a wee time between blogs there folks - a man hasta take a break sometimes and when you are staying with people, there is often not really the time to do it as you are otherwise engaged living the local life. Quickly to recap - back to Strasbourg. After the train delay got away on the same train at 2.45 or so, just 24 hrs late. Which did give me the opportunity to get down to the Cathedral properly and see the interior of the Musee whatever - very similar to the Musee du Moyen Age in Paris and really covering the same sort of things as that in Colmar, I had at least I had a little more time to see things. Anyway I decided that I was gunna manage a lunch at Assiette du ... read more

Strasbourg 5pm I am in a wifi hotel again - a rather nice one actually called Etc. - but still in Strasbourg Thurs. due to a strike (greve)- it affected 2 of the 5 tram routes - went to station to buy my ticket (which it still sold me - dumb machine!) but Brussels train not running at all altho some French trains - returning towards Hotel Patricia the tram did not go any further than Homme de Fer (Iron Man strangely!) - due to impending workers parade as you can see - a lot of smoke from a flare etc. The strike does not seem to have affected the shops tho - although a lot of them close for lunch anyway for an hour or so! the Etc hotel I just found taking a shortcut ... read more

Strasbourg - in pub Bartholdy 10.45pm Wed doing this on wifi Ipod so not long. Arrived yestday and was horrified to find no hotel room anywhere at the station - it's a Euro parlt sitting week that's why. Walked right down old town nr cThedral on basis of 15yr old Lonely Planet and was v lucky to get any room at all - 32€ & shower upstairs will do rather than back to Colmar- where I might have left jacket! so might be back there tomorrow to get it! Otherwise to Luxembg tomorrow for a few days to visit friends. I have written a blog but no real way to send from USB key here on Ipod! Til later Mr M... read more

(this is written in Strasbourg on 22/9 so ability to write/post has been somewhat limited) After a rather long sleep - it was Sunday of course, but I was rather tired out after having a restless night in Paris thinking of my trip to Switz. to see Gisele and Francois after all these years - I awoke with somewhat of a start at 10.20. Francois had done his Sunday chore of collecting about 5 different types of bread and rolls from 2 different bakeries to enjoy with their homemade jam and coffee. Then the lunch project was to drive the car up the hill someway - Delemont is in a long valley but there are steepish hills on either side. Then to walk cross country through the forest to a farmhouse type lunch place, a type ... read more

I am having to write this on my iPod- which does connect with wifi at hotel - unlike laptop which is vfrustrating as u can imagine. I will have to finds netplace and pay toupload 3 blogs & pix! Now 1pm thurs 16 in Paris and i am off to Switz onsat.18 to visit Gisele et francois et Les enfants. Now lunch in Montmartre for a change... read more