Maggie's Paris Experience -- a blog by Maggie

 
Let me start off by saying that  I have amazing friends and am GREATFUL to them for this opportunity.
 
Having a 3 hour layover in Newark wasn’t so bad since my gate was between  the ladies room and an Irish Pub.  Upon arrival in Paris I tried using a payphone to call & tell Jill I was on my way but couldn’t figure it out!! I showed the cabbie my paper with the address and off we went.  We pulled up in front of the apartment, or what I was hoping was their place and I was looking around when the window’s of an apartment opened and I saw my friends!  So very cool.   We hit the road, going to a spot for me to see the Eiffel Tower ~~~ WOW as all I thought.  What a sight and we were blocks away.  Me being the bad tourist I left my camera at the apartment, AKA why there are no pictures  posted on face book!  After lunch at an outdoor café we went to Arc‘d Trumpih.  It was a little crowded in the stairwell but we managed   & the view we got ~~~ amazing.  By this time we needed a rest, ok a glass of French wine.  We headed down Champs Élysées and had a drink, or two.  I can say we did savor those drinks since they cost a pretty euro. We realized it was a long way from Union Street ~ So amazing to be drinking with my friends in Paris.  We walked along the river and again past the Eiffel Tower ( I never got sick of seeing it from different views)  That night we had dinner at Gary’s (La Petite Tour) and I was happy to finally meet their new friend.  I could not read the menu and had to rely on Jill & Mark ~ they did not mislead me.
 
On Thursday we went to Disney Paris, much to Jill’s dismay!  We took the train, right to Disney’s gate. I can say Disney is Disney but it was an experience.  It was a full day doing both parks but we survived.  The parks look the same as in Florida, especially Main Street but the castle is very different and some of the attractions are not there (I did miss the Country Bear Jamboree).  The train trip home was an experience in itself.  Without thinking we left at 5pm and hit rush hour traffic.  Needless to say it was not pleasant, it was HOT, CROWDED, & the train has no AC!  We had to stop a few times and just sit and wait to let other trains go.  I thought we’d never get back to the apartment.  After having a drink we went to an Italian Restaurant(yes in Paris).  After dinner we walked to see the Eiffel Tower at night.  We had drinks, caught up and waited to see the tower twinkle, When the lights went out for the night was a good time for us to go!  Actually before that would have been a good time but ~~~~~
 
We decided that Friday would be a good day to take it easy.  After breakfast we walked around the neighborhood and went to the grocery store, in the mall!!!  After wandering a little more we stopped for crepes ~~ Nutella ~ it was great & I could go for one now!  When Mark got home we ventured out for our evening ~ Notre Dame & a pub crawl (odd combo I know but it worked)  When we got to Notre Dame it was closed for the evening but I stood in awe admiring the outside and gardens.  When we crossed the bridge we stumbled upon a Food & Wine festival so of course we had to stop & check it out.  We ate, drank & listened to an oompah-pah band.  We then moved on to an Irish Pub where I felt obligated to take the glass I was drinking from (who knows why) The music was good but we had pubs to see, beer to drink and food to eat (ok so I had to have dinner, before I took any more glasses! Didn‘t work since we went to a another pub & I had to have the ½ pint glass I asked to buy and the bartender told me I could have it! We had dinner at an outdoor café that had wonderful Beef Burgundy.  
 
Mark went to the bakery and got us croissants for breakfast and off we went.  Jill & Mark know the underground way into the Louve so there was no waiting in line.  Again another WOW moment for me.  The place is huge.   Of course we wanted to see the Mona Lisa and headed that way first.  Finally seeing her in person was something else, but to be honest I thought the picture would be bigger and I was disappointed that  it’s kept behind glass & you have to stay behind ropes about 3 feet away, There is so much to see we had a hard time deciding what wing to visit. We left the museum and walked thru the gardens to an outdoor café for a beverage and rest.  Or next stop would be Montmartre, an artist community high atop a hill overlooking the city.  I know I keep using the word amazing but it covers so many things I did and saw.  
Sacre Coeur is a beautiful church, and the view from the front steps is awesome.  While sitting relaxing I watched the place across the street making crepes.  I became intrigued with an egg & cheese crepe.  After dinner the weather had started turning and we had to buy tourist umbrellas!  We decided to walk down the hill and then on thru Moulin Rouge.  We played it safe & kept in the walkway in the middle of the street.
 
