More pics from 12 Passage Beslay

Above is the living room of the apartment.

Above is a decent view of the cute cuisine (kitchen).

Above is the guest room where I slept when I was in Paris.


Above is the view looking south from my balcony.

9 1/2 hours on a plane

OK...those of you who know me know how much I dislike sitting still. I do everything I can to keep from getting into situations where I have to sit for prolonged periods of time.....so, why then, do I willingly sit myself into a very uncomfortable chair with room for 6' of 6'3" me...and then hurtle across the Atlantic for 9 and 1/2 hours???? HMMM? I know my brother really wants me to visit him and his family in China....but, man, I don't know if I can do much longer than that!

PAX!

(Oh yeah, I am sitting in O'Hare waiting for a flight to Wichita....in 4 hours....remind me why Wichita is called the Air Capitol of the World? Hmmm? It sure ain't easy to get to!)

Saying goodbye to Paris

Here is the front of the apartment building at 12 Passage Beslay where I have been sleeping while in Paris. I leave the city tomorrow to return to the US. Sigh.

I have such an odd range of emotions--but ultimately I am so pleased with the entire trip. It has been such an easy thing! I can't wait to do it again...and soon....with anyone who wants to tag along!

Pax!

Love!

Paul

Debra's visit to the US Consulate

This was taken right after Debra got all of her paper work signed so that she and Marc can get married. Marc is a GREAT guy and I am so happy for them both! They will be setting up house in the tiny village of Berniere sur Mer on the Normandy coast. Wish them the best!

A visit to Pere Lachaise and Georges Seurat's tomb

Thursday out and about Paris with Debra

St. Martin du Vivier

Ok...the little hotel I found for my side trip turned out to be so freakin' charming! It was nestled in the hills above Rouen, and once I figured out the bus system, I was minutes from everything I wanted to see. I spent a good deal of time in the ancient cathedral--lit lots of candles and said lots of prayers for all of my peeps. There is something eternal about these places...they even speak to my protestant soul! Don't tell Rabbi!

Peace and love,

Paul

Pics from around Rouen and St. Martin du Vivier

Pour Christina et mon classe!

Tuesday in Rouen

Today I took the train (and why the hell don't we have a decent train system in the US? HUH??? The Europeans have this amazing system and can get anywhere cheaply and quickly)....anyway...today I took the train to Rouen. My hotel is actually a village over in the charming hillside town of St. Martin du Vivier. I plan on exploring both it and Rouen all day tomorrow. I am staying at the Best Western La Berteliere and it has this pastoral inn quality that has me already in my PJs and ready for bed. I ate at my first 3-star restaurant tonight (and l'addition proved it!) and it was so delicious. In fact, I have yet to have a meal that wasn't tasty. Even the McDonalds fries I ate one day were really great. I think it has to do with NO preservatives and NO high fructose corn syrup. These people know how to eat! AND I have yet to see a single FAT French person. There are some thick folks, but not like we have in the states. I really think there is a link between the preservatives the US puts in its food, and how fat stay in our systems. ANYWAY, enough of that.

Peace and love,

PJ

Being a new diabetic in Paris.

It turns out that Paris is a GREAT city in which to be a diabetic. There are pharmacies on every corner and they each have at least one English speaking clerk. I bought some glucose tabs, but have discovered a tastier way to raise my blood sugar. The one time my blood sugar got really low, I didn't panic, went to the closest boulangerie and had the most delicious crepe du chocolat. My blood sugar was fine tout suite. In fact, I have yet to run a high blood sugar this entire trip, and while I know it makes my mom a little nervous, I just make sure I have a pastry shop or bakery in sight AT ALL TIMES. Delicious! (I know the amount of physical activity I am engaging in keeps my blood sugar in the mid to high 90s usually.) OK--enough about my diabetes!

Pax!

Paul

Monday Morning

Place de Bastille with Mitterand's 70's National Opera in the background.

Rue de Charlemagne in the Village de St. Paul. A quaint neighborhood near the Marais. This morning it was filled with energetic high-schoolers heading to their various Lycees.


Exterior of the Picasso Museum. Inside were some wonderful Gauguins and of course tons of terrific Picasso works.

Sunday in Paris

I awoke to the sound of hundreds of church bells ringing all over Paris--calling the faithful to worship. I slept in. I'm on vacation. I'm sure God will understand...n'est pas?

The picture above is from the most amazing market on rue de Richard Lenoir. I have never seen so many people shopping in one place. It was fabulous.

Afterwords, I took myself to the cinema to see the latest James Bond flick and let my aching feet and legs rest a bit.

A plus demain!

Pax.

Paul

A funny tale....

So today while I was looking for Shakespeare and Co. (I got off at the wrong stop and was, yes, once again, lost) I found a small bookstore where the proprietor was setting out his books for the day. In my very best attempt at politeness (and in my limited Francais) I told him I was lost and asked for directions to the road that Shakespeare and Co. was on. Imagine my shock when the THICKEST Texas drawl I have ever heard came out his mouth and said "Straight ahead two blocks and turn right". I would NOT have been surprised had he added a pardner to the end of that. Just goes to show....you can't tell a book seller by his french apparel.

