En France

Week 2 – August 31st to September 8th (Sally) 

What a full-on week it’s been. Don't expect a newsletter every week. Once we have settled into a more sedate lifestyle newsletters will be less frequent.

We left London on Friday the day of the memorial service for Princess Di. I went for a last walk and once I was in Trafalgar Square thought I’d get a photo of Admiralty Arch from the other side. Well, it was a different world, the traffic had all been stopped for security reasons even though it was still hours before the service and the whole Mall was deserted except for the occasional pedestrian. What an opportunity. I walked the whole Mall, up the middle, to Buckingham Palace, photographed the three van loads of police, the security on top of the Palace and the myriads of TV vans parked in St James Park. Saw squirrels galore — one even ran up on the fence to beg from me, swans and other waterfowl, all in the heart of London. A lovely way to finish our stay in such a great city.

We then took a taxi to Waterloo Station to board the Eurostar to Paris. Such an effortless way to travel. I had a glass of champagne before we even left the suburbs and our dinner as we enjoyed the scenery of Kent. We were in our hotel in the Latin Quarter within 3 hours, time to settle in and catch the métro to Opéra to meet Delphine and Francois for dinner. She is still the same delightful character she was when she was with  us all in Australia in 1994, and on our canal boats, and Francois is a really nice bloke.

Tony decided that Saturday we were off to Dijon to look at our first boat. He was determined not to miss out again so our first day in Paris was not in Paris but on another TGV train to Dijon. We both were concerned that we may not find Sable as she was travelling on the canal towards a little town called Suerre, but we took a taxi and as we crossed the bridge into Suerre, Sablewas sailing under it. Two hours later after an extensive tour of the boat the deal was struck. I think Sable was ours from first sight, there isn’t anything about it we would change at this stage… except the linen. The owners have a DOG…Lily is the joy of their lives and lives in their bed. Lily is also a b… great Doberman. I didn’t dare look at Tony’s face as we watched this dog burrowing not onto but into the bed until only her backside was showing. I am shopping in Lyon for new sheets etc etc.  All the photos are on the website so I won’t go on.

Sunday we made up for not sightseeing the day before. I had gone for a walk in the morning and discovered how close we were to all the sights plus not one but 2 markets in our street. Came back to the hotel drooling over the fruit, vegetables and cheeses. Can’t wait to have my own kitchen again. Which by the way is a great kitchen, gas stove top, fan forced oven, plenty of bench space and a good fridge and freezer. But I did say I wouldn’t go on.

Sunday we walked up past the Pantheon and over to St Sulpice of Da Vinci Code fame. I hope they are charging an entrance fee as they are totally redoing one of the towers and it looks very expensive. From there we carried on to Montpanasse as Tony wanted to find an Orange shop for his phone and laptop. From there we walked to Hotel Invalides where we went in to view Napoleon’s tomb and a display of his regalia. And then on to the Eiffel Tower. We had been saying that the crowds were thin wherever we had been and now we saw why, they were all at the Tower. Crowds and crowds but we decided to join them and got right to the top for fantastic views in all directions. Saw barges moored neared the base and that is one place that we definitely want to go to. Just to sit there with a glass of wine and watch the lights on the tower at night would be very special. From there it was home after a very long but satisfying day.

Tuesday, Tony went off to buy his phone card and I explored The Marais area, walked and walked the streets of this old Jewish Quarter, not at all touristy so more interesting and shops that are more for the Parisians. Funky fashions the teenagers would love, a chocolate shop with the window full of wine bottles, all chocolate, and a tea shop that sells 400 varieties of tea. We then met up at the base of Sacré Coeur at the café that featured in the film Amélie  and after lunch meandered slowly up the hill to the top. Glad we lunched at the bottom, the top is a cacophony of overpriced restaurants and artists all plying their wares. We didn’t linger there but moved on and paused for the views and obligatory photos before heading home.

Tuesday we headed out to La Défense which is the huge arch one can see from the Arc de Triomphe. We were going there to meet Delphine as she wanted to help Tony sort out his internet connection. And what a surprise it was. Huge commercial area, very modern buildings and open spaces with views back down to the Arc. And great shopping centre. Tony and D were over 2 hours at Orange and I still think it is not working. I spent the two hours strolling the centre. Just as well I’m not shopping, as the selection was fantastic.

Finally got away from there and back on to the métro to Gare de Lyon to pick up a car and negotiate the roads to our hotel and then out of Paris which was achieved [enough said].  

We stayed  at Troyes, a delightful old town full of half timbered houses and the most magnificent old churches. The town speciality is sausages, knitting mills and, from the parcels two young girls had in the foyer, factory shops. Wednesday, we drove to Auxerre which we visited 10 years ago and then retraced our steps down the Yonne to Autun, staying at Saulieu and visiting Vézelay with his historic pilgrims' Cathedral. It is an important meeting point for pilgrims en route to Santiago de Compostela. It looked to us like a long long way to Spain.

