tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83144579177968161842024-03-19T01:30:30.298-07:00Kathie and Jackson's Big Adventure - Mais Oui!Three months in Paris from April to July 2009. We're going to use this blog to detail the highs and lows of our big adventure!Kathiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03962029283794250540noreply@blogger.comBlogger76125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8314457917796816184.post-5074715757934289982009-10-28T13:27:00.000-07:002009-10-28T13:39:02.375-07:00Paris PastryCheck out <a href="http://www.susanhochbaum.com/PastryParis.html">Susan Hochbaum's homage to Paris' pastries!</a><br /><br />We didn't try all of these pastries when we were in town so we'll have something to do when we next visit!<br /><br /><table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/llWeRXPsOzrvNt4y81B9IA?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_jpua419xcIc/SenKjBu4fQI/AAAAAAAAbAA/uvyBsVgj5rc/s400/IMG_3691.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/jackson.shaw/20090418?feat=embedwebsite">2009-04-18</a></td></tr></tbody></table>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00014140177974348471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8314457917796816184.post-11366145848837930032009-10-24T12:21:00.000-07:002009-12-31T10:23:54.638-08:00Very sad news...<table style="width: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/5vUc3BhnaNRG-ckPQDrpyg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_jpua419xcIc/SfXwxcD1csI/AAAAAAAAdS8/79HAQIEUSUA/s800/IMG_4117.JPG" /></a><br />
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<tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/jackson.shaw/20090427?feat=embedwebsite">2009-04-27</a><br />
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</tbody></table>Stephen Bacon was our first guest when we were in our Paris apartment. I knew Stephen for more than 15 years and also knew of his heart condition. In September, when I was back in Paris for a short visit, I tried contacting Stephen but couldn't reach him. My worst fears were realized when a Google search turned up this article. We're both going to miss him. He was a great friend.<br />
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<a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=3&ved=0CBUQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cleveland.com%2Fbrett%2Fblog%2Findex.ssf%2F2009%2F10%2Fenglishmans_search_for_a_heart.html&ei=v4LjSuSPK4vWsQPf8tWwBA&usg=AFQjCNFAPmuTm_49zVvkjyrh04VsOl7oag&sig2=eEUYd0nA7Cr2QYFpcarewQ"><i>Englishman's search for a heart touches hearts in Cleveland</i></a><br />
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by Regina Brett<br />
October 9, 2009<br />
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This is a story about the search for a heart.<br />
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It brought a man from England to America.<br />
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Stephen Bacon traveled from Cambridge to Cleveland to get a new heart. He ran out of options back home. His insurance was no good here, but he was ready to pay the price: $400,000 for a transplant. He wanted to live.<br />
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His mother died of the heart condition she had passed on to him. The degenerative muscle condition left him with a pacemaker at age 19.<br />
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He sold his computer business. He was too weak to continue. When doctors in England declared him too medically complicated for a transplant, he hopped a plane.<br />
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The English patient arrived on Sept. 18, 2007, at the InterContinental Hotel with two suitcases and some phone numbers of Clevelanders from his British friends.<br />
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It took a while to warm to Cleveland, Ohio. He didn't know a soul. It wasn't quite as cosmopolitan as London.<br />
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Cleveland embraced him. Jane Buder Shapiro heard about Stephen from a high school friend. Jane and her husband, Eric, invited Stephen to dinner. It wasn't long before he moved into their home for a few months.<br />
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He took up residence in their lives and, soon, in the hearts of all their friends. Stephen was a delicate house guest on and off, a quiet, disciplined spirit who talked politics and movies, cooking and food. He enhanced every conversation, meal and waiting room at the Cleveland Clinic with his dry humor.<br />
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A community formed around him. At first, he compared every American custom or culture to the better ways of the British. Then, he fell in love with America. He engaged in lively debates about politics while making gourmet meals of Asian eggs with oyster sauce, pot stickers or homemade ravioli.<br />
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There was no one he didn't befriend. He made everywhere his home, resting his giant feet on coffee tables all over Cleveland. He was interested in everything, always analyzing, always questioning, always wondering what you thought.<br />
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He never dwelled on being ill, and was fond of saying, "If you have to be ill, you might as well be ill with something doctors are interested in."<br />
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When he first arrived, he thought it would take six months to get a heart. But he was too healthy to make the top of the transplant list. A year passed, then another. He became too sick to get a heart.<br />
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This is the story about the heart he left behind.<br />
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His two years in Cleveland were the happiest in his life. He went back to England on Sept. 9 for medical tests. He had to have so many procedures; he figured he could get them done there under the national health care system. He needed to save his money for the new heart.<br />
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He never gave in to self-pity or fear. With every setback, he moved forward, practical, but expecting the best. Every obstacle was another opportunity.<br />
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He planned to return for the holidays and had a ticket to come back Dec. 15 to celebrate Hanukah and New Year's Eve with his American family.<br />
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Stephen's heart wouldn't last. When Jane got the news, she hopped a plane to England. She sat by his bedside as the respirator struggled. She was with Stephen when he took his last breath. He died on Sept. 26. He was 47.<br />
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At his memorial, they compared him to the Tin Man. Instead of Oz, Stephen ended up in Cleveland seeking a heart, but the message from the Wizard still fit: "A heart is not judged by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others."<br />
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Stephen's journey didn't end the way he had hoped.<br />
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He never got a new heart, but he left a part of his here, transplanted into the lives of all who loved him.<br />
