Thanks Nikki!
I'm thinking of "bon sang, or purée!" in French, but I'll keep searching..:-)

Internet cafes in large cities often have a couple of terminals with QUERTY keyboards instead of whatever the usual is for that locale (if you think French is bad, try German). Try asking for one next time. You can also "re-map" the keyboard if need be.

And skirt steak would likely appear on a menu as "bavette" (though the term could also be used for a flank steak). The Quebecois "grand dictionnaire terminologique) lists "biftek de hampe" as a precise translation, but that may only be the case in Quebec. The cut of meat is actually from the diaphragm of the cow, the diaphragm being the band of muscle and connective tissue that separates the thoracic and abdominal cavities and helps you breathe.

Coco~

I could swear I posted a reply to you, but I don't see it! We did consider Dijon, but as you'll see in the continuing report, things have a way of not working out to my plans. :D

As for the "egads" - prior posting is correct - it is my term for "ohmygosh"!

And to all - the skirt steak - it wasn't *my* word - it was what was actually printed on the menu! I have no idea where a cow wears her skirt, either!!! :)

Day 9 - Ready to Take the Plunge!

Armed with a fresh breath of confidence, we headed out this morning toward Gare Montparnasse with our list of places to travel with our France Rail Pass, this time *determined* that we would be successful. Delightfully, the open air market was set up along Edgar Quinet, so we strolled through the center and enjoyed the jewelry, food and clothing articles available for purchase. At the end of the block, we went into Inno for "food to go" - Kristen getting loaves of the small bread she is so fond of, and I getting a baguette with ham, cheese, lettuce and tomato (by the way, I did not realize at the time you need to ask for mayonnaise, so it was a bit dry).

We entered the station and headed to the second floor. What a relief! No indoor rain today! We made it to the first window we saw with an English-speaking attendant (a British flag is posted as a sign of this), found out we were in the wrong area for the use of Rail Passes, and were directed to the appropriate area, a glassed in room at the end of the 2nd floor.

Wondering about my Communication Skills.....

I pulled out my index card on which I had printed the names of the four destinations of choice, as well as the rail passes. The kind lady was a bit confused as to what we wanted to do - after all, there were *four* destinations, and we could not go to four places at once. She explained that three of our destinations did not require reservations - we simply got on the appropriate train (what she didn't understand was we did not know HOW to find the appropriate train). Anyway, we settled on Lyon - which does require a reservation - and she told us the first train was around 1 pm. That would be fine - approximately an hour. I explained we would need return ticket reservations as well, and she asked at what time... About 5 pm, I said, as it sounded good to me, and would get us home after dark but in time to get enough sleep for the London trip tomorrow. "Only two hours in Lyon???," she asked. Ummm... maybe not.

Finally she offered the information that the only direct train from Gare Montparnasse on our list was the one to Chartres. The trip was only 1 hour and 11 minutes, so we would have a decent amount of time to look around. Great! She told us we did not need reservations - simply a validated rail pass. Ohmygosh. Ok, "Where," I asked, "do we get the passes validated???"

"Here," she said (as I wondered why it was so difficult to accomplish such a simple task). She validated my ticket after checking it against my passport, and tried to send us on our way. Errr... I pointed to Kristen's ticket and passport, still laying untouched before her. Ooops. She validated that one, too. When I asked where to go, she instructed (more with gestures than English) out the doors, down a ways, and to the left. I asked again, wanting something more specific, but that was the best we could get.

We went through the doors, down a ways, and stopped some people for help (they had on some type uniform - it LOOKED promising!). Again, they did not really speak english. The gentleman led us to an information office, and he queried the attendant. As we understood, we were to take the train that would leave from a gate between numbers 18 and 22, but we would have to wait to find out which. After one has experienced the entire event, the instructions become *very* clear. For a first-timer, however, everything was extremely vague and somewhat frightening. Bottom line: the train is at a gate that is determined close to the last minute - not known ahead of time, so you simply must wait until the gate is posted.

Chartres - such Beauty!

The ride was great - the train very similar to the RER lines but a bit faster and a very wee bit more "posh" (the seats were uphostered, but not padded, as opposed to the plastic/leather in the RER line). We arrived in Chartres and headed out into the town.

The Notre-Dame de Chartres was visible from the station, so it was simply a matter of "look up and find where it is and walk in that direction," which we did. Inside the cathedral, Kristen and I were both in awe. Mind you, I've only been inside one Catholic church, and that was on my trip to Yale; that one paled in comparison. I took countless photos, but did not use a flash, and sadly, most of my photos were not good (good enough to show family, but not good enough for much else). We must have spent an hour inside, walking and looking, walking and sitting, and then walking and looking some more.