Sunday we went to church @ Notre Dame (ok the one by Jill & Mark’s not the famous one)  Mass was the same so it was not all that hard to follow along  Watching the children wander during mass was different.  We walked to breakfast and I had a crepe with egg & cheese, not as good as a Nutella one but good just the same.  Mark had pizza with an egg so of course I had to try.  We went to the Market to get dinner, deciding to eat at home and watch the Bills game. Back to the day ~~~ went to Notre Dame to see the inside ~ another awesome moment. We walked home via the Eiffel Tower.  This was my first time being right at the tower and it was just amazing.  Standing under the Eiffel Tower was such a cool moment in my life. After having a drink on the river and looked at the tower more it was game time. The evening was capped off with a Bills win.
 
A word of advice for any trip, don’t save something you want to do for the last day ~~~  We started the day by taking a cab to the Harley Davidson shop, that Tom wanted me to visit.  I found the location before I left home and had directions. The down side was that I did not pay attention to the store hours and once the cab pulled away we realized the store was closed on MondayL I do have pictures for him and hoping that within the next year Jill & Mark will want to visit the Bastille area on a day besides Sunday or Monday.  We took the metro to the Eiffel Tower, being quite proud of ourselves for buying our tickets from a machine with no help.  It was so crowded they closed the top of the tower!!!!! After waiting for an hour we went to the mid level and honed in on an American Tour group, we followed them around and learned a few things.  It was quite amazing and could actually pick things out in Jill’s neighborhood.  We decided to walk down the stairs, the exercise was good for me.  Sadness was setting in because we had to go home and pack and that meant my trip was winding down.  After dinner we called it an early night since it would be a long day of traveling on Tuesday.  
 
Mark & Jill were leaving for Greece Tuesday morning so we cab’d to the airport together.  It was fun being at the airport as it was coming to life and watching all the people, which I did after I took a couple hour nap.  Not sure I was much company to Jeannie & didn’t do much to calm her flying nerves.  It was nice to see our rides waiting for us in Rochester ~~~ it was especially nice for me because Billy & Joannie had just flown in for a weeks visit.
 
Paris is an amazing city and I’m a lucky person for the opportunity I had.  I highly recommend anyone visiting Jill & Mark.
 

Another new adventure -- Brussels, Belgium (a blog from Jill)

Another new adventure...early Thursday morning high speed train ride to Brussels,Belgium. I was very excited! I really enjoy traveling by train, especially a high speed train!!! And since it is Mark's line of work, it is important to support the train and metro business! There is no hassle traveling by train...you can pack what you like and carry anything on the train with no worries! You arrive 20 minutes before departure, find your very comfortable seat, get settled and relax while speeding through the French country side-what could be better than that? One hour and 20 minutes later, we arrived in Brussels. We walked through the train station, out the door, crossed the street and there was our hotel-how convenient!

Historically Brussels, the capital of Belgium, was a Dutch speaking country. But over the 19th and 20th centuries Brussels became increasingly French speaking. Most people of Brussels are French speaking today, but both languages are evident. The street signs, menus and such are written in both languages. I must say I was very fascinated by the Dutch language. It was fun to listen to and I couldn't help but think about my Dutch ancestors! At one point of our trip, Mark and I tired, wet, cold and exhausted from traipsing around the city found a very beautiful large cathedral(Cathedrales Bruxellensis SS Michaelis et Gudulae). We went inside to look around and as luck would have it, mass was beginning. Being wet, cold and good Catholics we decided to stay and participate in the mass of this beautiful church. We took our seats, got out of our wet coats and settled in...a very young Priest started to speak and much to our surprise he spoke Dutch!!! We are very used to listening to mass in French, but this was our first mass in Flemish. I was thoroughly engrossed in listening to the homily, the Priest seemed so joyful in his presentation...he spoke and sang so nicely-only wish we could have understood what he was saying!!! It was a pleasure to attend this mass and shake the Priests hand when it was over...a very memorable experience!!!

