DAY 2, PARIS WALK AND BOAT TOURS
It was mid afternoon, August 15, when we arrived in Paris. We zipped through passport control and customs. We took the airport shuttle from Terminal 1 to the RER "Reseau Express Regional" (express train) Station. We just missed a train, so we waited 20 minutes for the next train. We reached Chatelet Metro Station in Paris in half an hour. In Chatelet we used the same RER ticket to take the metro line 4 to Odeon then Line 10 toward Boulogne. Luckily the Metro was not crowded. Vaneau Station was the closest station to our hotel. Unfortunately, Vaneau Station did not have an elevator or escalator. We had to drag the two heavy suitcases up the steep stairs to the street level. Hotel Ferrandi was on Rue (street) Cherche De Midi, just one block from Vaneau Station. Surprisingly, Cherche De Midi was relatively quite considering it was only 4 PM. In Ferrandi, we had a room in the fourth floor. Our room was nicely decorated with original painting on the walls. The bathroom and tube were spotless. We had a very comfortable queen size bed. We would have called it a perfect room for a honey moon if only the air conditioner could generate colder air and less noise. After a short rest, we left the hotel for a walk along Cherche De Midi then along  Boulevard San Germain De Pres. We noticed that many stores and restaurants were closed. The signs on the closed doors indicated that they were on vacation. We walked all the way until Pont (bridge) Saint Michel. We stopped for a cheese and Hot Dog sandwiches at Le Soliel Doree.
We were hoping to get into Notre Dame Cathedral to visit and listen to the Organ music that we read it was scheduled every Tuesday. Unfortunately Notre Dame was closed and the organ concert was canceled because of a Religious Holiday. We walked a little bit a long the right bank "Reve Droit" of the Seine River where many Bouquinistes (Old book stands) were displaying their old books and paintings. By the time we reached the Louvre Museum we were exhausted. We headed to the metro station. We bought two Carnets (Stacks) of Metro tickets. We also bought two 5 days' museum passes. We took the metro to Pont D'Alma to take the boat "Le Bateau Mouche" for a river tour. By the time we reached Pont D'Alma, It was dark.  At Place (Plaza ) D'Alma,  we noticed huge crowd walking toward the Bateau Mouche docking station. The closer to the dock we walked, the bigger the crowd grew. Many tour buses were unloading more tourists. We got tickets after some wait and took our seats in the next boat. The Bateau Mouche (fly boat) did not live to its name at all. The boat was neither a fly size nor a fly motion. It was just a huge boat with its deck filled with chairs cramped together to be filled with tourists. I have to admit that our dreams about a romantic boat tour in the Seine were shattered having to endure such a crowded and noisy boat. Half way through the tour, we managed to find a corner in the back of the boat. We stood relatively away from an Italian group that talked non-stop and kept flashing their Video Camera light in our eyes. In our corner, we stood hugging each other, listening to the crowd, the engines' hums, and the water rush. We gazed cheek to cheek at Paris monuments passing by. For a lovely moment, it seemed that the crowd disappeared. We felt floating above the waves of the river, reaching for the moon with one hand and touching Paris buildings as they were passing by with the other hand. Like a slide show, Paris monuments slid by; Musee D'Orsay, La Conciergerie, Reve Gauche, Notre Dame, Saint Genevieve Statue, Institute Du Monde Arab, the Young couples dancing in Square Tino Rossi, Ile Saint Louis, Samaritaine Stores, Le Louvre, ...etc.
We were suddenly awakened from our hypnosis by the crowd screams of admiration when we reached the Statue of Liberty with Eiffel Tower in the background. Eiffel Tower was sparkling with thousands of vibrating lights. When the boat docked, we dreaded leaving the boat with that much crowd but Mary found a small door in the back of the boat. We quickly jumped on the opportunity to be the first to get out. At the Place D'Alma we bought two sandwiches of hard boiled eggs with "Gruyere" cheese, lettuce and tomato from a sandwich stand. We enjoyed eating  our sandwiches and drinking our sodas on a bench in front of the Princess Diana Flame. It was almost midnight but the streets were still filled with people. A little before midnight, we took the Metro toward our hotel. We were so tired that a moment after taking shower we were deeply sleeping.

DAY 3, PARIS, NOTRE DAME TO THE LOUVRE
We woke up relatively early for someone who just missed a night crossing several time zones. We had standard French breakfast at Ferrandi. There was nothing exotic; Croissant, Coffee, bread, butter and jam. We took the metro to Cité  Station. We walked up Rue De La Cité  toward the most enduring symbol of Paris, Notre Dame Cathedral. There was a big line of tourists waiting to enter the Cathedral. The line was moving fast and in five minutes we were inside Notre Dame looking at the soaring nave and admiring the light filtering through the South Rose window. Norte Dame (Our Lady) Cathedral building began in 1163 on the site of a Roman temple. The Cathedral has been witness to many important events of the French history such as coronation of Napoleon Bonaparte. With continuous stream of tourists pushing us forward, the cathedral visit did not last long. Outside the Cathedral there was a longer line to visit the Cathedral towers. We decided to skip the towers for the time being. Our next stop was Saint Chappelle Cathedral. To get into Saint Chappelle,  we had to pass through a metal detector. Saint Chappelle was a smaller church but more ornate than Notre Dame. The Justice Palace "Palais de Justice"  was just behind the church. We were hoping to see an actual trial going on in the building but there was none conducted. We still enjoyed wandering in the halls. The Conciergerie was just around the corner. We used our Museum Cards to get in. The Conciergerie, currently part of Palais De Justice, is best known as the prison that housed over 4000 prisoners  during the French Revolution. Many of those prisoners, including the Revolutionary leaders, were kept there on the way to the guillotine. We visited the rebuilt cell where Marie Antoinette stayed before her execution. We were under the impression that we would be able to see a Guillotine. There was none on display at the Conciergerie. By then we were hungry, so we followed our tour book advise to eat at the top of the Samaritaine stores. The view from top of Samaritaine building was fantastic. It was clear day. We managed to see as far as Scare Coeur and Arch de La Defence. The food at Samaritaine was not impressive. The restaurant was out of most entrees. We settled on French fries, salad and two hardly-cold Cokes for 150FF (1$=7FF). We walked along the right bank of the Seine until