Castle Hopping

Here is a guest post from Michelle (okay, its an email she wrote, but I am hijacking it):

"Hi guys,

Hope all is well with all of you! Managed to find an internet cafe
(finally) complete with english keyboard! Its the only one in a few
towns nearby to where we're staying! (yay i can type at normal speed!)
to give you guys an update.

These past few days we have been driving around in a rented car (mum
dont worry, I've been a very safe driver and we have been upgraded
from a toyota yaris to a mercedes benz! -much safer!) We left paris
last friday.. oh by the way, I got a bit ill from somethng i ate, so
the following day when we went to versailles, I managed to throw up
there! - RIght outside the Kings gallery of lots of paintings of
himself and his rellies.(I know, classy story.. but it was a pretty
amazing place to be sick in!- Lots of security guards on walky talkies
contacted each other quickly and a medic team immediately rocked up
outta no where, checking my blood pressure.. asking me questons .. I
felt like a VIP in a strange way!) There were hoards of people there
and the medic got them to get outta the way just so we can get to the
cafe to get an overpriced coke to settle my stomach.) It would have
taken 15 mins just to get thru the crowds to the cafe otherwise!

- Im stll not sure if it was the capaccio of beef (raw beef) or pork
pate i ate. But phil reckons its was the pork pate cos he didnt get
sick. Im not going to be so adventurous anymore i think.. too many
snails... :P (tho theyre yummy!- phil loves them.)

Anyway we've been driving around the past few days from sight to
sight, town to town. The french are interesting drivers... and really,
anything goes.. I have been beeped a few times though! Their roads are
really narrow, really, driving in australia is an absoloute blessing-
what with the wide straight roads! BUt.. im getting used to it...

We've seen an ancient abbey/monastery and town around it thats built
on an island..called Mont St Michel, lots of DDay sights around teh
Normandy beaches ( I know all about it now.. and what I dont know,
Phil let me know.. he is a bit of a war buff) :) Visited the American
and German cemeteries- a massive contrast to each other. American one
is a sight to behold with white crosses as far as the eye can see. But
the German one is much more sombre with just black stones on the
ground with the names of the soldies on it and also occasional black
crosses and an extremely morbid monument in the middle of the
cemetery. Unforunately we cant put the pics up right now at the
internet cafe.



Other than that we have seen some amazing castles.. some are just
drive bys, some we went into..unforgettable. Its pretty free being
able to drive around.. stop whenever you like.

Tomorrow, we are doing one more day of chateau hopping and then back
to paris to catch a night train to barcelona. So used to hearing and
using french now.. that it will be weird having to change to spanish
for four days and then switch back to french after that. (we are going
back to south of france afterwards.)

by the way, im a bit over cheese.. its in EVERYTHING! but phil is
enjoying all the diff types of cheese and interesting ways they can
add it to dishes!


I reckon thats about it for now.. we are safe and well and enjoying
frenchie life.. eating well and the wine.. even the house wine (thats
all we order usually) is FANTASTIC quality! (love the wine!)

okay will write soon!
love michelle (and phil!)oxox"

There isn't much more to add! We have been hanging out to post some more photos, but they are going to have to wait. We have had such spotty internet connectivity that its been a trial getting any time in front of a computer. That said, we've chewed up our 30 mins here already and should go. We'll post again from (hopefully) sunny Barcelona!