We were so fortunate when we left, as we took a great path into a shopping district. We stopped at a Pizzeria, La Roma Nostra, for lunch. Kristen had a cheese pizza - larger than an American large size, for sure - and I had a lovely salad with cheese toasted over bread. We did a bit of window shopping (Kristen is *not* good at this sport - she understands only real shopping - the kind where money changes hands and goods are passed), and headed back to the station.

I won't bore you with the confusion of how we tried to find the train back (*LOL* - it was equally as confusing as how to find the train to get to Chartres), but we did indeed find the train, boarded, and arrived safely "home" in Montparnasse. A quick stop at Inno for more fruit, another quick stop at the chocolate shop for some more chocolates, and we were back at the hotel before 7 pm. The desk clerk worried when we asked for a 5 am wake-up call - "Uh-oh!," he exclaimed, "what happened???" *lol* "London," we told him.

We have two minutes left on our internet card, and the desk is completely out of them. I'm getting pretty nervous - communication will be cut off nearly completely? London is tomorrow - I hope the weather is as good as it was today!

How brave you've been for that trip outside Paris! I forgive you then. And it would have been too short, leaving Paris at 1pm.

Now, thanks to Therese, we know what a skirt steak is! :-)
In French we also say "hampe" and "bavette" pretty similar, hampe a bit harder though and then cheaper.

This link may help you with the French keyboard :
http://gofrance.about.com/cs/interne.../keyboards.htm

I can't wait to read about London now! quick please!!!!![-o<

By way of further explanation on the question of skirt steak, it's the cut traditionally used to make fajitas (which means "skirt"---the diaphragm actually looks like a skirt). Because the meat is so lean and tough, it's marinated in lime juice to tenderize it before grilling and slicing, served wrapped in a tortilla with salsa, guacamole, and sour cream.

And now, on to London...

Thanks, Therese~

If I'd had the precise definition prior to eating it, I probably wouldn't have tried it! Actually, the preparation was wonderful (it was in a nice gravy of sorts), and it was very tender. Not at all what I'd expect from the definition! :)

London trip I will post in the morning, nothing like a bit of suspense to let the imagination wander. Remember, though, I seem to run into obstacles everywhere, of one sort or the other! :D

Day 10 - London

I was confident I had prepared properly for the trip to London, but I'm beginning to think there is no such thing with me... We had scheduled our wake-up call for 5:00 am; the Eurostar (train) departed from Gare du Nord at 6:22. Kristen had showered the night before, so I let her sleep in while I showered and dried my hair. We left the hotel around 5:25 - just at an hour to arrive at Gare du Nord. Things were feeling positive.

We took the Metro from Edgar Quinet to Gare Montparnasse, where we need to change to the #4 metro to get to Gare du Nord. The walk inside Gare Montparnasse was incredibly long - I would venture to guess we could easily have walked to Gare Montparnasse from the hotel and made better time. We finally arrived at the appropriate platform for Gare du Nord, and found there was an 8 minute wait (it initially was a 7 minute wait, but it gained a minute somewhere along the way). When we finally boarded, it was 6:00 am. I wasn't feeling so confident now, and neither was Kristen.

There were some 18 stops in between, and we arrived at Gare du Nord at 6:20. Two minutes. OK, I thought - it is "possible"... We hurried up to the second floor, tried to locate the train on the departure boards, and tried to ask directions. All to no avail. When finally we got to the information desk, it was 6:23 and we were pointed upstairs. Ahhh... No one suggested a third level.

Dumb, dumb, dumb...

The rail tickets clearly stated to arrive 30 minutes prior to departure to check in. It never occurred to me that since this was "international travel," we would need to go through the screening process, complete the paperwork, and go through the passport officials. We were very fortunate that the ticket attendant provided us replacement tickets, as our tickets clearly state "non-refundable and non-exchangeable". We ended up on the 7:37 train to London, and slept most of the way (I was wishing the airline seats were as comfortable).

I got terribly confused when we did not arrive at 9:10 - here was my second failure in preparation. I was certain I had checked to see if there was a time change, but apparently I failed to remember or notice there was. So, rather than a 2 hour 11 minute ride, it was a 3 hour 11 minute ride. Fine. Kristen never knew the difference, sleeping happily in the seat beside me.

