Not what I thought

Last year we traveled to England with an excursion to Paris, which I wanted to visit , but with some reservations. I think I had listened to many stories about the aloofness and attitudes of the French and I had some trepidations . We had taken a large tour bus from London to Dover in preparation of crossing the English Channel. Now you can go under the channel in the famous Chunnel, float across as we did, or fly. Some people have actually swam across ,but not us. The motor trip from London took about two hours and we arrived at the famous seaside city of Dover. Historically Dover has been the sea side port of entry from France and is famous for the white chalk cliffs that are visible from sea. The white cliffs were often the landmarks of WW 2 bombers as they returned from missions against German targets. In like manner they were the first landmark of The German Luftwaffe as they attacked England. As we motored up to the Ferry terminals I was shocked to see monsterous ships of multiple decks taking traffic on board from 4 lanes of traffic. Our large bus was swallowed and we entered what appeared to be a modern parking garage. We got off the bus and took elevators 4 or 5 decks up to a mini shopping center with a gambling hall,shopping, and eating facilities. We all ate an English breakfast and watched the progress across the channel on a gray, chilly morning. The sea and the sky were both the same color of gray. About an hour later we entered the French port of Calais, which was large and full of container ships and huge cranes. At the time the ship conveyed many campers and cars of British origin crossing the channel for vacation in Europe, which is fascinating that you can motor all over Europe without restrictions due to the European Union. All money is in Euros and all European members enjoy a world rather easier than those of us with US passports. I do think Brexit will change a lot of this convenience for British Citizens. We started our journey toward Pari

s, which took about 4 or 5 hours through the vivid green country side. My first impression of Paris as we entered the outskirts was a sprawling metropolitan area befitting one of Europe's oldest cities of nearly nine million people. Modern Paris was a forest of construction cranes atop looming skyscrapers. The city, old and new, went for miles. The Charles De Galle Airport is about 45 minutes out of town as we were to learn on our later departure.The bus took us to our Hotel , the Novotel Paris Centre Eiffel Tower, which is considered a mid range value for around 300 Euros per night. It is a high rise  building with about 900 rooms. Situated on the banks of the Seine, it is close to transportation and about 40 minutes from De Galle Airport. Rooms are small, but larger than New York . The breakfast buffet is good and beats British food by a lot, which isn't saying much. We took a night cruise on the Seine and it was raining and chilly, but the Eiffel Tower at night lives up to reputation with gold lighting like jewels, and the occasional flash of strobe lights. The only negative was an extended family of Indians was also touring with a pack of wild children who evidentally had consumed buckets of sugar and ran over people like young jackels the entire tour.An interesting note was the antique houseboats moored on the banks of the Seine which were grandfathered in from earlier times. There are only permits for 60 some boats, one of which is owned by the President of Cartier. There are many historic bridges over the river, most of which I had previously seen Jason Bourne cross in fast cars. We toured The Palace Of Versailles, the Biltmore of Louis the XIV. The Sun King certainly knew how to live.We toured the Louvre , the world's oldest and largest museum. Enhanced with the fairly new glass pyramid, by I M Pei, the Louvre lives up to its reputation. The crown jewel is of course the Mona Lisa. Da Vinci's masterpiece is small in reality compared to what you would imagine it to be. You are in extreme danger of being trampled any where in the Louvre by herds of rude, obnoxious Chinese  tourists with every known variety of photographic equipment hanging around their necks. The Chinese will push you out of the way with hands and elbows, never thinking of manners. I honestly think they have to push people around because it is the way they live in China. I have noticed the same rude Chinese behavior in NYC and San Francisco.The French people are saints compared to the Chinese. The thoughts of the rude Chinese and Indians have worn me out, so I will talk about the nicer things in France in a later

post.

California

When I was in my youth everyone wanted to go to California , which was a land of great attraction with famous people and beautiful sunsets and beaches. All the movie and tv stars lived in this promised land. The Beach Boys and Jan and Dean sang about the girls and surfing , and everyone drove 55 T- Birds, Corvettes, and XKEs. A place on the beach in Malibu was everyone's dream. Over the years dream world has become tainted with too many people and a veritable Tower of Babel of everyone living in excess and corruption. Nowhere is this greed and corruption more apparent than in the entertainment business. The casting couches of the Harvey Weinsteins and his comrades have become legendary. Suddenly every starlet is telling of attempts on her integrity. The Me Too movement is in full swing. It seems that the core of California has become a rotted foundation waiting to collapse. The state is full of liberals wanting to give everything to migrants and expect the rest of the nation to follow suit. The entire state is a powder keg  literally burning up in times of drought , and then sliding off the hillsides during the infrequent rains, to say nothing of the San Andreas Fault getting ready to dump the masses into the cold Pacific. When the Beach Boys were wishing they could all be California Girls somehow I don't think they were singing about Nancy Pelosi or Diane Feinstein. My vision of California Girls is stuck on Pamela Anderson running on the beach in that red bathing suit , or Farah Fawcett in that poster every male had in college in 1970.We see Glen Campbell leaving for Phoenix and that telephone just keeping on ringing. Nobody today even remembers ringing telephones. The California of Jimmy Webb and Linda Ronstadt is long gone , as well as 1967 and the summer of love. Jimi Hendrix hit the Monterrey Festival and Jefferson Airplane was on the radio. Music made sense in those days before Justin Bieber and Kanye. The Brady Bunch was replaced by the Kardashian Bunch. OJ quit running through airports and started chases on freeways.San Francisco changed from Haight- Ashbury to something else.You really do have to wear flowers in your hair if you're going to San Francisco. San Francisco would never tolerate Harry Callahan in today's society. Do you feel lucky Punk?I guess nothing remains the same , yet I still love the Pacific highway and Half Moon Bay, along with Napa and Sonoma. I just don't feel comfortable with the present California mind set. High tech and Tesla drive that state and if you're not Apple minded you need not apply.I guess I'm stuck in 1968 and need to move on. Besides , have you seen Pamela Anderson lately ?

