Arrived in Figeac!!!

Bonjour; mon amis!!!   Hello my friends!!

i have arrived in Figeac minus my suitcase which is somewhere between here and NYC. oh well.

I am using a French computer and the keys are all in different places. Excuse the typos. All those years learning to touch type go to waste as soon as you enter a foreign country!

Ok here is the latest :

On the skywalk to get on the plane to Toulouse, i met a woman who makes cheese.... in CRAFTSBURY VERMONT!! how crazy is that!  The flight was fine but my luggage did not arrive. i am hopeful that there is no huge problem because abuot twenty others were told the same. Oh well.

About ten years ago i traveled to Mexico and they lost my luggage - i learned then that you always should pack a change of clothes, spare socks and underwear, a toothbrush and medications in carryon luggage (which i did!!) so while i have no blue lake uniforms, i do have two sets of clothes. my biggest disappointment is that my bathing suit is in my suitcase and its supposed to hit 100 today - my host has a lovely pool i cannot use!!

my rental car is a fancy Mercedes (oohlala) and i drove to Figeac with little trouble.  people drive very fast here and i am a slow poke. The road signs are all in French and i cant always tell what the speed limit is.

when i got to figeac, i did nt know where to go.  i have only ever walked in this town. through some lucky guessing and finding of a poster, i discovered that the blue lake jazz band was in town and performing  - i knew how to get to the performance space and met my hosts there.

Today i relax in the French countryside! we have a big lunch planned and then a reception dinner for the jazz band tonight. Tomorrow the Southern Winds will arrive and the real fun begins! another thing about lost luggage - my clarinet reeds were in there... now i have a clarinet; but cant play it!!!