In France, French poodles are not called French nor poodles!

We have been telling people Niko is half "poodle" pronouncing "poodle" with a French accent. This revelation was always met with blank stares and puzzled looks. We found out why. The French poodles are called "caniche." Who knew! This pearl of wisdom was imparted to us by a veterinarian we met when we took Niko in for his allergies.

Last week Niko's allergies got out of control and he was scratching and biting his skin to the point of drawing blood. Aside from the fact that he was very uncomfortable, we feared his lesions would keep him from entering back into the United States. We were a bit concerned to say the least.

We met a lady in one of the local parks (parc Jordan) who Natasha and I named: "the crazy dog lady." She would not tell us her name or much about herself but spoke to us in rapid French so we always sought her out to practice our French. She is very eccentric and dresses with colorful ethnic jewelry and clothing. She appears not to like many people in Aix but she adores dogs. She has two dogs, who get along well with Niko and we have, on several occasions, met up with her and her dogs.

A few weeks back, when she found out we were planning to take Niko to a vet we found walking around Aix, she was horrified and gave me a card from another vet. From that day on, she asked every time if we have gone to visit the vet. We already had an appointment for his travel certificate with our vet and felt it would be easier not to change vets.

When the crisis with Niko's skin happened, I decided I would give "crazy dog lady's" vet a try. Fortunately, I still had the card and we were able to find the vet with no problem. A very gentle, middle aged vet greeted us and in no time he was examining Niko. His place was very basic with older office equipment and no receptionist. Our other vet's office was modern, sleek and had a polished receptionist. It was also considerably more expensive and we never, in the 3 or 4 times we have been there, actually saw the vet.

The new vet told us, "the crazy dog lady" had mentioned us to him. The vet spoke Spanish and told us he was married to a Salvadoran lady. He also told us, that a few years back he got rid of his expensive practice and downsized his expenses in order to have more time and contact with his clients. We saw this in action. While we were there, two clients came in and interrupted him with questions about their animals and the vet cheerfully addressed their concerns without charging them a cent. He took care of Niko's problem and the bill was very reasonable. The "crazy dog lady" is not that crazy after all.

Today is Saturday and all the street markets are open. We had breakfast in one of the many outdoor restaurants and we walked around town, mingling with the hoards of tourists from all over the world. I have been doing a little souvenir shopping. I am trying to see everything with fresh eyes and not to allow my experiences to be blurred by the dulling effect of familiarity. The weather is fantastic and I am enjoying my last week in Aix. Life is good in Aix en Provence!