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<a href="http://www.technorati.com/tag/Stephen+Bacon" rel="tag" target="_blank" title="Link to Technorati Tag category for Stephen Bacon">Stephen Bacon</a></span>Kathiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03962029283794250540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8314457917796816184.post-71676017478451735072009-09-24T09:41:00.001-07:002009-09-24T09:57:04.224-07:00Vous êtes américain?<p>I went to McDonald’s this morning to get on their free wireless since our hotel’s wireless is “en panne” (broken). As we walked to our table an elderly lady asked us “Vous êtes américain?” - “You are Americans?”. I said “oui” and she gave us both a big thumbs-up. This was just one example of how welcome I have always felt in France.</p> <p>Yesterday, while we were in a bistro down the road from our hotel we made a little mistake at our table during ordering and I said to the waiter in French “Nous sommes américain” – We are Americans – as a way to poke fun at the mistake we just made. The waiter, with a huge grin on his face, replied in French “Oui, j’ai vu” - “I noticed”. Talk about funny. </p> <p>My point is simply that by using a few words of French and remembering that I’m in a different country and therefore everyday customs may be different has really made my trips to France delightful. Here’s a concrete example of remembering that customs can be different…</p> <h5><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Je vous ecoute! I’m listening to you!</strong></span></h5> <p>A few times I have been in a shop or the bakery and the person serving me looks at me and says “Je vous ecoute!” If you directly translate this into English you get: I am listening to you. Now, the first time I heard this, I was a little bit surprised and mildly insulted. In all honesty, I felt that if I was in the US and someone in a shop addressed me in this way I would walk out. However, I noted it happening to French people – not just me the American – and it happened in different situations to me around Paris. I finally realized that the literal translation was not really accurate. What the person was really communicating was: “I am at your service – you have my attention”. The fact that I was being addressed formally (“vous”) is what started to tip me off. In French, you are normally addressed formally if you are a parent (by your children), someone you have recently met, if you are older than the person that is talking to you or if you are being served by someone. My light bulb moment was realizing that rather than the person being surly they were actually being formal with me.</p> <p>My “bad” experiences in Paris have been no different than my “bad” experiences in Manhattan but they are experiences nonetheless!</p><p><br /></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00014140177974348471noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8314457917796816184.post-36378412045647623082009-09-22T07:32:00.000-07:002009-09-22T07:32:00.168-07:00Windows Café to build buzz in ParisWell, there you have it! <a href="http://blog.seattlepi.com/microsoft/archives/179662.asp?source=rss">Microsoft is building a café in Paris.</a> Guess where?<br /><blockquote style="font-style: italic;">Windows Café will open on Oct. 22, the Windows 7 launch date. One report said it will be in the crowded Châtelet-Les Halles metro station.</blockquote>If you've been to Les Halles you know it is a very crowded metro station. The article doesn't quite explain if the café is on the metro platform itself, up the escalators or in the Les Halles shopping center. If you've been to Les Halles you know they already have a <span style="font-weight: bold;">very busy</span> Starbucks right beside the UGC cinemas (Cine Cite Les Halles) so they might have some competition. That said, I guess this is all about trying out Windows7 versus having a coffee.<br /><br />I wonder how long Microsoft plans to run the café? Maybe if I could get that gig I'd consider moving back to Microsoft! Paris here I come?!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00014140177974348471noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8314457917796816184.post-68251630130774179142009-09-21T03:32:00.001-07:002009-09-21T03:41:09.249-07:00Sunday Market Entertainment<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhy2cbrtB6_6ZoMrnHx9cY06ZsXVzFN6Jt6yGpYy4Pu7KfeVzNSA1PTE1faEqUv29oTyQgQHWzpG3Zf6BJF1uJsE5xBOCBajaxi1qUw3Lv_WM8nO8XrDMDyMwSa45RdzyY4RikcbKThWs/s1600-h/IMG00065-20090920-1130.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhy2cbrtB6_6ZoMrnHx9cY06ZsXVzFN6Jt6yGpYy4Pu7KfeVzNSA1PTE1faEqUv29oTyQgQHWzpG3Zf6BJF1uJsE5xBOCBajaxi1qUw3Lv_WM8nO8XrDMDyMwSa45RdzyY4RikcbKThWs/s400/IMG00065-20090920-1130.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383866867263387746" border="0" /></a>This mime was entertaining the crowd at the Sunday market on rue Poncelet in the 17th in Paris on Sunday. I've always enjoyed visiting - and buying things - at these markets as everything is so fresh. Having the additional entertainment is always a bonus especially for the little kiddies who are tagging along with their parents.<br /><br />This market has a very famous cheese shop on it - <a href="http://www.fromage-alleosse.com/">Alléosse, the only Parisian cheese maker to own his cheese-aging cellars in Paris’s underground</a>. This is my friend Stephen's favorite cheese shop - the one he took us to during his visit in <a href="http://kathieandjacksonsbigadventure-maisoui.blogspot.com/2009/04/what-difference-day-makes.html">April</a>. Turns out the hotel I am at this week for business is literally around the corner from this market - a nice coincedence.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00014140177974348471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8314457917796816184.post-29498365658413011552009-09-19T23:28:00.000-07:002009-09-19T23:19:00.198-07:00Spice search<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwxcEEqH6HB8myn6JtHy7fu5oqSIXVlVtEBRIPNneFwylcwJDI4XRIGWZkBsa3AVc_qkozU7zuzUe3ZPw1PyXaQtCdQh5xzlHzDz6Yue-IEXZmdPbijsN0XEhM9mitRKhNtjR045Pu8cE/s1600-h/bm-image-740202.jpe"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwxcEEqH6HB8myn6JtHy7fu5oqSIXVlVtEBRIPNneFwylcwJDI4XRIGWZkBsa3AVc_qkozU7zuzUe3ZPw1PyXaQtCdQh5xzlHzDz6Yue-IEXZmdPbijsN0XEhM9mitRKhNtjR045Pu8cE/s400/bm-image-740202.jpe" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383430294434114322" /></a></p>While we were in Paris we came across a variety of spices in spice shops and at the local supermarkets.<p>Bouquet de Provence is a favorite that we added to vegetables and other dishes to give a different yet unique flavoring. Yesterday I managed to find some more at the Franprix and added it to my supplies to bring back home. It's just one of the many things on my re-supply shopping list. Too bad I can't bring back a few cases of wine!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00014140177974348471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8314457917796816184.post-6921552435222801452009-09-18T08:13:00.000-07:002009-09-18T08:23:41.791-07:00Je suis retourné à Paris!I have returned to Paris! Just for a week - on business - and without Kathie (pauvre Kathie). She's enjoying the +30C weather in southern California with our son Jake. I'm staying at a nice <a href="http://www.hotelceramic.com/">hotel</a> just down from the Arc de Triomphe in the 8th district.<br /><br />I'm looking forward to a walk around the quartier this evening and a croissant and café crème tomorrow morning. It's great to be back!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00014140177974348471noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8314457917796816184.post-29353449121490068982009-07-27T19:02:00.000-07:002009-07-27T19:03:13.645-07:00OMG! I can't believe that I'm here and not there.Kathiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03962029283794250540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8314457917796816184.post-1883286183393365172009-07-22T04:35:00.000-07:002009-07-22T05:05:04.493-07:00Alas, we're home.We've been home a week already. I'm resisting. My watch is still set to Paris time. <br /><br />Jackson added this cool thing to the blog called ClustrMaps, which shows the location of our blog readers. Our next blog will have that added from the "git go". (Yick, I hate that expression.)<br /><br />My dear friend, Robin, who spent a fantastic year of travel with her husband, Al, told me that it takes as long to adjust as it was being away. So, we should be back to "normal" by mid-October. <br /><br />Enough of my wallowing - after all, I'm not living under the 520 bridge. I have a lovely home and Bellevue is nice.<br /><br />I did want to post about our last days in Paris. The parade was a highlight, but I want to add the fireworks and a few other pictures. I also have a few more posts in me if I can muster the enthusiasm. So, don't give up on the blog yet...<br /><br />We decided to forego Trocadero to view the fireworks since we'd already gotten up close and too personal with our parade friends earlier in the day. We chose Pont Neuf, which provided a cosy spot and even the smell of le feu d'artifice drifted our way. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4PBZIi9ri0MAF2xd3pMcgC21oEgrmoXKqJA2hAObP4SUhQFExk9AcOvCHjdmIeQSduL8VAEucs_zUva1ITGfYLv6PV8rvW1oBMaCHoRtnvTnoq1sUwTT40RwaVshfFTRDY2sQpKoi9P0/s1600-h/IMG_7817.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4PBZIi9ri0MAF2xd3pMcgC21oEgrmoXKqJA2hAObP4SUhQFExk9AcOvCHjdmIeQSduL8VAEucs_zUva1ITGfYLv6PV8rvW1oBMaCHoRtnvTnoq1sUwTT40RwaVshfFTRDY2sQpKoi9P0/s400/IMG_7817.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361250711224604818" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5BDk_J7BmEV_V4NvXJ0jTutjRyEGqEDuY2B9na8fkQ2EFRy9MixO8RptDf_sFityVd8LuxzeFrqZ_JfetFq0gthSt4nGYUlzSoYiHNh2kOi846CA1z0Rcx1rMnId6-66klmFthuXrTW0/s1600-h/IMG_7823.