we reached Musee Du Louvre (the Louvre Museum).There was a long line for tickets. We were so pleased to avoid waiting in line, thanks to our museum cards. The Louvre is considered the largest museum in the world. The building was started as a fortress. Francois I replaced it with a Renaissance style building. Other Kings and emperors contributed to the present building. We started at the Sully Wing. We browsed through the Egyptian and Greek sections. Then we headed toward the Denon Wing to have a look at the Monalisa. Droves of tourists were rolling down the hallways, climbing the stairs, and over crowding every piece of art. Few looked like people who really appreciated the art. Most were just wandering with a camera taking pictures right and left. The Monalisa was one of the few paintings protected by a thick glass. A thicker wall of human bodies was surrounding that glass caged painting. We got to glance for few seconds at the famous Da Vinci work and managed to escape from being surrounded by the next wave of tourists. At the African Art section the crowd was more tolerable. So we took our time strolling among the mostly wood carving art pieces. We left the Louvre for a short break at Le Jardin De Carrousel (Carrousel Garden). We wanted to sit on the lawn but there was a sign not to do so. We took a couple of pictures by the Arch De Triumph De Carousel then bought two cones of Ice Cream. I got Pistachio and Mango flavors. Mary had Vanilla. After trying the three flavors, we both decided the Pistachio won. We re-entered the Louvre through the Richelieu Wing entrance. We visited the Islamic Art, Napoleon III Apartment,  Mesopotamia sculptures, then up toward the French painters section.  It was almost 6 PM. Our feet were hurting and our brains saturated with art. We left the Louvre and walked in the Jardin Des Tuileries toward Place De La Concorde. Close to the middle pond, we found two lounging chairs in a nice shady spot. Those chairs were so comfortable that we both fell asleep for almost an hour. Rested and relaxed but hungry, we studied our guide book for a restaurant recommendation. We decided to try La Comptoire de Sieptieme close by Eiffel tower. On the way to Concorde Metro Station, we stopped at Place De La Concorde to admire L'Oblisque (Obelisk) and the beautiful fountains. We took the Metro toward Ballard. La Comptoire de Sieptieme was located very close the exit of Ecole Militaire Station. The restaurant tables on the sidewalk were all full, so we were seated inside. The atmosphere was not as romantic as we had hoped. As usual, there was no non-smoking section and the clouds of cigarette smoke were floating everywhere in the crowded diner. The music was mostly loud hard rock. The waitress pointed to the menu. It was a scribble on a black board in a dark corner. I managed to decipher two of the five choices of entrees, Cote De Boeuf ( T-bone steak) and  Veau Au Citron (Lemon veal). I ordered the Steak and Mary ordered the Veal. We also ordered a bottle of the house white wine. The food portions were generous and the food itself was delicious. For dessert, we had Gateau Au Chocolat (Choclate cake) that was a good ending of the nice meal. The price of the meal was very reasonable and the service was good. By the time we finished our dinner, the place was totally full and the clouds of cigarette smoke were thicker. We decided to walk toward Eiffel Tower. We took Avenue De La Bourdonnais. Then walked through Parc Du Champs De Mars. It was almost 10 PM. We thought by now the crowd would have eased down at the Tower. We were wrong. The area under Eiffel Tower looked more like an ant colony. The line at the ticket counter extended for two hundred yards. We decided there was no guaranty that we would get tickets before the Tower closing time at 11 PM. We left and walked along Quai Branly to Bir Hakeim Metro Station. At the exit of Vaneau Station, there was a coin operated photo machine. We both crammed in the machine giggling. For 10FF we got a nice souvenir picture. Back in the hotel, the room was hot and stuffy. The Antiquated Air Conditioner was not enough to overcome the hot weather. We took shower and went to sleep hoping that our skin might have empathy with our exhausted bodies and shut down its heat sensors. Unfortunately our skin did not cooperate.  We tossed and swetted until the wee hours of the morning. Finally, I decided to open the windows to seek the help of the cool morning air.

DAY 4, PARIS,  POMPIDOU CENTER TO  EIFFEL TOWER
The morning cool air worked its magic on us. We slept all the way until 11 AM. It was too late to get breakfast at the hotel, so we decided to try the breakfast at neighborhood Brasserie. In the way, we bought a Paris map from the neighborhood Papetier "Cherche Midi-Presse".  We sat at one of the sidewalk table at "L'Horizon Brasserie". Ordered two complete breakfasts "Deaux Petit Dejeune Complet" . We got good coffee, orange juice, Baguette (bread),  and two sunnyside eggs topped with two slices of ham. We took the metro at the nearby "Saint Placide" to "Cité " Station. We were hoping the line to Note Dame Towers would be shorter. The line was not shorter. I was ready to give up on the towers but Mary was eager to climb the 350 steps so we got in line. This line was a lot slower than any other line. It took us around two hours in the blazing sun to reach the tower gate. We climbed the spiral stairs and exited into a patio on top of the Cathedral. We had  a fantastic view of Paris, the Seine, and Eiffel Tower. Most importantly, we got to meet up and close, the cathedral Gargoyles. We even managed to touch couple of them, the Thinking Ape and the Yawning Eagle. We visited the cathedral's bells then descended using the other tower stairs. After a short break to relief our knees from the 350 steps up and down, we crossed Pont D'Arcole toward Pompidou Center through Rue De Renard. The unique feature of Pompidou Center was its eccentric architecture. The bright color pipes and ducts surrounding the building gave us the impression that the building was turned inside out. We took the tube escalator toward the top floor. There was an exhibition for Picasso Sculpture. Since neither of us is a big fan of Picasso, we opted skip Picasso to spend some time in the center store. In the amphitheater of the Center " Place G. Pompidou", there were many street performers. We stood there for a while watching an English speaking standup comedian. We continued our walk through Les Halles Forum and visited Saint Eustach Cathedral. Our walk took us all the way to Pyramid Metro Station. During our walk we stopped at several Boulangeries and Pattisseries (Bakeries) to check if they had Choux A La Creme, our favorite French cake. None of the bakeries we visited had that cake. Some of them told us they only bake it on Sundays! Some others told us they only have in during winter. We concluded  that may be the US has more French cake variety than France does!.
