Mick and I are about to find out if what we have been told by quite a few people now, is true: that the south of France is a very popular tourist destination for the French during summer. Certainly, we observed many of the small shops near us recently displaying signs explaining they were shut (for between 2 to 4 weeks), and were on holidays (en vacances). But where have they gone??

Today, we concluded our house sit in Samois-sur-Seine. We thoroughly enjoyed our time there and believe we got to see quite a lot of what is on offer around the beautiful Fontainebleau Forêt.

Tonight though, we are having a ‘stop over’ in Paris, before we catch a train tomorrow from the Gare de Lyon.

Check out the view from the roof of our hotel. That is  the Eifell Tour in the background, and the Seine in the foreground.

But, our accommodation is on the minimalist side!!I have to climb over Mick to get into and out of bed.

The bathroom too is small.

Dinner though was vert pleasant. Mick chose raw swordfish.

But he was surprised to find some lemon in his beer,

Tomorrow we head to Perpignan for a night before we meet our good friends, and next door neighbours from Australia, who are flying across from the UK where they are currently on holidays. The four of us will spend a week in Caudiès, a village we know really well, and Mick and I will play tour guides for a week.

Although we have already spent close to 5 months in the area before, on two separate visits, both were during winter.

We are very excited and have loads of fun things planned.

Watch this space.