Brussels City is quickly becoming one of the top 5 destination cities to visit in Europe. Katie was just telling how she learned about it in one of her classes this semester! Mark and I found it fun and interesting...the architecture was very similar to what we see everyday in Paris, but you could see many, many Dutch influences. The Grand Place or Grote Market (in Dutch) is a beautiful old city square. Traditionally the Grand Place was a market place were people came to sell and buy food. Now, beautiful old buildings stand in its place...the Maison de Roi or King's House, the Hotel de Ville or town hall with it's gothic tower is often mistaken as a church or castle! I can attest to this-Mark and I both thought it was a church!

In a narrow alleyway not far from the Grand Place is the Mannekin Pis or peeing boy fountain. I was surprised to find the peeing boy to be so small, only about 1 1/2 feet tall. So much was made of it being such a huge tourist attraction, I thought it would be much larger!!! It was still fun to see. We just happened to notice a bar kitty corner to the statue called the Mannekin Tavern. We stopped and enjoyed a very fine Belgium beer. I believe I tried a local beer made by the Tappist Monks...it was a Belgium blonde beer. I found I really enjoyed the blonde beers. The fruity beers were very popular-SWEET and fruity! They were good in very small doses! Of course, around the corner were several waffle stands...We had to try the waffles! Yummmmm...the waffle had banana, strawberries, whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate!

The food was very good too! What I read and found to be true is that the food is very French in style with the larger serving sizes of Germany. Our first meal in Belgium was at a restaurant that cooked all it's meat on an open wood fire. As you walk in the door of the restaurant, the meat was cooking on the wood fire grill, juices were dripping and smelling delicious! Mark and I were hooked...the place was busy, but they had a table for two. I ordered the lamb chops with garlic, cheese potatoes and vegetables. Mark ordered an Argentinian beef filet and baked potato. We agreed dinner was delicious!!! Too much of everything though, we couldn't eat it all:(

There aren't many foods that are traditionally Belgium...waffles, beer, chocolate and mussels with fries! Mark really enjoyed the mussels! The come to the table in a small cast iron pot and they were cooked perfectly-he had a hard time finishing them but he gave it a good effort!

Saturday,the only full day we had to sight-see was very rainy! The rain and damp just seeped through our bones, but we made the most of it and enjoyed ourselves. We were prepared for the weather with raincoats, umbrellas, and rain boots and managed to do a full day of walking, touring and shopping!!! Our stay in Brussels was great, the train home was relaxing and best of all we arrived in Paris safely and on time!

We spent this past Saturday in Paris and had a very nice day. We started the day with coffee and breakfast at home. Went to Inno for groceries...had to carry large, very heavy bags home. We had a quick lunch and took the JILL train to Le Jardin des Plantes-a very beautiful garden of flowers, small trees and even a few vegetables. We found the zoo(menagerie), a labyrinth to a lovely gazebo at the top of a hill. We walked and watched the children having so much fun crawling through the bushes of the maze and we sat and enjoyed the view when we reached the top!

We continued on our journey to Rue de Moufftard, a fun street full of little shops, brasseries, restaurants and bars. We continued our wanderings past l'eglise St. Genevieve, the Pantheon to le Jardin de Luxembourge. From there we walked to the latin district and had dinner at Le Latin-one of our favorite, consistently good, inexpensive restaurants! We took the RER home. It was an enjoyable, long day in Paris!!! We have to start traveling outside the city of Paris to other areas of France(Normandy, Champagne or Provence). Maybe this weekend...So far Fall has been beautiful-cool, crisp beautiful sunny days!!!

