Fine times with friends

Paris

Our friend Sharon joined us for ten days and they were delightful.  This morning she left the Gare de Lyon on the Air France bus for Charles de Gaul airport.  She is winging her way home as I write. Sharon took to life on a boat and had a great attitude for whatever we threw her way.  Unfortunately Paris in August delivered on it’s sizzle in the summer with three days of  38C/100F.  It was our worst nightmare come true and was no fun but Sharon said she felt like she had summer at last.  It slowed things down and kept us from the pleasure off just walking around the streets of Paris.  But we trust she is taking some good memories back with her.  Rosie and Lilou weren’t the only ones sad to see her leave. Followers of Sharon will find more pictures here.

Fortunately the temperature dropped a few degrees, 85F, yesterday for the visit of our long time friends, Richard and Audrey Hope from the UK who came over by train for one night.  Audrey was my father’s “script assistant” in the nascent days of television in Australia and we got to know the whole family when we lived in London those many years ago.  In fact we have Richard and Audrey to thank for what we are doing now.  30+ years ago they shared stories from their family canal holidays that sounded so lovely that we wanted to try it. We too caught the bug and are here today.  Blog followers will remember that their daughter Caroline and family visited us last year.  In fact it was their children along with young cousins (and maybe a little help from their parents) who gave Audrey and Richard the 50th Wedding anniversary gift of a trip to Paris and lunch at the famed “Le Train Bleu”, the very grand and classy restaurant at the Gare de Lyon.  Audrey and Richard were extraordinarily generous and invited us along which  was a real treat for Terry and me.  An inspirational couple to us with their interests, experiences, continuing extensive world travels and humorous outlook on life. The Hope family can find more pictures or our day here.

We had a great time catching up over a lovely meal and, after a nap (for me) we all, Sharon too, went out on the boat for an evening cruise where the weather was perfect, the scenery fantastic and the making of a another memory for all of us.