Return to Paris

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving week(end) in the U.S. this past week.  I was fortunate enough to go home and spend it with Jill and the kids.  We had a great time together.  We were able to get all our bills on e-pay of some sort, setup the snow plowing service and get the house into a temporary shutdown status.

This week was a big week for our adventure.  On Saturday Jill and I traveled back to Paris together.  Our return started with an impromptu breakfast party complete with Tim Horton's coffee and bagels at the house with friends and family.  Other then a small misunderstanding it was a nice way to start the day.  Our travel to Paris was uneventful.  We arrived here about 30 minutes early, took a taxi to the apartment and carried the suitcases up the stairs.  I gave a quick tour of the place, made some coffee and we sat and visited.  After ~1 hour we decided to take a nap.  Jill is still resting and I'm writing.

I'm not sure what is in store for the rest of today, but I'm very glad to have Jill here with me.

Visit to Italy

This week I had the pleasure to discover Northern Italy.  This is a quick trip - left Paris for Torino on Monday very early.  I don't know why I do this to myself, but I had Kelly, my assistant, book me on the 7:30 AM flight.  In addition, I made the questionable decision to take the metro to the airport.  That means I wake at 4:30 and leave the apartment by 5:30 AM.  Who knew the trains were not running on a full schedule at that time.  I had to wait an average 7-10 minutes for each train (x3).  I thought I had it well planned and I was already committed so getting a taxi was out.  As my luck has it I arrived just in time to board the plane.  I've got to either take a later plane or quit being so cheap and take a taxi.

We spent the day in Saviagno (~30 minute) drive from the Torino airport.  I was introduced to the HR team, sat in on HR overview presentations, met with the site Managing Director, ate lunch, took a site tour and met one-on-one with a few key people.  All in all a full day, but it wasn't over.  At 5 PM we got in a car and drove to Sesto (suburb of Milano).  There we met the HR team for dinner.  On Tuesday we had the same agenda and left for Bologna to have a dinner with the Bologna HR team.

Wednesday night I went for dinner with Antonio, our business leader in Spain.  We decided to explore the old city center in Bologna.  It was extremely interesting, very historic.  We were looking at buildings that were built in the 1200's.  The city has multiple archways with old mosaics in the overhead covering the sidewalks.  The streets are cobblestone and the weather perfect.  We wandered until we got hungry, found a pizza place to enjoy a pizza and a carafe of Italian wine.  We definitely have to put Bologna on the "must visit" list!     

Trocodaro.MTS

Market Day 1.MTS

Market Day 2.MTS

Be Careful of the Golden Ring

Yesterday I had to walk ~7 km (>10 miles) around Paris to run some errands.  My first leg of the journey was up Kleber across the Arc de Triomphe and down Avenue de Wagram.  I had to drop off my rent check as it was going to be late if I mailed it.  I was under the impression it would be automatically taken from my bank account, but on Wednesday I got an e-mail saying I was late.  Unfortunately, there was a communication breakdown or lack of follow through and the automatic payment didn't happen.  Needless to say I was stressing on Wednesday afternoon.  The last thing I need is for Jill to come to Paris and find out we were evicted.

When I got to the office it was closed because of a bridge day.  A bridge day is an extra day off when a bank holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday.  In this case Thursday, November 11th, is the national holiday and Friday is the bridge day.  Knowing they would be closed, the real estate office gave me the code to their building so I could drop the check in the mail.  As I got there another man came up and started to open the metal roll up door to the office next to the door I was trying to get in.  I tried the secret code 5-6 times and realized it wasn't going to work.  So I stepped next door to the guy who was in the office.  Much to my surprise it was the office of the real estate office.  The guy was doing a quick stop in to pick up a few things.  I was able to give him the check so we shouldn't be evicted for this month. 

My next stop was on Rue d'Amsterdam in the 9th Arrondissemont.  I had to provide additional passport photos for the final stage of the immigration process.  I had 6 photos of Jill and I left over from the process so I went to our immigration consultant office to drop them off.  I found the office with no problem and I put them in the mail box.  I sent an e-mail to the person working my case letting them know I put them in the mail.  About 15 minutes later I got an e-mail back saying they got the pictures but they are too big.  Therefore, I had to find a place to get French sized passport pictures.  Fortunately I had stopped to do a little shopping and there was a photo place near by.  I got my French sized passport photos and went back to the office and dropped off the new set for me.  We'll have to do Jill's when she comes in a few weeks.

While crossing a street on my way to the immigration office an older lady bent down and appeared to pick up a gold ring from the sidewalk.  She stopped me and tried to explain in French that she found it, it didn't fit her and that I should take it.  Of course my scam-dar went off, so I declined, thanked her and walked away.  I thought it was odd, but didn't know why.  A while later, as I was returning home, I had another guy try the same thing.  We were at the cross walk near the Arc de Triomphe and he bent down, appeared to pick up a gold ring, seemed surprised to find it, tried it on and offered it to me because it didn't fit him.  Again I refused and kept walking.  When I crossed the street I looked back and saw the guy meet up with a young lady (obviously his partner in crime).  They tried it on another person reading a map near the Metro.  You won't believe it, about 5-6 blocks down, I watched another guy do the same thing to a guy walking ahead of me.  This time I was able to watch the whole exercise.  No ring is on the ground, it's in the scammers hand the whole time.