Since we were planning to make a second attempt to climb Eiffel Tower, we decided to dine in the vicinity of the Tower. We took the Metro to La Tour-Maubourg via Opera Stations. Then walked up La Motte Picquet toward Avenue Bousquet. Café Le Bousquet was described in Rick Steve guide book as "Owned by the nicest guy in Paris". After trying the restaurant, we thought that the owner might be nice but for sure he did not hire nice waiters nor good cooks. The restaurant turned out to be a big disappointment. The waiter was rude and very unhelpful in explaining the daily special "Plat Du Jour ". We both ordered Soup D'Ognion (onion soup). Mary had Confit De Canard (baked duck) and I had Poulet Grillee A L'Ancienne (chicken). Both the entrees and the service were not great. We had to almost beg for water before getting some. From Le Bousquet we walked to Eiffel Tower. To get the full experience of climbing, we decided to take the stairs to the second floor then the elevator to the top. Climbing the 600 steps was exhausting and exhilarating at the same time. At the second floor we bought tickets to take the elevator to the top. The elevator was crowded but the view from the top was well worth the efforts. We stayed a short time cherishing the view. Paris was awash of moonlight. Several buildings and monuments were nicely illuminated. We spent delightful moments trying to identify those bundles of history and light. We took the sardine-packed elevator down. Alongside  the Seine,  we joined the crowd that was crawling toward Bir Hakeem Metro Station. From Bir Hakeem we caught what might had been the last metro to our hotel.

DAY 5, PARIS, LES INVALIDES, THE ARMY &, RODIN MUSEUMS
From our window, we could see puffy rain-clouds floating all over Paris. This morning, we decided to explore more of our neighborhood. We took Rue Cherche Midi toward Boulevard Montparnasse. Close to Place Du 18 Juin, we had some plain and almond filled croissants and some coffee in the Brioche Doree bakery. We walked around  Montparnasse Train Station to become acquainted with the location of Europecar where we should pick up our rental car in a few days. We window-shopped while waking down Montparnasse to Raspail Boulevard, then Rue De Rennes. At  Saint Placide Station, we took the Metro to Varenne Station to visit Les Invalides and Musee De L'Armee (Army Museum). Les Invalides is an impressive monument that houses the remain of Napoleon. The Armee museum houses a large collection of arms, armors, and uniforms. We exited toward La Place Des Invlides. We sat down to rest a little before heading to Musee Rodin. Musee Rodin houses a big collection of August Rodin sculptures and some of his friends' works. From Varenne Station we took the Metro to Charles-De-Gaulle Etoile Station. We took a few pictures around L'Arc De Triomphe then walked down Avenue De Champs-Elysees. We window-shopped all the way to Franklin Roosevelt Station. By then, the rain started pouring. We decided to seek shelter by taking the Metro to visit Opera Garnier. Unfortunately, by the time we reached the Opera,  its doors were close for the day. It was still raining, so we headed toward our hotel. On the way, we stopped by the Super-Marche (supermarket) and bought some water, juice, fruits, bread, and cheese. By the time we had a small snack in hotel, the rain had totally stopped. So we left to explore Saint Germain. When we reached Saint Germain Boulevard, it started raining again. This time the rain was a lot heavier. When our coat became saturated with water, we decided to seek shelter and  dinner at the first restaurant.  At Rue De Rennes there were few restaurants we picked Café Cassette. Café Cassette had limited menu, so we got a Saute Boeuf (Steak) for me and Filet Boeuf (Beef Stew) for Mary. Both meats were tough and not very tasty. After diner, the rain became lighter. Holding each other and enjoying the drizzling rain, we took our time walking to the hotel. The warm rain felt refreshing and romantic.  We were so busy talking and laughing. We did not realize that we were totally wet until we reached our hotel and noticed the puddle we generated waiting for the elevator. We spent the rest of the evening drying out, watching CNN and munching some of the fruit we bought at the supermarket.

DAY 6, PARIS, JARDIN DU LUXEMBOURG, INSTITUTE ARAB, ORSAY, SACRE COEUR
Thunder, lightning and rain were active during most of the night. The storm suddenly stopped with the first light. We had breakfast in "Le Chien Qui Fume Brasserie" (The Dog that Smokes Coffee-Shop) at the corner of Rue Cherche Midi and Boulevard Montparnasse. This time we ordered Omelet Forestier for me and Omelet Mixte for Mary in addition to the usual Café Au Lait, Baguette, and Croissant. The Omelets were good and the coffee was excellent. From Boulevard Montparnasse we took Rue Vaugirard all the way to the Luxuembourg Park "Jardin Du Luxembourg". We entered the fenced park from the doors at Rue Guynemer. We really enjoyed walking all around the park. We ended the walk in the park in front of the Luxembourg Palace "Palais De Luxembourg". Across from the Park at Boulevard Saint Michel, we came across a cyber-caffee. We got in and used their Internet access to check our email and send few email messages to family and friends. At the Luxembourg Station, we took the RER to Saint Michel Station then the Metro to Jussieu Station to visit The Arab World Institute "Institute De Monde Arab". We used our Carte Musee to get into the Institute. We strolled through an exhibit of archeological findings from Syria. We took the elevator to the top of the building. On the top we had a fantastic view of Paris, Notre Dame Cathedral, Ile Saint Louis, Pont De Sully, and the Seine River.
The rain restarted while we were buying some postcards from a bookstore in front of Madame Curie Mineral museum. We took the Metro to Saint Michel so we could catch the RER to Musee D'Orsay (Orsay Museum). The RER line to Orsay was out of service. We were directed to take a free replacement bus "BUS CASTOR" instead. We were happy to take the bus and enjoy the scenery instead of the underground RER. Orsay was originally a train station. Much of the original architecture was retained when it was converted into a museum during the seventies. Since its opening in 1986, Orsay has been devoted to the visual arts of the period between 1848 and 1914.  From Invalides Station, we took the Metro to Abbesses Station to visit Sacre Coeur. Next to Abbesses we rested a little in a small Boulangerie. We got coffee, Gateau Au Fromage (Cheesecake), and Noisette (Hazelnut) cake. The cake and coffee were just the fuel we needed to climb the steep hill toward Sacre Coeur. The area around Sacre Coeur was busy. Numerous restaurant, Crepe stands, Street Artists, Tourist shops, and of course very many tourists. Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart) Basilica was dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Christ. It was built to commemorate the humiliation of the French by the German in 1871 war.  We visited the Byzantine-looking church and the crypt then stood outside to admire the view of Paris after being washed clean with the heavy rain. The view was hazy but still magnificent. There was an old woman playing the accordion and singing. Her singing added more magic to the scenery. In the Place Du Tertre (Mound Square), we posed for a silhouette artist for souvenir from the area. Then we shopped  all the way toward Anvers Metro Station. We took the Metro to La Tour-Maubourg Station for dinner at Du Marche Brasserie. By coincidence, we sat next to an American family. They were, like us, residents of San Francisco Bay Area. We had a little conversation with them and exchanged tourists' tips. For dinner, I had Curried Lamb with rice. Mary had Cote de Beauf. The food was not that great but the service was excellent and prices were reasonable. In our way to the hotel, it started raining again. We spent the rest of the evening planning our route from the rental car to the hotel and packing our luggage in preparation for our trip around France that would start the next day.

