Mike, to mine and Mat’s surprise, actually made it to our rendezvous point day before yesterday. We said goodbye to Paris, took a night train to Dax, and arrived at the chateau at 6:00 yesterday morning. Patrice, one of the chateau staff, picked us up from the train station. Paris was wonderful, but also a bit overwhelming. You could spend years wandering the streets, the history, the monuments, and the museums. The only places I managed to visit were the Eiffel Tower (to meet Mat) and Notre Dame, whose grandeur still inspired hushed awe despite the throng of tourists surrounding the cathedral’s walls. I begin to wonder what the Parisians do besides eat, work in restaurants, and hang around, since the city seemed to be filled with little more than streets upon streets of restaurants, bars,
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