Bribery

Yesterday's trip to Nimes went really well, surprisingly well considering there were several near-calamities.  The bus was late (nerve-wracking) but we got on free when it came and didn't miss the train (yay!).  One of the monuments was covered (waaah!) but the cheesy 3-D movie inside was the talk of the day (yay!).  It was hot and dirty but we had enough junk food to keep everyone quiet (really yay!).  There was a fire on the train track and many trains were delayed 3 hours but ours was only off by 30 minutes; we would miss our bus (the LAST bus) but Monsieur the Conducteur said he'd let us off at the stop in our town for no extra charge (merci, monsieur! yay!).

Where does the bribery come in, you ask?  Thursday had been so painful that I set up a system of black and gray "marks" doled out for poor behavior.  Three gray marks equal one black.  Five black marks and the delicious tarts at the Patisserie around the corner from our house would not be purchased.  What was the day's tally?  3 black and 1 gray.  Compared to the day before, that's miraculous.  Sadly, though, because of the train's delay, we arrived after the shop had closed.  I swore I would make up for it today. (I don't think my marking system was colored by the fact that I really want those pastries, too!)

Aside from that, Nimes is a lovely town and I'd gladly go back and explore some more.  The train (1 hour) was beautiful and clean with large windows and tables between seats so we could play cards (ace is a 1; jack= V; queen= D; king= R).

Today, a huge market.  I don't know if the marking system will work again today but I plan on keeping their mouths full of food so at least they stay quiet ;^)