DAY 7, TOUR DE FRANCE, NORMANDIE, MONT-SAINT-MICHEL
Our wake up call rang at 7:20. It was still raining but a lot lighter than yesterday. We walked to Gare (Station) Montparnasse to pick up our rental car at Europecar office. We had breakfast in a Brasserie at "Place Du 14 Juin".  It was Sunday. The area felt deserted when compared to the crowded plaza we had seen in the weekdays. It was very enjoyable to sit on a sidewalk table watching the rain drizzle slowly on the deserted plaza. The rental paperwork was not complicated. Our rental car turned out to be a navy blue Peugeot 306. The Peugeot was equipped with manual shift diesel engine, nice radio-cassette, and Air Conditioning. I took the driver seat and Mary spread her maps around the passenger seat. I had not driven a manual shift car for years but it did not take more than few traffic lights (and few ground gears) to get adjusted. It took me a lot longer to become adjusted the absence of power steering. At hotel Ferrandi, we loaded our suitcases and started our "Tour De France" at 11 AM. Mary's good directions guided us to the Freeway "Boulevard Peripherique" as if she lived all her life in Paris. Just before reaching Boulevard Peripherique, we stopped at a busy Boulangerie at Rue Lecourbe. We thought since it was Sunday may be that bakery had our Favorite "Choux A La Creme". Alas, once again we were disappointed. We still bought few pieces of, breads, quiche, and cakes for the road. From Boulevard Peripherique, we took the toll road A13 toward Rouen.  The weather improved a bit since we left Paris. Near Evreux, we left the freeway in favor of the country road D51. The drive across Normandie was great and not to be missed by any serious traveler. The view alternated between thick forest and lush green open space. Except of occasional Gladiolas fields, we saw few pieces of farmed land. We drove across many small towns and villages. Most of them looked like deserted towns. We came across many picnic areas on river sides, Parks, , and camping grounds. Almost every place was empty.  Even restaurants and gas stations along the road were mostly closed. Along France roads, there were many rest areas or pull out marked "P". However, those areas had no drinking water, no maps, and not even a coin operated toilette. Occasionally, we saw few people parked in those areas having a picnic. Most of the times, men stopped by those areas to relief themselves sometimes behind a tree but many times openly. We assumed women had to do the same thing using better camouflage than men. Our route to Mont-Saint-Michel took us through Vernouile. L'aigle, Ste Colombe, Argentan, La Fert Mace, Domfront, Barenton, Ducey, Pontaubault, and Pontorson. Most of the houses in those towns looked old but well kept. It seemed that red and pink Geranium flowers are popular throughout France but mostly in this region. You could see the flowers drooping down from almost every window in every house. In some towns the main streets and the houses around them, were edged by an impressive sequence of red and pink Geranium. The weather continued to cooperate until we passed a nice medieval town called Domfront. After that, we had to drive in the rain all the way to Pontorson. The rain was very heavy at times but the traffic was light and the roads were in excellent condition. Since we had a car we opted to reserved a room in hotel Montgomery in Pontorson away from the crowded and over priced Mont-Saint-Michel.  Potorson was a small town 10 KM from Mont-Saint-Michel. The building of Montgomery hotel was originally built in the 16th Century to be a house for General Montgomery. We arrived at Montgomery at 6:30 PM. Our room was spacious and tastefully decorated. After a little rest we drove to Mont-Saint-Michel. The rain stopped while we were approaching the island-town. Mont-Saint-Michel is one of the most enchanting sight to see in France. It is an island crowned with a fortified abbey at the area where the Couesnon River pours into the English channel. The Saint Michel Abbey looked unreal with the dark clouds background and the occasional ray of sun that managed to penetrate the clouds. It looked more like one of those renaissance big paintings we saw in the Louvre. We parked at the half full public parking and walked to the town. It was low tide so many people were waking on the muddy flats toward and from the island. We climbed up the steps of the fortress and walked around. Unfortunately it was late to take any of the group tours into the Abbey and around the fortress but the Church was opened. In the church, the candles' light and old paintings conveyed  a sense of meditation in almost every visitor except that small group of Italians. At the door of the church there was a human size statue of Jon of Arch. A member of the Italian group wanted his picture taken to show him foundling the breast of the statue! We spent the next two hours shopping in the town little tourist stores. The main specialties here were embroidery pieces, Calvados (An alcoholic beverage), and Bretagne cookies. Since our hotel restaurant closes at nine, we rushed back to the hotel so we could get dinner before they close. After being seated, we badly regretted not having time to change into better clothes that fit more with the upscale look of the restaurant. The decor in the restaurant was royal and the service was more royal. The light was dim. The flames of the candelabra on our table were dancing with the soft classical music in the background. We got Caviar as appetizer and I ordered Salade Oceanic, Grilled Salmon, and a Local dessert made of Ice cream, apple, and Calvados. Mary took Fish soup, Steak, and the same dessert. The wine was White Moscadet. The meal was great. Without contest this was our best and most romantic meal throughout France.
The comfortable bed in the room was all we needed after that breath taking but long drive, the unique medieval fortress, and the elegent dinner.

DAY 8, TOUR DE FRANCE, THE LOIRE VALLEY
The fragrant air coming from the window we left open, woke us up. After the generous buffet breakfast, we left Pontorson toward Angers by taking Road EO3 south. There was a drastic change in the weather overnight. It was sunny and hot. We started seeing more and more sunflower fields but still no real farmed land with farmers working. At a small town called Saint Brice-En-Cogles we stopped at a busy Boulangerie. Finally, we found some Choux A La Creme. At a cute town called Chateau Gontier, we were attracted to a very beautiful public park by the Mayenne River. We stopped to admire the very elaborate flower beds in the park. We also visited the tourist bureau nearby. The tourist bureau was actually a boat anchored in the river next to the Park. We got some very nice maps and brochures about the area. We continued on road N162 south. We reached Angers in mid-afternoon. Looking from the outside, Angers' castle did  not impress us. We also realized that if we visited the Castle we would have to miss the more impressive Saumur Chateau. So we decided to skip Angers. We reached Saumur around 5 PM. The directions to the Chateau were clearly marked. Chateau De Saumur was sitting high on hill towering Saumur and Loire River.  We bought entry tickets and joined the last group tour. The narration was in French but we were given English transcripts. We concluded our tour to Saumur Palace in the Horse Museum. The museum presented a history of horse related equipment. Horse saddles from around the world were elegantly displayed. From Saumur we continued on road N152 toward Onzain via Tours. Just few miles out of Saumur, we were dazzled by the way some houses were carved  in the limestone cliffs. The houses (Troglodyte Dwellings)  were cut out of the cliff-faces or dug underground. Some of those dwellings were still used as houses. Some others were used as wine caves with sign inviting travelers for wine testing "Degustation". Few miles before Tours, the sunflower and Gladiolas fields disappeared to be replaced by vineyards. We reached Onzain by 9 PM. The town looked totally asleep. Our hotel "Chateau Des Tertres" was not easy to find even with the help of the direction signs that were sprinkled across the town. Finally, we were at the gate of fenced hill. On top of the hill there was an impressive nineteenth Century Chateau. A small sign at the gate indicated that it was our hotel. The hotel staff advised us that we did not have time to rest if we want to eat dinner . The hotel did not have a restaurant and the neighborhood restaurants closed at nine. She volunteered to call a couple of restaurants. One of them "L'Auberge Du Moulin A Vent" agreed to wait for us while we drove to it.  There were few couples still eating in the Auberge Restaurant. I ordered a cocktail de Crudits, Cote D'Agneu (Lamb dish), and Mouse Au Chocolate for dessert. Mary ordered  salad, Blankette De Veau a L'Ancienne (Veal), and IIe Floatant for dessert. To drink we had  a local white wine "Valancay". The food was excellent. The service was superb and the price was just right. We mainly enjoyed the authentic and family ambiance of the restaurant.
