I spent some time on a tour and as an exchange student in France in 1995. It was the best time of my life. I visited Rouen, Bayeux, Concale, Le Mont St Michel, Paris, Giverny. My host family lived in a home built out of an old Roman wall. The basement had original Roman columns.

My favorite place though was Saint Malo. Walking the ramparts and looking out over the Atlantic was just an amazing experience.

Someday I am going to recreate that trip and take my wife and daughter with me

to plan with family. I never made it to Brittany but liked what I saw of Normandy briefly, also Paris and other areas. THis enjoyable diary is a delight but I don't have another French trip in the cards, dommage. It's ok.

and was with a tour (only time I ever did that but I don't drive so well so....). I couldn't figure out how the water went down the aqueduct with no barriers to direct it and keep it from spilling over the sides. No one on the entire bus could answer that question. When I got home I checked it out and apparently the original walls that did direct and hold the water fell apart over the years and no longer exist. This was all done with gravity. Brilliant engineers those Romans.

They weren't high like walls but tall enough to form a trench on the top. The Romans invented a kind of concrete that would be hard in water and a zillion other building and engineering techniques two thousand years ago. Their empire was partially harmed when the Huns destroyed the aqueducts they had built throughout Europe and their empire.