13 Rue Quincampoix Blues: Tuesday, Ocober 15th

The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently. -Friedrich Nietzsche, philosopher (1844-1900) 

P,

Hope your travels have continued to be as rigorous and sober as earlier reports suggest.

I will be away in Portland at the Wrightson when you get home, assuming you are allowed back in. I will be home with all the hardware on Monday the 21st.

Do you want to suggest a date, other than Sunday, prior to the 8th of Novembe,r for the next NRBC? This an attempt to include all the itinerant non-readers.

Spent Thanksgiving in the K'lowna bible belt and did a nice solo ride there for God and family. Makes me want to get up there and explore some more by bike.Fond regards to to C and the crew. Safe travels, W

Up a few minutes before alarm actually went off so crept out of bed and closed bedroom door. Tip-toed upstairs to blast my java in microwave and put last load of laundry, done evening before, in the dryer. Back downstairs to have a quick shower and then answer a few email messages. Cora Lee popped her head out of bedroom around 7:00 am and I told her that out TGV didn't actually leave valance until 11:38 am! For some reason I thought it was an hour earlier. Needless to say she wasn't very happy with me as she's have loved to stay in bed for another hour or so.

By the time we'd finished our last minute packing and had breakfast with our hosts it was about 9:30 am and I loaded our car. We said goodbye, leaving my bike and all my cycling gear, (and half a case of wine!), there and made for the station to take the TGV to Paris. Anyway, to make a long, interesting story short, we did take the TGV to Paris although we almost didn't. We were at Valence Ville instead of Valence TGV! Had to catch a cab and fortunately train was fifteen minutes late! TGC station is located 10 km outside of Valence and traffic was clogged in inner part of town and then we managed to get behind a driving school pupil as we neared station! Started to rain heavily to make matters a tad more complicated. Once we'd dashed to platform, taking two elevators, and waiting about for about ten minutes, announcement informed us that we had to go back upstairs as arrival track had been changed. Not a big deal but when one is carrying half a case of wine in one's knapsack and the other half in one's bag, it takes on more of a negative cast!

[As you can see he is still a lazy boy!]

Ride to Paris went well although we had to leave our large bags in aisle, near luggage racks as they were full by the time we boarded. I didn't mind as the thought of having to lift my travelling wine cellar onto any shelf beyond the lowest was daunting. Enjoyed my fabulous packed lunch, (carrot sticks and wonderful sandwiches, fresh bread, Camembert, sausage, thinly sliced oniones and lettuce), while poor Cora Lee munched on gluten-free Styrofoam rice cakes! Trip is only a bit over two hours so we pulled into Gare de Lyon around 2:00 pm and then our misadventures started all over. Our apartment was only a few subway stops from this station and access was relatively easy from where we left TGV. Only a couple of flights of stairs to negotiate once we managed a precise military orchestrated approach to getting all our luggage through the narrow automatic gates. (No officials to help with oversize bags here!) Had to position large bad just in front of tin arms so that when one inserted one's ticket one could dash through before gates re-closed on hapless traveller and/or bag! Once I was through Cora Lee put her bag into slot so that I could pull it through, once gates opened, and she scampered after it. Shortly thereafter, a friendly young man offered to carry her bag down the next flight of stairs so that helped bring us to station platform itself. Here, we found that along the edge of the platform itself there are barriers, again with automatic doors, a safety measure, I suppose, to prevent people from falling onto tracks.

I'd seen some in London, a few years ago, but this was my first encounter with them in Paris, or at least I don't remember them from trip in 2010. At any rate, first train to arrive was too full for us to be able to catch it so we waited, now well positioned to board although we were quite shocked to see two women caught by these unforgiving doors once train was about to leave. One was knocked back violently, literally into her companion and the other was nastily sandwiched, both arms pinned by the closing doors. Her companion and another person standing close-bye managed to pry the doors open enough to allow her to free herself but it was a real struggle, let me tell you. From what we observed she had obviously injured/hurt her arm/shoulder! Can't even begin to imagine what might happen to an elderly or otherwise disabled individual. It was really quite frightening and we saw a number of other such happenings along the way to Châtelet, our stop. At intervening stations some passengers close to the door would disembark to allow those behind to get off and once this process was complete, attempt to board again. One chap who had been standing close to us with a female companion did just this and was caught by the closing platform doors as he stepped through them. He managed to free himself but by this time train doors had closed so he was left behind. I noticed his friend was texting right away so I imagine she was suggesting where they might rendezvous. Fortuntely, he didn't seem to have been injured although from the look on his face he was pretty upset, as well he might be. Safer cycling on The Island Highway, it seems!