We arrived in the Waterloo Station and headed outward, with no clue in which direction to go. The large ferris wheel seemed the logical choice (this was the London Eye I had read about on Fodor's) - so we headed in that direction. Sadly, it was not in operation on the day we were there; the security guard told us "Monday." Kristen had apparently seen signs indicating an aquarium, so she asked him for directions, and we headed that direction.

Wow! London!

There we were, walking beside the County Hall and the River Thames toward Westminster Bridge. What fortune that the door we departed at the rail station faced this direction! It was 9:30 - and the aquarium did not open until 10:00 - so we continued along the walk. Kristen was hungry, I could use a coffee, and we spotted a McDonald's. Uh-oh. Third failure in preparation. England is not on the Euro system, and we had no pounds. Now I know why there were such long lines at the exchange counters inside Waterloo Station. I told Kristen there was nothing we could do - we continued on our walk to Westminster Bridge, and crossed it, stopping several times so I could photograph Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, churches, parks, and the Thames.

Westminster Abbey had an entry fee (I believe it was 10 pounds), so that was out of the question. We did, however, go inside St. Margaret's Church at Westminster Abbey - no photography allowed. It was beautiful, large - but quaint in comparison to the Notre-Dame at Chartres. When we left there, we asked the attendants at the main church where a bank was - I figured out finally that I had to change currency. The bank had a sign up inside, apologizing for being unable to make currency exchanges that day. Kristen, with her "never say never" attitude, went back inside and asked where we could find a bank that *did* make currency exchanges - fortunately, it was just around the corner.

I thought Paris was expensive until we made our exchange. 50 Euros and US$30 were exchanged for just under 40 pounds (I realized later that the bank made a mistake - when I reviewed the receipt back at the hotel, the Euros were exchanged as US Dollars - *not* as Euros). We headed back to the London Aquarium, which cost nearly half our money. Kristen thought the aquarium was cool - almost exactly like the Chattanooga Aquarium, except there were cool eels here that we didn't see in Chattanooga. I was a bit underwhelmed.

After the aquarium, we went back to the McDonald's to eat (yes, the McDonald's). Two Big Mac meals - mine with coffee - and then outside we went with Kristen's remaining fries so she could feed the pigeons, sparrows and sea gulls. The birds were overwhelming - I tried to get her to keep the birds on HER side of the bench. It was nice though - sitting on a park bench facing the River Thames and Westminster.

Salvadore Dali

Our next stop was again inside the County Hall, but this time at a museum featuring the works of Dali. Fortunately, it was less expensive than the aquarium - we still had some change left. The exhibit featured over 500 works, the melting clocks were my favorites. I explained to Kristen that Dali was a bit eccentric - she found him to be oversexed. Perhaps it was in the section we were in; I didn't care for his more erotic art either.

It was just after 2:00 pm when we finished the Dali exhibits, and we headed back to Waterloo Station in hopes of changing to an earlier train (our train was scheduled for 5:16). No such luck. The attendant told us strictly "no exchanges, no refunds," and we were "stuck". We had stopped at a little store in the station for a drink (Kristen had a Gatorade type thing and I opted for water), and tried to figure out how to pass the time. Then we located a small walk-up cafe with little tables around it on the station floor (these looked VERY inviting), but the sign said only patrons could sit. Kristen had a honeybun, which used the rest of our money (except for the wee bit of change I saved for Stephen's collection).

Ooops! Old age (or whatever) setting in....

I have not yet mentioned the fact that on this day, my heels and ankles did *whatever they do* to make it incredibly difficult to walk (this started in our long walks to and around Chartres). Actually, the pain is constant - it's incredibly difficult just to exist. But when it starts, walking more only makes it worse, so heading back out into town would not have been a good idea. We located a bookstore within the station that accepted VISA, and we each bought 2 books. We passed the next 5+ hours reading (both in the station and then on the train), and finally arrived back in Paris.

We headed for Inno, but found it closed. We hadn't eaten all day with the exception of the McDonald's meal. Thankfully, one of the restaurants on the corner was still serving food (we were the last customers of the day); Kristen had tomato soup, bread, and a chocolate mousse - I had a steak and fries. We made it back to the hotel very late; I took 2 Aleve and put 4 patches on my feet for the pain, and we went to bed.

