France 2015

A year ago, though my mom was ill, she seemed to be responding positively to her treatment, so I decided to attend Angoulême Festival. Given her condition, I was to keep my trip to a week with just a few days in Paris after the show.

Her health took a turn late November, and she passed away Christmas Day. I thought it would be good to get away from my routine a bit, so I proceeded with the trip.

It started off on a stressful note: to dodge the first of a dozen blizzards to hit Boston, I had to fly a day early. But, boo hoo, an extra day in Paris didn't kill me. 

I met up with Xavier and Alexander at our usual meeting spot near Gare Montparnasse, and enjoyed a lovely lunch before boarding the train.

Xavier was speaking English only for my benefit and Alexander's (who is from Slovakia), so it was slightly amusing when his countryman explained to him in English that he needed access to his luggage. 

We saw this guy (easy to spot) throughout the weekend, and on the return trip.