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5BDk_J7BmEV_V4NvXJ0jTutjRyEGqEDuY2B9na8fkQ2EFRy9MixO8RptDf_sFityVd8LuxzeFrqZ_JfetFq0gthSt4nGYUlzSoYiHNh2kOi846CA1z0Rcx1rMnId6-66klmFthuXrTW0/s400/IMG_7823.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361252993409018978" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVeas8ncoDTgqfz8svk5T9glhMrTe2EavGn0eZEE4GoAJIy-6h1c4Klc7odtXNjfP27JmUWNnhs_sfeMEwl7TXjrzL5S6zKCA4-4VyFhzE0GrPJDjDYBO0lTZeB4OqvjjHedU1-lqxFGE/s1600-h/IMG_7851.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVeas8ncoDTgqfz8svk5T9glhMrTe2EavGn0eZEE4GoAJIy-6h1c4Klc7odtXNjfP27JmUWNnhs_sfeMEwl7TXjrzL5S6zKCA4-4VyFhzE0GrPJDjDYBO0lTZeB4OqvjjHedU1-lqxFGE/s400/IMG_7851.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361253146515397922" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHz-8JXwcTOpE1r8xE_vvi4E3z1huwwKsAtGStTWaKjmCB-AwfEBxDlrdJ_yJaIaV7IRB6XL47A43d49XJas6Du5t0AG7trDEE1Z-chDnxswe1_oLABWtlAxw3kXFhcnFPdP13hCp7BQg/s1600-h/IMG_7853.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHz-8JXwcTOpE1r8xE_vvi4E3z1huwwKsAtGStTWaKjmCB-AwfEBxDlrdJ_yJaIaV7IRB6XL47A43d49XJas6Du5t0AG7trDEE1Z-chDnxswe1_oLABWtlAxw3kXFhcnFPdP13hCp7BQg/s400/IMG_7853.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361253301354515330" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT1DTYi3Gn_pBRC3WpXeYMqV1bPXT7NJZpALiGzjA2NFtXVWjwPDuAVFgC3qxy3P8SqMUKqXWUa37BUYlFvdR79wOuNGB-jRHJTHSaCztJanxyPzzPyS0HUf5-yyFWWXVi6BIZTCTg7uk/s1600-h/IMG_7866.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT1DTYi3Gn_pBRC3WpXeYMqV1bPXT7NJZpALiGzjA2NFtXVWjwPDuAVFgC3qxy3P8SqMUKqXWUa37BUYlFvdR79wOuNGB-jRHJTHSaCztJanxyPzzPyS0HUf5-yyFWWXVi6BIZTCTg7uk/s400/IMG_7866.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361253448381768322" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGQj1mz5QKbdIZREbhQmVOtLg9FlmkVD-iXKof-l48LrzArNMu_X-1pOF8AGaOg0trHiZknApHWIrHyByigE7fdRGvNavcPNgm7JS-Eoc5n-C7ZvLax4Ev1pY_4nAAwu8g5TJgmUhc0F0/s1600-h/IMG_7877.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGQj1mz5QKbdIZREbhQmVOtLg9FlmkVD-iXKof-l48LrzArNMu_X-1pOF8AGaOg0trHiZknApHWIrHyByigE7fdRGvNavcPNgm7JS-Eoc5n-C7ZvLax4Ev1pY_4nAAwu8g5TJgmUhc0F0/s400/IMG_7877.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361253618326588034" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtUw4GtbBZ0c-c3fX04cKJmwRPxU31AoJZcBXTveqTwklgirAHiMsJ_AitBbYNFvaiGL6v5e6VwgbjkMHLiembx1sN9QTHbQufFXo4A2ASJyg6WOerPL33yKVFPFqZIaxG1WVYxqocgCk/s1600-h/IMG_7882.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtUw4GtbBZ0c-c3fX04cKJmwRPxU31AoJZcBXTveqTwklgirAHiMsJ_AitBbYNFvaiGL6v5e6VwgbjkMHLiembx1sN9QTHbQufFXo4A2ASJyg6WOerPL33yKVFPFqZIaxG1WVYxqocgCk/s400/IMG_7882.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361253761810767378" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6tzRLm4yX-fC2uas97rDOVvbOUWRB7Xx1sE0jWqv3ie0P834183KZ-z-sjfjpZIACoEz7NL1G7bUNmkqWnUv8xkaOTFb9dOoZiOgugQuXJzV_tczm3aS_-e72Ip0Jr5gFVjFUOIwbBeo/s1600-h/IMG_7883.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6tzRLm4yX-fC2uas97rDOVvbOUWRB7Xx1sE0jWqv3ie0P834183KZ-z-sjfjpZIACoEz7NL1G7bUNmkqWnUv8xkaOTFb9dOoZiOgugQuXJzV_tczm3aS_-e72Ip0Jr5gFVjFUOIwbBeo/s400/IMG_7883.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361253915523542978" /></a>Kathiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03962029283794250540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8314457917796816184.post-32985730795757208402009-07-14T03:50:00.000-07:002009-07-22T10:38:09.713-07:00Everyone loves a parade!<embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&captions=1&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fjackson.shaw%2Falbumid%2F5361331254649518593%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" height="192" width="288"></embed><br /><br />Today, July 14th, is Bastille Day in France, although the French call it the Fête Nationale ("National Celebration"). We got up this morning with the intention of seeing the parade down the Champs-Élysées but we found out pretty quickly that all the roads to get there were blocked and most of the viewing was for VIPs. Because President Sarkozy's viewing stand was at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Place_de_la_Concorde">Place de la Concorde</a> and he was between us and the Champs-Élysées, we weren't going to see the parade down the Champs. So, we had to settle for seeing the parade just off of the Place de la Concorde.<br /><br />It was certainly an experience to share the parade with tens of thousands of my closest friends. I thought the metro sometimes got crowded! It was worth it just to see the French Foreign Legion march down the street. (The guys pictured just below are engineers or "sapeurs" of the French Foreign Legion and they traditionally wear beards.)<br /><table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/gk-duvubxyulClHYd4dWug?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_jpua419xcIc/SmdG5SZHhrI/AAAAAAAAssg/3fiG0dr2C3Q/s400/IMG_7672.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/jackson.shaw/2009_07_1402?feat=embedwebsite">2009_07_14</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br />And ooooooh la la la la la la!!!! All those uniforms and all those handsome men! Where are Eric and Marilyn when you need them?????<table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/W42kddBDEFZWRQvTxmEC9g?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_jpua419xcIc/SmdGdGNJ-DI/AAAAAAAAsqg/7NEOPPHha4M/s400/IMG_7559.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/jackson.shaw/2009_07_1402?feat=embedwebsite">2009_07_14</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br />(BTW, c'est Kathie, pas Jackson, who was admiring the men!)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00014140177974348471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8314457917796816184.post-89742315471410935812009-07-13T12:26:00.000-07:002009-07-13T13:11:48.539-07:00Paris in the Summer<table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/G9Iyh_rTha-cBS_BxOwM_w?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_jpua419xcIc/SkeVAl6ZPbI/AAAAAAAAogk/vvKU-D1hxUY/s288/IMG_6903.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/jackson.shaw/2009_06_28?feat=embedwebsite">2009_06_28</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidE5E3RkmwaKZrW8UU1H28ueTvym3DEXlcJrjPj72Fr2CpfjEgAqjgBMLbbFy8U_rdYC09L_Ixg4pB-kYjXRLIlwnR-bVluusHuBmdVLsU1EA6SUQ-hp6z0VYjMEgcIgXWp7XjIhUIahE/s1600-h/cute+boy.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidE5E3RkmwaKZrW8UU1H28ueTvym3DEXlcJrjPj72Fr2CpfjEgAqjgBMLbbFy8U_rdYC09L_Ixg4pB-kYjXRLIlwnR-bVluusHuBmdVLsU1EA6SUQ-hp6z0VYjMEgcIgXWp7XjIhUIahE/s400/cute+boy.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358039175586303570" /></a><br />I mentioned in a <a href="http://kathieandjacksonsbigadventure-maisoui.blogspot.com/2009/07/i-love-paris-in-summer-when-it-sizzles.html">previous post</a> that I was melting in Paris. My good friend JC Cannon sent me a great story from NPR via email called "<a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106533856">Sounds Of Paris In The Summer</a>". The <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=106533856&m=106533865">audio commentary</a> is 100% accurate. In this city, few people have air conditioning so the citizens of Paris throw open their windows when they need to cool off. For me, this has allowed us to enjoy the Paris mosquitoes with great regularity. But, just as Ms. Beardsley mentions, you do get to hear some interesting sounds emanating from all those apartments.<br /><br />A few weeks ago we were, in fact, serenaded by a brass band across the street from us - and they were actually really good! The people at the cafe just kept buying them beers and they kept playing - much to the amusement and enjoyment of the whole "quartier" (neighborhood).<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlW7JGHG1HphLgd3AjiHTvmIF-tgMNMt9qXi2D4PNED0OvE0kS4FTRdAAax9jQbWULe6YdjepFamZytpRtqgy1AOmHdoNdtJl7ov9wNMM6fOJMomdIEMegHyDgPY6quuTh6vOSpA9t4bs/s1600-h/IMG_0029.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlW7JGHG1HphLgd3AjiHTvmIF-tgMNMt9qXi2D4PNED0OvE0kS4FTRdAAax9jQbWULe6YdjepFamZytpRtqgy1AOmHdoNdtJl7ov9wNMM6fOJMomdIEMegHyDgPY6quuTh6vOSpA9t4bs/s400/IMG_0029.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358034289135825090" /></a><br /><br />Paris in the spring was pretty good. Paris in the summer is shaping up pretty good, too!<br /><br /><table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/4l0bd8JwKoiT2DYk4peTjA?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_jpua419xcIc/SkeVFq_wOhI/AAAAAAAAopA/jkcZyAa36oU/s288/IMG_6919.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/jackson.shaw/2009_06_28?feat=embedwebsite">2009_06_28</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/RKzvipDdmfWV8dcjnpXK7Q?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_jpua419xcIc/SkFYh4__b8I/AAAAAAAAnq8/85cJx_khoLc/s288/IMG_6723.