Pax!

Paul

Saturday Afternoon at the Arch de Triumph

Paul at Shakespeare and Co.

Thank you, Bill, for the heads-up!

rue de la Huchette

Notre Dame

More pics from Friday

Vendredi

Friday morning near the Eiffel Tower.

A special post for my French class

You all will appreciate this little story:

My first night here, while dining with my friend Debra and her boyfriend Marc, I was telling a story about when Debra and I were in college and how I was a real "a**hole" one time at a bar. Well, I ended up calling myself a word similar to the French word for a**hole instead of an a**hole and the look on Marc's face was priceless. He was too polite at the time to correct me, but was so curious as to why I would compare myself to a duck. Finally, he started laughing, made the correction, and since then I have a new nickname....yes, both of them now call me "The Duck". I am just going to play it off as my secret spy call name.

And that's---the rest of the story.

Peace!

Paul

Ce matin a' Paris

This morning I have spent most of my time exploring the neighborhood. The apartment is on Passage Beslay in the 11th arrondiesment. The church in the preceding picture is Saint Ambroise and it appears we are enmeshed in the St. Ambroise parish. I got wonderfully lost earlier when I was looking for a bike shop--but never fear--my language skills actually worked! I stopped into a small bookstore and got directions. Of course, I had to ask 3 more people, 3 more times before I literally stumbled onto my street. But nevertheless, I made it home. This afternoon we are getting my train tickets for Rouen next week and for Debra's trip to Normandie tomorrow. Au Revoir!

Pax

Paul

The view from my balcony window in the 11th.

Premiere Nuit A' Paris

Tonight Debra and her boyfriend Marc took me to this terrific Senegalese restaurant for dinner. A wonderful first "official" meal in Paris. We sampled a variety of traditional dishes and then went to Sacre Coeur to take in the night view. What an amazingly beautiful city! My trip is off to a great start.

I promised my mother I'd get her a picture of the Mona Lisa....so, this one's for you, Mom!

Debra's lecture this afternoon centered on French restoration art--I learned so much. It is one thing to read about a picture or have a prof lecture you--but to have the work of art in front of you as a very knowledgable teacher helps you make connections--not only to the work but to the times it was created in--well, to me THAT is the true art of teaching.

Pax

Paul

J'arriverais!

I landed this morning at 10:30 and promptly went to the Louvre to attend a class given by my friend Debra. I am about as exhausted as can be....so I will post more later!

Pax!

Paul

O'Hare on a Tuesday afternoon

Well...the first leg of my trip was just fine. No complaints. Sitting at O'Hare waiting on a transatlantic flight. Woohoo!

Peace and love and more soon...

Paul

Countdown to Paris

Ok....the packing is almost done. This time tomorrow I will be in the air on the first leg of my Paris trip. I am scheduled to arrive at Charles De Gaulle around 9 am Wednesday morning and a shuttle will take me to Debra's school. Stayed tuned for more updates!

Peace and love!

Paul

Last French Class

Tonight was my last French class before I head to Paris (on Tuesday). I was a little sad to say goodbye to this fun group of people...but happy to know I will probably see them next semester. It was enjoyable to recall my French vocabulary from my KU days and I feel pretty confident in my language skills for the trip. It was an excellent lesson in being a student again...I forget how hard it can be to learn something new--and the very uncomfortable chairs didn't help any. Anyway--I will be posting regularly about my Paris adventures right here...so stay tuned!

PAX!

Walt Whitman on Election Day

ELECTION DAY, NOVEMBER, 1884

If I should need to name, O Western World, your powerfulest scene and show,

'Twould not be you, Niagara - nor you, ye limitless prairies - nor your huge rifts of canyons, Colorado,

Nor you, Yosemite - nor Yellowstone, with all its spasmic geyserloops ascending to the skies, appearing and disappearing,

Nor Oregon's white cones - nor Huron's belt of mighty lakes - nor Mississippi's stream:

This seething hemisphere's humanity, as now, I'd name - the still small voice vibrating -America's choosing day,

(The heart of it not in the chosen - the act itself the main, the quadrennial choosing,)

The stretch of North and South arous'd - sea-board and inland - Texas to Maine - the Prairie States - Vermont, Virginia, California,

The final ballot-shower from East to West - the paradox and conflict,

The countless snow-flakes falling - (a swordless conflict,

Yet more than all Rome's wars of old, or modern Napoleon's): the peaceful choice of all,

Or good or ill humanity - welcoming the darker odds, the dross:

- Foams and ferments the wine? it serves to purify - while the heart pants, life glows:

These stormy gusts and winds waft precious ships,

Swell'd Washington's, Jefferson's, Lincoln's sails.

Uncle Walt