My Lucky Day!

I was up early to finalise all our paperwork for the tax submission due this week in Spain. It took hours yesterday to get everything together and it was good to go to our assessor and confirm that nothing more was needed. So I was free to pursue my other plan...but how?

Dd has been sorely missing her favourite ring which I bought for her in Nice nearly five years ago, and which she lost in Cairo recently. I worked out that given my work and travel schedule before I return to Cairo, the only window of opportunity was these coming 24 hours. So off I went to Sants Railway Station, around the block, to hire a car, as our 23 year old Saab is really not ideal for the five hour motorway drive to Nice. Avis had nothing. Europecar neither. And so it went on round all the desks. Here's the bit that will get me into trouble when you-know-who reads this....I logged onto Vueling and booked onto a flight leaving just over two hours later.

It was my first flight with them, but I have helped train many of their pilots in cockpit communication skills so that gave me added confidence, and they didn't let me down! I arrived safely; grabbed a taxi to the hotel driving along the Promenade de Anglais in 33C temperatures with the glittering Med, never bluer, alongside; checked in quickly; and decided it would be best to try and re-find the tiny shop where I had bought the ring to save time in the morning.

The enormity of the task soon struck me. I thought it was in the old town but wasn't sure, and everything seemed much bigger than I remembered. I went along the promenade to the place we had last stayed in and just had to follow my nose stopping and staring and wondering and recognising this place and that...a bit like the minotaur but with no thread to guide me.

There were a couple of moments when pure senses or instincts kicked in. I found a restaurant we had dined in, I crossed a square with a very old bar where we had sat. I was drawn, somehow, into a winding back street and then let myself turn right and then left. A small shop front presented itself...that looks familiar...could it be?

The door was open but the place empty and bare apart from some dusty counters and four people engaged in some business. There were packed bags and shopping trolleys standing ready for the off.

A lady nodded to me, giving me permission to speak. My French lasted two sentences. 'You can speak in English, if you prefer', said the dark haired lady.
'Did this used to be a jewellery shop'
'Yes, but I've just sold it an hour ago...this is our last day and we're leaving now.'
'Wait, please....' I told the story of the ring bought and lost and flying especially from Barcelona today to buy a replacement and returning tomorrow and...and..... 'Do you have any rings left?'

The lady was simply delightful, while her husband, I sensed, put a brave face on the interruption. 'Come in!', she smiled, 'What was it like?' I explained. 'I have one similar but not the same exactly...let me look!'

Nearly every bag was unpacked as the hand over of the property progressed, somehow, with mirrors being taken off the wall. 'It's here somewhere...Et voila!'

It fitted! My right pinkie is Dd's ring size and we all laughed. 'Parfait!'

'I'm a lucky man!', I grinned.
'And this is a lucky ring! You must tell your wife that when she puts it on for the first time, she must make a special wish!'

And she will...once she has forgiven me my unannounced adventure. And now I have a way to contact the designer in Paris should Dd wish a ring more exactly like the lost one.

Merci, Madame, pour tout!