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/jackson.shaw/2009_06_23?feat=embedwebsite">2009_06_23</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK3Xt5NGI4qOTY1jBNdrCuhjS08ARK73Bwtq9iC5XM64P_v2t1OrW_KSvsi3gdX62LShA91sEQsDdzMafwubvhkNxGLts31X9y8VyDiymv9etno4TLgIYF918IG9lZw2HPY2TDpVELbXA/s1600-h/ferris+wheel.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK3Xt5NGI4qOTY1jBNdrCuhjS08ARK73Bwtq9iC5XM64P_v2t1OrW_KSvsi3gdX62LShA91sEQsDdzMafwubvhkNxGLts31X9y8VyDiymv9etno4TLgIYF918IG9lZw2HPY2TDpVELbXA/s400/ferris+wheel.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358037735150551218" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUwcPZflwNJwXRkqn1vbGGpJdqnNdsHESbRS00v1_5vxvdFmRSiUEauuhaGG6UhzG1a1j73Ng7q6THJ_Wg6zIvLO6INaJfmJC8GekhIDapPGZ6trK1yu66bLuYBGbnecz7eSlwNoUiUMc/s1600-h/ferris+wheel1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUwcPZflwNJwXRkqn1vbGGpJdqnNdsHESbRS00v1_5vxvdFmRSiUEauuhaGG6UhzG1a1j73Ng7q6THJ_Wg6zIvLO6INaJfmJC8GekhIDapPGZ6trK1yu66bLuYBGbnecz7eSlwNoUiUMc/s400/ferris+wheel1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358038062967527874" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbEbknL-vx2oRE6NqYi3uPEYcAMkzoZ0GMLZW-ddafZTnC027rUUtJy1gcnViP5GhMMBNyTGSDS4I7k7_lqaL4YF8Rwt6GaamCOnbGpMl8ha2fcxpmTKfTx5E9oSDLdwGnAHqRXObR1Yw/s1600-h/nd1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbEbknL-vx2oRE6NqYi3uPEYcAMkzoZ0GMLZW-ddafZTnC027rUUtJy1gcnViP5GhMMBNyTGSDS4I7k7_lqaL4YF8Rwt6GaamCOnbGpMl8ha2fcxpmTKfTx5E9oSDLdwGnAHqRXObR1Yw/s400/nd1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358039705104652626" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00014140177974348471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8314457917796816184.post-2097895181380360672009-07-12T07:11:00.000-07:002009-07-12T09:13:49.973-07:00Arc de Triomphe<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/6BJe-kzg2klXw9rv4apudQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_jpua419xcIc/SlnnVdWo5nI/AAAAAAAAruo/KkEECzejqas/s400/IMG_7282.jpg" /></a><br /><table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td><br />On Friday we took pictures from La Defense to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arc_de_Triomphe">Arc de Triomphe</a>. Today, we visited the Arc de Triomphe and took pictures of La Defense. You have to love the symmetry of the major boulevards here in Paris - thank you <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baron_Haussmann">Baron Haussmann</a>!<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/APKja0YyXlV8R59cLvLi1Q?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_jpua419xcIc/SlnnNqnCRiI/AAAAAAAArtw/YAeraLNXIHM/s400/IMG_7262.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/jackson.shaw/2009_07_12?feat=embedwebsite">2009_07_12</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Beautiful views from the top of the Arc! If you have time, be sure to visit. Kathie says it's only 195 steps to the top.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLrgf92iZAxJy38LmdQ-AtFuitd07kB3t1w0vC4YWoluUY-TPIZcy4M4pP1uRtIOD0xKzCiGeEeGkBVONJzfDOWE2eat2oxqjpjBPARl1zrBiUgcdld2qfKFzBka1l48Ynuii6JvbfsYo/s1600-h/steps.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 85px; height: 128px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLrgf92iZAxJy38LmdQ-AtFuitd07kB3t1w0vC4YWoluUY-TPIZcy4M4pP1uRtIOD0xKzCiGeEeGkBVONJzfDOWE2eat2oxqjpjBPARl1zrBiUgcdld2qfKFzBka1l48Ynuii6JvbfsYo/s400/steps.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357606307496398402" /></a><br /><br /><table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Ie_W337tsglG32u1dSLxcg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_jpua419xcIc/SlnmXpkh1dI/AAAAAAAArtM/BZE6PdZAS68/s400/IMG_7260.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/jackson.shaw/2009_07_12?feat=embedwebsite">2009_07_12</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/e8PTvd7hLhoaylco6cXf8A?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_jpua419xcIc/SlnwriVx9EI/AAAAAAAAr1I/G6u08T8oTZA/s400/IMG_7272.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/jackson.shaw/2009_07_12?feat=embedwebsite">2009_07_12</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOiuUlhnBSgOmrHU4yLSNRkwzcPnrXoEzFc55kxS_VQVWctfmJ8cG0yvThnxMzybCUFQecDW673egn49GU6AJSbRHV1uK-vko7jAdTQu3tdSfXAuCYEmESKD5j5vN969TtmWVdTJHciL4/s1600-h/windblown.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOiuUlhnBSgOmrHU4yLSNRkwzcPnrXoEzFc55kxS_VQVWctfmJ8cG0yvThnxMzybCUFQecDW673egn49GU6AJSbRHV1uK-vko7jAdTQu3tdSfXAuCYEmESKD5j5vN969TtmWVdTJHciL4/s400/windblown.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357606822115206050" /></a><br /><br />In my opinion (c'est Kathie), the best view in Paris! Beautiful!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzbNOEMmBos5sHY_VbCb4cfIYcpXJTWvGQuL4mFsVbvxAMWp7RedH1cDXZGV2BryX2edJAcvKcbG3R3Z5PBDcsAk1Dwz4-38ndobaXoQ6YdzxB8ZatjOOZ8w1dMeCX85A5sQATB0lnuiA/s1600-h/IMG_7329.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzbNOEMmBos5sHY_VbCb4cfIYcpXJTWvGQuL4mFsVbvxAMWp7RedH1cDXZGV2BryX2edJAcvKcbG3R3Z5PBDcsAk1Dwz4-38ndobaXoQ6YdzxB8ZatjOOZ8w1dMeCX85A5sQATB0lnuiA/s400/IMG_7329.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357607290694702290" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00014140177974348471noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8314457917796816184.post-2600067850770510642009-07-11T02:20:00.000-07:002009-07-11T02:45:54.460-07:00La DefenseFor the last three months I've made the metro trek from our apartment to the Quest office in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_D%C3%A9fense">La Défense</a> - when I wasn't traveling to some other part of Europe. Yesterday, Kathie came with me while I turned in my building badge, mobile phone and BlackBerry (I was, however, allowed to keep my <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beret">beret</a>).<br /><br />We walked around La Defense and went up to the top of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grande_Arche">Grande Arche</a>. What I didn't know was there was a <a href="http://www.grandearche.com/IMG/pdf_guide_ENG.pdf">computer museum</a> in the Grande Arche. It was fun to see really old PCs, 8" floppy disks, tape drives, computer games, card punch machines and calculators.<br /><br />What was missing was the "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pong">Pong</a>" game that my parents bought us kids for Christmas one year: <span style="font-style: italic;">"During the 1975 Christmas season, Atari released a home version of Pong exclusively through Sears retail stores."</span> Was it that long ago??!!<br /><br />My, how we have progressed...<br /><br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&captions=1&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fjackson.shaw%2Falbumid%2F5357131907900968081%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" height="192" width="288"></embed>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00014140177974348471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8314457917796816184.post-2190715354504729492009-07-10T14:17:00.001-07:002009-07-10T14:18:47.172-07:00It's a sad sad day...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9dbznlrTlP1KSYzk5KhvrvNEhHgPjxW3jba8CwlniSctNtvjyR37b9OhUKQHWUhFHce-9j5krWMZzJ9Mvrjx-RtUTl8FJzDUNots6QiuVy6PA5N3d3trcJWjjiFC5d-RQaJDYB-O67kQ/s1600-h/IMG_0002.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9dbznlrTlP1KSYzk5KhvrvNEhHgPjxW3jba8CwlniSctNtvjyR37b9OhUKQHWUhFHce-9j5krWMZzJ9Mvrjx-RtUTl8FJzDUNots6QiuVy6PA5N3d3trcJWjjiFC5d-RQaJDYB-O67kQ/s400/IMG_0002.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356943948951757762" /></a>Kathiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03962029283794250540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8314457917796816184.post-55079890301753901582009-07-08T01:16:00.000-07:002009-07-08T07:17:15.661-07:00In True French Fashion<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvFiAxkudET5lDm8XwmHvuRIe9blYtOLBOfARCW7F5yGl-zsPx1mStjt6EzCbGkVCkwuEPR9OLWxARsxQp5zHLakclc04x4VUxYCEzTfAiy1ETCuxAw_043jIqOw5y8ejNqwqWkPKcNdE/s1600-h/banque+de+france.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvFiAxkudET5lDm8XwmHvuRIe9blYtOLBOfARCW7F5yGl-zsPx1mStjt6EzCbGkVCkwuEPR9OLWxARsxQp5zHLakclc04x4VUxYCEzTfAiy1ETCuxAw_043jIqOw5y8ejNqwqWkPKcNdE/s400/banque+de+france.