And then the wedding was over and we were leaving

Posted on August 27, 2014 by sumi

Time to head onwards to London! The morning of, we bid everyone goodbye, and Pokin promptly forgot half her suitcase worth of stuff behind. We failed at finding a gas station but succeeded in getting on a train from Avignon to Paris en route to London. Not that we actually made it to London though. Unfortunately our flights were cancelled for missing the original outbound and we were met with an error message when we tried to check in to our Air France flight.

One unfortunately drawback of the villa was that it was without internet, so Pokin and Nicholas were unable to find alternate arrangements before this moment.

So it was that we found ourselves in Paris at 5pm trying to find a way to London. The two cities look so close on the map! You figure that would be easy!

Well unfortunately flights were now $500+ a person. At least there’s the train!

Somehow nobody told the trains that they were actually an inferior method of travel and thus ought to be priced more affordably. Because it turns out tickets for travel by train the day of were also about $500 a person. Well at least we could take the bus!

We looked up information about the bus and found out there was a station about a 20 minute walk away. So we hauled suitcases towards the bus station only to find out that it would be a 9-hour bus ride. Oh and also they were sold out for that day.

Well great.

Lucky for us there was still a midnight bus available. So we had the pleasure of paying more and sitting in Paris until midnight to catch this bus.

But a midnight bus meant we missed our check in time for the London hotel. I see a trend.

The Wedding

Posted on August 26, 2014 by sumi

Wedding day started out raining. I looked out the window and I decided I was going back to bed. Evidently Eric thought the same thing. So the groom and the bear slept in till noon while the bridesmaids lounged around and had croissants.

The weather got better around the time I decided to get up, what smart planning! So I put on my outfit and watched the brides get ready.

Then I handed myself and the camera to Cousin Anthony. During the actual wedding I made it a point to photo-bomb every appearance of everyone.

It was great. I even took the time to use the photo booth with my bud.

sumi_poonwedding-1

As far as I was concerned it was a great event. I think the bride and groom thought so too. So on that note, Congrats to Eric and PoOn!

I AM a dapper bear

Posted on August 26, 2014 by sumi

I was a little mad that Nicholas forgot about me at the last weddings we were at, so I made sure that didn’t happen this time.

First I had him make me an outfit. This dapper bear has to look his part after all.

Then I took the flower boy’s bow tie. He needed it less than I did. And I can rock a bow tie better than any flower boy can.

Ready to party!

My Villa

Posted on August 23, 2014 by sumi

We’ve made it to Uzes for PoOn and Eric’s wedding!

Originally we were supposed to stay at some dour tiny old apartment called Las Mas Des Oliviers in Uzes this week but I wasn’t having any of that. ESPECIALLY not after I saw the sweet place PoOn and Eric were staying. THAT’S where I’m supposed to be. Not some bunk bed of a tiny place. This bear deserves better.

So I didn’t say a thing when the group was running behind, and I didn’t point out that it was getting late. Pokin mentioned that the hotel had an early check-in cut of time of 7:00pm and I knew we were getting close to that time. With a bit of extra luck getting lost trying to find the apartment and a few other delays later, we were officially without a place to stay. And then we found out that Las Mas was going to be closed from Saturday until Tuesday. Well I guess we’re homeless.

A shame.

No choice but for PoOn, Eric and Mrs Mackinnon to put us up in their my villa!

Now this is my kind of place. Five bedrooms, infinity pool, plenty of chairs to lounge in, tall stone walls, fruit orchards, a cistern, a dungeon, a servant’s quarters and all overlooking vineyards! I made full use of it while everyone else scrambled to make wedding preparations. It was great. I didn’t even get upset when it threatened to rain. I just sat back and chillaxed while people freaked out about rehearsals, speeches and all of that silly stuff. All I needed to do was look great after all and that comes naturally for this bear.

This is my new back yard, relaxing on a patio above my infinity pool.

Here are my rose gardens and grapes, you can see my wall in the distance where I will eventually position sentries to guard the gate.

My gardener is doing a good job keeping the lawn green, my kind of color.

Relaxing in a chair.

Relaxing in another chair.

Relaxing in yet another chair.

I’m definitely getting used to this.

Oh look, my bear bud even set me up a private alcove for relaxing and looking great. I think he mentioned something about wedding decorations, but I wasn’t listening.

I even tamed this vicious beast we found inside the villa.

A week of villa staying here has reminded me that I need to get a new more permanent bear-villa asap. Get to it, Nicholas!

p.s. Pokin was a bit upset that she ended up being charged the whole stay at Las Mas des Oliviers but I still stand behind being glad we stayed at my villa instead. Also I am sorry that Odette getting her purse and all her keys stolen and the ensuing delay proved instrumental to me getting to stay at my awesome villa.

From Paris to Uzes

Posted on August 23, 2014 by sumi

Saturday morning, time to head to Gare de Lyon.

Overpack much?

A couple years ago, I was on a train in France and my bear bud was a jerk. He stuck me in the back seat mesh.

This time PoOn thoughtfully booked me a seat. My very own bought and paid for seat!

I was feeling pretty good about it all until Eric came and sat on me.

THAT, wasn’t really a great feeling. Being sat on, that is.

But they made it up to me by bribing me with cookies. Then I got to sit on Eric’s lap. I’m not happy about being sat on but I’ll overlook it for getting my own proper seat this time.

uzes train-1

Uzes life

Posted on August 21, 2012 by sumi

After my near brush with death, I found myself in a country home in Uzes.

Since I couldn’t get wifi in my room for gaming, I was forced instead to climb bushes, drink hot chocolate and sit by the pool. I guess that’s not such a hard life.

In an olive bush:

Sipping hot chocolate:

Sipping hot chocolate

Chill-laxing by the pool:

Hanging out by the pool

Highway of near death

Posted on August 20, 2012 by sumi

sumiinfrance This one time Nicholas almost tried to kill me.

There I was, with my best bear bud and a car full of other humans driving from Thonon to Uzes across the country of France.

I was being a responsible bear and I buckled in. But there we were, in the middle of nowhere at 3:00am in the morning when the car blew out a tire.

I just tried to pretend like it didn’t happen and tried to go back to sleep but you must understand a bumpy road with a blown tire is very uncomfortable for a small bear like me.

If it had happened when we were still actually on the highway like we were the previous 5 hours of the journey I wouldn’t be writing this post but thankfully we had just gotten off the highway and so it just meant we ruined the car driving metal on gravel the rest of the way to our destination.

So instead I get to write about the time Nicholas almost killed me.

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