Tot ziens("toht zeens")! See you later in Dutch:)

A Visit to Paris -- Post by Jean

My trip to Paris: I had no idea really what to expect. I didn't really get a chance to think about the trip until about 2 weeks prior to going. Then.....I couldn't stop thinking about it. I practiced my French at work. I must say i think i impressed them....or was that i annoyed them. By this time i was not nervous about the flight at all. I may have used up all my nerves over the summer. The flights were great.  So I did take alot of pictures and yes i journaled every night.
So..First i want to say thanks to Jill and Mark for making this trip truely an experience i will cherish. I loved it and didn't take a minute for granted.
The first day: Really no plan- but it was amazing. I got to see the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame. You would have thought it would have been a horrible day because just as we got to the Tower it began to down pour. Hopped a boat on the Siene river. Got off at the Notre Dame stopped and had drinks on a little restaurant/bar boat until it cleared up.We had a wonderful view of Notre Dame. The thing that really stood out on this day was it was 9/11. We ended up walking through the Latin District and went to a couple bars...nice. We were at a Canadian Pub and the football games were on....couldn't get buffalo but they began to play taps for 9/11. The very, very noisey bar suddenly started to become quiet slowly until there was complete silence. The silence lasted until the announcer came back on. It brought chills.........And the no plan thing...there never was a plan and if there was a slight plan it made Mark very uneasy. The no plan thing allowed us to really experince Paris not just see it. So Mark kudos to the no plan plan.
Day 2: Me and Jill spent the day going to the market. Had lunch.. I went on a limb and ordered the American salad...i know.....pretty risky..I got to see the whole neighborhood it was great. And the grocery store..and the parks. All the nannies with the kids. Jill and Mark made dinner ...then a walk to Le Passy( Local Pub) very nice and Mark's friends (the bar tender) and well.... all the workers.They made me feel very welcome. Walked to the Eiffel Tower at night. It was lit up and sparkling.... just amazing and beyond words. We sat by the Siene river and had a drink looking at the Eiffel Tower....really.really.....couldn't believe my eyes!! 
Day 3: Went to the mueseum d'orsay. Me and Jill took a taxi. I think we took some one elses as we were in line to get into the museum and Mark called stating the taxi service wants to know where we are because they are outside the apartment waiting for us.....ooopps.Loved the museum although I realized how little i remembered about my art history. But i soaked up every detail and was thoroughly in my element.  So we walked back.I had to pee bad.....i knew we had to go towards the Eiffel tower. That is all i knew but seeing it made me realize relief was out there.......Suggestion..have a toilet some where along the Siene or do as the Parisiene"s do... just go!!!!Oh yeah i ran into a Simba puppy.He started to run the other way then i talked to him and he came running to me. It was like in slow motion.....and jumped on me and licked me..at that point i asked the gentleman walking him if i could pet him.......Me and Jill stopped at LePassy and had a drink....my feet hurt..we had too!
Day 4: Maggie arrived...I was looking out Jill's French window's and i saw this lady looking up at the windows. I was wondering what she was looking at......then realized it was Maggie. Magie was great she would do this little clap every time she saw something new....it made me smile. We went to Tracodora (sp?) sorry Jill and Mark,had lunch.Maggie saw the Eiffel Tower for the first time. (CLAP) We walked to the arc of triumph (CLAP)...amazing. The views,...see pictures. I tried to walk up the stairs so not to disappoint Bryan. Well the earth began to spin,air thickened and my only thought was i had to get out of there...why you ask. It is a narrow,winding staircase that has no windows..no nothing. I began to work my way down....I think i knocked down a couple people...and then an elevator........stairing me straight in the face..up i went!!!We walked down
Ohhhhh that famous street...all the expensive stores are on...it was a really pretty walk,went past the Grand Palace........just amazing. We had to stop and have a drink..my feet hurt....Then we met up with Mark and went to Gary's for dinner. Great way to end the night.
Day 5: DisneyLand Paris----the colors were awesome. Kids you have to go. Rides are the same but very different. The train takes you right there. Loved it...and Jill was a great sport. I think maybe,maybe even really enjoyed it...Maybe ...Had dinner at Dino's a quaint italian restaurant --the pizza was yum...but kind of an emotional night. We went and had drinks in Tracadora and at one point the Eiffel Tower disappeared....Funny story. Jill thought she ordered a water but the waiter brought her a glass of wine. I said to Jill. ".Don't worry it happened to Jesus too."...........well we thought it was funny.
Day 6: Experienced my first Crepe (CLAP)...delicious....with nutella...Had a relatively easy morning...went to the mall. i ordered a cappucina..well i thought i did...i spoke my French and put in the order. I was very proud of myself but he then asked me something.. i have no idea what so i said Qui....I am not sure what i said yes too and then this
  cup of foam arrived....with a splash of coffee on the bottom...I am sure he had no idea i was from the states! Waited for Mark and took the subway to Notre Dame...ran into a festival. Great time....had a couple drinks. Then went to an Irish Pub and listened to a musician. We thought he was great so bought his CD...well i listened to it the other day. It had to be the atmoshere..........Notre Dame is beyond amazing. I must say i teared up when i went inside.
Day 7: Went to the Louvre via train. The train goes right under the Louvre. Loved it......Loved it....The building and cielings alone are amazing......the art work what can i say. It was a dream come true. Then took a taxi to Mt. Marc--church on the hill (CLAP) oh what a view....... ate at a quaint restaurant and sat next to a couple from Scottland. And when i say next to... i am using that loosely as you pretty much sit with them..tiny,tiny places. We had a great conversation.... Oh and Mark he talks to all the taxi drivers. He ask were they are from and because he has been all over he is able to talk to them about their home land. I loved listening to them.
Day 8: Went to church...I again teared up and was extremely entertained by the children there... They play in the confessional, run around so funny and so different. The services exactly like an American service with the exception it was in French. I was able to follow along....Truely enjoyed it.Went to the outside market,stopped at a pub--my feet hurt . Had some more French beer...nice.Went to the Eiffel Tower and had a drink by the Siene River. Then went back to watch the Bills win and eat the market goodies.
Day 9: Maggie,Jill and myself were on a mission to find the Harley Davidson Store. By subway...Jill and Maggie navigated and I followed. WE found it...caught the right subway,got off at the right spot and.......it was closed...closed no........felt really bad....I think Maggie still clapped that little clap though....By this time my ankles were the size of a softball...extremely painful. Brought me to tears on a couple of occasions.throughout the trip....but i wouldn't have changed a thing....I experienced Paris ...the language,the people, the sights and the history. I saw the little things as well as the attractions. I looked at every door, every garden, every building. As i said earlier..much earlier i didn't take anything for granted. I know how lucky i was to experince a new culture...It was amazing!!If you are on the fence about going don't be.....Oh yeah and i met Fatima.....I loved her too..a little intimidating maybe but when you drop a whole can of beer on the floor and a glass table top....one might complain...Maggie(CLAP) Jill and Mark thanks......for a great experience.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Another Life! --- blog from Jill

