Back again with the first update in a while, we have been having too much fun!

Furthermore, the net cafe in Interlaken, where we have been for the last 2 days wanted the equivalent of $20/h to use it. We are now in France again and this hotel has free internet, but the keyboard is non-QWERTY qnd reqlly hqrd to type on let ,e tell you: so this updqte ,ight not be qs lush qnd detqiled qs I ,ight hqve hoped:

But we'll press on, I will just type slowly two fingered; I look a bit like my dad trying to type.

Last Friday we left the hostel in Edinburgh at 4am and didn't arrive at the hotel in Paris a full 11 hours later. Bearing in mind the actual distance travelled was less than Adelaide to Melbourne, it was a bastard of a trip. We got delayed in london and then had to negoitate the oh so well signposted and helpfully staffed French airport, train and underground system (note sarcasm).

****update - the above was started a couple of days ago in France, and for various reasons, most notably running out of time and the damn annoying keyboard. We are now in Italy with a QWERTY, but there is only 15 minutes to dinner, so I will publish what I get done now and you'll just have to keep waiting for the rest. Don't worry, I am keeping notes in my diary so you won't miss anything.*****

Right O, where were we? Oh that's right, the French underground. One thing I forgot to mention about Scotland was the fact that every tourist place you went, particularly in the highlands, there was a guy in the full scottish garb murdering 'Scotland the Brave' or 'Amazing Grace' with the bagpipes in an attempt to get people to put money in the hat. The same in France, we got on the train from the airport, and a station later some kid got on the next station with an accordian and cranked out some French favourites. Just what we need on a crowded train in the heat. I held firm when he came down the car looking for coins, but Karen dropped what turned out to be £1 in his cup.

Once we finally got to the hotel, we met up with the tour group who have turned out to be a fantastic bunch of people. Introductions over, it was on the big bus, and off for a tour of the sights of Paris. You can probably guess the next bit, but I'll tell you anyway, it was past the Eiffel tower, round the Arc de Triumph, past the Louvre, through Peace square (where they used to cut peoples heads off) and then out to dinner.

Dinner was in a 'proper' French restaurant, with the waiters in dinner suits with napkins over thier arms. It wasn't a bad meal for a group booking of 40. I had the steak with bernaise sauce, partially because this would be in my favourite food top 5, and partially because we had been in the UK for 2 weeks where beef is more expensive than Lobster and I craved a steak. What I liked was the fact that no matter how you asked for it to be cooked, you got it rare. They wouldn't lower themselves to over do a steak.

To be continued......