With Bob and Marc in Gainesville, GA: 2014

Guess what!  This is the last (but not least) post of our October annual trip to America, finishing it all up with the Tuesday-Friday weekdays we spent with Bob and Marc in Gainesville, GA, just 30 minutes north of daughter Amy's home.

It's a long story about why Bob moved his home from Mid-Atlanta to Lake Lanier a couple years ago.

Let's just leave it that there was flooding and mold in his old condo.  All kaput.

He had been so eager to show us his new place, so we finally got to see it (bottom right).

Our first evening we walked around the Cresswind complex and saw the clubhouse, the marina, etc.

I was so impressed I forgot to take pictures.  And Astrid?

It was the first time I ever heard her say, in America, "I could live here!"

(something I've stored away in the brain's hard drive)

It's a gated 55+ retirement community on AARP's top-10 list of affordable communities.

 We totally fell in love with Bob's split-bedroom plan.  Plus all the light.

(And I should mention that Astrid took all the above pics!)

We always take a box of Trader Joe's red wine wherever we go.  It's the best.

And with our Subway-sandwich spread that first evening, we settled right in.

The next day we shopped at the new Kroger Marketplace in Gainesville, a prototype 

of a supercenter one-stop shopping that combines groceries, clothing, pharmacy, gas, jewelry 

and sporting goods under one roof.
You should see Astrid at places like this...seriously!

 And from that shopping, we had the most delightful dinner prepared by both Bob and Marc.

Lucky, lucky Astrid and me!

Afterwards, Marc (light blue) taught us how to play Aggravation (aptly named, I might add).

We even had popcorn!

 Thanks to Bob for the above images.
How often do we get to see both of us together like this?!

Do we really kiss that often?  Yes, we do...still, after 5 years together.

 One day we took Bob and Marc to their favorite pizza place for lunch.

It so happens to be on the Gainesville square (city center in the South).
We NEVER have pizza, so this was a treat for us.

Again, from Bob (thank you) and still kissing, I see.
(It's quite hard for us to stay serious for long.)

Afterwards, we walked around the square (city center) to see the sights.

We loved the planet exhibition from one corner to the other.

And once again, Bob did his thing...a "new one" for us, to see us together like this.

(Thank you, Bob!)

During our time we met two different couples from the Cresswind community.

It made us realize how important communities are, like where we live here in the Netherlands.

Bob and I go back to the 1990s.  That's a long time.

And because Thanksgiving is soon approaching, how better to celebrate friendship than with PIE.

I'll eat to that...sealed with another kiss!

 Thank you, Bob and Marc!