Breathed a sigh of relief when we finally reached our destination, thanking the gods above for allowing us to survive being crushed to death by the automatic gates track-side. Took us about half an hour to walk to our street, orienting ourselves, from time to time, with the help of Cora Lee's iPad, but it was a pleasant afternoon and we simply enjoyed the streets of the neighbourhoods we passed through.


Just before 3:00 pm we found 13, Rue Quincampoix and buzzed the apartment. We had all the door codes so that part went smoothly. After we called our lovely Iranian landlady, Rebeccca, came downstairs to help us with our baggage. She informed us that the building was three hundred years old so no elevator but three flights of narrow, steep stairs. Shades of Amsterdam! Still, with a bit of huffing and puffing, we made the ascent of Everest and found ourselves in an extremely well and comfortably appointed bachelor apartment. We couldn't have been more pleased and since it was literally just around the corner from the Pompidou Centre and but a few blocks from Notre Dame, we couldn't have asked for a better location, in terms of getting around everywhere on foot.

Had a simply fabulous time there, for two nights. After Rebecca showed us a few things she arranged a taxi for Thursday morning as we were taking the Eurostar to London from Gare du Nord and we said goodbye. Cora lee was itching to Power Shop but I wanted to settle in and have a cup of java first so I suggested she take off, to follow her genetically encoded instincts. I spent about an hour enjoying the peace and quiet of the place, unpacking a few things I'd need for stay and then I went out to explore. Having been to Paris a few years before I was reasonably  familiar with our district so I just followed my nose. Since we were here for such a short time I had decided that I was not going to spend any time waiting to get into any of the well-known museums and galleries but rather just wanted to walk around, enjoying the sights and sounds of the city.

Did just that and along the way bought a few light breakfast groceries, a bouquet of flowers for mon amour and a clasp for my knapsack the better to keep the straps from sliding off one shoulder or another. This had been an annoying problem earlier in my travels and I don't know why I hadn't resolved the issue sooner. Found Go Sport in a huge shopping mall close by and was able to find an inexpensive carabiner that did just the trick so I was pleased as punch as I made my way home. Zapped another java from what was left in carafe I'd made earlier and was just about to take a shower when Cora Lee returned, empty-handed, except for a 2014 Tintin Agenda Diary for me! I was tickled to pieces as I prefer to keep my appointments, social engagements, wine-tasting notes, cycling distances, friend's slights, etc., on paper, not having a cell. I spit on mobiles!


To celebrate our first night in Paris, I opened abottle of 2011 Château de la Liquière, Faugères, 14.5%,and we toasted our great good fortune! Showered and changed we headed out, around 8:00 pm and strolled along, with no particular destination in mind, simply enjoying the street life and the lights of the city and its monuments. One in particular, Saint-Jacques Tower, located in the 4th arrondissement on Rue de Rivoli at Rue Nicolas Flamel, a block or so from where we were staying, is wonderfully illuminated.


When we started to feel hungry we decided we'd try to find La Robe et Le Palais, a restaurant we stumbled upon in 2010 with Flamin' and Sarge, and asked a chap smoking a cigarette, just off a narrow lane, if he knew the whereabouts of this brasserie - bistrot. He laughed as were standing right in front of it. He was a waiter and was just taking a nicotine break! chortling ourselves we went inside and although we didn't have a reservation we were seated in almost exactly the same spot as in 2010. Spent a lovely time there, enjoying a terrific meal, calves liver for me, lamb for Cora Lee.Leisurely walk back to the apartment, streets quieter now but not deserted. Once inside, Absinthe for me, another part bottle of la Liquière for Cora Lee as needed to lighten my backpack for journey to London!

Paris for two nights. (Had an incredible apartment, just around the corner, literally, from the Pompidou Centre, so it was a glorious, if brief visit to this fabulous city.) Just before 3:00 pm we found 13, Rue Quincampoix and buzzed the apartment. We had all the door codes so that part went smoothly. After we called our lovely Iranian landlady, Rebeccca, came downstairs to help us with our baggage. She informed us that the building was three hundred years old so no elevator but three flights of narrow, steep stairs. Shades of Amsterdam! Still, with a bit of huffing and puffing, we made the ascent of Everest and found ourselves in an extremely well and comfortably appointed bachelor apartment. We couldn't have been more pleased and since it was but a few blocks from Notre Dame, we couldn't have asked for a more central location, in terms of getting around everywhere we wanted to go, on foot.

