Our bags are packed. We're ready to go...

we're leaving on a jet plane at 1pm on Monday: Portland, Amsterdam, Nice. Only have an hour between flights in Amsterdam. Can't say I'd be too upset if that didn't workout forcing a 24 hr layover. We arrive in Nice around 2pm. Rent a car and get the hell out of Nice. For now. Plan to drive out of town a ways and stay in whatever smaller town we land in before dark. La Garde Freinet is only about 1 1/2 hours from Nice but I really don't want to get there in the dark and try to a) find the town, b) find the house, c) figure out how to turn water and power on, d) figure out how to get in the house, e) find toilet paper! 

Originally we wanted to go with one large duffle bag and our carry-on but we now have one large duffle bag, a smaller soft bag (these are mine) and a large rolling bag (Sarah's) to check. Could get everything of mine into the duffle but then it goes over the 50lb limit. Big is not always better!! We also have to take into consideration smaller travel bags for when we hope to catch a train for local exploration. 

Maps show where we will be holed up. La Garde Freinet nestled in the mountains is about 20 min. from St. Tropez. Our home, once isolated and private, is now, as evidenced by Google satellite, surrounded by large homes (villas?) with pools of blue rectangles. I have read that this area has become a bit of a bedroom community for folks of means from the coast area.

We actually have all our ducks in a row. Can you believe it? Of course we haven't done anything other than herd those ducks for the past 3 days. Three trips to REI, two to the bank, research into why my computer seems to be getting hot (probably a fan out but no time to get it fixed prior to trip so will limp along and hope), call from travel agent yesterday to inform us that NW Air has canceled our return flight so we had to reschedule. I chose a later departure from France (the 16th) rather than a 5 hr layover in Minneapolis! 

Octoberfest in Munich. Hum?