  

Back to Paris...another world, another life!!! So glad Jean came back with us and Maggie followed shortly after! It is always fun to share our Paris adventure with family and friends. We had a great time visiting all the usual tourist attractions and even some not so usual...just experiencing Parisienne life! Maggie would clap with delight every time she saw something wonderful and Jean quietly snapped picture after beautiful picture! We truly enjoyed experiencing Paris through their eyes...all eyes are welcome!

I planned on writing about Athens, Greece but I had an interesting experience at Monoprix this morning! Monoprix is a small Walmart so to speak. It has a little bit of everything from clothes to groceries and I went to pick up a couple of small items. The lines were long and there was a woman who wanted to "cut" the line. I don't know why, I couldn't understand her reason, but I could figure out it upset everyone else in line...all these dramatic French women, speaking at the same time with a very hostile attitude and presence!!! What to do...My natural inclination would be to let her go in front of me, but I was afraid everyone would gang up on me! I wouldn't be able to defend myself except with "Je parle anglais"or "Je ne comprend pas," so when the lady stood in front of me, I gently tapped her on the shoulder and pointed to the back of the line. She spoke to me, I said "Je ne comprend pas" and she went further back. I must say I was a little bothered by this whole event, but in the end I felt like I had assimilated a little into the French culture...I fit in:) Even though I would have been more than happy to give her a place in line!

