This morning we got up early with Fernando and walked with him over to the terminal at the Girona airport. He checked in and everything and then we said goodbye to him before he had to go up to security. It was sad to see him go after having spent the last month with him traveling around Spain. We had a great time with him and will treasure those memories forever.
So, we went back to our hotel room and tried to rest some more but didn't go back to sleep or anything. We got up at 8, packed up everything and then got in the car and drove it to the parking lot at the airport for rental cars. Then we had to cart all our luggage over to where we were going to try to catch a bus to France. Not that easy with all the luggage we have (and none of it is light). So, we had about an hour to wait for the bus and we weren't feeling very confident that we were going to get on that bus because there were a LOT of people waiting and we were sure they all had tickets. We had tried to buy tickets for the bus online the day before but didn't have any success so all we could do was hope we could buy them on the bus today.
I left to go to the bathroom when there was about 30 mins until the bus was going to leave and when I got back, all the people were gone and all that was left was Guillermo sitting on a bench with our luggage and two other girls. I was shocked and thought that was it, that Guillermo hadn't been able to buy tickets or that since I had been gone, Guillermo hadn't been able to get all our luggage in place on the bus by himself so we lost out. But no, it turned out that all those people were waiting for a different bus. So, bottom line is, we were able to get on the bus.
As the bus drove north from Girona through Spain, we saw the devastation left behind from the fires we had heard about several weeks ago. It was a MASSIVE area that burned. The highways must have been totally shut down because even the vegetation in the median was burned black.
When we saw the sign that we were arriving in France, that signaled the end to the long and enjoyable stay we had had in Spain. It was hard to believe and now we are feeling like the party is really coming to an end.
We were shocked when we got to Perpignan and the bus pulls up to a curb in the street, stops there and we all have to get off there in the street. Usually buses pull up into a slot off of the street. Not this time and I had to stand with some of our luggage on the sidewalk and helplessly watch while Guillermo struggled with the two big suitcases by himself in the middle of the street with cars passing by because of course the luggage compartment of the bus faced the street side. It was crazy. No taxis on the side of the street we were dropped off on either so we carted all our stuff across the street where the taxi drivers didn't seem to care if they got business or not.
So, we went in the taxi the short distance to our hotel and now we're in Perpignan, France and well, it's not much of a city from what we have seen. Maybe we missed the better sections or something but we'll never know because tomorrow we move on.
We miss, ALREADY, the good choices for food in Spain. At least in the area of Perpignan we are staying there isn't much of a choice. It's either kebab places or very expensive restaurants. So, for lunch, we tried a fast-food Indian restaurant which we wish we had passed up (although the food was good) and for dinner we just went to a nearby Subway. (We can hear Fernando groaning from here...) ;-)
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