Saturday, 17th October, 1981 rain
Raining this morning, so decided to leave for Belgium. We had the washing to do so stopped at the Luxembourg
laundromat in case we can't find one. A
good job done by Sandra. The kids and I
went for a walk in the rain then prepared lunch. Good bye Luxembourg,
hello Belgium. On the way out we stopped at a hypermarket
which was so cheap we bought gloves, warm socks and shoes for the boys - nil
Sandra. Rae spent her francs on some
play mobile which was very cheap. I notice
Fisher-Price toys half price to Australian. John and I brought a bottle of
brandy - mine was two dollars 50 - Napoleon.
On then towards Belgium where we passed through the
border without a blink from the officers and then on to Virton. We'll stay here for the weekend then into Champagne country.
Sunday, 18th October 1981 Wet
Awoke to rain again, so decided to travel on to France as we
can’t air the van. As the showers
weren't controlled by coins, we all lined up for a shower - who knows when next
we'll shower. Had fun and games trying
to pay the camp - wouldn't take it off Sean, then San tried and then John. Eventually we found we had to go about 1 mile
away to another activity Centre where there was a family sports event on. We saw one crowd go off trotting, rain and
all - Belgium is very family minded. Lots
of outdoor sports they do together. Well
goodbye Virton in Belgian and hello France. Passed onto French soil at Ecouviez where the
official took our passports and stamped them - the second time only since
entering Europe.
The border villages are so different to any other
nation - they looked neglected. No local
pride, even the statues of Our Lady or the crucifix were surrounded with
weeds. On through Chauceney la Chateau
where the low lands were flooded. La
Combus Stenay - large brick foundations on verandas. Landeville, Beauclair and Vouzier where we
saw our first War
Cemetery.
On through Blaise where we saw piles of parsnips or turnips
piled high on side of road. About Berru
we came upon the grapevines, and were in Champagne
country. Stopped in Rheims to see the cathedral - a beautiful
construction built 400 AD, razed and rebuilt in 900 AD. We walked around, hadn't any French money to
buy anything as we still had deutsche marks.
A woman kept rattling a money plate at us but we had to act blind. We then went on a tour of Verve Clicquot
Champagne Caves. Oh boy - down to the bowels of the earth through
tunnels supposedly made by the Romans.
The end of the tunnel had fungus all over the walls and roof from the
humidity. The temperature stayed at
10°-11° all year round.
We saw how they bottle them and how after some time they
tipped them up to remove the sediment.
Quite interesting! They have been
in operation since 1770. A lot of Champagne houses
here. We began the Champagne Road and are now free camping
at Rilly.
Monday, 19th October , 1981 fine
Awoke to a fine day and little activity at the station - guards
coming to work. The only toilet we had
available was the male one at the station - a real French toilet - squat a vous - my
first experience and maybe not my last. France has not
been very nice - its villages are frumpy, uncared for buildings, shocking roads,
even the countryside looked neglected.
Grottoes stood like a ship in an ocean of weeds and every now and again
a neat War Cemetery to remind us of grim days gone
by. It did not improve until we were
within 50 km of Paris
where new towns and well-kept farmland appeared.
We proceed over bumpy roads through Bellevue,
Champillon, and Dizy to Epernay - a
large town where we went shopping for Aerograms etc whilst the boys went on an
inspection of Moet and Chandon. Oh boy
it can be hard going. Decided then as we
were only 60 odd kilometres from Paris
to head for there. On through grotty
little villages with lovely names de'Ablois, Bussieres, Morass - a change with
nice neat homes and on to Meaux, where John rang caravan park to book in.
Then the battle through the streets of Paris and on to the periphery road - a fast
moving highway with hundreds of hungry Parisian’s wanting to get home. Our navigators got us here quite safely, so
showered and warm. We are quite
content. Off to pick up mail in a.m. Had
my first sight of Eiffel
Tower and Sacre Coeur.
Tuesday, 20th October, 1981 raining
and cold
Our campsite is in the Bois de Boulogne. Up and off on the courtesy minibus to town to
collect mail. A 15 minute ride into town
through the park to the edge of Paris.
We got off at Port Mallete and walked down the avenue des Champ Élysée - actually
here at last in this lovely wide avenue.
