France, Day 11- The Fall or "How I broke my tooth in France.

Day 11, Thursday.
The Fall.
I don’t like to let one negative experience ruin a whole day. It just seems like admitting defeat to circumstances to do so. However, today was craptastic. Only one thing really but that one thing was a real doosey. The day started fine, we got ready, had a fun breakfast with our hosts and then took off with Leroy to see more of the town, stop by their church, check out an arts festival and group, and visit the open air market. There was more planned for the day, that was just for starters. Fun, right? Right, or it should have been but I had to go and fall flat on my face in the middle of the street after getting off the bus which kind of, sort of, really ruined it all. Ugh. This is my second fall this trip, excuse me but WTH? Though graceful would never apply to me I’m not usually THIS clumsy, good grief. I feel a little bit better knowing Jeremy tripped in the same spot just seconds before me but I didn’t see that and he didn’t get to warn me before he found me making out with the pavement. Oh yes, I’m the American that can’t seem to stay on her feet. The thing is, the streets and sidewalks of France are paved with obstacles. I’m not making excuses, but between the doggie landmines and the random old door step, extra curb, uneven pavements it is amazing that anyone manages to walk without incident. Maybe they are just better at hiding it than I am. Or it comes with being French, you instinctively know how to navigate the treacherous terrain without smelling like shit or injuring yourself. I do not have this skill. And so it is that I found myself surprised by a very small curb in the middle of the road (or so it seemed to me) and trying to take a bite out of the street. Only it took a bite out of me breaking one of my front teeth (I felt part of it shatter when I hit), cracking the one next to it and possibly the one next to that and shearing off the enamel of all three. Oddly enough, even though I felt my face hit, the only other visible signs that I have on my face is the fat upper lip and the torn up and bruised lower lip, both of which aren’t that bad. All the bones and muscles on the right side of my face hurt but I have no swelling or bruising as of yet. There were some very nice people that helped us and after sitting for a bit somewhere I told Leroy and Jeremy I could handle the market. I did too, I handled it just fine. Pretty much in a daze and I’m pretty sure I didn’t really experience the whole thing since I kind of just followed along, adhered to Jeremy for fear of another mishap that would render me toothless or black and blue. Any other time I would have wanted to pick up some neat and unusual things particularly since this market was very middle eastern in nature (I could have bought all the women in my life a Muslim head covering in a wide variety of colors and fabrics) and had just the most unusual conglomeration of items in one general location. But having just smashed face-first into cold blacktop I didn’t really appreciate the event. This just means I’ll have to go back someday. Marking it on the calendar now. We skipped our other planned events and went home for lunch and to let me rest before the dentist appointment Debbie had managed to secure for me that afternoon.