This is the story of Will and his two friends who sailed to England in 1967 to see the world. Aerogrammes. letters, diaries and postcards help to tell of their adventures in this A to Z.

“Monsieur Dupont"   Sandie Shaw  • 1968
I'm learning every day, a different word to say
I know "Je t'aime" and "Je t'adore"
But won't you tell me how
Oh won't you tell me now
The way you say en français: "Give me more"


52 Weltje Road, Hammersmith W6 London 2nd August 1967

We had a fabulous week in Paris although it was fairly expensive.  We flew over by Viscount and back by BAC jet and had a good view of the countryside and channel as we only flew at 2000 feet.  We stayed at very nice hotel and discovered my French was better than I thought.  We had two French girls show us around for a couple of days who didn’t speak any English but Michelle did the translating as she speaks French very fluently.  

We went up the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triumph, Notre Dame and all the other famous places.  One night we went to the Folies Bergère which was full of Americans and cost $4 Australian and was pretty weak in spite of all the nudes.  They are really into tipping in Paris.  You even have to tip the girl who shows you to your seat.  A Coca Cola at interval cost 40c .  It was also very difficult to get used to walking into toilets and finding women attendants watching you have a snakes (hiss) and you’re expected to tip them too.  We just smiled politely and kept walking.  Then there are the street toilets where your head and feet stick out and peep holes are provided for anyone with limited imagination.

We had a trip down the River Seine on a ferry, visited an underground wine cellar and tasted le vin, saw Napoleon’s tomb, visited the art galleries and saw the Mona Lisa and all the famous paintings by Van Gogh, Renoir, Matisse etc which were very exciting to see in real life.  Also went out to Versailles, the Palace where King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette lived.  It is a huge place and the grounds cover miles.  We saw the Hall of Mirrors where the Treaty  of Versailles was signed which ended the First World War.  

We strolled by de Gaulle’s palace just after he had returned from the Canada fiasco and the place was surrounded by gendarmes.

 We had snails at a café.  They looked just like your garden variety.  Would have tried frogs legs too but they weren’t cooked.

Extract from Diary Saturday 27^th July

Train from Victoria Station to Gatwick Airport. With Michelle, Norma, Neil.  Boarded a Viscount aircraft for 7pm take off and smooth short trip with lovely views across the English Channel to France. (first ever flight). Then by train to Gare du Nord in Paris.  My French began its first use since High School as I ordered a hot dog and a biere (good German and Belgium brews)

By Citreon taxi to our hotel (Hotel Gailloun Opera) which is expensive at £1/10/- for bed and continental breakfast but very comfy.  No one speaks English so I’m madly learning a few words in French.  

Monday, 24^th July

Awoke at 8.00 am to Bonjour Monsieur and Café au Lait et Croissant in bed – a double bed and nice room to myself. Michelle does a great job of translating and is particularly handy when a) the bloke you are speaking to doesn’t speak English b)  You are thrown by a conversational Frenchman or an answer which exceeds your scope.

The day was hot and sunny so we often stopped for a cold beer at open air cafes.

We travelled by metro (underground) to the open air (Flea) Markets where everything is sold.  Then by old fashioned bus to the Sacre Coer which is a large important church on a hill.

Walked around to the artist quarters where works of art were being painted then bought bread, cheese, German sausage, tomato, butter, yoghurt and wine for dinner back in our hotel room.

Tuesday 25^th July

Awoke at 8.00am to breakfast in bed –  C’est la Vie! To Bureau du Postes then Metro to Chatelet and onto Ile de la Cite and St Louis in the middle of the River Seine. Checked out Notre Dame Cathedral and open air book stalls…I flaked out for a few hours.  Norma and Michelle left for a French play but I couldn’t cop that at present.

Wednesday 26^th July

Weather – Tres chaude.  To Iena by underground then strolled to Palais de Chaillot and over road to the Eiffel Tower where we paid 4 francs and went up the lift to the second stage.  Glorious view of Paris.

