23rd to 28th May. Week in Paris.

Had a week in Paris with Sue and Vince. Would you believe the first on the list was to visit the sewer. Yep, a tour of the sewer. All of Paris to visit and it's the sewer! Did it pong? Just a bit.

What did it pong like? Well Annette wasn't sure if it wasn't just her.

One of the bits of equipment.

Where did we go next. It's all a bit of a blur, and I'm sure it is out of order. To fill in time before a boat ride on the river we went to the museum nearby (yes I've forgotten it's name) where I got a couple of ideas for the cellar and Annette said this bloke could obviously smell the sewer tour on us.

Then off on the boat ride with a group of noisy kids at dusk. The bridges looked great lit up and the old lady herself was at her best.

Here is one of me checking out a video clip I sent felicity on the iPad.

Sue and Vince visited the catacombs. Looks like Sue has seen something reaching out to touch him on the shoulder. Not exactly looking pleased to be there anyway.

See what a few grey whiskers can do. Is that Graeme getting a hand from a young lady up the steps? You bet is wasn't, not with Annette around.

Just got to update my brick cleaning hammer and trowel. These looked pretty smart.

Visited the Louvre which we missed out on last time. I think we saw just about everything and the only thing we didn't manage to get a real good look at was the Mona Lisa herself due to the crowd. Here is a shot of Annette waiting outside.

Under parts of the building are the remains of a chateau that was discovered during works. You can walk right around old tower which was in the middle of the chateau. Incredible to find that there. Plenty to see and would take ages to have a really good look around. Crowds not too bad in most of the buildings.

They appear to be covering in large court yards and it looks great. Turn around and what is she doing? Looking outside, what else.

Now who said planking was new?

Just part of the old palace section. All a bit over the top. Metro at the bottom and shops everywhere. Found ourselves lost all the time, up stairs, down stairs, the place was just a rabbit warren of beautiful things.

22nd May Arrived in Paris

Had a sleep in and then off on the train to Paris. Didn't realise it when I organised the visit to Strasbourg that the train would go down to Paris and then across to Strasbourg. Means we will be travelling back on the same line and I was hoping to see a different bit of the country. Never mind, wouldn't have missed Strasbourg.
In Paris and back on the Paris metro. Lost as usually and after visiting a few extra stations and trains, arrived were we should have been. Not in my wildest dreams did I think that she (Annette) should have been called KAREN. That was yet to come.

Put it down to a practice run. Short walk to the apartment and found Alice, Annette's cousin, waiting for us in the street and Sue and Vince settled in the apartment. A nice late lunch at the Bastille and Alice was off to London. This is Alice. She didn't know it a the time but we ended up staying in her apartment in Lyon for a lot longer than we thought we would. Must have been all the ice cream in the freezer, nothing to do with having to sample all of her whisking which took ages.

Back to the apartment with dinner supplies and an early night. Plenty to do tomorrow. (Like the washing).

21st May Day in Strasbourg

Second day in Strasbourg. Nice healthy breakfast at the motel and as much as you wanted. Off to purchase a French sim card for our UK phone and a sim card for the iPad. That done had a walk around the old city and paid a visit to the cathedral. Lovely painted ceiling in side bit.

The old town centre is a lovely place and well worth a visit. Should have spent another day there. Found two street markets selling old wares which would have been priceless antiques in Australia. Hard to get Annette away. Walked up and down checking all the stalls? Could have spent more time just wandering around them but a little bit disheartening when you see so many things and you can't buy them.

Markets set up all over town. This was a typical one. Set up next to the river under shady plane trees.

Caught taking a picture of this girl, I mean stall.

Just one of the typical views from on of the many bridges in the old town section.

Took heaps of pictures but having trouble downloading them so when I figure it out I'll put a few on the end of each post. Off to Paris tomorrow. Really could have spend a lot more time here.

Yes, I know it's side on but I can't get it to download any better. Annette said that Her boss might be interested in this end display. New line perhaps?

20th May, 2011

Up early this morning to catch the train to Lilli. Like worried about sleeping in and what the co-op wanted so awake at 2.30am, 3.20am, 4.15am, you get my drift. Actually awake replying to an email from daughter number 1 and the co-op (yes it was only the ipad, we don't have to join the great unwashed just yet) when the alarm eventually went off. Hang on a minute you say,daughter number 1? We now have daughter number 2. Hopefully we left her in charge of the house.......

Shower and dressed quickly and quietly I thought until we got 3 sharp taps on the floor from the room under us. (all I can say is they must have been out yesterday). Short walk to the international train station, St Pancras and onto the fast train under the sea to Lilli in France .

In Lilli and out onto the platform and it hits you. Bloody hell everything is in French and back to paying 50 cents for a pee. Found another couple of nice ladies and after a bit of a search on their computer system the tickets for France are printed. Annette off and purchased hot chocolates and a chicken roll and back with exactly that so not bad for a first go.

Off on the train to Strasbourg. A four and a bit hour trip. The country side started out fairly flat with lots of cropping then turned into pretty undulation country with plenty of forest patches and villages. Pity the train was zooming along, unlike our Ballarat fast train. Arrived in Strasbourg and off to find the motel. Modern building but large room, more than twice the size of the one in London and with a small kitchen area.

Went out and walked into the old section of town that is surrounded by water. Very old and pretty.

Some of the houses were no longer straight if they ever were.

Very pretty girls out and about. Pizza for dinner and late back to the motel to bed. Plenty to see and do tomorrow.

