JC Diary: June 26 to June 30

It's a rainy day in this paradise of the near north.  This is a time stuck between fishing seasons -- basically no fishing until Trout open at the end of the month. By then the ice will have come off the lakes.  No hunting until Turkey season opens in early May -- although quite a few hunters worry the season will be cancelled at this point. 
Our "weekends" tend to start on Friday these days. The grandkids, Bobby and Max, come for the day and stay overnight. Too rainy and cool for much outdoor play so we were stuck inside making Quadruple Chocolate Cherry Almond Biscotti -- a good intro to baking for the kids; bad for my diet ( I'm down pretty much 30 pounds since the beginning of the year; 58 pounds to go. With luck I'll be done with the diet until Christmas. 
This week we lost access to our Camp in Quebec due to the Coronavirus restrictions -- all traffic across the bridge from Pembroke towards Waltham is stopped and nonessential travellers returned. This does cause some anxiety and annoyance -- I'm sure I've got maintenance to do after the winter but will have to wait and be patient.  I can still go for walks and out into Crown land -- I'll start scouting Turkey hunting spots this weekend. 
But that's enough whining -- we can all live vicariously through JC's travels in the summer of 1965. Today's entry is Paris -- the city of light.  Paris has seen hundreds of plague's over the centuries -- this will not be her last. In 1965 the only plague they had was American tourists... 
Let's join John and Friends on a sleepy early summer day in Paris, and on Page 40 ( of 128). We're almost done with the inkblotted sections -- apologies I realize these are a little annoying. 
-----
Saturday, June 26/65
I spent a very quiet day reading TIME which we buy every week. In the evening Robin and I went out for dinner. On the way we met a young couple from Montreal with their two small children. They were on their way to Israel and had supper with us at an inexpensive cafeteria. Later we took in a movie and called it a day.
Sunday, June 27/65 
We went down to breakfast at 10:45 am and the said it ended at 10:30 but [obscured] (the wife of the owner) [obscured] until 11:00 am. So [obscured] told us to go [obscured] and he would pay for it. We had a good one I may say. On Sundays, the Louvre is free so we spent a few hours wandering around there. Then we went to the Left Bank book stalls and art sellers which is only across the river from the Louvre. 
In the middle of the Seine, at one point, is an island and on the northern tip is where the dirty pseudo beat nicks [sic -- thought this one was charming] lie in the sun. As we went down to look at it a girl came up to one with a squirrel or brown mouse in her hand and asked us for 10 francs. After an exchange of words she left without [obscured] dinner in the s[obscured] restaurant and [obscured] before. Since we were all very low on cash, some high finance had to be used to scrape up enough money to pay for the meal.
Monday June 28/65 
Went to settle up with the Director and balked about paying for our 9 franc breakfast but after some haggling he gave in and paid us. A guy from Toronto, Howard Simmons, who will be working in Colmar came with us for a while. 
We went to the American Express and Canada House has not forwarded any mail for me yet. I told them that we would be in Paris earlier [obscured] so didn't give me [obscured] to reach [obscured]. Went for a last look at Paris: Les Invalides, Eiffel Tower, and back to the bus to leave. The car would stall when it idled so that when I was driving out at rush hour we stalled at every stop. We got it fixed the next day. Stayed at Versailles in the park overnight and fifty feet away two lovers swooned under the moon.


Tuesday, June 29/65 
Walked through the Palace and gardens. Then drove to Chartres where we had lunch and looked at the famous cathedral [obscured] seems to be a replica of Notre Dame, although [obscured] Orleans when [obscured] Howard and then stopped at a beach on the Loire to swim and wash. After a two hour dinner we went back to the beach and went to bed.

 Wednesday, June 30/65

Washed the car and cleaned inside as well as arranged all the gear. The three of us are headed for the Chateau of Chambord which was closed. The hunting chateau of one of the kings was next. We were talking with a maid (descendants of the original family still live there) and she told us the guide was a daughter of the present Marquis. Since there [obscured] and unless [obscured] daughter took [ obscured] the family name a title would be ended. I bought a pair of Jesus boots (open shoes) and find them quite comfortable in the warm weather. 
Chateau de Chambord

The chateau country of the Loire River valley is a beautiful land. You turn a corner and find a chateau nestled in the trees in the distance. There are not nearly as many along the Rhine where a hilltop may have two or three castles and the slopes lined with grape fields. At Amboise we camped for the night [obscured] island in a camp [obscured]5c each). The [obscured] joint is [obscured] and as I was swimming up river and clawing at the bottom my university ring came off and was lost. We looked for some time but with the fast current it was hopeless. I can stand to lose anything and the rest of the day was miserable whenever I thought of the ring.
Amboise Chateau

That night we saw the sound and light show at the chateau ( more like a castle) at Amboise. I met an English couple and their 26 year old son. The father was in Ottawa during the first war and when he found I was not French Canadian im[obscured, imitating? unfortunately JC leaves the sentence hanging] a British Canadian.




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