Everyone knows Greece is really struggling economically right now and of course the government and citizens see things very differently! The citizens peacefully protest or strike at whim and we were able to witness both these events! On Thursday of our visit all taxis, metros and buses were on strike and Sunday, the air traffic controllers went on strike. I'm still not sure how we were able to fly home with no one watching the skies, but we arrived in Paris safely with only a couple hours of delay!!!

We did witness a very large public protest at the Parliament building one evening. A large number of people were gathered in the square and were speaking loudly over a public address system. I was nervous because there was a large police presence and I couldn't understand a word they were saying...it was all Greek to me(ha-ha)! Everyone participating or simply observing where calm and well-behaved, so we continued on our journey...

The first night of our stay in Athens was spent with the Alstom team-Mark's peers and boss!  We had a great time visiting the New Acropolis Museum and seeing the Acropolis and Parthenon! Simply amazing...beautiful in daylight and incredible views at night! Built high on a hill, you can view these amazing sites from almost everywhere in the city! After the museum we traveled by bus to a restaurant on the water in Pirreus-one of Europe's largest seaports. It was dark so we weren't able to witness the beauty of the area, but the restaurant on the water had beautiful evening views with the boats and lights. Mother nature also provided us with a spectacular thunderstorm! My first meal in Greece was nothing short of amazing!  We started with calamari, eggplant dip and a boiled salad. Oh and some sort of little fish that were too "fishy" for my taste. All else was very good. Boiled salad is a typical salad or so I assumed because I saw it on several menus...some sort of boiled greens, served cold with crudités and cheese. Dinner was a pasta and lobster plate served with chunks of lobster and a fresh tomato sauce...delicious! Fresh fruit platters were an incredible ending to this delightful meal. 

The second night Mark and I walked around Athens and found our way to Plaka, the ancient city of Athens. It was beautiful with the views of the Acropolis and Parthenon. The sidewalks/roads are made of marble and everything else of stone!!!  On recommendation from one of Mark's co-workers we found a restaurant called Stroffi's and had another great meal! We  had Greek salad, eggplant dip and stuffed grape leaves as starters and had goat and potatoes cooked in parchment paper to share for dinner. The eggplant dip was amazing and the Greek salad was beyond amazing...chunks of

tomato, cucumber, green pepper and sliced red onion, kalamata olives, a thick slice of feta cheese, a sprinkle of dried oregano and drizzle of virgin olive oil all served with delicious bread, not pita-yummo(sorry Kyrstin)! Mark really enjoyed the grape leaves-reminded him of his childhood growing in the Lebanese neighborhood! The goat was good, a little gamey-I guess it was what I expected goat to taste like! After dinner, a spot opened up on the roof and we were able to have expresso under the open sky with views of the Acropolis! How fun...

 

 

The fresh herb basil is everywhere in Athens...in small pots on restaurant tables, in large planters on the street-all different shapes, sizes and types of beautiful, fragrant lovely basil! Mark and I love the smell of basil-it awakens the senses and just makes you feel alive!

The weather was spectacular! It was very warm (85 to 95 degrees), no humidity with a slight breeze off the water!!! Perfect! The architecture was mostly modern in style with only a few old buildings in traditional style left and the "new" art, graffiti was often times unsightly and not artistic at all!  The beauty of the mountains, endless blue skis and incredible blue of the water is what you enjoy and remember about Athens!

My favorite place of all was the Greek Island of Hydra!!! We took a 12 hour boat cruise on Saturday and visited three islands-Hydra, Poros and Aegina! All wonderful islands, but Hydra was our favorite. It was built on the side of a hill right off the beautiful crystal blue waters of the Mediterranean. I can't even explain the gorgeousness of this place! You have to boat to the island and the donkey is the traditional mode of transportation...the roads are not large enough for cars to travel on! It is like walking into the past, one hundred years ago! Spectacular!!! We would love to go back and spend a few days on this island...if unable, it was a joy to experience if only for a couple of hours!  

  

Brussels, Belgium is our next trip. We leave Thursday and are traveling by high speed train! Mark has been there once, but it rained torrentially his entire visit. We are hoping for better weather :) I do have some research to do...all I know about Belgium is that it has very good fruity beers and fantastic chocolate! My favorites...