By the time we got back to the hotel, the staff were asleep. We understood why this was the only hotel in France that let you take the room and the front door keys with you. Our room had no television, but who need television to spoil the complete silence of the area. We opened the window to get fresh air. We fall asleep shortly while listening to the night sounds.

DAY 9, TOUR DE FRANCE, CHENENCEAU, CHAMBORD
In early morning we had a wake up call from an unexpected source, the neighborhood roosters. I opened the window shades and stood there for a while meditating on the vast green open space. Except for the roosters' crowing, it was very quite and serene. Shortly, whiffs of fresh baked pastries started replacing the rustic morning fragrance. It was the breakfast getting ready downstairs. The hot croissant aroma was hard to resist, so we hurried down to the breakfast room. It was an elegant room with antique tables and chairs. The tables were covered with clean white linen. In the middle of the room there was a big buffet table with a variety of cheeses, fruits, jams, puddings, and fruit juices. The waitress brought us coffee, warm milk, bread, and several steaming croissants. We sat next to a window overseeing the vast green fields. It was a great breakfast and superb view. We were so taking by the view that we went out and lounged in the reclining chairs in the front yard. It was so relaxing that we could have stayed there for the whole day. Reluctantly, we left to start our exploration of the area famous Chateaux (palaces). The trip to Chateau Chenenceau was short. The line to buy  tickets was short. In no time we were crossing the bridges over the two moats surrounding the palace.  Chenenceau is a great Chateau to visit. It is magnificent from the outside and the inside. In each of the palace rooms there was an elegant flower arrangement. The flowers added more magic to the palace tour. Chenenceau was created from the Renaissance onward by a series of aristocratic women. Its history stretched to 1512 when Catherine Briconnet rebuild the medieval building into Renaissance style Chateau. In 1533, Chenenceau became a Loire Royal Palace for Henri II and his wife Catherine de Medici. In 1547, Henri II gave Chenenceau to his mistress Diane de Poitier. In 1559 upon Henri's death, the wife Catherine forced Diane to leave Chenenceau in exchange for Chateau Chaumont. Louise Lorraine inherited  Chenenceau in 1590. In 1789, Madame Dupin saved the Chateau during the French Revolution by turning it into a hospital. In 1863, Madame Pelouze restored Chenenceau to its original state.  In 1913 the palace was bought by the Menier family who still own it until today.  We concluded our visit to Chenenceau in the cool cellars where we sampled a couple of local wines.
It took us a lot longer to drive to Chateau De Chambord. Chambord parking lot was very crowded. To avoid the crowd, we decided to get lunch hoping the crowd would ease down by the time we finished. We had a Steak Hache, Fries, and soft drinks in the outdoor Café in front of the palace. By the time we finished, the line for tickets almost disappeared. Chambord was a lot larger than Chenenceau. Chambord was originally built as a simple hunting lodge for the Blois counts. In 1519, the current palace was started under the order of Francois I according to a design that was probably initiated by Leonardo Da Vinci . The Chateau was completed by Louis XIV in 1685.  We finished our visit to Chambord just in time to attend the Horse Show in the Chateau grounds. The performers  presented synopsis of France history through a sequence of elaborate horse riding shows. It was beautiful and interesting performance.
From Chambord we drove directly to Blois. We thought we were lucky to find street parking in the crowded center of the town. We realized later that the only reason we found parking was that the stores were about to close in fifteen minutes. We wanted to shop but at exactly seven O'clock, practically every store in town had closed. We walked a little bit in Old Blois, sat a little in a park, then headed to the car. Before leaving, we sampled some Egg Rolls from a fast food Chinese restaurant. We had chicken and shrimp rolls. Both tasted the same and none contained any traces of shrimp or chicken.
We did not reach the hotel until almost nine. We forgot that the area's restaurants close early. Again we solicited the help of the hotel staff to find an open restaurant. We had to drive around 10 Km toward Amboise, to reach "L'Auberge de Lunay". At Lunay we were seated away from the other customers probably because we were in blue jeans and T shirts.. Generally the food was not that great and overpriced. We really regretted not returning for an encore at last night restaurant "L'Auberge Du Moulin A Vent".  It was late so we headed back to the hotel.