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356001224300781058" /></a><br />In true French fashion, when I went to the Banque de France near our apartment to try and change some old French francs to euros, I was told that the only place for this transaction was in the 7th arrondissement. So, yesterday, I decided to go there and give it a try. When I arrived, in true French fashion, the bank was closed. I returned at 1:30, and had to pass a guard in a glass box, push a button, pass through one door, push a button and pass through another door. Et voila! I was in! The place is huge, but there were no customers - I wonder why! After passing the scrutiny of two women at the information desk, filling out a form (asking for my address, phone number, occupation, when and where I got the francs), and being told that some of the francs were "too old" to change, I went to the teller who, in true French fashion, actually said that the "too old" francs were NOT too old to change to euros. Et voila, I left the bank with a grand total of 16,77 euros!<br /><br />Daily, I peek into the mail room just in case... Sometimes there's a large collection of mail that is sitting on the shelf instead of in the individual mail boxes. Even though our names are on the mail box, I have found mail for us on the shelf emblazoned with a large question mark. (I can just hear him/her saying: Who are these people???)<br /><br />Here's an example of how my friend Carol confounded the pauvre postal person because she doesn't know how to write a proper 7, even though you can see that she 'incorrectly' wrote another 7 in the postal code directly below the street address! Surely the pauvre postal person knows that the postal code for Paris begins with a 7!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWVEmWI9hpS_RYKIBRHWAANgNZwmpwLNEo3fovaSKMyROgXUjDWkMZqj8Acy2ouWZNDdEMGhSyo_jMpSx9SjuwbWXkCJhijJ2ks9Fw7aSJRVxnpj7Gx4_d-OdEtd45XIEwvsTtxv7a0T0/s1600-h/IMG_0001.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWVEmWI9hpS_RYKIBRHWAANgNZwmpwLNEo3fovaSKMyROgXUjDWkMZqj8Acy2ouWZNDdEMGhSyo_jMpSx9SjuwbWXkCJhijJ2ks9Fw7aSJRVxnpj7Gx4_d-OdEtd45XIEwvsTtxv7a0T0/s400/IMG_0001.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356007853854368306" /></a><br /><br />Carole! You are an editor after all. Get it together! And, by the way, thanks for the great pictures of your visit!Kathiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03962029283794250540noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8314457917796816184.post-60783314844506644832009-07-06T01:13:00.000-07:002009-07-06T01:33:39.626-07:00I Love Paris in the Summer When It Sizzles...It's in the 30s (90s) here and humid and swarming with tourists. Welcome to Paris in summer. <br /><br />Three million people visit Versailles each year. I think they were all there on Saturday.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiasxwunT6fcXxfro2VH7Fntz36ChICbjEHQzlQ5S7GLMP9UpqY5uRek4rpiN5-1LAwa7zPkgOJFuQT2xkxEUil3HJDGqqB5yktdouRl19T_gsIwmwl_fVLkz0E7vu3nJsxXj_zwlOyFUM/s1600-h/IMG_0036.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiasxwunT6fcXxfro2VH7Fntz36ChICbjEHQzlQ5S7GLMP9UpqY5uRek4rpiN5-1LAwa7zPkgOJFuQT2xkxEUil3HJDGqqB5yktdouRl19T_gsIwmwl_fVLkz0E7vu3nJsxXj_zwlOyFUM/s400/IMG_0036.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355258092635948050" /></a><br /><br />We always like to visit the Louvre on free Sundays along with tens of thousands of our closest friends!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ6fJ4dmJZ7_shHgFIPdkAF40c4iTdN6FfbW-rGeQRFRcWtcrlQjTS2ZFtIsjNZJTE2_99Y0KlJtI20EV7S6YdLz-lZW07mYbPd0NRTaGvKcf9eEH35rHEMS_MHT6AezjK20quOf1IyNw/s1600-h/louvre+free.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ6fJ4dmJZ7_shHgFIPdkAF40c4iTdN6FfbW-rGeQRFRcWtcrlQjTS2ZFtIsjNZJTE2_99Y0KlJtI20EV7S6YdLz-lZW07mYbPd0NRTaGvKcf9eEH35rHEMS_MHT6AezjK20quOf1IyNw/s400/louvre+free.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355258496439789042" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQq7lB1J9EvhURl9-ipsLpPy83uXmxUFWIgv8ektXISDJ2pREAjFLJpFfN_qv0pFhf7-Qnk0VypIB8iamkABArL779Uh5-CAGma4JoRnATpgQB7WxD3goDhDL6xxP4PkwRkkjM6f7kJH4/s1600-h/louvre+free1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQq7lB1J9EvhURl9-ipsLpPy83uXmxUFWIgv8ektXISDJ2pREAjFLJpFfN_qv0pFhf7-Qnk0VypIB8iamkABArL779Uh5-CAGma4JoRnATpgQB7WxD3goDhDL6xxP4PkwRkkjM6f7kJH4/s400/louvre+free1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355259062767415410" /></a><br /><br />If you're not careful, you may end up like this...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU2Q-yKeAFgnLYtEcoD4LX7sVGILFOW4S4OjlX1-2F3AQoEsdei27qq7Xe6gwx2d2dYCUAJZmp5oBP7qHakxXqfAFS93By5_pNDXy2BOvSGGP0EbIGJtUQ62R5MW7o0gxACV-KMjU1ahE/s1600-h/louvre+free2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU2Q-yKeAFgnLYtEcoD4LX7sVGILFOW4S4OjlX1-2F3AQoEsdei27qq7Xe6gwx2d2dYCUAJZmp5oBP7qHakxXqfAFS93By5_pNDXy2BOvSGGP0EbIGJtUQ62R5MW7o0gxACV-KMjU1ahE/s400/louvre+free2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355259557691157682" /></a><br /><br />or this...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheAoSCD_RaRMcSSgOD3_9dVxp3v80fIXL5i-BGw9iqy-uQqdxTPnNO79dZrtE9rctIbxkN7n6K8wfXKkRDmVYhIkSv89v8r3g5Z4sVynMNpJjeA2gBdCEqdJye_hyvTkF037jNr-vkvFw/s1600-h/louvre+free3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheAoSCD_RaRMcSSgOD3_9dVxp3v80fIXL5i-BGw9iqy-uQqdxTPnNO79dZrtE9rctIbxkN7n6K8wfXKkRDmVYhIkSv89v8r3g5Z4sVynMNpJjeA2gBdCEqdJye_hyvTkF037jNr-vkvFw/s400/louvre+free3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355259791222945810" /></a><br /><br />If you're lucky, you can make it out just in time to cool off...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaPsBXYFq7itrvY3YyjJ0Ed9zFJRtWUG7lrxHsiL2MoS5VLFm78Ur_P81Yc_hjQBT98OKa7WewU3HQIFlW07RENMhoU6Sng56CpluAJJSaKTSVbC6QcJl0yNy1sYKEFtP_kLe53LYdALU/s1600-h/hot1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaPsBXYFq7itrvY3YyjJ0Ed9zFJRtWUG7lrxHsiL2MoS5VLFm78Ur_P81Yc_hjQBT98OKa7WewU3HQIFlW07RENMhoU6Sng56CpluAJJSaKTSVbC6QcJl0yNy1sYKEFtP_kLe53LYdALU/s400/hot1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355260154730293906" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoplgNUieDRIvcX3QKkUCLO8rpMKiyLoWbWQ7j3eF_WZUZRQvhxb3wpHU26fOqGoLmOWDP_7vJGS25xPR0T3L5b1G3NWmWwLEXTbz0eoacXyFUw5m1A4r_OXL-sb-2N4Qg-pu-uqWEKBQ/s1600-h/hot.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoplgNUieDRIvcX3QKkUCLO8rpMKiyLoWbWQ7j3eF_WZUZRQvhxb3wpHU26fOqGoLmOWDP_7vJGS25xPR0T3L5b1G3NWmWwLEXTbz0eoacXyFUw5m1A4r_OXL-sb-2N4Qg-pu-uqWEKBQ/s400/hot.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355260364413612290" /></a>Kathiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03962029283794250540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8314457917796816184.post-57861628960759149392009-07-02T21:03:00.000-07:002009-07-02T21:38:15.059-07:00Parmentier and Potatoes<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyjeA9AH7IHb2spRnEux2AmuBhnAop-i1bYZd-0wfk7w2cosl_GE5ciCcDDviY18S0zobG1ZTkdrFYL7Hbc1Dv9kqAklZAz9A9VqsHbxvv2l6AxwO8qkXW1AuqgFvuIc6z4ZmKF9tsHW4/s1600-h/IMG_0045.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyjeA9AH7IHb2spRnEux2AmuBhnAop-i1bYZd-0wfk7w2cosl_GE5ciCcDDviY18S0zobG1ZTkdrFYL7Hbc1Dv9kqAklZAz9A9VqsHbxvv2l6AxwO8qkXW1AuqgFvuIc6z4ZmKF9tsHW4/s400/IMG_0045.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354082399912022578" /></a><br />Yesterday as Cheryl and I were trudging through Pere Lachaise cemetery searching for the graves of Jean de La Fontain (France's Aesop's Fables' guru) and Moliere, we noticed the grave of Antoine-Augustin Parmentier, which was adorned with - no, not flowers - potatoes - real ones, though a bit worse for wear because of the 90 degree heat! After returning home, we went directly to our friend, Madame La Google, to investigate the details of Antoine-Austin's claim to fame. And here's what Wikipedia had to say:<br /><br />"While serving as an army pharmacist for France in the Seven Years' War (1756-1763), he was captured by the Prussians, and while in prison in Prussia was faced with eating potatoes, used by the French only as hog feed."<br /><br />Returning to France after the war, he began an imaginative marketing campaign to promote the potato as a human food source. His efforts included:<br /><br />"a series of publicity stunts, hosting dinners at which potato dishes featured prominently and guests included luminaries such as Benjamin Franklin, giving bouquets of potato blossoms to the King and Queen, and surrounding his potato patch at Sablons with armed guards to suggest valuable goods — then withdrawing the guards at night so the greedy crowd could "steal" the potatoes.<br /><br />Thanks largely to Parmentier's efforts, the Paris Faculty of Medicine declared potatoes edible in 1772."Kathiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03962029283794250540noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8314457917796816184.post-68626073424453486832009-07-01T10:48:00.000-07:002009-07-01T11:00:56.906-07:00Why I am melting?!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv1cAMDcY4ulQ_4KwxFAtldMVNSca8fTs0FfrpyeQwp4SY7zExrPqgyVU2xf4e2NChEnDaJOSkOnqBJtxr56RRfPQUFD9l5bamqjpiAg2GvBloTUOR3hchilKdF2KrcDKm1ILu-kDkeGs/s1600-h/Untitled.