Enjoyable project, in the middle of the month, booking places and buying the tickets for Eurostar - London to Paris,   and SNCF - Paris to Decize - on the internet.    The sort of task that enlivens one at the end of winter - even in my case, where I managed to escape the worst.

Booked to go on 8 April,  the Thursday after the Easter week-end.   Happily set too to buy all the bits that are considered utterly essential for Albert's well-being during the coming season, and are difficult to come by in France.

Since booking and paying life was enlivened still further by learning that the people responsible for the trains that are supposed to be speeding one out of the country in April have, in the immortal phrase of the old Manual of Military Law, stood in front of their officer, and - casting their waist belts to the ground  - declared  "you may say what you please, I will soldier no more"      This action, or inaction,  to take place,  or not take place,  during the period between  6th April 2010 and 10th April, 2010.

Tricky.

Working on it.    

Possibly taxi to St Pancras for Eurostar - which, although a train that needs to be moved,  is,  they assure me,  unaffected by disaffected staff..   Extra cost horrendous, but alleviated by not having to buy very expensive no cards accepted top rate ticket on South-West Trains commuter service Lymington-Waterloo, or pay taxis from home to local station and from Waterloo to St.Pancras.

It appears there is a new French fast ferry running between Portsmouth and le Havre which could suit me better than pounding up to London, but only heard about it on the SouthNews the other evening, and my existing tickets are the cheapo "no refund, no alterations, travel or else" type, so will stick with them this time.

The story will appear in next month's log.