We walked in the rain to the Opera - a beautiful old building. Collected our mail at American Express, lots
for everyone with all good news this time.
Then went looking for a coffee shop - all to no avail - every Parisian was
in town eating so we found the metro by popular consent and headed for
home. A small wait for bus, a cup of
coffee and read all of our mail. We
listened to Amber and Tony's tape - cried and laughed.
Rang Bev Klasups, a niece of Mabel’s from work. We had a great talk as she is so
homesick. Still raining so into
bed. John came home with the four-day
billets.
Wednesday, 21st October, 1981 sunny
and cold
Woke to a fine cold day, so we packed our lunch and started
on our four-day sightseeing with the billets - for 53 francs we can use bus and
metro and Montmartre funicular. Quite cheap as the first day cost us 13 1/2
francs in and out to town. Our first day
we decided to see Eiffel
Tower and Sacre
Coeur. We took a photo of the tower with
the Australian flag as Australia House is just near the Tower. John took the kids up in the chairlift. It is quite magnificent - built by Gustave
Eiffel in 1880 to commemorate the centenary of the French Revolution. It is quite high 313 m and has been used for
radio in both world wars. We had a lunch
beneath its huge wings and then went off on metro to see Sacre Coeur at
Montmartre, a really beautiful cathedral sitting high above Paris. Some say the Church exterior never soils - it
gets whiter every year. It was built on
the scene where France's
first martyrs met their deaths. It is
built in Roman-Byzantine style and can be reached by road, steps or
funicular. We rode up and walked down. Lit a candle for family. Rae, Sean and John went up the dome and down
to the crypt. We then went out among the
sinners at Montmartre, an area near the church
where artists have for years made their living.  Montmartre, Paris  Admiring artists sketches at Montmartre
About 70-hundred artists were in the square under umbrellas
fighting for customers. Sandra and Rae
had their sketches done. The rain held
off for that. As the cold set in we headed
for home via American Express, tube and bus - tired cold but satisfied.
Thursday, 22nd October, 1981 fine
Another fine day so we are going to explore more of lovely
Paree. Made lunches and armed with our
thermos today (as yesterday we were unable to get into a coffee shop) the one
we did have at Sacre Coeur cost 23 francs for three. Caught bus after a brisk, cold walk uphill and
into Port Maillot. Then down the metro to Franklin D. Roosevelt. We walked up to the Champs Elysee to big Mac, our saviour for toilet and coffee then off for a stroll down the Champs Élysée. On the way we strolled through Paint Pointe?? where all the exclusive shops are. Yves
St Laurent and Pierre Cardin men's.
The restaurant was beautiful but a little out of our
league. Marzipan shops beautifully done
and expensive. The French, like the
whole of Europe, have a sweet tooth. We strolled on past the Minister for Interior
office where gendarmes stood at alert with guns. Quite a sight in Europe. Past the Royal Palace
and petite Palace - a lovely street. Down
the Champs Élysée we arrived at Place de la Concorde where in the French
Revolution the guillotine stood in a huge wide square with wide streets, where
they pulled the carts with their victims standing in. It is quite a place where once heads
rolled. Cars try to bowl bodies. A huge obelisk stands high in centre. Over to
the Tuileries, a lovely spot dotted with statues - a pond stands at the head of a
walk to the Louvre- once the palace and gardens.
We lunched by the pond and strolled up the walk on yellow
and gold autumn leaves, a beautiful sight.
Turned before the Louvre and strolled along Rue Rivoli a mixture of
souvenirs and expensive shops, until we came to W. H. Smith where we were in our
glory among English books and English-speaking people. The kids & San bought a couple - we browsed
for ages. The books are twice as dear as
England.
On up Rue Royale where Maxine's is $40 a lunch so we
strolled on quite content with our roll and cheese to Place Madeleine where
rain put a stop to our gazing in such exclusive shops as Fauchon where one
piece of chocolate was 10 francs or one dollar 70.
It is all done up so beautifu,l but Oh boy only for the oil
kings I think. Their fruit shop had
fruit from all over the world - Kiwi fruit 17 francs or two dollars 80 each. Their delicatessen made our mouths water so
we decided to go home to our quiche Lorraine and veggies. The quiche Lorraine was $13 or 78 francs so
we bought one at a supermarket for two dollars 50. Caught the metro back to Port Malliot then
the bus to Bois de Bologne and home after hassling with the Post Office re mail
and shopping. Thunder and lightning kept
us on the move till we arrived home.
