Sadly, today was our last official 'hunting for rocks' kind of day. Though I'll be the first to admit that it isn't always such a fabulous job, and one that often involves me either covered in mud, getting stung by nettles, or 'sitting there and looking innocent' while Alex trespasses, I am going to miss it thoroughly. For one thing, the snacks over here are far superior to the snacks back in the states (See exhibit A: Bacon flavored bugles).
And aside from beautiful rocks, and beautiful castles, etc., etc., we also see some really weird stuff. Like THE baguette source. The point from which all baguettes start, and eventually make their way downstream into your local bakery.
(Don't worry, we still appreciate those beautiful castles. Though it's a bit ridiculous. They're everywhere!)
Rock collecting also got a LOT more interesting because I've started driving! That's right-a manual! In fact, I drove the ENTIRE time today. 1 hour out to the place we looked for the first kind of rock, another hour to another site, then all the way back.
By and large, I did quite a good job. The only major screw-up of the day was when I accidentally drove onto the barred raceway (GOING BACKWARD) for the car rally going on. Luckily I was following one of the officials who eventually got us off (1.3 miles later). There was also an accident, which meant all the racers were at a standstill. Lovely husband that he is, Alex decided he'd rather take a picture than help us out of the situation safely!
Above all, however, I will miss our ice-cream treats at the end of those long rock-hunting days.
