44th day (September 20, 2022)

With a heavy heart, we set off for the valley on the last morning. We cast longing glances at the mountain lakes and descended into a dense green forest filled with streams, mushrooms, and rock crevices. It didn't take long before we arrived in the small mountain village where Merle's mother Elfe was supposed to pick us up. Since we had some time, we sat down in a café and watched the villagers go about their daily business.

When Elfe arrived, we had another cold drink together and headed towards southern France. Since Merle and Paul don't have a driver's license, Elfe and I took turns driving, with her doing most of the driving. In the evening, we arrived at a surreal hotel on the Mediterranean Sea, the Hotel les Dunes. Everything felt like a 90s sitcom, the decor, the landscape, even the guests and staff. We sat down in the restaurant for a few drinks and later went for a night swim. At first, only I wanted to go into the water, but when I enthusiastically ran out and told them about the bioluminescence, Merle also jumped in. Like children, we played with the glowing algae, and once we had worn ourselves out, we went to bed.