> We got a catarmaran thingy across the channel, which took about 40 minutes, or half as long as a normal ferry, and then there we were in Calais.
>

Out of curiosity, do they still have the Dover-Calais hovercrafts? I used to LOVE riding those things across the Channel. Much better than the slow ferries, and immensely cool to watch. Although they're not good in really stormy seas, they STILL rule.

> We got some breakfast, and for some reason bacon and fried eggs was listed as a continental breakfast which confused me.
>

That IS weird. Continental breakfast has to be pastries and rolls and stuff. Having bacon and egss as part of it is near blasphemy.

> We had a bite of lunch, which was quite nice. Then, seeing as the weather was so good, we spent a couple of hours on the beach. My mother collected some pebbles for use at work (she a marriage guidance counsellor, so I have no idea how that works), and then we went home again.
>

I wish I could go to France for the day that easily. :P That's one thing that America isn't any good at... being able to easily reach many interesting, different-cultured countries within the span of a few hours without having to fly there. If you live by a border, you could make it to Canada or Mexico... as compared to where I lived, in Holland, a day's drive could get us to France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Great Britain (via a boat or hovercraft)... that always ruled. As it is now, driving for a day will barely get me out of my STATE, unless I'm going to Nevada or something. (And I have no reason to go to Nevada.)

>winter"OK, more of a rant than an Adventures With..."mute

Sosi"wow, that turned into a rant too"qui