What"s there to Say??

It's been a while since I posted , and somehow I felt I should have been writing about my political feelings of our country, but what remains to be said?This political mess we are living in has become so bitter and full of hatred that I really don't have anything to add. I guess I must give my State Of Union in lieu of any other subject that means nothing to me or anyone else.I've never been this old before and every day brings a new ache or pain.I still get a haircut every four months or so and pay for it with a bottle of Gray Goose vodka, because my hair babe will work me in for the booze. She's in no danger of addiction because  3 bottles a year doesn't make much of a buzz.I'm 6 months behind on my Blood Work , but I feel at my age I'm not producing as much red blood cells as a young man, and I want to keep all I've got. I was in Manchester today and went to the Mennonite bakery and bought a dozen bear claws from a young maiden with a unibrow that had somewhat of an attitude , but who cares? I'd have an attitude if I were a Mennonite, wouldn't you?The Bearclaws were delicious and that's another reason not to have bloodwork at the moment. Megyn Kelly went down in flames, and I thought that even I would have better control of myself for $23 mill a year. It took me 30 seconds to find that frigging dollar symbol.Poor Megyn . Where is she going to go?We went to Europe in February and I left my heart in Rome. I really felt I was going to want to stay in Barcelona, but it turned out to be my least favorite. I was intrigued by the Barcelona Worlds Fair and Mies van der Rohe"s Barcelona chair ,as well as the crazy architecture of Antoni Gaudi, but somehow I was disappointed by the city. We flew into Amsterdam ,and then into Barcelona, and didn't see anything in Amsterdam interesting other than cleaning ladies mopping around your feet while you were at the urinal, something that I 'm used to at home. Lots of pickpockets in Barcelona. Actually there are recognized gangs of pickpockets with young children all over Barcelona's tourist haunts.I really liked Marseille, France and we saw the harbor and drank really sweet Coca Colas in bottles in a little café on the square. I bought Sandy some kind of brownie with real , hot melted chocolate over it. It is impossible to beat French pastries.Merci Beaucoup.We went to Monte Carlo  and I felt like James Bond. Most beautiful harbor and country in the world.We then went to Saint Tropez and saw Barbie talking to a priest outside of church on a Sunday Morning. I guess Ken was on some yacht in the harbor sleeping off a night of drunken debauchery.Went to Pisa and the Tower, with more pickpockets.Then we went to Rome and the Seven hills. I want to go back to Rome ASAP. It is that beautiful with all the millions of modern Romans riding their little Vespa scooters and tiny cars to work. My impression was that this vibrant population cares nothing about history and the Roman Empire, but has the same interests as middle income people the world over. Now I'm not much of a foodie but eating in a little restaurant in Rome is an experience . Romans know how to eat!We are going to London and Paris for a short week before Christmas, and I'm already dreading English food. If you ever eat an English breakfast you will realize why The Queen, Prince Phillip, and Charles look so angry.Pork and beans at every breakfast makes anyone anxious the rest of the day!We are taking the Eurostar to Paris for one day. Hop on that baby and 2 hours and 15 minutes later you are in Paris. Time flies at 185 miles an hour. We are taking a lunch tour on the Seine and all I'm eating is Dessert. The last time we were in Paris we attended the Moulin Rouge , which means"the red mill".It should mean 35 nearly naked ,nubile maidens on stage. At one point a Plexiglas pool of water rises on the stage with many 10 foot long anacondas swimming and trying to escape into the audience. At that moment a pretty ,almost naked maiden runs out and jumps in the pool with the serpents. Where I come from nobody jumps in water with snakes, naked or clothed.I digress, as is common lately, and wish to convey my gratitude that the mid term elections are over. I have forgotten my conversational French but I need to be able to order a baloney sandwich on white bread with a little Grey Poupon por favor.Imagine looking at old Gustave Eif

fel's trinket eating a baloney sandwich  chased with a coconut macaroon. Life is good. As my buddy Donnie Sears says,'It's all Good."