As you've figured out by now, we had a trip which was a dream come true.
The last day or so was a little rough . . .
The day before leaving, we went downstairs and had a nice breakfast at The Pullman and decided to make an early start on packing up to leave at 4:30 AM the following morning.
4:30 AM!
Ugh
After doing a little packing, and feeling like I had the sniffles, and considering it was raining, I decided it was time for a nap.
Donald decided to join me.
We ended up just spending the day in. It just made sense. We had been on the go for 10 days and we were tired puppies. This was not our first visit to Paris, and honestly, it won't be our last.
Rest and Recuperation were the magic words of the day.
Donald did go out for dinner and had some onion soup, but I think I slept through that.
The Viking shuttle guy picked us up at 4:40 AM and got us to the airport, where a second Viking escort got us checked in and delivered to security.
Let me say here that we met people on our Viking Cruise who could not say enough about how much they love Viking. It wasn't unusual to meet people who were on their 9th, 10th, 11th cruise. Their attention to detail is unsurpassed, the staff and crew unfailingly delightful. They deserve the reputation they have, and we're looking forward to our next Viking adventure. It is, in fact, booked. Alaska in 2025 and four people from this cruise are booked on the same cruise so we can travel together again.
We have joined the hoards of loyal Viking fans.
So -
Successfully checked in and on our flight we flew from CDG to Atlanta to Charlotte. Can they make an airplane any smaller and uncomfortable for those of us who can't afford First Class?
A mishap in Atlanta when I took a tumble on the escalator and took Donald with me.
A mishap in Charlotte when we were unable to find our car, but once we did were unable to find our parking ticket.
About an hour later, after several phone calls and no one showing up to help, we convinced a lady who was leaving to allow us to follow her out using her ticket.
Two and a half hours later - home sweet home.
Two minutes later - Zzzzzzzzzzz.
But -
This is all about my hat - my poor lost hat.
This is a picture of the last known sighting of my much loved hat.
An old Peter Grimm hat that was with me for several years.
It was lost somewhere between Paris and Meat Camp.
Please don't bother offering well-intentioned suggestions about finding it. It's gone. Believe me, it's moved on to a new life. And no longer available through Peter Grimm.
But I'm sad.
If you happen to see a hat like it in a thrift shop, yard sale, antique mall, please let me know so I can try to buy a replacement.
It has a low slightly tilted crown, and a wide angled brim.
And it has a small silvertone Peter Grimm rabbit logo at the base of the crown, along with a small silvertone leaf.
I love this hat.
