After three weeks in Salzburg, it was at last time to move on.  We had worked out an amended remaining itinerary, and the 10th had us driving the rental car back to Zurich (though it would have been cheaper to BUY the car at this point), spending the night at a Zurich airport hotel, then flying to Paris the morning of Saturday the 11th.  It was tough to say goodbye to my sisters, brother-in-law, and dad (they would fly home from Salzburg on Sunday), but harder still to stuff the now-too-small car with all our JUNK!  But somehow we got it crammed in, and they sweetly saw us off.   Here’s what I wrote on the day they flew home:  “As I sit here in Paris updating our drastically outdated travel blog, I am struck deeply again by the sweet, loving, selfless way my family took care of me during my “Salzburg Incident”. And specifically, as they finally fly home today, Ican’t say enough about the depth-less love of Laurie Beth McPike, Jon McPike, Annette Stumbo Tate, and John Stumbo. At a moment’s notice, they dropped everything and flew to Salzburg to be at my side, before, during, and after the surgery. They were PRESENT for me, played with my kids, loved on my wife, attended to concerns with doctors and nurses…. They did what families DO. And try as I might, I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to repay the debt. The debt which, of course, doesn’t really exist.”  Love them all!

The drive back to Zurich involved a lot of sitting, unfortunately, which I wasn’t supposed to do.  But we fought through it, making a quick stop once again at the greatest rest stop in the world.  And those finicky Swiss struck again!  When we attempted to return the car at Avis in the Zurich airport, the attendant announced that the inside of our car was “too dirty”, and we would need to clean it up.  The inside of our RENTAL CAR was TOO DIRTY, and WE needed to clean it up!  What could be more AMERICAN than capitalizing on the privilege of trashing a rental car?  But not in SWITZERLAND, no, no, no.  We pulled into the Zurich Airport Hyatt that night exhausted and needing rest to gear up for PARIS.

One last look out our balcony, with the church bells ringing.

Final Salzburg breakfast!

Georgia managed to fit in a final pedicure at the Aunt Laurie Salon that morning!