Bonjour!

Creak here. Here, in an internet café that is. Yes, I'm still in a land far and away. It's been interesting living the life of an expatriate, very Hemingway. I will be on my way soon, back to my own shores, and I look forward to that golden moment. Still, my vacation has been nothing short of magical, and I'll tell all. First, I'll have to finish my baguette.

Delicious. Hard on the outside, soft and warm on the inside. Much like an arthritic dog I know... In this land, life is celebrated almost as much as a good bread. If anything can be said for the people living here, they know how to live. Everything is taken just a touch slower. Less sound bites, less jumble, less confusion. More time, more life. Perhaps it is true that a dog such as I is reviled for living in a different realm, but it is difficult to blame such an established culture. I'll explain more, but first, I'll need to finish this croissant.

The food here, as anywhere, is either loved or hated, but mostly loved. It is hard not to find a treat at any street corner or a world famous pastry shop at any section of the city, and nothing is zipped along through vats of grease and flash frying. Except for the few fast food joints, the local cuisine is always exquisite. Can a dog argue? Hardly. Time is plenty to relax with a good book and catch the evening breeze on the balcony, and maybe even head out later on for a little beverage to make anyone forget their world weary joints. More on that, just as soon as I finish this chocolat.

Indeed, traveling and relaxation can help bring out the finer things in life, and expose one to all sorts of new wonders. But, as Homer's Odysseus so proclaimed, "there is no sweeter sight to a man's eyes than his doghouse." Something to that effect, anyway. With this final slice of Camembert, I must be off. Not only have I gotten the keyboard covered in food, but I must catch a flight home. Until I get back to my own machine, au revoir.