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv1cAMDcY4ulQ_4KwxFAtldMVNSca8fTs0FfrpyeQwp4SY7zExrPqgyVU2xf4e2NChEnDaJOSkOnqBJtxr56RRfPQUFD9l5bamqjpiAg2GvBloTUOR3hchilKdF2KrcDKm1ILu-kDkeGs/s400/Untitled.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353552316423516658" border="0" /></a><br />Don't get me wrong - <span style="font-weight: bold;">I'm loving my Paris experience</span>. That said, as you can see from the picture above, the temperature back in Bellevue, WA is exactly the same as here in Paris. Notice the difference in humidity? That's what's causing me to melt.<br /><br />I said to Kathie this evening: "We've had the air conditioning on, here in Paris, more in the last three days than all year in Seattle."<br /><br />Kathie's response? "We don't have air conditioning in Seattle, knucklehead!"<br /><br />See what the humidity is doing to me?!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00014140177974348471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8314457917796816184.post-75137989107043020382009-06-28T07:24:00.000-07:002009-06-28T07:24:12.549-07:00You just can't take me out anywhere!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi97tdKwDrXqZ6KPAQ_FwTYrr5HeXGdWQwvOTq3zhOUlOz2SowNqgMBQNNX7waIweKopRk4lbc-CCf_FXyp-ettjvVsSVyIptQaDVFkYTyn6okvvt4SejunWuqc07UurCzex-jMws9AvX4/s1600-h/IMG_6900.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; FLOAT: left; CLEAR: both" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi97tdKwDrXqZ6KPAQ_FwTYrr5HeXGdWQwvOTq3zhOUlOz2SowNqgMBQNNX7waIweKopRk4lbc-CCf_FXyp-ettjvVsSVyIptQaDVFkYTyn6okvvt4SejunWuqc07UurCzex-jMws9AvX4/s400/IMG_6900.jpg" /></a>Toujours le comédien - always the comedian!<div style='clear:both; text-align:LEFT'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00014140177974348471noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8314457917796816184.post-49293901187124870272009-06-26T11:29:00.000-07:002009-06-26T22:18:49.533-07:00We were interviewed on le Pont des Arts!<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/0H2lZHOziGZdCrs8-IQaWA?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_jpua419xcIc/SkMVVu4ChMI/AAAAAAAAoEE/ZHWpX3zfpXM/s400/IMG_6748.JPG" /></a><br /><br />A couple of nights ago, we were interviewed on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pont_des_Arts">Pont des Arts</a> by <a href="http://www.francerevisited.com/main/">Gary Lee Kraut</a> who is an author of five travel guides to France and Paris. He was interviewing people on why they picnic on the Pont des Arts, what they buy, what they drink (!) and what interesting things have happened to them <span style="font-style: italic;">sur le pont</span>.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/i4bU98Yv6bpXUN7wzdpWkQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_jpua419xcIc/SkMVdcIJqQI/AAAAAAAAoFE/p3auOMrpg3Y/s400/IMG_6759.JPG" /></a><br /><br />We've had a number of picnics on the bridge to watch the sun go down, the Tour Eiffel light up and sparkle on the the top of the hour and just to enjoy the French <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joie_de_vivre">joie de vivre</a>. As for special events, Chris and Sarah got engaged on the pont while they were staying with us. Mike (l) and Caitlin (m) just above were engaged in Belgium but came directly to Paris afterwards to celebrate with us and Caitlin's mom, Marilyn (r).<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqAK_oYhskzwyT9sje7GTHaY_zWN2ewqzCn2Xj11tn5ryVx8Vl5VH7kH04DiehgJgM50siUSOQm-bExZkYg6wpeMA0IBd02LY0ulVhF7eoZXDCs5UCY0fqOswU5ichvlAmCs5Zoj9nnls/s1600-h/the+engaged+couple.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqAK_oYhskzwyT9sje7GTHaY_zWN2ewqzCn2Xj11tn5ryVx8Vl5VH7kH04DiehgJgM50siUSOQm-bExZkYg6wpeMA0IBd02LY0ulVhF7eoZXDCs5UCY0fqOswU5ichvlAmCs5Zoj9nnls/s400/the+engaged+couple.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351872128160238610" /></a><br /><br />It's interesting to see all the people who show up every night on the pont and along the Seine to celebrate. I blogged a few days ago about this very topic ("<a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://kathieandjacksonsbigadventure-maisoui.blogspot.com/2009/06/fun-on-and-around-seine.html">Fun on and around the Sein</a><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://kathieandjacksonsbigadventure-maisoui.blogspot.com/2009/06/fun-on-and-around-seine.html">e</a>") so it was interesting - and fun - to talk to Gary about our experiences. Gary told us that he visited Paris 20 years ago and never went home.<br /><br />Hmmm...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00014140177974348471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8314457917796816184.post-49786076928959743152009-06-23T15:44:00.001-07:002009-06-23T15:50:28.873-07:00Fun on and around the Seine<embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&captions=1&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fjackson.shaw%2Falbumid%2F5350654850188503281%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" height="192" width="288"></embed><br />There always seems to be a party on or near the Seine - every night. Tonight was no exception as you can see from some of the photos I took while we were on the <a href="http://www.vedettesdupontneuf.com/">Bateaux Les Vedettes du Pont-Neuf</a>. The hour long trip is a nice way to see many of the bridges, famous sites and many of the museums - and other characters - that are near the Seine. Of course, it's worth it just for the great views you get of the Tour Eiffel!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00014140177974348471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8314457917796816184.post-60151194821672675262009-06-18T23:15:00.000-07:002009-06-18T23:54:59.338-07:00The Creepier Side of ParisIt is a cemetery and a consecrated spot located in the abandoned limestone quarries under the streets of Paris. (They started removing bones from overcrowded cemeteries all over Paris in 1786 and stopped in 1860. Some five to six million skeletons were moved.) However, it's really creepy and probably one that you could cross off your list unless you've been in Paris forever and have seen EVERYTHING else, or you like creepy.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTzuPZPlaP_g2TtzXZxK-isMmKT7BBkeKTuXok4jgt1OaVwWw8nQOtgXStllB1nyLrUqX0uNVRlA6X-ZkAKs-0eaTQrBj_CkaKv_qJP4xIXc8R89ORjQ-1dpDOL8CIILjZYs9CJY0xVs/s1600-h/IMG_0012.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTzuPZPlaP_g2TtzXZxK-isMmKT7BBkeKTuXok4jgt1OaVwWw8nQOtgXStllB1nyLrUqX0uNVRlA6X-ZkAKs-0eaTQrBj_CkaKv_qJP4xIXc8R89ORjQ-1dpDOL8CIILjZYs9CJY0xVs/s400/IMG_0012.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348919332152268690" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTARQI4utO93XtkYFpQzKDe7Tk8OueFw4jvCkMCmKwwEsHBROCfo1f_6azONkcr2OwFsqQVNGBxy045kTiz5h3_MkL-LbKCABUfUcxmR2grhwSl1oFNNxlj0OVE5WNRWVV3kNR8FozitU/s1600-h/IMG_0029.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTARQI4utO93XtkYFpQzKDe7Tk8OueFw4jvCkMCmKwwEsHBROCfo1f_6azONkcr2OwFsqQVNGBxy045kTiz5h3_MkL-LbKCABUfUcxmR2grhwSl1oFNNxlj0OVE5WNRWVV3kNR8FozitU/s400/IMG_0029.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348920478177822178" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhORMSZuLsqlBdFywRmrlZeOgwqONsZzaGmoUTpSRRpkiym5828jKX2YxNHmgCQkAAa2niOcR-Th_c_absjD-bk1q7_sWQU-Wqqnb-NSOlfnmEmJqMdOmm4Xl6chOdIYNAMRdKktFKl30U/s1600-h/IMG_0028.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhORMSZuLsqlBdFywRmrlZeOgwqONsZzaGmoUTpSRRpkiym5828jKX2YxNHmgCQkAAa2niOcR-Th_c_absjD-bk1q7_sWQU-Wqqnb-NSOlfnmEmJqMdOmm4Xl6chOdIYNAMRdKktFKl30U/s400/IMG_0028.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348920226487553954" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV7vNYHROCiiR_OV6wttHfVYM0wcq3Aer5ocFZke80qvL6VrWmGFFw_Ehk-8COxEX2jC0UzAI1V2S7WjFjHFr1hRR4enbhpAkl8F4xsQMGr4vsDpkLWRHd6b64RUNINpxkc1_yxqbFhOo/s1600-h/IMG_0020.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV7vNYHROCiiR_OV6wttHfVYM0wcq3Aer5ocFZke80qvL6VrWmGFFw_Ehk-8COxEX2jC0UzAI1V2S7WjFjHFr1hRR4enbhpAkl8F4xsQMGr4vsDpkLWRHd6b64RUNINpxkc1_yxqbFhOo/s400/IMG_0020.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348920021604558930" /></a><br /><br />OK, Eric, don't shoot me.<br /><br />The other creepy thing I paid good euros to see was a temporary exhibition of George Condo's "work" (which can better be described as hideous) even though he is apparently greatly appreciated by many (?). Poor Aristide Maillol, whose lovely work fills the Musee Maillol, must be spinning in his grave.<br /><br />Hurry, you only have until August 17 to see George Condo's "work" at Musee Maillol, 61 rue de Grenelle 75007!