Dieppe is always an amazing event. Spread along a grassy promenade between the historic city and the English Channel, it draws 500 fliers from over 30 nations. Where else can you share ideas and bond with kiters from places like Cambodia, the Ukraine, New Zealand, Lebanon and Neotsu. It is an international kite banquet and the feast continues even when there is no wind and rainy skies.

I had intended the 'banquet' reference as a euphemism, but the truth is that there is always plenty to eat in France. Each delegation has their own tent and they compete to out-do each other in daily hospitality. By the second day, we had shifted to the larger wine bottles to reduce the number of runs to the store.

The festival is held over a ten day period every-other year. Susie and I were only scheduled for three days before connecting down to Marseilles. But during breaks in the showers, we saw some amazing kites. Throughout the "kite village", displays were available out of the rain. Children from local schools swarmed the area on Monday seeking autographs from each country. The tents also provided a base for each group and a social exchange point. And at the end of the day, they could be filled with damp ripstop with the hope kites would dry a bit overnight.

Here's something interesting from Peter. It is a super-size octopus -- twice the normal dimension or about 150 feet long. What a monster! I'm trying to make arrangements to get control of the bag and bring it home to the States. Susie and I bid Dieppe adieu far too quickly. On Monday afternoon we grabbed a taxi to the train station and started the journey south to the sun. We were soaking wet so the first hour on the train was no fun! We're on the Mediterranean now. Check next week for more news. Bon Jour!!

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