Oh I'm SO disapointed you stayed so little time in London! :((
No Covent Garden (best exchange rate), no Piccadilly nor Leicester square and Soho? I can't believe it!
You should have taken a bus pass and drive the whole city on a red bus (1st floor of course), I love that and I'm sure Kristen would have too!
This is what I did with my DH and my biggest son Axel who was 6 then and that is about all he remembers 4 years later (with the Trafalgar square lions, Piccadilly lights and the tube)

But like you, I'm always late for trains or flights. The 1st time I went back to France during my one year stay in London, I was the last one to get on board in Heathrow (I could hear the voice calling me!) I didn't know I had to check in 2 hours earlier!
Same for the ferry, I simply jumped with my car in the boat which left immediately.(and it was the wrong ferry!!!) pff exhausting!
:-d

Yes, I agree that the daytrip to London was a waste of money and time, based on how it turned out. Of course, not true at all if -you- enjoyed it.

To be honest, I was quite exasperated with Kristen refusing to walk about more in the beginning. As the day wore on, I truly was all but crippled. This has only happened to me once before, during a November 2005 trip to Japan when we walked endlessly for days, and it is quite debilitating. The pain is so bad that I am totally absorbed by it, making normal decisions impossible, and walking is slowed to a very difficult hobble, with occasional stark grimaces on my face.

I did, though, really enjoy just being there. From a simplistic approach, seeing the Thames, Westminster Abbey and Big Ben was enough to make me happy.

I would absolutely hate to be impaired and not be able to walk a lot. I'm sorry you experienced that on such a special vacation. Is it anything that could be alleviated/prevented by prescribed footwear?

Travelnut~

That is a question that could only *potentially* be answered after many thousands of medical bills. My insurance doesn't really cover anything except catastrophe (I'm self-employed), so I avoid doctors as much as possible.

We have tried to blame shoes, but quite frankly, I don't think that has anything to do with what happens in the ankles. It feels more like rheumatoid arthritis than anything - there is slight swelling, constant pain, and even pain to the touch (feels like a very serious bruise) when it has "flared up".

I think the heel part of it is over-compensation for the pain in the ankle, leading to tendonitis or something simple like that, but the heel part is nothing like the ankle part - very different and distinct pains - the heels I can live with. By the way, the heel area is not on the bottom of the foot; rather, just below the ankles on the inside and outside.

Teri
:)

TBelle: Loved reading about your trip.

CoCo: (I'm shy but I always fight for my rights!) I know you....and you are not shy! :)

>:D< Hellllooooo!:-x I was wondering if you had gone back home since Christmas!
I'm trying to cook dinner now, but I'll write you later! ;;)

TBelle, you should really see a doctor. If untreated, such problems can get worse. I have similar issues with my feet and have posterior tibial tendonitis. You can google it and see if it sounds like your issue. If this is the problem, you can get orthotics for your shoes which should help. I have also had plantar fasciitis, which could be your heel issue.

Nikki~

I really have to thank you. I googled it, and found a photo. My husband took a picture of my lower legs from the backside, and I was able to overlay it on the photo I found on the web (had to reverse it, as mine is predominate on the other side), and sure enough, it looked identical. I mean, *identical*!

OK, you have me sold, I will need to see a doctor. I knew it felt serious, but I didn't realize how serious it could be.

Thanks again!
Teri
:)

I'm no doctor but it sounds like 'gout' to me:

&quot;..Gout is a systemic disease (i.e., condition that occurs throughout the body) caused by the buildup of uric acid in the joints. An elevated blood level of uric acid (called hyperuricemia) occurs when the liver produces more uric acid than the body can excrete in the urine, or when a diet high in rich foods (e.g., red meat, cream sauces, red wine) produces more uric acid than the kidneys can filter from the blood. Over time, uric acid in the blood crystallizes and settles in the joint spaces, causing <b>swelling, inflammation, stiffness, and pain</b>. Gout usually affects the first metatarsal phalangeal joint of the big toe (hallux) <b>or the ankle joints</b>...&quot;
www.podiatrychannel.com/gout/

Hey, Nut~

If I hadn't overlaid those pictures and read all the various sites, I'd have a tendency to consider it. The specific way the foot turns with the posterior tibial tendonitis is EXACTLY what mine does, and I honestly thought my feet were pointing straight forward!!!

My husband has gout (in his big toe at this point), and he is a shellfish lover. He had to lay off that, every time he indulges, the pain is unbearable.

I will seek a doctor, for sure, I don't want to be crippled and miss out on traveling in the future, as I truly love it!

:)

Great report. A couple of years ago we took our kids (then 13, 11 and 8) to Paris.

Funny about the fried egg on the burger. Before our trip, I had read a post on this board about someone being (unpleasantly)surprised with a fried egg on a pizza. Whenever we were in a restaurant in Paris and requested something in our very broken French, my son would say &quot;They're off to fry the egg.&quot;