We planned on Thursday to drive to Roanne and set up a base until we heard from the Laines on Sable to say they were at Paray and we could catch up with them earlier than Saturday. Well, I don’t think they thought we would be there within 20 minutes but we were and spent two nights aboard learning the ropes. We have left them now so they can pack in peace and we take possession next week we hope.  Can’t Wait.

We had to return our hire car to Lyon, so on Saturday we arrived in Lyon, in gorgeous weather, in time to watch the Wallabies trounce Japan in the World Cup. Pity we didn't take PD's  offer of a couple of tickets to the match. We're pleased we didn't spend 295Euros each for tickets to a game that was rather unexciting. Not Lyon though, it's a wonderful city and in WC fever, very exciting!

The Journey Begins

We left Gold Coast on a wet miserable morning wearing three layers of clothes. We arrived in Tokyo to 30+ degrees. Kazumi arrived at our hotel soon after we did and took us out for a delicious meal of sushi and then moved to another restaurant to ply us with Japanese noodles – which we were far to full to eat, though they were tasty.

The flight next day to London was comfortable to say the least, the seats were so spacious and the food and service was superb. However, a twelve hour flight is still twelve hours of monotonous hell no matter what class you’re in. Landed in London at 2:30 in the afternoon (four hours after we left Japan in clock time) where it was sunny and very warm. So as soon as we got to our room and were able to divest our (excessive) luggage, took to the streets and strolled over Waterloo Bridge and round the Embankment and back to a pub for a couple of well-earned pints.

Monday was a Bank Holiday. They’re a sleepy lot, the Brits. We were up early and the morning being fine and clear, we set out for walk along the Embankment to encounter little traffic and very few people. Nothing seemed to be ready to open before 10 am. Without intending to we found ourselves at the end of a small queue waiting for the ticket booth to open its doors for the London Eye. Within ten minutes we were in one of the first capsules doing the round. Everything everyone says about the Eye is true. It’s a must. The views are superb. Could look down on the river with all its activity, a birds eye view of Buckingham Palace and one could see as far as the Wembly Stadium.

Every trip to London warrants a cruise down the Thames to Greenwich and a stroll through the pretty village and the sprawling park, up the hill to the Royal Observatory. We enjoyed the young Australian’s commentary on the way down as he pointed out the pub where Great Expectations was written, where convicts where dispatched to Australia and the scene where they shot the motor boat chase in James Bond "The World is Not Enough." Our last visit must have been before Dava Dobel’s fascinating book Longtitude was published for we had somehow hurried through the rooms containing Harrison’s clocks without appreciating their significance. Not this time. We paused for an hour or more admiring the incredible craftsmanship that developed such historic timepieces – and ticked another goal fulfilled.

As noon approached we stood near the meridian line and waited for the time ball to drop, as it has done for hundreds of years. I was impressed to discover that in resetting my watch in the plane to London time, it was accurate to within five seconds.

By mid-afternoon the crowds had built enormously. There were, reportedly, 310 people on the boat back to Charing Cross yet the company is in the hands of receivers and due to shut down with all staff (only two per boat) sacked as of 3 September. At £9 return and boats every 40 minutes it doesn’t make sense – go figure. I can’t believe a cruise on the Thames is going to become a thing of the past.

An obligatory trip to the theatre rounded out a perfect day. We saw Les Misérables – a first for us. I cannot explain why we missed all the previous opportunities to see it. Needless to say the West End production was magnificent if not the most uplifting way to end the day. We walked home through the crowds. The hotel is in a great spot - walking distance to so many places. One block to the Embankment, 2mins Covent Gardens and a quick walk to Leicester Square.

No trip to London would be complete without shopping. Walk… walk… eventually sore feet demanded a new pair of runners, after that it was see London from top deck of a big red bus, caught in a traffic jam for over an hour but passed lots of famous landmarks. A visit to the British Museum to admire the Elgin Marbles was memorable. Too vast to be able to inspect more but just to be inside the place was awesome.

It’s difficult choosing the right clothes to wear. Mostly it has been very mild but then the sun comes out and you find you’re wearing too much. Locals say we have been here for their entire summer – four days!

London’s double-decker buses are one of the easiest ways to get around — not as quick as the Underground maybe, but the views and experience of being part of all the live activity cannot be bettered.

The changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace is always a drawcard for huge crowds but the ceremony never disappoints. Neither does a visit to Harrods, especially the food hall.

Another opportunity to buy tickets to the theatre presented itself when our bus stopped right outside the box office on opening time. Billy Elliot would have to be one of the best shows we've ever seen. True to the movie, but more emotionally charged. The young performers especially were enthralling. We're beginning to like this retirement thing...