DAY 10, TOUR DE FRANCE, BOURG-EN-BRESSE
We woke up later than we hoped. Somehow we got used to the roosters' crowing. At 11 AM, we started our trip toward Boug-En-Bresse. As usual, we opted for the scenic route. We took road  D764 to catch highway N76. Our plan was to drive through Bourge, Nevers, Macon, then Bourg-En-Bresse where we had a reservation in Hotel Le France. Close to Bourge, there were many Porcelain outlets. We stopped at a couple and bought few gifts. Just before Nevers we stopped at a local bakery. We got some excellent quiches, Eclair, and Foret Noire Cake. After crossing a small Dutch town with Windmills and Clogs, we realized that we made a wrong turn and ended up going toward Beaune instead of Macon. It was too late to go back so we decided to reach Bourg-En-Bresse via Chalon-Sur-Saone. It was longer route but shorter than trying to trace back our mistake.  Our guide books described Bourg-En-Bresse as the home of "Bresse" Chickens. We were anxious to see how those chickens might look like. Unfortunately, the only chicken we saw was a big metal statue of chicken just before reaching Bourg-En-Bresse. We reached Bourg-En-Bresse at 7.30 PM. The town was a lot bigger than we expected. We had a hard time finding Hotel De France. We drove in circles few times around downtown for more than hour. By luck only , we reached our hotel. There was plenty of free overnight parking on the street. So we left the car parked on the street. Our room was on the first floor. The hotel staff advised us that the elevator does not stop at the first floor, so we had to take our luggage to the second floor and take the stairs down! The room was spacious but real hot. We searched frantically for the thermostat to turn on the Air Conditioner. There was none. We did not panic. We thought the room huge windows would bring enough cool air. We opened the windows. Some air started getting into the room. Looking from the windows we saw that we were exactly on top of the hotel outdoor restaurant which overlooked the huge public parking lot. We could actually not only hear the road noise and the loud chiming of the church clock but also the conversation of the restaurant customers. We still managed to stay optimistic hoping the noise would fade down as the evening passed by. We walked around until we saw an Algerian restaurant "Le Cordelier" in a small quite plaza. At Le Cordelier, the food smelled good and the price seemed right so we sat down and order the plate of the day "Tajin Chicken" with salad and some house wine. The food was great, the wine was smooth, and the dessert ice cream was delicious. We walked back to the hotel. The room was still hot. While the church clock stopped chiming, new noises were added throughout the night. Street-sweepers, garbage trucks, water pipe noise, toilet flushing upstairs, and an early morning construction crew in the nearby building.

DAY 11, TOUR DE FRANCE, THE ALPS
We woke up exhausted. After yesterday long drive, we badly needed a good night sleep. The hot and noisy room in De France was not the place to be after such a trip. We dragged ourselves into the breakfast room that was real warm although it was only 8 AM. Luckily the buffet breakfast was good. For the first time during our trip, eggs were offered as part of the standard breakfast. Oh well, we were in the chicken town after all. Before leaving Bourg-En-Bresse we visited the Abbey Church and Museum of Brou. By 10 AM, we were on D979 Road toward Chamonix the heart of the Alps. We started climbing the mountain shortly after leaving Bourg-En-Bresse. The traffic was light. The fresh air and the views of the green hills reduced most of the tension we felt after the bad night sleep. Corn, apple, and pear fields were stretching along the two sides of the road. Checking our map after a while, we realized that we were making slow progress toward reaching our destination. We wanted to reach Chamonix as early as possible before the clouds crawl into the area and make it harder to enjoy the view from the top of the mountain. Every now and then we drove by or under A40 freeway. A40 was impressive structure in that rugged mountainous terrain. One cannot help it but admire the hard work that went in taming the sharp slopes or raising  of the very high bridges that carried the freeway from mountain to mountain. Approaching Annemasse, we decided it was time to use the freeway to try to catch up with our schedule. We left N206 and took Autoroute A40 . Driving on A40 at 130 km/hr allowed us to reach Chamonix at around 1 PM. After stopping at the last toll booth, the majestic Mont Blanc appeared at the end of the freeway stretch. It was breath taking view. Mount Blanc was standing there in eternal silence. The snow caps of Mount Blanc and his brethren smaller mountains, were carelessly challenging August's blazing sun.  A40 turned into N205 which lead us directly to the crowded parking lot of the Aiguile De Midi Telepherique (gondola). The line to buy tickets was long. We got to the ticket-window by 2 PM and the earliest ride we managed to get was at 4 PM . The return time would vary according to the crowd on top and to the number of tourists coming from the Italian side of the Alps. Instead of waiting for 2 hours, we browsed through the  few tourist stores in Chamonix. At four o'clock, we stood in line waiting for the descending Gondolas. Only then we realized that the ride to the summit would not be what we dreamt of. Unlike our aspirations, there was no cute gondola with comfortable seats where we could sit together, hold hands, breathe the mountain fresh air, watch the people on the ground getting smaller, the summit larger, and the eagles closer. None of that existed at the L'Aguile De Midi Telepherique. We were packed like Sardines in a tin can. The gondola was merely a 10 by 20 feet box with no seats or even enough handles to hold on. In that box they squeezed us with probably more than fifty other tourists. We were lucky since we got squeezed toward the dirty windows. We managed to get a partial view using our peripheral vision to the maximum. Some other tourists were not as lucky as us. They had to  admire the hair line at the necks of other tourists. From a business prospective the smell in that cabin proved to us that we should invest in antiperspirant /deodorant companies because there was a definite shortage of this product in Europe. Half way to the summit we had to change the gondola and wait in another line. At the top we were given tickets indicating that the earliest we can descend back was 6.30. We did not mind spending the next two hours enjoying the view and the fresh cold air. To get to summit we had to climb steep stairs. By the time we reached the top of the stairs, I was totally exhausted and felt dizzy. I knew it was the effect of the thin air at 3842 meter (12000Ft) elevation. I lay down on a bench to let the blood flow to my head. Feeling better, we walked around enjoying the breathtaking view. The fresh air and scenery diminished the inconvenience of the summit transportation. We were trying to identify the road we drove on when a couple of tourists stood by us. In no time they lighted their cigarettes and produced a thick cloud of smoke. The cloud of smoke rode the wind to crash right in our faces. The smoke immediately trigger an asthma attack for Mary. Frantically, we tried to find Mary's inhaler. Mary's inhaler was not in her shirt pocket where she usually put it. It seemed the inhaler was pushed out of her pocket during one of those line squeezes. I ran to the lift staff and explained the situation hoping that they might have some emergency supplies for such a case. The staff coldly informed me that they had nothing. One staff coldly told us that he would not let us skip the line to take the next lift but he would not force us to wait two hours for our scheduled descend time. During what seemed like eternity waiting for the next lift and descending down to the car, Mary showed a lot of courage and mind control over her physical conditions. Finally we reached our car where a few breaths of the spare inhaler allowed Mary to calm down so we could continue our trip toward Annecy. This time we did not take the scenic route. Instead we took the tool freeway A40 then A41 all the way to Annecy. In less than two hours, we were trying to find our hotel in crowded Annecy. Throughout our trip in France, we were wondering where were all the French people. Most of the towns we crossed felt empty. Annecy gave us the answer "They are all here!". The traffic here was a mess of cars, bikes, and pedestrians. Every inch of Annecy lake beaches was occupied by a towel, an umbrella, or a baked human body. Driving and finding our hotel among the crowd was a real challenge. Eventually, after two hours of stop and go, we managed to see a sign that guided us to our hotel Les Tresoms in the outskirts of Annecy. The hotel manager told us that we needed to make a reservation for the hotel restaurant because she only had a couple of available tables. A quick glance at the restaurant proved she was trying to promote an almost empty overpriced restaurant. Some of the hotel's rooms had a fantastic view of lake Annecy. Our room was on the opposite side with no view. The room was really hot and poorly decorated. The  television did not work. There was no air conditioning. The bathroom was not as clean as all the other hotels we had been to.  We opened the windows but no air managed to get in since our room faced the mountain steep slope. We drove our car to the old town "Vielle Ville". Miraculously, we managed to find a parking spot. We parked in an area marked no parking but the area was totally full of parked cars. We enjoyed a slow strolling along the canals' banks and watching the swans floating by. Unlike Venice, the canals in Annecy were artificial. Still those canals added a lot of romance to the crowded town. For dinner, there were too many restaurants to choose from. Most of them serve the local Fondue entree. We choose not to try the Fondue and stick with something more hearty. We sat at a table overseeing the canals in Saint Francois restaurant. The restaurant, like all others, was crowded. The service was extremely slow and the food mediocre. However, siting by the canal watching the swans swimming and picking on what the tourists throw at them compensated for the bad food and service. Back in the room, we had a hard time sleeping. The room was hot and stuffy. The noises from the cars, the hotel owner's dogs barking at every comer, and the hotel staff fighting in kitchen while cleaning dishes, kept us awake most of the night.

