Pavillon De Gouffern Silly en Gouffern

... to sleep due to spending our time looking for Olly. Looking at the state of us and not sure if our friend even existed the police decided to take us to a drugs rehabilitation centre. Here we were given gone off pancakes and sheets with three different types of stain on them. There was also a slug on the ceiling. . . . . . Olly was spending the night in a hotel. Tempted by sleeping on the floor I braved the matress and fell asleep laughing (like a metal)

... himself. He soon fatigued and we had to take an early stop in a campsite. At this point I realised that I had burnt my hands and arms except for my fingers. It is really obvious and the guys can't help but draw attention to it when they are bored. After a really relaxing evening and a few hot dogs cooked on a camping stove we hit the deck.

It is obvious ...

... and cracked open a bottle of 1 euro wine. During a gap in the rain we left the village to search for a spot to set up camp. We soon found an absolutely perfect place with trees perfectly spaced (for ollies hammock) and grass for mine and Alex's tents. However, it took us hour to set up. I really don't know what was going through Olly's mind when he decided to live in a ...

... due to the amount of cut glass on display and the failing arms of a 3 yr old. One accident could have blown our Euro budget for a month.
 
On the way here we took a wrong turn due to dodgy GPS co ordinates - Stu had to reverse down a road for about quarter of a mile, a little tense family moment shall we say?

A lazy day, a guilty pleasure. Today we did very little of any sort. The weather was glorious and so we wandered around the lake and through the town. This is definitely a resort town, which obviously fills up with Parisians in July and August. For the rest of the year it seems filled with retiree's who enjoy the parks, sports, and sunshine and great food. Probably the casino is a draw card for some but it isn’t something Andre, nor I, would do. I guess that if I had to compare ...

... as we were running a little late. As we travelled north the scenery changed to the rolling hills of Normandy, with many farm houses and a lot of white cows. Nearer to our lodgings we turned into a forest along a narrow road, which was very pretty. The village of Bagnoles is a spa town with a small lake, in the heart of the forest. There are plenty of activities as well as plenty of opportunities to pamper yourself. Our lodgings are amazing and we were ...

... we went o L'Aigle to the market and had brunch there at a cafe. Bought some yummy apricots.

We also went to the hyper market for some supplies and then off to a near by lake where we had a late lunch, lazed around in the sun and the children played in the pedal boats.

A fantastic couple of days and we look forward to returning the hospitality when Graeme and Rita visit us in the south of France

... in Le Havre, the gateway to Normandy and Paris. We took a shuttle bus into the city center. They drive on the same side of the road as the US. We walked around an outdoor market selling fish, meat, cheese and clothing. We explored the city on foot. Le Havre is the greenest city in France, with many parks with playgrounds and beautiful gardens. They ...

... financial markets, and freeways (at this point you should try not to feel like the scum of the earth after realizing that you are a student from one of the best universities in the world having your trip to France mostly subsidized for you and that you are staying at some really nice hotels and eating 4 course dinners every night for free this weekend). And so now it's time to go the Beaches of Normandy. I was actually surprised that I wasn't so upset at the ...

... to keep that feeling when you hear that the water at Omaha Beach was red for twelve days following the invasion. The cemetery itself is immaculately kept with perfectly lined rows of crosses and Stars of David. As I wondered through the rows of marble and tried to look at as many names as possible. Many gravesites were symbolic for unknown soldiers, and once again, I felt myself shaking my head for the incredible loss of life endured. As if one cue, the bells began to chime, and God ...