We'll Always Have Holiday in Paris....A Continuing Journal
Jan 7th, 2005, 08:26 AM
#103
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 37,416
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
This has been such a treat to read. My grandfather traveled the world. He was born before there was even airplanes and he traveled everywhere well into his 80's. He was still traveling at 94 but was not as mobile so at that point was doing cruises. It was always wonderful to talk with him about his travels, the places he visited..I think it kept him young..always interested in something new and there was always something to learn. You remind me of him in many ways. This thread has really been special. Have a safe trip home and I will be looking forward to hearing about your next adventure.
Jan 7th, 2005, 08:48 AM
#104
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 10,376
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Dear Uncle Art: I second crefloors comments. I knew someone who was a navigator for the RAF in WW11. His family home was the first one destroyed in an air raid. He traveled the world for business and pleasure. You remind me so much of him. Thank you and keep traveling.
Jan 7th, 2005, 09:13 AM
#105
Bravo...I've probably enjoyed this trip report as much or more than any I've read. It was such fun, traveling with you--thank you.
Have a safe journey home and do let us know when you get your pictures up. You might even make another entry about re-entry to US life, the good and the bad, what you really miss and what you are happy to get back to. Heck...we just don't want this to end. It's been fun.
Me, I'm missing the café creme and croissants, the bonjour and merci-au revoir exchanges with shopkeepers, happy musicians anywhere, the little shrug, misty rain and cold weather, the sight of the Eiffel tower as we went to sleep and again first thing in the morning as we opened our eyes.
Again, thanks for sharing your holiday with us, Unc. As you may have guessed, it helped me ease back into normal everyday life here...I could still feel some of what we'd just left through your writing, making this a more gentle re-entry into "life at home".
"O"
Have a safe journey home and do let us know when you get your pictures up. You might even make another entry about re-entry to US life, the good and the bad, what you really miss and what you are happy to get back to. Heck...we just don't want this to end. It's been fun.
Me, I'm missing the café creme and croissants, the bonjour and merci-au revoir exchanges with shopkeepers, happy musicians anywhere, the little shrug, misty rain and cold weather, the sight of the Eiffel tower as we went to sleep and again first thing in the morning as we opened our eyes.
Again, thanks for sharing your holiday with us, Unc. As you may have guessed, it helped me ease back into normal everyday life here...I could still feel some of what we'd just left through your writing, making this a more gentle re-entry into "life at home".
"O"
Jan 7th, 2005, 10:54 AM
#107
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 3,605
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Dear Uncle Art,
Thank you for sharing so much of Paris and yourself with us. Your writing is so honest and moving:
"It reminded me of unhappy times in Germany and I had on my memory earphones and barely heard her."
I, too, am sad that this report has ended and hope you will take OO's excellant advice about describing your journey home.
Safe travels and please post your photos soon.
Thank you for sharing so much of Paris and yourself with us. Your writing is so honest and moving:
"It reminded me of unhappy times in Germany and I had on my memory earphones and barely heard her."
I, too, am sad that this report has ended and hope you will take OO's excellant advice about describing your journey home.
Safe travels and please post your photos soon.
Jan 7th, 2005, 04:06 PM
#109
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 299
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I can't write like most of the other posters so all I can say is, being in paris was such a wonderful dream for us to come true that we still talk about it almost every night and smile. That was in sept '04 and we will return in may! It may seem dumb to people who have alot of money and can go any place they want to, but for us we saved for 5 years to go to europe and it was money well spent! We have a little money left over plus my mother is giving us some to go back to Paris. Thank You
Jan 8th, 2005, 08:45 PM
#110
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 34,738
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Dear Uncle Art,
I finally got to sit down and finish reading this from beginning to end. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed your journal, I laughed, I was touched and I wanted to take notes!
Thank you for taking the time to post this for everyone, I look forward to your next trip and next journal.
Happy New Year,
Scarlett
*ps*
When we are in Paris in March, I will try to remember if someone bothers us, to shout "I don't speak English!"
I finally got to sit down and finish reading this from beginning to end. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed your journal, I laughed, I was touched and I wanted to take notes!
Thank you for taking the time to post this for everyone, I look forward to your next trip and next journal.
Happy New Year,
Scarlett
*ps*
When we are in Paris in March, I will try to remember if someone bothers us, to shout "I don't speak English!"