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDCuZa6EYfXSlUpPqdy6F1L2gPk42csEuD6RxPTGlnBoCHBkRuLgZvYSpcc5nn0aMxmFnQmhO9C3og7zn9UYMutu2N9eyrdfBpTHQDo_howkhrLnda6wxw8FDZR1jwgKhb4_BZrC_knOs/s1600-h/June+10,+2009+078.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDCuZa6EYfXSlUpPqdy6F1L2gPk42csEuD6RxPTGlnBoCHBkRuLgZvYSpcc5nn0aMxmFnQmhO9C3og7zn9UYMutu2N9eyrdfBpTHQDo_howkhrLnda6wxw8FDZR1jwgKhb4_BZrC_knOs/s400/June+10,+2009+078.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348925389642776386" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFacv8eUr4TvF2rbf7qSywd8b5Qaj-lBvF5xwGsU7MOWFIxdOFU09lxN8zqocJ7gO2QSl6im8Hh7uTVlhAC6CFCwSYXukVQSoHFDmq_qB_s-CySXijKNz_IHzmZoLP7vs7W5f6YQiAiGw/s1600-h/June+10,+2009+084.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFacv8eUr4TvF2rbf7qSywd8b5Qaj-lBvF5xwGsU7MOWFIxdOFU09lxN8zqocJ7gO2QSl6im8Hh7uTVlhAC6CFCwSYXukVQSoHFDmq_qB_s-CySXijKNz_IHzmZoLP7vs7W5f6YQiAiGw/s400/June+10,+2009+084.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348924739330178754" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtG97RSmrYpzUxtvKEL__dF-drr8Xzl0kO5S7UHkygI74ZGp8guPyiZB0SAallMqoRgLScRZTANk3hC7W5L1o4oeCMHl44N54IRsX58mkRae7e0Ir1i0De7WxmQgc-rHWuN1HuuKFoa54/s1600-h/June+10,+2009+082.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtG97RSmrYpzUxtvKEL__dF-drr8Xzl0kO5S7UHkygI74ZGp8guPyiZB0SAallMqoRgLScRZTANk3hC7W5L1o4oeCMHl44N54IRsX58mkRae7e0Ir1i0De7WxmQgc-rHWuN1HuuKFoa54/s400/June+10,+2009+082.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348925127283781122" /></a><br /><br />Lucky Andy Warhol...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzSqBFmTHvI6jvsKvieha3dy9jmHGX0k2slamQqr-4X6pPT1-gAKiMFbgbKBoCbQoUmVvRjA-FF8QQDAwwKNY6YPPXqHKrgv5JvcqEcAP80XBpLwbqHpYR7vZLcSmEhiHpxd8_klKFILE/s1600-h/June+10,+2009+108.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzSqBFmTHvI6jvsKvieha3dy9jmHGX0k2slamQqr-4X6pPT1-gAKiMFbgbKBoCbQoUmVvRjA-FF8QQDAwwKNY6YPPXqHKrgv5JvcqEcAP80XBpLwbqHpYR7vZLcSmEhiHpxd8_klKFILE/s400/June+10,+2009+108.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348928340923710498" /></a>Kathiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03962029283794250540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8314457917796816184.post-7400439606384517842009-06-17T14:55:00.000-07:002009-06-17T23:48:04.157-07:00A Picnic sur Pont des Arts - Priceless!The View<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-490-kvEkrm6FJrQh7owhvDUT8qH4kiunthKWrIRvxOkK0t9QWYISfPSxlsrYaJf7wwp4j5l1xzfvd-0CSfUo2lHlLuiOpB9vFfxsZiTJ4Yv7TCF8q8GNXLDi86MGRET1fhqzJf04wI/s1600-h/IMG_0033.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-490-kvEkrm6FJrQh7owhvDUT8qH4kiunthKWrIRvxOkK0t9QWYISfPSxlsrYaJf7wwp4j5l1xzfvd-0CSfUo2lHlLuiOpB9vFfxsZiTJ4Yv7TCF8q8GNXLDi86MGRET1fhqzJf04wI/s400/IMG_0033.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348419650097955074" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyJtUhSCHYlYGT9duf01ZKFzUn4yDspLImOhAEuxuUTSslJ3uO34Y9rP9Vsz8M0ysEuJ58LE_F9Xu5ozhQ9VPBaFloF8euEFBBoy2RE7ErzJXYzz9Fe6Lae2RKdWp2AeZ_Cwde7-skYvE/s1600-h/IMG_0014.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyJtUhSCHYlYGT9duf01ZKFzUn4yDspLImOhAEuxuUTSslJ3uO34Y9rP9Vsz8M0ysEuJ58LE_F9Xu5ozhQ9VPBaFloF8euEFBBoy2RE7ErzJXYzz9Fe6Lae2RKdWp2AeZ_Cwde7-skYvE/s400/IMG_0014.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348554022190827010" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZjaH_OLMAoEqKsxu8D65m1LcDUa59Jwdh_6oY-2Yv_mX2Tf28vZAB2J7iBAklc6ljPg5PpbqwsxwA659ShoO65XQ42Z-rUGIXxXHoRe4eRgnW1QfP86rl-cw3ZBNi1lrli6Yy8F_sdJY/s1600-h/IMG_0023.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZjaH_OLMAoEqKsxu8D65m1LcDUa59Jwdh_6oY-2Yv_mX2Tf28vZAB2J7iBAklc6ljPg5PpbqwsxwA659ShoO65XQ42Z-rUGIXxXHoRe4eRgnW1QfP86rl-cw3ZBNi1lrli6Yy8F_sdJY/s400/IMG_0023.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348554298422774354" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEXN_47IxartuT0HYEfiL0VT3-6GJ1xcbS9So0RpR-effjFa0Sstc_iyt1iGy8bVQTlSQ0RTdAxcPv_N3wAYjC1t_hqwaKYd7HqoH9wf1q2oNovY022ysvt58x1-XlDMCiALYe2T8I8pQ/s1600-h/IMG_0024.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEXN_47IxartuT0HYEfiL0VT3-6GJ1xcbS9So0RpR-effjFa0Sstc_iyt1iGy8bVQTlSQ0RTdAxcPv_N3wAYjC1t_hqwaKYd7HqoH9wf1q2oNovY022ysvt58x1-XlDMCiALYe2T8I8pQ/s400/IMG_0024.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348554605131333362" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv9ZsKf3LtP77LLEVvT2M_IlHImelfxwUY9hgbrhgtAMR9oHCilgglUM4E51Wgy1HubQ-bCN9_K03KAPClfHQ-6jsY_tnv70AJzi1mMXDE1weWUKKLD4bojpuTnD1Bo4oG9tPv4xnLdjY/s1600-h/IMG_0032.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv9ZsKf3LtP77LLEVvT2M_IlHImelfxwUY9hgbrhgtAMR9oHCilgglUM4E51Wgy1HubQ-bCN9_K03KAPClfHQ-6jsY_tnv70AJzi1mMXDE1weWUKKLD4bojpuTnD1Bo4oG9tPv4xnLdjY/s400/IMG_0032.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348554875900920370" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSuaf4AMRviOY8UtLalEaMkijmbBVpOuykh1_oyd1AG0q9Hd5rbkWFChfsqQ_6RY1eZ0O_rGOiEtH0IpQzbQxkKMdbnk5UmLgq6c3XI8AhoR0YWN2aFomP1T6InlJwymsxGiuU-1c0Q2w/s1600-h/IMG_0030.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSuaf4AMRviOY8UtLalEaMkijmbBVpOuykh1_oyd1AG0q9Hd5rbkWFChfsqQ_6RY1eZ0O_rGOiEtH0IpQzbQxkKMdbnk5UmLgq6c3XI8AhoR0YWN2aFomP1T6InlJwymsxGiuU-1c0Q2w/s400/IMG_0030.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348555226714661714" /></a><br /><br />A Sample of the Goodies<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmcF7qqegLfTFh0R-rxHwJUlhadWcl__LQaDPzVuFZpOmi1spEE0gBKPeurVv0j-NddeXYYU6A86yhv3qq8V0WX8aVKCqOyOd9q0PGzOL1IQMKmZxW_2UB0tS0cguTvQcCpov-e7ax2lg/s1600-h/IMG_0021.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmcF7qqegLfTFh0R-rxHwJUlhadWcl__LQaDPzVuFZpOmi1spEE0gBKPeurVv0j-NddeXYYU6A86yhv3qq8V0WX8aVKCqOyOd9q0PGzOL1IQMKmZxW_2UB0tS0cguTvQcCpov-e7ax2lg/s400/IMG_0021.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348420293494767266" /></a><br /><br />The Friends<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Lig-dyuOuxm_sQ3kK_hldtYdzo4b-xrdxKdnDu0hmb9EIK7uCYH4OSyl_jf8k6bO0IFmVVJIpopxuYg-dCMHQMI0dxPswhqq1ZKKstdZQn_RHoQEksBBmnpBViSOtZ87dtBUjarEV2I/s1600-h/IMG_0013.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Lig-dyuOuxm_sQ3kK_hldtYdzo4b-xrdxKdnDu0hmb9EIK7uCYH4OSyl_jf8k6bO0IFmVVJIpopxuYg-dCMHQMI0dxPswhqq1ZKKstdZQn_RHoQEksBBmnpBViSOtZ87dtBUjarEV2I/s400/IMG_0013.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348421271269376242" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8pkyE7_Y5Gep2EdQi41hVAwi4WyjiHIBHlUv71gakjYDJddlptzXsAUriRBITE68BonvfGmG77MZVZgHYEoLBLMV0ZKruxaLJ5bpGCANe3hcwpBdUH-237vQxwu_-tDF5KOe1Xf87zHo/s1600-h/IMG_0017.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8pkyE7_Y5Gep2EdQi41hVAwi4WyjiHIBHlUv71gakjYDJddlptzXsAUriRBITE68BonvfGmG77MZVZgHYEoLBLMV0ZKruxaLJ5bpGCANe3hcwpBdUH-237vQxwu_-tDF5KOe1Xf87zHo/s400/IMG_0017.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348421566739099506" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg01BhPQxh2_r2TxOwga87jNeIPyrLCmeIlJy7jgjm6KYJ8xsw0ZNeZLPoEgVu_4hsHv7YSINouCcT7qv2k0Y29DvZFn6QtJkZp3sNJjmcypCDzf59XDxR_cV4DmwV4ieWnfiTOe7Jd9n4/s1600-h/IMG_0025.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg01BhPQxh2_r2TxOwga87jNeIPyrLCmeIlJy7jgjm6KYJ8xsw0ZNeZLPoEgVu_4hsHv7YSINouCcT7qv2k0Y29DvZFn6QtJkZp3sNJjmcypCDzf59XDxR_cV4DmwV4ieWnfiTOe7Jd9n4/s400/IMG_0025.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348421991097536466" /></a><br /><br />The View<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV8raqJ2FM1A1RKEP72vonSAPiDZCiqL5mWDtm88fOCmzQ0uW1DCtaDjF8fh64R2FKjGJggL-_Y5RrCgC_XXMIOse-YMjyqCJl4jTnpUyQrL0o639lM9qKCi3VLyfR74ALxohqMTKa1nY/s1600-h/IMG_0027.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV8raqJ2FM1A1RKEP72vonSAPiDZCiqL5mWDtm88fOCmzQ0uW1DCtaDjF8fh64R2FKjGJggL-_Y5RrCgC_XXMIOse-YMjyqCJl4jTnpUyQrL0o639lM9qKCi3VLyfR74ALxohqMTKa1nY/s400/IMG_0027.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348422250183031858" /></a>Kathiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03962029283794250540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8314457917796816184.post-23135990446153610612009-06-12T10:36:00.000-07:002009-06-15T10:43:57.047-07:00We got "ringed" and then we got "Whiffed"!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwhLc3mzIel8Lb0g7HwLDwfEsiNR3qrkZHbCOPztJQ9T2F8CUZzh9HqMM-uQx7g7nsrYsXa0sOfiwo1GOdMvQOYtYA8zApn-0ikqDIMx7dqYUjvFnfz6Ehja3aLblOG_wNgQ4KgeRdUUs/s1600-h/June+10,+2009+016.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwhLc3mzIel8Lb0g7HwLDwfEsiNR3qrkZHbCOPztJQ9T2F8CUZzh9HqMM-uQx7g7nsrYsXa0sOfiwo1GOdMvQOYtYA8zApn-0ikqDIMx7dqYUjvFnfz6Ehja3aLblOG_wNgQ4KgeRdUUs/s400/June+10,+2009+016.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346501432102214450" /></a><br />Last week, the infamous Paris shopkeeper, Eric DuBois, and I were strolling along our beloved streets of Paris. Being a little more experienced in this daily practice, I had to chuckle when a young woman positioned herself between Eric and me on a narrow street. Et voila! There it was! The ring.