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Thursday 20th July
dawned bright and early as we prepared to return the rental
car and board the 8am Eurostar to travel via the Chunnel
to Gay Paree ! This was my
big challenge. I'd always said there was no way I would spend even 20
minutes on a
train under the ocean, since I have always disliked (due to
claustrophobia) tunnels
of even the shortest distances. Heck, I don't even like going under
bridges very much !
But as the trip came closer, and knowing that Maggi really wanted to do
the Chunnel
crossing, I summoned up all my courage and decided it would be one more
fear
conquered.
Boarding the train with all our luggage was no mean feat. There wasn't
as much baggage space as we'd expected, and the poor people behind us were
almost
trapped in the doorway while we fumbled and fiddled to find places for it
all. But
we managed, eventually, and made ourselves comfy for the ride.
When we entered the tunnel itself, I tried not to think about the fact
that we would
soon have about 45 metres (150 feet) of water, not to mention about the
same depth
again of seabed above our heads. I actually did very well, even when the
chatty
English gentleman sitting opposite me (next to Bill) recounted his tale of
one of his
crossings when there was a problem and the train had to stop half way. All
the
passengers had to disembark and walk through the service
tunnel to be transported
back on another train. He commented that some of them were suffering from
claustrophobia and having a difficult time, and I smiled and told him I
completely
understood !
Bill, of course, took it all in his stride !
(Does he look a tad bored ?!!)
Just over two hours later... voila ! Nous sommes a la Gare
du Nord !
(Maggi's photo)
After a hair-raising
taxi ride (they're all insane in Paris !!) we checked into
our
hotel. This was where our preconceived opinions of the French people
were
totally eradicated. We could not have had friendlier, more polite
treatment
anywhere in the world ! The receptionist was delightful, cracking little
jokes
about how the English really need to install air conditioning in their
hotels and
public transport, as the French have done, because "We like to take
good care
of our guests.... our cemeteries are toooo full already !"
OK... a quick cuppa,
and we're off to do Paris !
Looking down the street from the hotel... the Paris
Opera House. But that will have
to wait. Our first mission is to visit the Louvre. Most of the following
photos
were taken by Bill.
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