Friday, 23rd October, 1981 cold The boys were tired after their return to town last
night. John took Sean in to see the
lights of Paris and Pigalle at night - they missed the last bus home and had to
walk and hitch hike. About 1 km from
home a Range Rover picked them up. Had
to pass the ladies of the night in the street.
We were a bit slow-moving so decided we would eat in town
for tea. We got the bus and the metro
and walked to Notre Dame. A lovely old
church on an island in the Seine. There has been a cathedral there since 900
AD. Had a cheese roll outside this magnificent building then walked up to
George Pompidou Centre, a huge modern building mostly made of glass with
escalators on the outside of the building.
Quite a contrast to the older structures here in Paris.
We decided to go for a trip on the R E R metro so chose Roissy-St Leger
on the outskirts of Paris - a
fast ride but gave our feet a rest. Then
back into town to see Paris
by night - walked along past Moulin Rouge, giggled at the puppets in the window, and the men selling tickets outside sex shops.
Hunger pangs reminded us of tea - so we returned to a shop we found that
p.m. A pizzaria where we had a lovely
filling meal for 27 francs each $4.20 3 courses and coffee and each one
tasty. Then home to bed. Brought
scarves - Piere Patricia
Saturday, 24th October, 1981 fine
and cold
The car had to be recharged so Sandra and Rae went to
American Express for mail - too late have to wait till Monday now. Sean and I stayed with John - the gay life
caught up with our boy, he slept till 10 a.m. then, when we left fell asleep
again until 1 p.m. Had a day home on his
own. John and I followed the others in
about 12 midday met them in the Tuileries lunched, and then went to the
highlight for me, the Louvre. I
thoroughly enjoyed gazing at the Mona Lisa behind glass and under guard by a
nose picking sleepy eyed fellow. The
paintings of greats like Leonardo da Vinci, Van Dyck - and many others were a
delight to see, so many to gaze upon - spent quite some time with the paintings
then down to see Venus de Milo - had my photo taken beside her - she stands in the
centre of a long room among other ancient sculpture.
Back home after a coffee in a bar near the Tuileries as John
was taking Sandra for a night on the town.
Went for a walk up to Suresnees whilst they showered etc when we arrived
home Sean had not let the sunshine go to waste.
After he lunched, he aired all the van and sleeping bags and prepared tea
for Rae and me and himself. San dressed
up in her London
₤9.99 suit and looked very chic. She
made a faux pas to some people John was talking to. She said the kids said act like an American
tourist and the lady was an American.
She laughed. We are not terribly
impressed with the French people - they look as if they need an infusion of big
brown Australian blood. Sandra reckons
they are hungry as we see everyday quite a few nose pickers on the bus and
metro. Lots of funny things happen on
the metro - buskers are plenty. One the
other night played whilst his mate took around the hat. Nil coins and someone clapped when he stopped
and quite angrily he said
“No pay no clap"
and hopped off looking for something greener
Sunday, 25th October, 1981 fine
a.m. and cold
Rest day today - we stayed in bed to 11 a.m. then rose and
cleaned the van. All had allotted
jobs. Sean washed outside, Rae cleaned
the cabin and Sandra, the van and I did the washing, John repaired. We were busy bees for some hours. It started to rain so we played cards all
afternoon and early bed. Oh boy is it cold here now.
Monday, 26th October, 1981 rain
and cold
We’re going into town to the impressionist museum - then we’re
going to have a barbecue with some Australians - Don & Lee and Canadians when
the rain washed that out. So went up
town, posted parcel to Karen with souvenirs and boys birthday presents. What a hassle with the public servants,
either can't or won't understand us - the Frenchman.
Filled the larder and invited Don and Lee to afternoon
drinks - had a good stimulating afternoon with them whilst it rained and blew
outside. Talked till all hours - ate, then
read. Tuesday, 27th October, 1981 We got up early and off to museum. Sean Rae and I went in on the minibus.
Luxembourg to Paris, France
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