Back to Paris after bidding our goodbyes to Emily, Andre, Nicolas & Anais. They had had a great family trip to India with Emily's parents & brother and we had enjoyed looking after their pets and home.   We caught our train to Paris at 10.35am and yep it left at 10.35am so efficient. The walk from the station to our hotel in Paris was freezing and wet, about 15 minutes we had forgotten what it was like to carry these bags. We dropped our bags at the hot...

When we told people we were house sitting in Normandy in February they looked at us as if we were mad!! - In the winter! Oui Oui why not we said.We caught the train at 1.45 and arrived into Lisieux at 3.30pm the closest town to Moyaux where we will be staying its about 13km's away. Emily bounced into the railway station to greet us and we pilled all our bags into the back of her car and went off to have a coffee and get acquainted in person. So here we ar...

After the 13 hours squashed like a sardine into Air France's 777-200 nightmare that lasted for eternity we landed in Paris and I instantly had forgot the previous 13 hours of uncomfortable hell. I was again full of excitement for Paris even if it was grey, cold and winter.  I had booked a transfer as our bags are loaded with gear for cycling and I couldn't be bothered lugging them on the train into Gare du Nord and then trying to walk to the hotel - is t...

Our last couple of days in France were wonderfully spent with Nicolas & Elodie and their families. We had a lovely dinner with them in Annecy the night we flew back from Dubrovnik, funny how everything in France is familiar, we had got use to all the systems, the language etc.  Sunday was spent at Nicolas parents who cooked and great BBQ lunch and I learnt a new raw carrot dish that I can't wait to do when I'm back home. We swam in the pool, laid in the...

Melanie (Heidi) & Vincent are in the region for a holiday and we are lucky enough to be invited to their family cabin high in the hills of the Savoie region. Melanies father is cooking lunch for us and this is to be a treat for all, his oun produce grown on the farm including the fillet of beef and cheese made from the milk from his cows. Rod is beside himself with enthusiasm and none of us can believe that he and Marc have in depth conversations, one speaking ...