Jan 8th, 2005, 10:01 PM
#113
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 45,322
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Famousuncleart, I have never been in Paris, but thanks to your fantastic thread I feel like I have been.
So now you must post another thread, as others have said, we need more of your travels and life dear sir.
And best wishes for good and interesting travels in 2005, with trip reports on Fodors. Best regards
So now you must post another thread, as others have said, we need more of your travels and life dear sir.
And best wishes for good and interesting travels in 2005, with trip reports on Fodors. Best regards
Jan 11th, 2005, 08:46 AM
#115
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 243
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hya Gang:
I feel like a battleship which has been in mothballs and called back to action.
In my case, the mothball syndrome is jet lag. I got to the airport quickly and the driver did not, as my daughter did at JFK, did not slam the back hood of her Forester on my capped head. An act that will go down in Fodors infamy.
The tightening of Airports security created a benefit far beyond the shame of an elderly attractive gentleman having to take off his shoes and have a vibrating wand searching, searching for some hidden ten pack of dynamite and not finding it As is my wont, I meander.
The benefit is lots of shops, coffee shops,bars, newsstands, even internet connections to while away the time while waiting. Two whiles does not make a wait!! (sorry)
As most of you know I love films and when settled into my seat, and at cruising altitude,I turned on the small television set on the back of the seat in front of me.
I got bad vibes when the immense gentleman in 36G, put his seat down the
nanosecond the sign went on. The minitelevision set was four and half inches from my nose and I thought that was the reason I could not see the image
clearly.
I am a traveling wuss especially when the person bothering me is the Incredible Hulk, I made do without a word to him, and watched Bourne Identity or Bourne Rebirth. The word watched isn't right, I kept
pulling and pushing the screen to get an image..until he turned around and asked me to stop pushing his chair. I muttered a pardon me.
In all fairness, there are a
lot of night scenes in The Bourne type films and I could not tell who was doing
what to whom and in truth it didnt matter, but I wanted to watch Manchurian
Candidate but that was also too dark.
I looked across the aisle and a woman was watching Manchurian Candidate and it
was so clear that I could make out the mustache airs on Meryl Streep's lip.I plugged into the sound track of
Candidate, leaned out in the aisle and solved my problem.
It was like being at an open air screening and was fun since other passengers knew what I was doing. They chuckled at me but I didn't mind.
But lunch came andcarts blocked my view at vital moments. I generally dont like airline food but this was too much.
I sighed and was ready to give up and, heavens forefend, read the Michael Moore
book. I flagged down a steward and said in effect that I was an actor, director
etc and this damn tv doesn’t work. He chuckled and said that he knew that it was the only bad set on the plane.
He moved me to the one empty seat on the plane and I watched the film on its
second screening with a young French lady who was fascinated to learn that it
was a sequel to a 50's film.
I drove home with a Greek taxicab driving and we shared stories of our parents coming here and making a living by ...can you guess?...running a restaurant.
Connie took one look at my apartment and said that it was the cleanest she has ever seen it and that I did not need my cleaning lady It was clean and they,like many exchanges, re arranged my furniture and appliances. I didn’t mind since they put my dust buster on the counter which saves me innumerable stooping to get it when it was on the floor.
The odd part of the exchange a lot of the food items she got were French and not American!
That about does it I will get in touch when my album on the trip is ready and,
of course when I or we do another exchange.
You comments really did make an older handsome gentleman feel like he is in
touch with those younger and those the same age.Ând I deeply appreciate it.
I feel like a battleship which has been in mothballs and called back to action.
In my case, the mothball syndrome is jet lag. I got to the airport quickly and the driver did not, as my daughter did at JFK, did not slam the back hood of her Forester on my capped head. An act that will go down in Fodors infamy.
The tightening of Airports security created a benefit far beyond the shame of an elderly attractive gentleman having to take off his shoes and have a vibrating wand searching, searching for some hidden ten pack of dynamite and not finding it As is my wont, I meander.
The benefit is lots of shops, coffee shops,bars, newsstands, even internet connections to while away the time while waiting. Two whiles does not make a wait!! (sorry)
As most of you know I love films and when settled into my seat, and at cruising altitude,I turned on the small television set on the back of the seat in front of me.