Postcard – La Tour Eiffel

Lunched at sidewalk café and had a beer. Walked across Seine and visited Musee d’Art Moderne and saw many Picassos (originals).  Caught river boat for a cruise on the Seine.

Met Francoise, a French girl who Michelle knew, at La Place de la Concorde where King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette lost their heads in the Revolution. She took us by bus on a trip through Paris to near her flat where we stopped at a café and she bought us a biere.  We also met Dominique, her flat mate and she got her car, a Fiat 850 and took us out to Versailles to see the Palace (which was not flood lit as expected). Did a tour of Paris lights by night.

Thursday, 27^th July

Walked past Madeleine, 3^rd largest church in Paris and then past Palais de l’Elyse where President De Gaulle lives.  He had just arrived home from Canada in a storm after he said “Long live free Quebec” and this was not appreciated by Lester Pearson. Down to Shell ICI where Francois works and met her at 11.30am.  Lunch at self-serve restaurant.  Walked home, Neil and I in shorts and long socks getting quite a lot of looks from the local people.

At 2.30 pm we planned a trip through the underground sewers of Paris but 100 people were queued so we gave it a miss (smell was also strong).  Went to Louvre and saw the famous Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and Winged Victory.  Sat in park and paid for using chairs – 40 centimes equals 9 cents Australian.

Home for dinner – then went to Folies Bergère. Show was very elaborate but very weak.  Many Americans there.  Very hot inside theatre as had been 86 degrees F in the shade all day.  Many nudes and topless gowns.  Lasted for four tedious hours.

Friday, 28^th July

Caught train to Versailles about 20 miles from Paris. Visited the Chateau of Versailles which is gigantic and very elaborate, once the home of King Louis XVI and Marie Antionette before they had a short back and sides at La Place de la Concorde in Paris.  The grounds are extensive, filled with gardens, statues and ponds.

Caught a Metro to La Pigalle where all the strip clubs are and the Moulin Rouge which is very expensive but apparently is an improvement on the Folies (it would want to be).  Meal charge is £5 and minimum drink charge 15/-.  We had a drink at the café opposite where we paid about 3/9 each for a beer plus service about 6d.  Robbery!  Walked home.

Saturday 29^th July

Bought snails and prawns while shopping and tasted the snails for the first time.  It’s the image of those slimy things that tastes the worst. Took the Metro to Hotel des Invalides and saw Tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte. Revisited Notre Dame and marched to the top to get photos of the devils.

Sunday 30^th July

Checked out of hotel, then to Rodin Museum where we saw his sculptures including the famous Le Penseur (The Thinker).

Girls went to see tombs of famous French men eg Louis Pasteur, while Neil and I found a café and ate cheese sandwiches, drank beer and read English newspapers.

Train out of Paris to airport then Jet BAC 111 to Gatwick – very comfy flight as night fell.  London at 12 pm.

We are keeping this flat until Sep 18^th which is about three weeks after I get back from Russia. After that we are going to get a better one for the winter.  We have five here now.  Gus from Sydney, cabinmate from ship, Neil from Sydney, one of the originals, Tommy from New Guinea and Qld, Ted from Canada.  We had seven the other day as another Canadian was sleeping on the floor for a week and Fred from Wollongong.  Fred bought himself a motor scooter and is touring Britain for his six-week school hols.  

 I bought an anorak (parka) today.  It’s a beauty and cost me £5/7/6 sterling and will be ideal for winter.  We are expecting weather in Scandinavia and Russia to be warm. It doesn’t get dark in Stockholm and Helsinki until midnight and then gets light very quickly and as almost the opposite occurs in winter it’s just as well we are going in summer.  I’m looking forward to seeing Moscow, Leningrad, Warsaw and Berlin and have heard biros sell well in Russia so I have a stack that I bought for 3d each.  Michelle and Norma are going on the tour too.