Yasou or ahdeeoh!!! Goodbye in Greek ;)

A Mid-August Evening in Paris

Note to all... Don't visit Paris in August.  Everyone is on holiday, shops and restaurants are closed and not a lot of people around.  Not a problem, because I'm scheduled to leave in a week's time.  But i still would appreciate sharing a beer with someone.  So with that said I decided to go to Le Passy tonight for a beer.

As it turned out I had 4 or so.  I finished my first beer and Henric, the manager/owner brought me a new beer with complimentary appetizer.  About half way through I met a guy at the bar.  His name was Harry and he was from London.  We shared another couple of beers and another complimentary appetizer.  We had a nice chat.  Found out he lives on Kleber Avenue and hangs out at a pub on Kleber with his "mates".  His pub plays jazz and blues.  Best night is Thursdays.  We agreed to meet in September when we get back.  Be ready Jean and Maggie, could be a crazy night with a bunch of Brits!!!

Picked up a quick Chinese takeout.  Too lazy to cook.  When I got to the apartment I met Fatima.  She was enjoying the evening outside the front door.  No kidding, we spent about 20 minutes talking in French.  She volunteered to tend my plants while I was in the U.S.  I gave her warning that when I came back I would have 3 ladies with me.  Of course we laughed about the potential noise it would bring.  She says I'm quite as a mouse.  Any way, Jean and Maggie better be on their best behavior...

Going to the U.S. In a few days!

Visit to Constantine, Algeria

I have been traveling around the world for a number of years, visiting many different countries and cultures.  This past week I had the chance to go to Constantine, Algeria.  Constantine is a historic city that at one time was key to the battle between the Romans and the Ottoman Empire.  If you ever visit the city you can quickly see why they would want to have the city... it is on a mountain overlooking the territory in all directions.  Very strategic.

This visit was different for me compared to my other travels.  This time I had to stay on a secured base camp.  See, Constantine is considered a very conservative Muslim city.  To the east a few hundred miles, in the mountains there are known terrorist groups.  There was not real threat to me or our employees, but we take a very conservative approach to these types of things.  Nonetheless we have our expatriate employees and any visitors live on a base camp.  The base camp has 3 levels of security.  The first is the office buildings, second the dining area and support buildings and the third is the living quarters.  You have to use a special badge to enter the areas.  The living quarters are small bungaloos with 3 rooms -- living/kitchen area, bedroom and bathroom.  Nicely kept, clean and air conditioned.

Prior to going, I did experience a bit of anxiety.  Many of our employees have gone there with no issues, but it was my first time going there.  I didn't know what to expect and I prayed a lot that it would be a "no issue" visit.  Much to my relief I found the experience to be very nice.  The people at the airport / passport control were very helpful (with my miserable French skills sometimes it is difficult).  In Algeria they don't speak a lot of English, mainly French and Arabic.  I can understand the French, but not too good with Arabic.  I couldn't believe how friendly and helpful they were.

Shortly upon arrival I'm picked up by a driver and taken to the base camp... ok, when I say base camp what are you thinking.  1945 army barracks???  Again, much to my surprise the base camp was very welcoming.  Clean, well kept and non-threatening.  I found the experience to be very good.  Some of the guys complain about the noise because the walls are so thin, but I had no problem sleeping.

For dinner that night the group of us had an old fashion barbeque -- lamb chops and sausage!  It was a homemade grill, but well done.  Our cooking utensils were a bit primative, but got the job done.  The night was beautiful, the wine was good, food was perfect (except for this "dip" that was like garlic flavored cool whip) and the company was enjoyable -- even if I had to use my French.

In the end I really enjoyed my visit to Constantine.  The local people were very accepting of me, they wanted to know about my feelings of Constantine and Algeria, and were surprised to learn this was my 6th visit to Algeria.  I guess not a lot of Americans go to Constantine.  I will remember my visit to this very conservative Muslim city, what made even more interesting is it was Ramadan.  Taught me another lesson of cultural and religious tolerance / acceptance.

