I’ve had a bad cough plus congestion for a month! I’m VERY tired of coughing and blowing my nose. This has slightly coloured my usual excitement at arriving back in Begur. Hopefully, at some point soon, I will recover!! And on the pro´s and con´s list of USA vs Europe, Europe is winning in cough syrup. It tastes good!!
I always fly out of Paris non-stop to Houston every summer, and I leave my Peugeot 505 with a friend in France, so my return trip to Begur in September involves picking up my car and driving through France with the dogs, and sometimes my dog mule. I like to pick a different route each time. France never disappoints. This year included visits to Saumur (below below), Chambord (1), Rocamadour (3), La Roque Gageac (4), Saint Cirq Lapopie (5), and a repeat visit to Carcassonne because the snails (2) were soooo good last time!
The Mushroom Museum in Saumur which was billed as the largest in Europe, was a disappointment. I love to see colourful. mushrooms of all sizes, shapes, and textures. The ones below were interesting to see, but not as spectacular or numerous as I was expecting! The Mushroom Festival celebrating the mushrooms of Catalunya that I attended last year in a very small town near me, was far superior. Hope I can make it back there for it again this year.
I’m moved back in and I was excited to try the new air conditioner, but lo and behold, the weather has been just about perfect and there is no need. Too bad, right?
A bizarre thing happened to me. It’s one of the scariest and most frustrating aspects of old age – I can’t remember shit! A few years ago, I ordered a Revlon hairdryer that Is a brush dryer. I really like it and I ordered a second one in Spain that has the correct voltage and a European plug. I usually leave my Spanish hairdryer in Begur when I fly to the States because I have the other one with US voltage and an American plug in Galveston. This past summer I decided to bring my Spanish one with me when I left Spain because I was going to be spending time with my daughter and her family in St. Jean-de-Luz, France, and I wanted to look nice. When unpacking everything recently in Begur, I discovered that I had two hair dryers in my luggage – one European hairdryer and one American – both black and pink. The one I have and keep in Galveston is black and turquoise. Cue eerie music!!
How did I end up with three hairdryers? I know this isn’t a major international incident, but WTF? If I have stolen your hairdryer…if it is missing…please let me know!! Above is a photo of the “Extra” hairdryer.
Happy to be home!
Susie's Senior Year Abroad 
Amazing writing! And so much fun to read! Feel better xo
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Thanks,Susan. That is high praise coming from you. We have a much-overdue call!! I will be in touch next week (after a trip to London) or you call me then!!!
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Hysterical….let me know if you figure out the 3rd hairdryer, and I hope you get rid of your cough soon!!
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I’ve been on zyrtec aka certrizine since feb and will probably be on it until nov when our usual allergy season ends. so i feel your pain. and knock wood, i’ve been free of all the congestion that others around me have experienced this year. but love your mushroom story as we have some guys who are growing a lot of food locally including mushrooms. so if you ever make it back here, you have some options. otherwise, can’t help you with the hairdryer. and hope you got good medical checkups while home.
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Well you look good even if you’re not feeling the best. Hope that cough etc goes away soon soon soon. Susan had a hairdryer like that I think. 🤔
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Cough is finally better but not gone yet! Yes, Susan has one of the same kind of hair dryers but hers has a European plug and the extra one I have is American. She did say she had another one at Sonya’s house, but she was going to check on it. I need to ask her, though I’m not sure how that mixup would have occurred! Not impossible, I suppose…
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