After Rebecca showed us a few things she arranged a taxi for Thursday morning, as we were taking the Eurostar to London from Gare du Nord, and we said goodbye. Cora Lee was itching to Power Shop but I wanted to settle in and have a cup of java first so I suggested she take off, to follow her genetically encoded instincts. I spent about an hour enjoying the peace and quiet of the place, unpacking a few things I'd need for stay and then I went out to explore. Having been to Paris a few years before I was reasonably  familiar with our district so I just followed my nose. Since we were here for such a short time I had decided that I was not going to spend any time waiting to get into any of the well-known museums and galleries but rather just wanted to walk around, enjoying the sights and sounds of the city.

Did just that and along the way bought a few light breakfast groceries, a bouquet of flowers for mon amour and a clasp for my knapsack the better to keep the straps from sliding off one shoulder or another. This had been an annoying problem earlier in my travels and I don't know why I hadn't resolved the issue sooner. Found Go Sport in a huge shopping mall close by and was able to find an inexpensive carabiner that did just the trick so I was pleased as punch as I made my way home. Zapped another java from what was left in carafe I'd made earlier and was just about to take a shower when Cora Lee returned, empty-handed, except for a 2014 Tintin Agenda Diary for me! I was tickled to pieces as I prefer to keep my appointments, social engagements, wine-tasting notes, cycling distances, friend's slights, etc., on paper, not having a cell. I spit on mobiles!

To celebrate our first night in Paris, I opened a bottle of 2011 Château de la Liquière, Faugères, 14.5%,and we toasted our great good fortune! Showered and changed we headed out, around 8:00 pm and strolled along, with no particular destination in mind, simply enjoying the street life and the lights of the city and its monuments. One in particular, Saint-Jacques Tower, located in the 4th arrondissement on Rue de Rivoli at Rue Nicolas Flamel, a block or so from where we were staying, is wonderfully illuminated.


When we started to feel hungry we decided we'd try to find La Robe et Le Palais, a restaurant we stumbled upon in 2010 with Flamin' and Sarge, and asked a chap smoking a cigarette, just off a narrow lane, if he knew the whereabouts of this brasserie - bistrot. He laughed as were standing right in front of it! He was a waiter and was just taking a nicotine break! Chortling ourselves we went inside and although we didn't have a reservation we were seated in almost exactly the same spot as in 2010. Spent a lovely time there, enjoying a terrific meal, calves liver for me, lamb for Cora Lee.Leisurely walk back to the apartment, streets quieter now but not deserted. Once inside, Absinthe for me, another part bottle of la Liquière for Cora Lee as needed to lighten my backpack for journey to London! 

Dear convicts...we spent all the bail money on dear Alexander's birthday celebration! He would take all his presents back but he's too too busy reading The Wolf of Wall Street on his new Kindle Paperwhite!

Love to you both...hope you're making out like teenagers in Paris!!

Hi Patrick!

I have completely lost track of time and just realised that you must be close to returning home, if you haven't already! We have been quite busy since returning but things are finally settling down and we are getting back to our usual routine, such as it is!

Spent most of the day clipping hedges yesterday. I have a motorised hedge trimmer but prefer using hand clippers. Find it very therapeutic ! We have a couple of luncheon commitments this week and are meeting Gudrun and Steve on Thursday to spend the day at Antony House Estate near Plymouth (National Trust). will go for a long walk then back to the Antony House for lunch. Will be good to catch up with them. Unfortunately Mark's sister informed them a couple of weeks ago that she and her husband have split up. Gudrun is quite upset about it because, as you know they have two young boys. Lets hope whatever decisions they make that they keep the boy's welfare as the priority.
 

 Gayle has her monthly lunch date with her old work buddies up at the Duchy on Friday so I plan a long walk in the country in North Cornwall since everything is looking very Autumnal at the moment and I love the isolation that walking up there brings. Cornwall is again quieter again. Most visitors have now left.

We are trying to organise the painting of the house exterior before Christmas if possible. We are planning on putting the house on the market next Spring since Maur and Bill would like to move into smaller accommodation and Gayle and I would like to move nearer to Southampton. It would be nice to be closer to Marnie and Ant but also closer to the Heathrow. In addition most cruise ships leave from Southampton. However, we shall have to wait to see what next year brings!

I hope all your crew are well and none ended up in Davey Jones's locker! Hope Corrine's back is now well rested and she is pain free. All the best Derek