Friends and France

A knock at the door, a squeal, a slam and hugging in the hallway. Sharon and Autumn – Emily’s, and now our – friends arrived in Hania. They’re staying in a sea view room downstairs in our hotel. And the fun has begun. Our first “visitors” from home.

The walking around town, talking, sharing travel stories, catching up, eating, drinking, laughing – it’s all as it should be. Friends – especially good travelers – make a journey all the better.

Only hours before their arrival, as Emily asked me for the third time if I thought her new dress fit her right around her boobs, I was desperate for her to find someone else to ask. She said, correctly – you’re the only one I have to ask! Even though we have so much fun together and have done so well on this trip, we can come to share and rely on one another a little too much.

Autumn quickly handled the cleavage quandary and everything got a little nicer – in that same way that the hotel maid makes the bed better than we do.

Sharon and Autumn happened to have taken their big summer trip/honeymoon to Italy/ Emily successfully talked them into flying over to meet us in Crete and it seems to be working out for everyone. They are a fun, easy couple who have a great attitude toward travel.

And this marks the beginning of a time of friends. In Israel we will stay with my good friend, Ziv in Tel Aviv and plan to see Emily’s long-time family friend Elisa. It even turns out another friend of ours, Shelly, is in Israel through October. We have no shortage of good people in our next few weeks.

For people who are as social as we are and who make our weekends and many weekday evening about seeing friends and family – this makes where we are feel more like home.

Plus, who wouldn’t enjoy a three hour boat tour of the Hania coastline complete with three dive-off-the-boat swim stops more with friends?

And at the very moment Sharon and Autumn arrived at our door, I was completing my arrangements to visit an old, favorite friend – France. While Emily goes home for our nieces’ birthday celebration in early October, the blog, the iPad and I will be heading to either Cannes or St. Tropez. Emily and I both take off from Istanbul the morning of October 1st and meet back at the same airport the evening of October 15th.

So, while I’ll be sad about missing one of the over-the-top kid birthday parties that only my sister-in-law Molly can throw, I’ll at least have the kind of fabulousness that only France can produce. If I have to be all by myself in the Mediterranean, I can at least make the best of it…..

It’s a good life and there’s no doubt we’re blessed. And grateful.

Sent from my iPad