Troyes, Chablis and on to Dijon

Didn’t have much success with the internet at the Marriott hotel nor any success on the coach so you are lucky you are getting any update at all, as I’ve been spending what little time I’ve had today, in reloading photos for each day. I think I finally have it updated, but won’t try and add any of today’s photos until I have more time and patience, the latter being something I am not well known for.
But now, on to today’s events. The weather is great and all on coach are okay. Haven’t worked out where everyone is from yet, but already know that there is a mix of Canadians, Yanks, Poms, Aussies and Asians. Am keeping my options open re who I’m likely to vote off the island, at this early stage.
I’m feeling much improved from yesterday, however in place of the running tap nose, it is replaced but an incessant dry cough so I’m probably not going to be the most popular person on the coach today... just wait til they actually get to know me, hey!
We stopped for cafe au lait at a roadhouse but it was like mud with a little dob of white stuff so don’t hold out much hope that the French know how to make an acceptable flat white for the Aussie tourists. On to Troyes (pronounced twa, as in une, deux, trois, if I remember anything from my high school French). What a lovely country city. My notes tell me that Troyes is in the Champagne region, famous for its magnificent medieval buildings, appropriately shaped like a cork. We have a wander through the streets and then venture into a shop to buy ourselves lunch. I had a Chicken ( I remembered what poulet meant) and salad baguette that was the best bread I have ever had - it was covered in various seeds and the crusty exterior was just brilliant. Couldn’t eat it all and I reckon it was about a foot long and no option to only buy half a one. Anyhow we had our lunch in the shade in the city square, near an old fashioned but very pretty merry go round. Only cafes, restaurants and food places were open, as it is Sunday, so hardly anyone around while we wander about. I can imagine the place would be heaving during the week. Then on through Burgundy and a stop in Chablis which was a sleepy little village where we are treated to wine tasting of different varieties of you guessed it, Chablis.
Back on the coach to Dijon, our home for the next 2 nights. The hotel has a beautiful olde worlde facade but when we get inside, it is one of those arty farty designs where everything is too damn big to fit properly in the room, weird colour schemes and even sillier bathroom designs. The bathroom has a clear glass wall dividing it from the bed area, but for privacy sake you can pull floor to ceiling curtains along a curved track in front of the clear glass! What a stupid, stupid idea. Poor J goes to use the toilet which is in its own very small room and within seconds is yelling out to me to know what have I done to make the light go out and launch her into total darkness. I know I haven’t touched any switches, and good mate that I am offer to open the door, which opens outwards for her, but peace and decorum are reinstated when she realises that she had to keep moving about to keep the light on!Stupid, stupid,,stupid design. And don’t get me started on the shower, which only has a hand held shower head that is shaped like a table tennis bat. Goodness only knows how I’m going to manage that in the morning when I wash my hair. We have considered holding the shower head for each other while we each shower but J correctly pointed out that my suggestion of standing to one side with my eyes closed while she showered won’t work as I will have to get up into the bath with her to be able to hold the shower head up high enough. She’s absolutely right. It’s a stupid, stupid, stupid design.
Anyhow, we have dinner in the lovely big cellar of the hotel and back to our room for me to pen these lines, suck a dozen more cough lozenges and lights out.