Now this is not coincidence... it really is a scam.  I didn't know how the scam worked so I got home and Googled "Paris scam gold ring".  There were several different outcomes of the scam - they occupy you and someone pick pockets you or they ask for money to give you uncontested ownership of the ring.  This is the first time I saw such a thing, but from what I read it happens often.  My advice to all visitors, don't be naive - pay attention - don't accept gifts from strangers.

Other than the rain, it was another fun day in Paris.

Happy Veteran's Day

Isn't it funny that I had to move all the way to Paris to finally get Veteran's Day off! 

Proud to have served my country and thankful for all those who still do.

A Quick Trip Home

Well as many of you have read in my previous post, I had to make an unexpected trip back to the U.S.  Ignoring the circumstances that encouraged the trip, it was great to see family and friends back home.  Unfortunately I didn't get to see everyone, but there is always Thanksgiving week.

The trip home came very fast.  Within a few hours of learning the news I had round trip tickets booked and within 24 hours I was on the plane.  To be truthful I wasn't mentally prepared to go home.  I had all sorts of activities planned out for Monday (it was a national holiday here) and the work week was going to be short.  I had full intentions of visiting my old friends in Plymouth, UK the following weekend so I was going to use the time to clean the apartment.  Well it's a good thing we don't plan life, we live it.

When Jill picked me up at the airport it felt very natural (as she has done it so many times before), but more importantly I felt like we stayed connected during the time I was here.  I won't get into the details of our reunion, but it was good to be home!  Sorry kids...

During my time home we made sure we hit all the favorite spots, CJ's for a quick drink, a steak bomber at Kroney's, dinner w/ Kyrstin and Bryan at Grandpa Sam's and then again Chilango's.  The best was lunch at the Black North Inn and a visit to the Lake House.   It was nice to go into each place and have them greet us as old friends.  On Sunday, my fly away day, we went to church and then breakfast with Bryan at Slayton Place.  Ok, I know it sounds like we ate alot, but...

As for the funeral ceremony, it was done very well.  My Aunt Ellen did an excellent job of coordinating / orchestrating the activities.  Gram looked at peace.  Many of my aunts and uncles from Dad's side of the family paid their respects.  My cousins from Mt. Jewett were there and it was so good to see them again.  Of course my mom, brothers, sisters and families were there.  All but 3 great grandchildren were there (2 were at school and 1 was in heaven waiting for her).  It was a really nice event.  The worst part of the event was I left my suit pants in Paris (this is becoming a family epidemic), so I had to wear a different pair of dress slacks.  My only regret is we didn't take enough time at Gram's apartment to go through her things and reflect / remember as a family.

Now I am back in Paris.  We have another short week, so I must use the four days off to prepare the apartment for Jill's arrival.  Next Monday I travel to Italy and return Thursday night.  On Friday I fly back to the U.S. to enjoy Thanksgiving with the family.  And then Jill comes to Paris with me.  I can't wait.  I know she will be full of different emotions, but we'll be together.

Even though I wasn't mentally prepared to go home, I really enjoyed the time with Jill, family and friends.

In Memory of Gram

It is under difficult circumstances I am returning to the U.S. for the first time in over a month.

On Sunday my 89 year old grandmother died unexpectedly.  As the oldest grandchild I was always very close to her.  Fortunately Jill and I visited her prior to my leaving the U.S.  It was a nice visit.  She was as feisty as ever.  Gram was special person.  As long as I've been alive she has lived alone.  For 45+ years she was always in the same house.  A small single floor, single bedroom house.  The inside was small, the water was rusty and the furnace was never to be stepped on.   But the yard and surrounding area provided lots of opportunities for adventure.  There was the weeping willow, the bank, the corn field and side yard.  The only restriction was the flowers gardens.  Gram loved her flowers.  She had beautiful roses and gladiolas.  Her garden was always producing something.  In the later years she wasn't able to maintain these and finally made the decision to move to a senior living apartment.  As nice as it was, she hated the place.  I remember when we went down to move her in.  She was not a happy camper!  

It was never about where she lived, it was how she lived.  Gram was a devout Catholic, attending mass and participating in church life in every way possible.  I remember how she went to bed to say her prayers or do a rosary.  She always shared the stories of the priest or happenings of the Parrish.  Gram was a hard worker, frugal, smart with money, loved to tease people and made the best mac n' cheese in the world.

For the past 3 or 4 years she yearned to join Jesus in Heaven.  She missed Uncle Jerry, Johnny, Aunt Stella and Uncle Ralph and many others.  I pray she is reunited with all of them.  Love you Gram and will always keep you in my thoughts and prayers.   

Chance Meeting

Just a quick note about chance meetings. During my weekly shopping trip to the Marche de Passy I met one of the Directors of NYU's Paris campus. I was at the fromagerie discussing my weekly samples with the cheese lady and her trainee. An older French woman standing next to me asked me in English where I was from and how long was I in Paris. I shared "upstate New York" and two years. She then told me she works for NYU here in Paris. Most of you know our daughter is a freshman there, so we engaged in a conversation about the Greenwich Village campus. She was so excited to learn about Kate. She invited us to stop over when Kate visits. Come to find out the campus is only a block or two from the apartment.

I continue to be amazed at what a small world we really live in if you let yourself explore it.