London to Paris, March 23

  Maura kindly accompanied us by subway to St. Pancras Station where we had tickets for the Eurostar to Paris. She used her trolley to help Mark carry his orange bag, which was a help. Before we started off, she made a lovely breakfast of smoked salmon and scrambled eggs.

   As we got there a little early, we got coffees and watched people go by. Then, we said our goodbyes (never easy) and went through the gates. (First we got a few snacks for the train at M & S.)
    We had a 12:24 train and arrived in Paris at the Gare du Nord at 3:45, although we went ahead an hour, so it was just over a 2 hour ride. A lovely family from California with 3 delightful little girls were across from us. We all chatted. They were excited to be visiting Paris for the first time.

     Getting from the subway to our studio apartment on the Ile St. Louis was not particularly easy. We got a wee bit lost at the Gare du Nord station, but we are not shy to ask for help and had also picked up a map at the Tourist Bureau at the station.  At any rate, we got to Les Halles and had to change trains again. It was a long walk and had lots of stairs. (London's transport is a bit easier with escalators and lifts) Then, we walked to 22 Quai de Bethune and used the codes to get past the 2 doors. Then - up a TINY lift which barely fit us and our luggage to the 6th floor.

     A lovely woman, Christel, a former lawyer whose daughter is studying aeronautical engineering at UCSD, let us in. She showed us all the devices in the apartment and chatted for quite a while. We instantly took a liking to each other and we all hugged when she left.
    The apartment is small, but charming, looking out of the rooftops of the Ile St Louis. It used to be one house for a noble of the court. We look down to where the horses used to be brought in.

   After a bit of a rest, we went out to the 'main street' where there are old fashioned butcher shops, patisseries, small grocery stores. We bought a tomato, a baguette, some sausage and some cheese, went home and had a nice dinner in our flat.

   Unfortunately, around midnight a loud American woman was on the phone in the next apartment and woke us up. Oh well. It's a great, great location. We are both very happy, very relaxed.

   Good news from home- David gave Maura an engagement ring of Montana sapphires. Evidently, he had it hidden in plain sight for a few days in a curio cabinet, waiting for Maura to notice.