I got bad vibes when the immense gentleman in 36G, put his seat down the
nanosecond the sign went on. The minitelevision set was four and half inches from my nose and I thought that was the reason I could not see the image
clearly.
I am a traveling wuss especially when the person bothering me is the Incredible Hulk, I made do without a word to him, and watched Bourne Identity or Bourne Rebirth. The word watched isn't right, I kept
pulling and pushing the screen to get an image..until he turned around and asked me to stop pushing his chair. I muttered a pardon me.
In all fairness, there are a
lot of night scenes in The Bourne type films and I could not tell who was doing
what to whom and in truth it didnt matter, but I wanted to watch Manchurian
Candidate but that was also too dark.
I looked across the aisle and a woman was watching Manchurian Candidate and it
was so clear that I could make out the mustache airs on Meryl Streep's lip.I plugged into the sound track of
Candidate, leaned out in the aisle and solved my problem.
It was like being at an open air screening and was fun since other passengers knew what I was doing. They chuckled at me but I didn't mind.
But lunch came andcarts blocked my view at vital moments. I generally dont like airline food but this was too much.
I sighed and was ready to give up and, heavens forefend, read the Michael Moore
book. I flagged down a steward and said in effect that I was an actor, director
etc and this damn tv doesn’t work. He chuckled and said that he knew that it was the only bad set on the plane.
He moved me to the one empty seat on the plane and I watched the film on its
second screening with a young French lady who was fascinated to learn that it
was a sequel to a 50's film.
I drove home with a Greek taxicab driving and we shared stories of our parents coming here and making a living by ...can you guess?...running a restaurant.
Connie took one look at my apartment and said that it was the cleanest she has ever seen it and that I did not need my cleaning lady It was clean and they,like many exchanges, re arranged my furniture and appliances. I didn’t mind since they put my dust buster on the counter which saves me innumerable stooping to get it when it was on the floor.
The odd part of the exchange a lot of the food items she got were French and not American!
That about does it I will get in touch when my album on the trip is ready and,
of course when I or we do another exchange.
You comments really did make an older handsome gentleman feel like he is in
touch with those younger and those the same age.Ând I deeply appreciate it.
Jan 12th, 2005, 04:39 PM
#116
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 2,637
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
FAMOUSUNCLEART - Glad you arrived home safely. No dull plane ride back home for you - glad you finally got moved to a seat with a working t.v.
Curious - what kind of understanding do you have when you do a house swap as to how clean the apartment or house will be left.
Sandy
Curious - what kind of understanding do you have when you do a house swap as to how clean the apartment or house will be left.
Sandy
Jan 12th, 2005, 05:28 PM
#118
hmmm. as an older lady, I Welcome you back as amoung the living. Some people think if you are over 60 you don't have "It" You Do, love, you do. Keep up your travels for yourself and maybe throw us a bite.
Jan 13th, 2005, 03:25 AM
#119
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 820
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
cigalechanta I agree that age is used to categorize what people can and can’t do. My Dad is young in spirit, he asked why I wrote he was going to 78 this year when he is only 73. I said well if you were born in 1927 that means you will be 78, he thinks of himself as younger and acts that way.
Jan 13th, 2005, 05:34 AM
#120
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 243
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Sandy, there is a tacit agreement between exchangers that you'll leave their home as neat as you expect them to leave yours.
As Connie can verify, the exchangers leave my apartment much cleaner than I leave it. I think the Europeans are much neater than we are.
One of my neighbors stopped by after an exhanger arrived and found them furiously cleaning my bathroom.
I find, on return, that my place is cleaner, and as I said, my furniture is rearranged. Something I have never done with theirs.
We are looking forward to going to either Barcelona or Florence, or some place in Italy. When we do, be assured we'll post in Fodors. They are an excellent audience with good feed back.
As Connie can verify, the exchangers leave my apartment much cleaner than I leave it. I think the Europeans are much neater than we are.
One of my neighbors stopped by after an exhanger arrived and found them furiously cleaning my bathroom.
I find, on return, that my place is cleaner, and as I said, my furniture is rearranged. Something I have never done with theirs.
We are looking forward to going to either Barcelona or Florence, or some place in Italy. When we do, be assured we'll post in Fodors. They are an excellent audience with good feed back.