DAY 12, TOUR DE FRANCE, LYON
We had a real bad night sleep. That was the second night in a row. A quick look at meager leftover of the breakfast buffet convinced us to skip breakfast too. We took Road N201 toward Lyon, our final destination for this leg of the trip. After a while we got impatient with the slow traffic so we took the toll freeway A41. Just before Lyon, we exited A41 to have lunch. In a small town called "Saint Bonat De Mur", we stopped at a nice bakery. We had chicken sandwich, croissant, quiche, two cakes, and two cups of coffee. We continued toward Lyon using Road N6. Suddenly we were in huge residential area. There was a lot of road constructions in that area and all over Lyon. Most signs were removed and replaced with "Deviation" (detour) signs that were hard to follow. In short, we got lost for almost an hour. Finally, we managed to catch A41 that took us all the way to the town center. Finding our hotel was a lot harder than we thought. Lyon traffic was real heavy. Most of the roads were one way, so if one took the wrong direction there was no easy way to make a correction. Again, we got lost for almost another hour. Feeling frustrated, we decided to continue the search on foot. Since it was impossible to park anywhere, we left the car in an expensive public parking next to the Saone River. Luckily, there was a big map of the area in the nearby bus station. We were very happy when we realized we were only a couple of blocks away from the hotel. The weather was very hot. We reached Carlton Hotel shortly. The hotel receptionist advised us to leave the car where we parked since there was no free parking around the hotel. Our room in the hotel was excellent. We were very happy to feel the cold air flowing from the whispering Air Conditioner. Our room was on the fifth floor and it had a fantastic view of Rue de la Republic and old Lyon. After a small rest, we left to shop starting at the elegant department store "Printemps". We were surprised to see how much American label clothes they carried such as Polo, Docker, Levi's, Timberland ...etc.  Prices are comparable to the United States. In Lyon, we somehow lost some of our appetite to visit historic places. We took some pictures from far away of the Basilique Notre Dame De Fouvrviere and Le Tour Metalilique. We spent all afternoon shopping in the vicinity of Rue De La Republic between the Rhone and the Saone Rivers. In the evening, we wanted to find a restaurant that serves a traditional French dish called "Coq Au Vin" ( Rooster in Wine). Since we reached France and at every restaurant, we tried to find it. None of the restaurants offered it. This time we decided to be bold and ask a restaurant owner if he could prepare it or advise about who would. We were told that few restaurants prepare that dish in summer. We were advised that our best bet would be one of the oldest restaurant in Lyon, Brasserie Georges. We asked several people for directions before we finally reached Brasserie Georges next to Gare Parrache. By the time we arrived there we were exhausted and sweaty. Brasserie Georges was an elegant eatery but when we asked to be seated in the Air Conditioning section, the waitress looked at us as we were two aliens from Mars. There was no air conditioning anywhere in the restaurant. It was very hot, so we asked to be seated in the outdoor section. Looking at the menu, we realized that all that walk in the heat was for nothing because Brasserie Georges did not serve Coq Au Vin in summer. We had to settle with for 100 FF "Formule" (Value meal). The meal included spinach salad, Poulet Lyonaise with Broccoli flan, and pistachio ice cream for dessert. After dinner, we walked along the Saone river bank to pick our car. The weather cooled down. It was a very soothing walk. Quite a few people were still strolling in the area. Many couples were like us enjoying the reflection of the moon light on the water. We drove the car to the hotel to unload the luggage. Then tried to get in Republic Public Parking next to the Carlton but it was full. We found an empty metered parking space in the street behind the Carlton.  Luckily we did not have to feed coins to the meter until 9 AM the next morning. So we left the car there knowing that we would be leaving before nine. We walked back to Rue De La Republic. Although most stores were closed the road was still full of people cruising up and down the street. We sat on a bench watching the crowd until midnight. By then we our eyes refused to stay open so we dragged our exhausted bodies to the our cool room in the Carlton.

DAY 13, TRAIN TRIP TO PARIS
This time we had a very comfortable night sleep. The Carlton was just the hotel we needed to restore our faith in the French hotels, especially after the bad experiences in De France and Les Tresoms. The room was reasonably spacious. The air conditioning kept the room cool in an extremely hot night. The double glass windows kept the street noise away. The staff of the Carlton were the most friendly and helpful among all the hotel we had been in. Using perfect English and wide smile, they helped with the luggage and gave us maps and directions. We would recommend the Carlton for anyone with a taste for luxury at a very reasonable price. We had to skip breakfast so we could catch the 10 AM train for Paris. Returning our rental car at Gare Part Dieu Europecar was quick and strait forward. We bought two tickets on the 10 AM TGV "Trains a Grande Vitesse" (High Speed Train) to Paris for 700FF. We had only few minutes to drag the luggage to the platform.  We were seated in the second floor of the train next to two men that seemed to be eastern Europeans. The potent sweat smell from the two men attached itself to every single molecule of the hot air in the cabin. At that moment we realized it would have been worth it to pay the extra 500 FF for seats in the first class.  When the train reached its maximum speed a stream of air started flowing and reducing the intoxicating effect of the smell. Luckily, considering the distance between Lyon and Paris,  the high speed TGV turned what would have been a long term exposure to toxic fumes into a more tolerable two hour  trip.
