Thursday 27 September 2007; 1020

Greetings fair readers,

I arrived in Beziers after a full day on the train from Amsterdam. It was quite a ride; up early to catch the train to Brussels and thinking I would be able to check out a bit of the city I left the station but this was not in the best area of town and was the newer station that can take the high speed trains, not in the center of the city like other European stations. The part of the city where I got off was really a pit and I hadn't slept well the night prior so was dozing off and worried I would fall asleep and miss my connection. Well at least I got on the next train and it was the high speed so only an hour to Paris Nord so I was able to get in about 30 minutes of sleep and felt better.
From Paris Nord I needed to make my way to Paris Gare Lyon and had 80 minutes to do so and was told it was a 70 minute transfer. I actually made it in about 30 thanks to my previous experience with the tube in London. I remembered that it's easy to get the right train platform but determining which track to get to is more difficult and it was the same in Paris. I'm thankful for my time in London using the underground as it made it a lot easier in Paris.
4 hours and 20 minutes from Paris to Beziers through Nimes and there were quite a few 200 mph moments where the train just kicks in and the countryside whizzes by.
Friend John picked me up with new friend Davey and we made out way back to the chateaus. I met the other chums; JP, Jimmy, Al & Jilly and we tucked into a fine seafood pasta and the local product from the onsite winery. Well. we dented the winerack in a serious manner and yesterday I awoke with a swollen brain inside a skull that felt abut 2 sizes too small. Made it through the day though and we were off to a pub on the town square for the US v. Samoa after Christopher and Heidi arrived.
Although the US lost the match, our brave boys did all they could to a much larger and seriously mean looking Samoan team. Samoa was up 22 - 3 at the half and the final was only 25 - 22. Truly we thought the Samoan team looked as if they were out to kill and eat the US team but we stood proud and it became a moral if not actual victory.
Today is a game free day so we will head to the open air market for dinner supplies and hang about the pool if it warms up but it is currently 12 C so 55 F seems a bit cool for the unheated pool. Probably more in line will be a long walk about the estate and maybe some table tennis or foosball in what used the be the stables or just beers and laughter in the main house where John is staying. John is picking up his Australian business partner as well as his daughter and neice today and we will have a full house. We are a big crowd from all over the world: JP is an forensic accountant from Melbourne, Davy a commercial real estate broker from Brisbane, Jimmy is a bar room singer from Spain, Al & Jilly just sold Al's business in Melbourne and are touring France for 4 months, Christopher and Heidi are are from Charlotte where he owns a SW company and she is in grad school but Christopher is originally from London as is John our host. A fine group we all are.
That's about it right now. We just tucked into a big breakfast of eggs, sausages, baked beans and croissant so we are just lazing about for a bit before we head for a day of adventure and more lazing about.
Signing off but will get on probably tomorrow for more updates. I'll work on getting some photos uploaded when I can.
TTFN