The Australians and some unfortunate news

This morning sucked, because right after breakfast, I got to clean the coal/wood-burning stove with a couple metal tools and a toothbrush! Hermine probably has never cleaned it (because like I said, cleaning is far down on her priority list), but it was smoking when she tried to cook with it, so naturally, she got me to clean it.
The Australians, Pete and Effie (a couple in their late 40s) arrived today in the late afternoon. They're both really great, and share my distaste with the cleanliness of the house, and so pitch in with keeping it as sanitary as possible. they're WWOOFing in France for 6 months, and after talking about our different destinations, we found out we're both going to the same farm in Mayenne at around the same time, so I'll see some familiar faces while I'm at my 3rd host.
After lunch, we started the real work. We planted a few rows of potatoes and did some weeding. Later, after supper, 2 of Hermine's were passing through and came to stay the night. Over coffee, they told us how they were in Paris at the Gare du Nord (a train station in Paris) today, and one of them had her purse stolen. She said it was typical of that area and she should have been more careful. I mentioned how I was planning on staying in a hotel a couple of blocks from the Gare du Nord on my last night in France before taking a train directly to the airport. They both gasped and gave me terrified looks. When I went on about how I should maybe find a new hotel, they assured me I just need to be super cautious and not leave the main roads or wander around at night. I'm still not sure if I want to stay around there anymore. convenience would be nice, but is it more valuable than my safety? We'll see... I still have 2 months to make my desicion.