I just found you all last weekend and have enjoyed reading the archive messages for the last month. My husband and I live in suburban MD, outside of DC and love to travel, don't do it enough though.

Haven't quite figured out how to send mail so I hope this gets there, already been bounced once. Had mail from this group forwarded to my regular address and it seems I can't send mail from there but I can't convert it either (been trying for awhile)...anyway....

We were in Paris last July on a tour and loved it so much that we are going back with another couple the first week of June. Three days in Paris, two on the coast in Brittany and three in the Loire Valley. Everything I read makes me want to see more. Wish it could be longer.....but that's for the next time. So I'm very interested in all your discussions on Paris etc.

We did go to Versailles and Giverny....Giverny was wonderful...we got there early...nearly the first ones in (this was our tour guides mantra the whole trip...we really appreciated it). We were amazed at how the Japanese lake and willows looked just like the paintings! Beautiful! It got very crowded though by mid-morning. The house, esp. the kitchen/dining room was delightful.

Versailles, that afternoon was HOT! and walking out thru the gardens was hard and we didn't get to go as far as we would have liked. It's funny but the tour guides we saw there were all arguing too and jockeying for position. Unfortunately it didn't leave a great impression of the afternoon with me because of the heat and the crowds. From what I've read Chantilly and Fontainebleau are just as lovely with less tourists.

I'll quit now....so glad to meet you all....ellie