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmKYjLWjRY3-tFYNbVYuH82wsOO9iqRjwiylnvAsV5aFBFUvwNDAk0SMXRT9_v464dl-ZBsAplqgKIZ-f9ScLMSilMuM-pQyARDmJkatjjAFLw1wE4fa5eRU5YxgoNYHoqG_YkyGn3uAw/s1600-h/Bague.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmKYjLWjRY3-tFYNbVYuH82wsOO9iqRjwiylnvAsV5aFBFUvwNDAk0SMXRT9_v464dl-ZBsAplqgKIZ-f9ScLMSilMuM-pQyARDmJkatjjAFLw1wE4fa5eRU5YxgoNYHoqG_YkyGn3uAw/s400/Bague.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346502253941315154" /></a><br /><br />Of course, you would have no idea what this scam is all about unless you've been to Paris and had the silly experience. In short, this is what happens. When it happened to me the first time, a man suddenly bent down in front of me and picked up a gold ring from the sidewalk. He immediately showed it to me, smiled, and gestured that he was blessed because he had found this beautiful ring. Then he tried it on various fingers and acted all disappointed that it didn't fit his fat, stubby fingers. He placed it on my finger and voila! Perfect fit! He gestured that he wanted me to keep the lovely ring. And started to walk away. But then he had second thoughts and asked for a few euros for coffee. My alarm bells started going off and I quickly tried to give him back the ring. He wouldn't take it until I started to put it on the ground, then he snatched it up and literally vanished. Of course, this all happened in a matter of seconds.<br /><br />My first thought was that if I had taken out my wallet to give him a few euros, he would have snatched it and disappeared. However, when I got home, I asked my friend, Le Google, and found out all about this scam. It turns out that the ring is brass and practically worthless, even though there was the story of a woman who got scammed and said that she got $80 from a jeweler when she took it in to have it melted down. Doubtful.<br /><br />OK, so back to the story. Walking down the street, Eric and I got ringed (yet again). <br /><br />Later in the day, we hadn't had enough of scams, so we decided to try out a new product that I had learned about on a TV special: Le Whif.<br /><br />Here's the hype according to Karen Day.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjMCp7iLK6auN17kx52jp-FZawgaEy_Ra1cRkwhKaYtpbKh4hnho-nDrrv7BHp-V1yOKp8gdK2151PglPJLuoQjxZM5kXspIV_r3pZE1kyz-DEwYHc_R1DWhdc9Gt3Oun8maR7sr4Bmtk/s1600-h/le-whif-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 249px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjMCp7iLK6auN17kx52jp-FZawgaEy_Ra1cRkwhKaYtpbKh4hnho-nDrrv7BHp-V1yOKp8gdK2151PglPJLuoQjxZM5kXspIV_r3pZE1kyz-DEwYHc_R1DWhdc9Gt3Oun8maR7sr4Bmtk/s400/le-whif-1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346527307577469858" /></a><br /><br />"Le Whif Chocolate Inhaler <br /><br />Finally, chocolate is no longer a guilty pleasure. Le Whif, which just launched yesterday, combines chocolate and aerosol science with their zero calorie chocolate inhaler. <br /><br />Beginning in the spring of 2008 as part of a culinary art experiment executed by Harvard professor David Edwards and his students, the innovative concept moves "eating habits to their logical conclusion." While we've yet to actually try the chocolate, we're sure this will spark a new culinary craze and lead to even more gastronomic experiments. <br /><br />Le Whif is available online, and can be purchased by the box (24-count) for 40€."<br /><br />OMG! Save your money! Our experiment was €1,80 for one whif. They offered coffee along with Le Whif for an extra 3€. Jokingly, I said that maybe they want you to have coffee to help you get rid of the after taste (moi, toujours le skeptique!). Sure enough, a few minutes after the experience, which I likened to drawing some Ovaltine powder into your mouth through a straw, I asked Eric for some gum to help rid my tastebuds of an unpleasant after taste. <br /><br />But, go ahead if you must, try for yourself this new culinary craze and be part of the spark!!! It will only cost you 40€ ($56.00) for a 24-pack!Kathiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03962029283794250540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8314457917796816184.post-74629630349616070062009-06-09T23:08:00.000-07:002009-06-11T00:09:30.130-07:00Happy 120th Birthday, Tour Eiffel!Since I've become sadly aware that my days in Paris are numbered, I've had to make a list of "must make time for" these things before I leave. On the list for yesterday was the exhibition at the magnifique Hotel de Ville (main Paris City Hall) in honor of Gustave Eiffel: "Le Magicien de Fer".<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEMLRy2FqDh6anIOAIOrqUkf47KaZwr7VeRGYZQXeGcbjCNIzWakNUlvk74TYv62fE8imB57tmhspLgOJ-SJSEFMhvTv1IBS3lRsp55bk0-68rNIWHakiDmILzymNsfgZA52N8TmszG4g/s1600-h/hotel_de_ville.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEMLRy2FqDh6anIOAIOrqUkf47KaZwr7VeRGYZQXeGcbjCNIzWakNUlvk74TYv62fE8imB57tmhspLgOJ-SJSEFMhvTv1IBS3lRsp55bk0-68rNIWHakiDmILzymNsfgZA52N8TmszG4g/s400/hotel_de_ville.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345582629715869042" /></a><br />The exhibit contains paintings, photos, drawings, and models of Eiffel's work - work which included hundreds of metal structures around the world. Cast iron railway bridges were his favorite structures and his innovative company even produced portable bridges sold in kits.<br /><br />Eiffel (along with Eugène-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc) designed the infrastructure of the Statue of Liberty, which consists of four gigantic steel supports. They also supervised its assembly.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-F8fv5lTkL4jnupe2FLJsIpxOcno5CUaNj0ZvUlLb-YNAcrmXIattls63b7hBeSviV7CZVDOSe6s-ElXGDuY83aPcVDQu6OHiijxbELJ3aH_eGpOHMP6_GCP9_LwoDkNTinq3GzK6S3E/s1600-h/Building_Statute_of_Liberty_2_%255Bpicturestore_com%255D.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 301px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-F8fv5lTkL4jnupe2FLJsIpxOcno5CUaNj0ZvUlLb-YNAcrmXIattls63b7hBeSviV7CZVDOSe6s-ElXGDuY83aPcVDQu6OHiijxbELJ3aH_eGpOHMP6_GCP9_LwoDkNTinq3GzK6S3E/s400/Building_Statute_of_Liberty_2_%255Bpicturestore_com%255D.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345587991443394802" /></a><br />The Tour Eiffel was built for the 1889 Universal Exposition and was meant to be dismantled after 20 years. However, Gustave had other plans. He was determined to find a practical application for the Tour, and he spent the last 30 years of his life working on projects in meteorology, radiotelegraphy, and aerodynamics to ensure that his Tour would remain standing. (And we're glad he did!)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ZUJwkVdW76znDdIdVUGLP7ud5GxxBMzNPoYImwi_882omnpwv6tGVki1RvNODlCaQQv4TegmcDyJ8F0qqq7LFi_oeJd2n9hYEB5UPe51kkLgNAi0n7D4Xl4X6mXWx8q6_STuqBZ9YEs/s1600-h/IMG_4916.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ZUJwkVdW76znDdIdVUGLP7ud5GxxBMzNPoYImwi_882omnpwv6tGVki1RvNODlCaQQv4TegmcDyJ8F0qqq7LFi_oeJd2n9hYEB5UPe51kkLgNAi0n7D4Xl4X6mXWx8q6_STuqBZ9YEs/s400/IMG_4916.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345590916292834914" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid-RUI_XgAlKgWfM9zKUOhbWkGzV3mEPfcT0xyBopwZ3D1y9ao70GukqQz4viXUbygDVvLiE6bEOf_95IoKWobdmkcxEDRLPqhUYjj2TUm0fZTZl9MvhczXeQcaoIsAUXsmcJiM87cRhs/s1600-h/IMG_4966.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid-RUI_XgAlKgWfM9zKUOhbWkGzV3mEPfcT0xyBopwZ3D1y9ao70GukqQz4viXUbygDVvLiE6bEOf_95IoKWobdmkcxEDRLPqhUYjj2TUm0fZTZl9MvhczXeQcaoIsAUXsmcJiM87cRhs/s400/IMG_4966.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345591233396763442" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqQFPuqwfZNUOfvG7xiuMbYthcnNa__6cQVSxs2DGtmOCRLPxKmHRYh8g632hnlTE_CWoQ0uuZzP8xWNIf63jtaHEJRmgbxCe4H0J-KSOQqTVWrCoY7H9mJORW9W0UuMXh4iPlH0wHLLM/s1600-h/IMG_0024.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqQFPuqwfZNUOfvG7xiuMbYthcnNa__6cQVSxs2DGtmOCRLPxKmHRYh8g632hnlTE_CWoQ0uuZzP8xWNIf63jtaHEJRmgbxCe4H0J-KSOQqTVWrCoY7H9mJORW9W0UuMXh4iPlH0wHLLM/s400/IMG_0024.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345579312009003218" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzw50DbMVa6aXsTsFC3izn-cljegiPwzgzhvQlaLRoxwk8WTp46wq7yaY-8_JWMZ0Y15iNQrHHgBLBlhFzJFssCBMB0JY_nf0BgIFrT26F78toRKcCHJHGirGOAWnfDFKcH__tHNCGHAE/s1600-h/IMG_4561.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzw50DbMVa6aXsTsFC3izn-cljegiPwzgzhvQlaLRoxwk8WTp46wq7yaY-8_JWMZ0Y15iNQrHHgBLBlhFzJFssCBMB0JY_nf0BgIFrT26F78toRKcCHJHGirGOAWnfDFKcH__tHNCGHAE/s400/IMG_4561.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345963578023611906" /></a>Kathiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03962029283794250540noreply@blogger.com1