Well, Helen made it to Paris and it was so good to see each other!! She looked great and even slept on the plane, little traveller. We got her money exchanged and decided to take a taxi after venturing over to the Air France bus we thought it would be easier.

On the Chenille Bedspread

Once in the hotel we relaxed, laughed, and talked on the chenille bedspread. Then we moseyed over to the corner cafe called Hippopotamus 🦛– part of a chain, which serves steaks, for Helen. She had a 200 gram hamburger and fries; I a veggie burger with beans. We shared 1/2 bottle of red wine and had dessert. (American style.) I had hot fudge brownie and Helen an ice cream hot fudge sundae!

We sat outside at the table for a long while, talking and watching people, listening to the blaring police fire tuck sirens. Then just as we left, big dark storm clouds were rolling in and it rained quickly, even thundered. We read our magazines and retired early at 15:30.

Well the early retirement didn’t last so long. I awoke every hour; at 16:30, 17:30, 18:30 and finally at 19:00 (I mean 19:30). I got up to read and look at the Paris map. I was excited about tomorrow and already feeling refreshed and much better!

I read in the continued daylight until 22:00 when Helen got up and asked already, “Good morning! Is it morning?”

I just looked at her wishing it was morning and said, “No, it’s not morning.”

At this point, instead of going back to bed, Helen said she was ready for some wine and I joined her. She was hungry too, so we shared the nut mix and red wine left from the night before. We had a grand and cozy time, taking on the green and white chenille bedspread, then went back to sleep deep at midnight.

Continued …Thursday 3 June, 1999