17th, 18th & 19th May, 2011

Had a good sleep in as we didn't have to leave the hotel till 11am. The air conditioning was a bit noisy but Annette said it would be the same in the plane so quit moaning and go to sleep. Back out on the street for an hour or so. Had another look at a iPad. Yep, I really want one. Felicity collected us and off to the airport. Arrived in plenty of time and had lunch and then kisses and tears goodby. (Tears from Felicity cause she wasn't coming with us). Still doesn't seam real that we are off again. Started to sink in after passing customs and I nearly got a pat down from one of the girls. Ah, haven't lost the charm, just kept it on a leash at home.

On the plane and off. Now, I have come to realise that this one of the bits I really don't like. The taking off and landing. Glad when we were up and cruising. Plane an old one cause it still had ash trays in the seat armrests. I thought planes that old would not still be in service. Consoled myself with the thought that they might have just reused the seats on a more modern plane (along with the engines I suppose). After take off I thought that the plane wasn't very noisy then I swallowed again. Ears popped and yes noisy as hell down the back where we were. Ride was a bit rough and hard trying to aim in the toilet with the side of the plane about 10 cms from your face. Got the hang of it after a while. You have to place your face hard up against the wall and everything moved together. Still a long trip to Singapore and worse to come. Off there for a short time and back on to the ride to London in a big airbus. In the centre up the top and lucky to have a spare seat beside Annette so guess who got to lay out sleeping with her head on my lap?

My seating position had its advantages. There was a very large gent one seat behind us opposite the isle. So what I hear you say? Well it caused the very trim and very pretty girls to have to bend right over to pass the food trays to the gent next to him. So? Well picture this, I'm just sitting there and all of a sudden this very nice bottom is just there right in front of my face jammed between me and the seat in front of me. Annette had asked my why when they asked me if I wanted anything I said "no thanks" but I believe the gent over there does."

Arrived in heathrow very early in the morning and trained into London before the morning rush hour. Still not really sinking in that we are actually back here. Checked out our home for the next two days and leaving our bags, off to check out the ipads. In the Regent Street store about 10.30 and already a long line and unable to say if they had enough in stock to last until we got to the end. Bloody hell, just how good are these new things? After 20 minutes we are told they have just got a new shipment in so one will be available. Sold, wifi and 3g James. These new apple stores are pretty amazing, no expense spared and staff everywhere, at least 50 at this one.

Out by lunch with it all set up and as confused as hell. Arranged to go to the Convert Garden store tomorrow after lunch for an hours training. Should be able to learn how to turn it on and off after that. Spent the rest of the afternoon just walking around until dinner at a local pub then bed.

Sleep in the next morning and off to the Convert Garden Apple Store. Got trained and all seems pretty user friendly. Hats off to the staff. All that we had dealings with were very good.

Next a look around the Convert Gardens area. I thought it was very much like Paris. Pretty and old with lots of interesting things to see. Annette managed to drag me into one into a church a low and behold, they don't have these in our churches. Maybe we should try it.

Pretty girls in the first one, live music in the next one. I'm not the only one with the charm I see. Annette was charmed by one of the rain coat brigade. Actually I couldn't work out if he was interesting, slightly eccentric or just a bit mad.

Off back to the accommodation for a rest then dinner at the local pub, then collect our tickets for the train ride tomorrow to France. At the station and yes the booking numbers I had printed out were the wrong ones. The nice lady at the station found the rights ones for the trip to Lille and printed them but we were on our own once we got there. Bed then on our way to France, sweet dreams. Well, no. I got my old mobile phone out (which we had forgotten to give to Felicity at the airport) to set the alarm and upon turning it on up come a couple of messages. One from Kahlene and the other from the co-op requesting me to contact them urgently, then the phone goes kar-put and will no longer work.

A quick email off to the co-op hoping that it's just the purchase of the iPad they are worried about and haven't cancelled our card. Annette may very well be soon on the receiving end of those looks she was giving on the train from Ballarat. Off to try to get some sleep.

16th May, 2011

Up early and definitely a few butterflies. Left home in the dark and walked down to the train station and caught the bus to Ballarat.

The bus driver was used to us with our packs and just shook his head when we told him what we were up too this time. Got to Ballarat and caught the "fast train" to Melbourne. Half way along Annette got a taste of what it is like to be stuck in the interview room with one of our unwashed friends when a gent sat opposite us in the now packed train. I could see her nose working overtime, or should I say trying not to work at all. Arrived in Melbourne no worries and left our bags at the Ibis motel in Little Bourke Street.

Had a brain wave a couple of days ago that we should trade our heavy lap top in for a new fangled iPad. It was a good idea but no matter where we went they were all sold out. (thanks anyway James). Looking at them and trying them out really got us hooked on the idea so we will see when how we go when we get to London.

Dinner with Felicity and James and off to bed. Got a plane to catch tomorrow.

15th May 2011 walking holiday in France and the UK.

Holiday time again. Can't believe that it was 9 months ago when we arrived back from our first 3 months walking overseas in France and the UK. Spent a anxious day today doing the last minute jobs and packing the back packs. Weight down a bit, but not as much as I would have liked.

This year we plan to spend another three months (yes I like to rub it in) in France and the UK. We will catch the bus to Ballarat then train to Melbourne and stay the night catching up with Felicity and James. Felicity has offered to take us to the airport and we jet off on Singapore airlines to Singapore for a short stop off then on to London. A couple of days in London, then the train to France with a couple of days in Strasbourg then a week in Paris with my sister Sue and her beau Vince. After that walking between Paris and Spain until we tire of it, then off across the channel back to the UK where we will explore the south east corner and then Wales before heading back to London and home.

We don't seem to be as nervous as last year so that may be good or it may be our undoing, time will tell.