Wednesday, 26 March, 2025, sunny and cool
I believe if one desires to know and understand a place, one walks it. Best learning about Paris by walking and using its fabulous Metro. There exists miles of Paris monuments, museums, and parks to explore. Each sight we visit offers a unique glimpse into Paris’s rich history, culture, and artistry.
(more…)Tuesday, 25 March, 2025
Early train, Museum Pass in hand, reservations booked. We set off to explore Versailles.
Tourists, go that-a-way. Take your patience and good shoes. Be patient or stay home!
Château de Versailles impresses. Where did the Kings get all the money for such luxury? Its gardens offer a peaceful respite, hopefully. And, like Queen Marie, the Hamlet of Petite Trianon promises quiet amid nature. All this beauty and tranquility belies the tragic history behind Versailles.
(more…)24 March, 2025
Paris beckons. Some cities remain timeless, majestic, and full of charm. They offer a tapestry of culture, history, food and drink. Paris holds that promise and more. I have visited Paris numerous times and look forward to sharing this marvelous city with my niece, Gabrielle.
(more…)23 March 2025
There are cities in the world that deserve repeated visits. Being the greatest on any list is an honorable position. Paris fits that description. I rejoice in visiting the City of Light for the third time this decade. Sharing it with first-time visitor Gabrielle makes it even better.
When my niece Gabrielle said she wanted to see some of France, I took the opportunity to invite myself along. “Pick some sites” I suggested. Then, when done, “I would love to share Paris.”
(more…)20 March 2025
Departing Saint-Malo, we drive west through farm land, lush forests, and small villages to the headlands of Cap Fréhel. Occasionally, we spy peeks of bays and a rugged Brittany coast. Stone buildings dot the way. This land has seen the passage of everyone from the Knights Templars to Resistance Fighters and Allied soldiers of WWII. Now us.
(more…)18 March 2025
Sometimes the most challenging part of visiting a foreign country is pronouncing your city of destination. One wrong inflection, and I would find myself hundreds of kilometers from my room for the night. Such is the case with our first stop: Rennes. I may think I correctly pronounce the city’s name, but the French say differently.
For Americans, European train travel is so civilized and convenient. But then, we are not apt to discover big bombs, well, at least not WW2 ordinance!
Earlier this month while replacing a railway bridge just a few miles from here, construction workers discovered what SNCF described as a “really huge” unexploded ordinance. The 1100 pound bomb dropped some 80 years ago, contained over 440 pounds of explosives. Enough to make a really, really big hole!
(more…)1 July 2023
When one is in pain, one needs distraction.
That was the case while visiting the Third Tunnel of Aggression in the DMZ north of Seoul. Walking down the 11 degree ramp, noting the distance to my destination, it occurred to me how challenging the climb out would be.
The tunnel is 358 meters in length, thankfully cool because it is also 73’ underground. Dripping water everywhere. But that ramp up is long and daunting. So I thought, what if….
(more…)