So Jim has told you how we got to Vichy. It was the most miraculous trip I've ever been on! We spent 14 hours traveling in a whirl wind of new sights and sounds and made it without mishap.

Well, we did have a mishap. We intended to go to Calais, but we were riding backwards and didn't realize the first stop was our stop. We couldn't hear the announcements as we were once again sitting amid a group of young people, this time returning home from a field trip to England from Spain (?) Anyway, they spoke Spanish. One of the young girls behind us talked to her seat mate without stop for over an hour! The other girl didn't get a word in edgewise!

So as we were pulling out of Calais, we saw the sign! Oh my, what to do now? What was going to happen when we arrived in Paris on a £70 ticket to Calais? Answer: Nothing. We got off the train.

Actually, we had two mishaps. Jim told you the rest of the story without the feelings of PANIC!!!!!!!! What in the @*$%&*?~# was I going to do in the Metro, unable to speak French, if I missed Jim?! That, thankfully didn't happen. Much relief. I just kept praying. The rest of the trip was uneventful. The hotel where we were going to stay for the Round Up had room for us that night and through the rest of the week until our reservations became effective.

It is interesting how some things stay with you for years; like what the ATM signs look like, how to navigate the tube (London) and the metro (Paris), what some of the words mean, Sortie (out). Thank God we brought some food with us from the states. We are still eating on it! It is Tuesday.

Although we don't have jet-lag, (That only lasted a couple of days.) all we want to do is sleep. So we sleep, walk around Vichy, eat, sleep....... We've been sleeping 12 hours a day. We finally made it down to the complimentary breakfast this morning. We overslept the last two mornings! We didn't even know it was complimentary until this morning. Didn't know what I was eating, but it tasted good. They have this cool machine that makes any kind of coffee you want from 1 shot espresso to cafe Au lait to cafe mocha. After two cups, do I have a buzz! Can't seem to get cafe au lait in town, just cafe crème. So I have been drinking “the avec lait”. (that's tea with milk).

Vichy is a clean, wealthy town. We are right across from the baths. Haven't figured out how to get in yet. Have to have a prescription to drink the waters. Shops, except for restaurants, are closed from noon to 2:30 for lunch, and then open until 7:30 pm. We spent the last two days trying to get orientated. Got a map yesterday, Monday, at City Hall. Couldn't find the Tourism Bureau. Found a grocery store, we hope. If I want to get my hair cut, I have many establishment to choose from. It is a good thing I like ham as all the “subs” are ham; ham and cheese, ham and egg, ham and tomato and lettuce. We will have to branch out to African food in the next day or two.

Enough from me today. Everyone here has a dog. I miss my Aussie!

Love,