A couple of pictures looking out from the base camp...

 

Summer in Paris

Right... what summer???  The weather has been terrible.  Sorry for all of you back in Western NY, but here it has been regularly in the 70s and rainy.  The whole month of July has been gloomy.  Any way...

July in Paris starts the Summer Holdiay season.  Just like Christmas, everyone takes off and the place becomes a ghost town.  There are signs in Le Passy saying they are closed on Sundays in August, many of the shops have their curtains pulled with signs in the window and even Le Petite Tour (Gary's restaraunt) will close for the month.

Knowing that the closure was near, but uncertain when, I went to Gary's for dinner tonight.  I don't typically go to a restaraunt alone, but I thought it would be good to visit my friend's establishment before the holiday.  I decided to eat at the bar because it is more interesting then sitting alone.  Gary was having dinner with his in-laws (belle mere & pere) right next to me.  When I arrived he greeted me with open arms and a glass of wine.  We chatted for 20 or so minutes about the restaraunt is closing for the month of August.  We had a chance to discuss reservation for the Fall when Jean & Maggie's visit.  He assured me that he would have something on the menu for Jean.

It was a very nice evening.  I met Gary's in-laws, had a great steak (he will put it on the menu in the Fall for Jean) and a couple glasses of wine.  When it came time to pay, of course Gary took care of the wine and I had a chance to wish him and the staff a nice summer holiday season.

I found it amazing to realize that businesses can just shut their doors for this time of year.  It is just not here in France.  In Italy all of our operations shut down for 3 weeks and the people disappear to spend time with their family and friends.  In Spain they shut down the whole month of August.  As I learn more about the South Europe / Latin way of life, I wonder why can't we (as Americans) find a time to shutdown, unwind and relax.

I hope everyone makes the time to spend with those that care the most without the hustle and bustle.

A recap of July

 Wow, it's been alonnnnnggg time since I wrote a blog entry.  I didn't realize until yesterday when I was telling Kelly, my assistant, the key story.  Needless to say she laughed quite hard.

Anyway, there is so much that went on in the last month I don't know where to start.  No way I can write with the immediate emotion and memory of the moment, but I'll recap.

As some of you know, I went home (to the Lake House) for the Fourth of July.  I flew home on Friday and back on Tuesday.  Being with family and friends at the lake for those few days was incredibly relaxing and rejuvenating.  Problem is, it made me realize how much I miss them.  Fortunately, I'm back home in a few weeks.

A week after returning from the U.S. we had a four day weekend, the 14th of July.  This is equivalent to our 4th.  I decided I didn't want to stay in the apartment for the long weekend, so I took a few days and explored Amsterdam (Netherlands, Holland, Dutch - all the same).  It was very nice.  My hotel was on the edge of the "Red Light" District.  I'm sure back in the day it was a bit more racy, but now it was more tourist.  You still saw hookers in the windows and cannabis is legal, but it was more interesting, then exciting.  I know now where all of the hippies from the 70's went.  I swear some of the people looked very familiar to me.  Unfortunately it rained terribly on Thursday and drizzled on Saturday, but Friday was spectacular.  On Friday I spent 6+ hours to explore the city.  For sure it is a city Jill and I will visit.   

 

This past weekend the excitement was Le Tour de France.  Sunday was the finals here in Paris.  I decided to take the walk down Champs Elysse to watch the race.  Only remembering that Matt said the end was on the 24th, I had to look up the details on line.  The crowd was crazy, people wearing Viking helmets and their national flag, I would have thought I was at a Bills' game.  People were picnicking along the street, cheering for their favorite racer or team.  A lot of people were there.  I was fortunate, I walked all the way down the road and then, due to my laziness to walk back through the crowd, I decided to park myself under the trees, across from the Palace, just behind the finish line.  I had perfect view of the big screen TVs and a nice view of the spot, just after the finish line.  The race itself wasn't too exciting.  You only see the riders for a second and then they are gone.  Incredible how fast they go.  But the award ceremony was neat - it was right in front of me.

  

I will try to become more diligent in my writings...