here. I was starting to love the nonconformity of this scene.

There was one local multi purpose market, with only 3 types of toothpaste, one liter bottles of glacier water, but 50 types of cheese and an aisle of smoked fish, meat, and fruit. I carried the food out in my backpack, like everyone else, because they didn't supply plastic bags.....

C'est La Vie....