The TGV reached Gare De Lyon in Paris around noon. We dropped our luggage in Hotel Ferrandi, rested a little, and off we went to get some lunch. Our selection for lunch was a North African fast food restaurant called Gyro King in Place De 14 Juin. We got the 30 FF value meal that was composed of Gyro Sandwich with cheese sauce, French Fries, and Soda. The meal was excellent and very filling. At the nearby Lafayette store we shopped for a while. We strolled down Montparnasse Boulevard then Rue Raspail to catch the Metro at Rennes Station. We continued our shopping spree in the Samaritaine. Samaritaine is one of the oldest stores in Paris. It was seven floors full with all kinds of goods that ranged from home improvement to fruits and vegetable. Our aimless walk took us through Rue Rivoli toward La Bastille. At the Corner of Rue Caron and Rue D'Ormeson, we noticed that Marais Ste Catherine restaurant  is serving our long sought dish Coq Au Vin. With little hesitation we got in an ordered their value meal that came with Salad for me and Soup D'Ognion( onion soup)for Mary, Coq Au Vin, and Mouse Au Chocolat. For wine we got a carafe of the house white wine. The Atmosphere was great but the food was hardly passable. All in all this restaurant would not make it on our recommendation list even though it was mentioned favorably in several guide books. After dinner we had a mini walking tour in the Marais district before taking the metro to have a look at the famous Moulin Rouge in the Pigalle district. We felt uncomfortable walking in front of all those sex stores so we took the metro back to the hotel.

DAY 14, PARIS, VERSAILLE
At 9 AM we were having the usual Feranndi's Breakfast. Since most stores were closed on Sunday, we decided to use our last day to visit Chateau Versailles. On Sunday, the metros were a lot less frequent than during weekdays. It took us a while to reach Juval Station where we were going to take the RER to Versailles. Because of mechanical problems, we waited for the RER train more than an hour. The trip to Versailles Station was short. From the station we took a bus to the palace. At Versailles, there were three types of tours to choose from; the main building, the Kings Apartment, and the Gardens. Of course we choose the main building or the one with the longest line. It took us almost an hour to get in. The Chateau was totally full of tourists. It was very hard to stop for a moment to admire a nice statue or an attractive painting. There were too many guided tourist groups moving all over the place. A one stage, three groups were competing for the limited space of one room. We were squeezed in the middle listening to  narration in three different languages.  None of them was English. Versailles was a fantastic Chateau but it was really hard to feel the grandiose of this monument for two reasons. First, there was an amazing number of tourists in the place. Second, the urine stench that was coming from the wall and the floor of the palace. We were told that in spite of all the luxury furniture and the royal inhabitants of the Chateau the palace did not have running water toilettes. So the royal inhabitants and their servers used to dispose of their bodily fluids everywhere!!. The Palace smelled even worse in the old days.  Throughout the years the urine smell stuck to the building in spite of the enormous efforts to clean it. Passing through the Mirrors Hall, we got a glance at the King Apartment. From the windows of the second flood we had an eagle's eye look at the vast manicured Gardens. By the time we finished visiting the main building, the rain started to fall. Just few moments later, the rain intensified. We took shelter in the nearby McDonald. While weathering the storm, we had a taste of the French style Big Mac. Off course there was nothing French about that meal except having to drink the soda without ice. The storm calmed down a bit so we ran to the RER Station and took the train to Paris. When we reached Le Quartier Latin (Latin Quarter) the rain had stopped totally. We started our walk from Saint Michel Metro Station to St. Jullien Le pauvre Square, up Rue Monge, then right into Rue Censier. From Saint Medard Church, we heard the organ playing during Sunday service. We got in and sat for a taste of the French spirituality. At Rue Mouffetard we rested at an outdoor table of a small café. The Latin Quarter was not as crowded as we thought it would be. We continued our walk up Rue Mouffetard to the Pantheon. There were several Greek restaurants in Mouffetard but there were even more around Rue Huchette. Smelling the Greek food and hearing the restaurants' patrons soliciting customers evoked many memories from our Greece trip. For moments we felt we were in Athens instead of Paris. We shopped for souvenirs at the numerous souvenir shops between Saint Michel and Centre Pompidou. Meanwhile we were debating which restaurant would be the most qualified to offer "a dinner to remember" in our last evening In Paris. The winner was "Le comptoire de Seiptieme" near Eiffel Tower. It was 10 PM by the time we reach the restaurant. We were lucky to find an outdoor table. Unfortunately, we were served by the rudest waitress we had to encounter in France. First, she ignored us for fifteen minutes while serving other people who came after us. She finally came and sarcastically said "I know you are the type that requires a menu". She pointed her finger to a board on the side walk. She said "This is your menu, but we are out of most of what in the menu". She quickly pointed to a couple of entrees that were still available and left. When she came back we tried to asked her for information about what was available. She angrily replied "Look, I am really busy and I don't have time for that. Why don't you take some steak?"  Two customers in the next table volunteered to explain to us what type of steak she was talking about. We ended up taking the steak. The steak was tender but reminded us of the steak a cave dweller would have eaten. The steak was merely a lightly burned piece of meat with no trace of spices, sauce, or even a parsley branch to garnish. We dared to ask for water and butter for the bread. She lashed on us, "I will bring water. Butter! We do not serve". Of course we knew she was lying because last time we eat here we asked for butter and got some. We swallowed our food then gathered a lot of courage and ordered Profiterate for dessert. The waitress almost threw the dessert on the table then brought us a bill soaked with coffee. She said smirking, "Just a little accident". We paid the bill and headed to the hotel. We needed a memorable!. We did indeed get one, but not the nice romantic one we hoped for.

DAY 15, PARIS, GOOD BYE
Getting our wake up call an hour earlier than we requested, allowed us to finish packing and still have time for a final breakfast at Ferrandi. The hotel staff arranged for a Taxi to take us to Charles De Gaulle Airport. The taxi gave us a memorable last souvenir by driving through downtown Paris. The trip to the airport took 50 minutes and cost 250 FF. At the airport's candy stand, we exchanged all the French coins left in our pocket for chips and chocolate. We were short one Francs but the salesman was very nice. He said with a big smile "It is OK, I do not need the franc and here is 10 centieme as souvenir from France"
We badly needed this symbolic dose of kindness to forget about yesterday dose of rudeness. For the candy salesman on duty on 8/28/2000 at Satellite One, terminal 1, Charles Du Gaulle Airport "THANK YOU. YOU MADE OUR DAY"