Pam Ewing - please enlighten me as to where I tried to discourage the OP from using the Eurostar? I'm happy to recommend it to fellow travellers having used it probably dozens of times more that you have. I just wouldn't built it up as a major sightseeing opportunity.

Gordon, are you kidding me? RE-READ YOUR OWN POST and LET IT GO ALREADY!

I would indeed suggest that seeing any French countryside will be a major sightseeing opportunity for the traveler who then may only see Paris. We have to put ourselves in the eyes of a novice traveler and what they may think. The first time in went to Europe i landed in Luxembourg and my first train trip was to Paris, thru the same northern France that has been lampooned here as almost ugly - i still remember the beauty that i saw in France and its many villages on that train ride. If i were to take the same ride today i would no doubt be more blase. I would have seen nothing by flying to Paris from Luxembourg.

PamEwing: You do tend to glom on to one or two phrases and then totally overreact. Please re-read what Gordon wrote. He absolutely DID NOT try to convince the OP not to take the Eurostar. He disagreed w/ you about the scenery (he is right IMHO) but never once suggested not taking the train.

Just like on the thread where I asked "What are you on about?" and you mistook that to mean something else (that you are high on drugs) and threatened to report me to the editors!

Many of us have different opinions and more/less experience in the places discussed and you simply can't jump every time someone disagrees w/ you. Chill and quit taking everything as a personal offense.

Hi; Is there any reason for 'sololili' to return to this Post. It's ALL about just a few peoples disagreement on a very simple matter. Dick

Janisj: Your posts speak for themselves, so take your own advice because I'm sure we would all appreciate it.

"I take exception with Janis about the almost ugly scenery -"

hmmm -- Gordon_R said it first but you only object to me saying it -- very interesting . . . :?

Oh - I get it now> Janis said in a retort above

then now she posts:

<Many of us have different opinions and more/less experience in the places discussed and you simply can't jump every time someone disagrees w/ you. Chill and quit taking everything as a personal offense.>

no comment needed

Pam, Janisj and Gordon. Can we get you to meet for a 'beer' somewhere. Perhaps the White House. Dick

I do agree with Gordon about the scenery being pedestrian at best - my only disagreement with this is that we should put ourselves in the seats of first-time travelers who are not so jaded. same IMO for the usual 'if you don't have five weeks in Paris it's not worth going' stuff we often advise - again forgetting what it was for use when we went to Europe for the very first time.

Iris, make it a pina colada and I'll be there!