Monday, May 11, 2009

Saturday, May 9, 2009

THERE ARE PLENTY OF WAYS TO GET AROUND HERE.


NOT JUST IN PARIS ANYMORE...MOST CITIES OF MODERATE SIZE HAVE RENT-A-BIKE STATIONS THROUGHOUT THEIR CITIES. FOR A FEW EUROS, JUST SWIPE YOUR CARD AND GO. AND IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM LIKE A FLAT TIRE, HELP IS JUST A CELL PHONE CALL AWAY...5 MINITE RESPONSE TIME...TRIPLE "A", EAT YOUR HEART OUT.


THE TRAINS ARE INCREDIBLE...AN UNBELIEVEABLE NETWORK OF TRAINS HOLDS THE COUNTRY TOGETHER. AND THEY RUN "ON-TIME"...SERIOUSLY. PROBLEM IS THAT TRAINS ARE GREAT IN GOING FROM CITY TO CITY, BUT IN ORDER TO VISIT THE COUNTRYSIDE YOU NEED A CAR...NOT TO MENTION THE TIME SPENT IN TRAIN STATIONS WAITING OR, STRESSING ABOUT MAKING A TRANSFER ETC. STILL FOR AN AMERICAN FROM THE WEST COAST WHERE TRAINS ARE FOUND MOSTLY IN MUSEUMS AND COFFEETABLE BOOKS, IT CAN BE AN ADVENTURE.
CARS...SMALL CARS AND SMALLER ROADS...AND THE PARKING SPACES...DON'T GET ME STARTED@#$#@%$^%$#

IT'S FUNNY...I SEE ALL SORTS OF AMERICAN CARS HERE...LIKE THIS FORD...MODELS YOU WOULD NEVER SEE AT HOME.


BUT HERE'S MY BABY...A BRAND NEW TOYOTA YARIS I CALLED SYLVIE...A TOTAL BABE...8,000 KILOMETERS
(5,000 MILES) IN 30 DAYS. AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION (UNUSUAL FOR EUROPE), GASOLINE POWERED (ALSO UNUSUAL), A/C, AM/FM RADIO WITH A CD PLAYER, KEYLESS ENTRY, AND PUSH BUTTON STARTER (KEYLESS IGNITION). WHEN I TURNED SYLVIE IN TO EUROPCAR IN ALCENON,FRANCE (AN HOUR SOUTH OF FALAISE) AND PREPARED TO BOARD THE TRAIN FOR PARIS, I MUST ADMIT IT WAS A TEARFUL GOOD-BYE. I PARKED IN FRONT OF THE RENTAL AGENCY AND WE KISSED AND SAID OUR GOOD-BYES...MY MISTAKE WAS LOOKING BACK...I CAN'T EXPLAIN IT...WAS IT HER 25 KILOMETERS TO THE LITER OR HER GOOD NATURED RELIABILITY...I THINK OF HER STILL...

Friday, May 8, 2009

I SUPPOSE IT'S OK TO HAVE FAVORITES EVEN WHEN IT COMES TO ANGELS...IT IS OK, ISN'T IT?

RUNNER UP AND COMING IN 2nd IS THE IMPISH "SMILING ANGEL OF REIMS". I KNOW HOW THIS SOUNDS... CRAZY...IMPOSSIBLE, BUT NOTRE DAME DE REIMS HAS MORE THAN 2300 STATUES AND EFFIGIES INSIDE AND OUT OF THE CATHEDRAL...I LOST COUNT AT 1431...I HAVE DECIDED IN FAVOR OF TAKING THEIR WORD FOR IT. AFTERALL, I WAS ONLY GOING TO BE IN FRANCE FOR A MONTH.


YES, MY VERY FAVORITE...THE "CRYING ANGEL OF AMIENS" (AH-ME-ON). WHY SO SAD ANGEL? I KNOW WHY, BUT I'M NOT TELLING.
WHAT THE HELL IS THIS IN FRONT OF ONE OF THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS CHAMPAGNE HOUSES IN REIMS.

I'LL BE DAMNED...IT'S ARTWORK...BUT OF WHAT?


OH MY GOD IT'S SHOPPING CARTS STACKED ONE UPON ANOTHER...AH TO BE RICH , ECCENTRIC AND...I GUESS RICH AND ECCENTRIC WILL DO.


NOTE TO SELF...WHEN I GROW UP I WANT TO BE RICH AND ECCENTRIC ...OH YEA, AND MAKE GREAT CHAMPAGNE.


AND MY CHAMPAGNE HOUSE WILL LOOK LIKE A FORTRESS...


KINDA' LIKE THIS.
I KNOW...WHY THIS! AFTER TRAVELING MORE THAN 5,000 MILES THROUGHOUT FRANCE, I CONFESS THAT I NEVER SAW A FEED LOT...IN FACT I STOPPED A FARMER AND ASKED HIM IF HE KNEW WHAT A FEED LOT WAS...HE SAID HE DID, BUT THEY WOULD NEVER USE THEM IN FRANCE...IT STRESSES THE ANIMALS WHICH PRODUCES TOXIC CHEMICALS HARMFUL TO HUMANS. WE GRAZE OUR ANIMALS. THIS I CONFIRMED WITH THE LADIES GATHERED AROUND THE WATER COOLER. I UNDERSTAND MANY OF OUR COWS ARE MOVING TO FRANCE FOR JUST THIS REASON. THE COW ON THE RIGHT IS FROM HARRIS RANCH IN CALIFORNIA...THE ONE ON THE LEFT IS ON HOLIDAY VISTTING FROM NEW JERSEY...I THINK.



I QUICKLY END MY CONVERSATION AS WHAT APPEARS TO BE A BULL BECOMES SUSPICIOUS OF MY MOTIVES.

Monday, April 27, 2009

FALAISE, FRANCE (MEANS CLIFF IN FRENCH...OH YEA PRONOUNCED "FALL-EZ"), ABOUT 30km SOUTH OF CAEN. HOME TO WILLIAM THE BASTARD, AS HE WAS REFERED TO BY HIS SUBJECTS (I AM CERTAIN ALWAYS WHEN HE WAS OUT OF EAR-SHOT). WE KNOW HIM BETTER AS WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR OR BILLY AS HE WAS CALLED AROUND THE HOUSE. THIS WOULD BE HIS HOME. NOT BAD DIGS. TODAY A BIT OF A FIXER-UPPER. NOT TO WORRY...THE FRENCH HAVE A PLAN. I MUST SAY I AM A BIT WEARY OF CHATEAU TOURS...ALWAYS THE SAME THING...YOU MOVE FROM ONE ENORMOUS ROOM TO ANOTHER...I LIKE THE EXTERIORS BETTER. AND IT'S CHEAPER. MOST CHARGE ABOUT 8 euros OR ABOUT $11 OR $12. THE OUTSIDES WORK BEST FOR ME.


YEA, A PLAN...THEY INTEND TO RESTORE HIS CASTLE...YEP, STONE BY STONE. AH, TO BE A STONE MASON IN FRANCE TODAY.



BUT SOMETIMES, MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, YOU KNOW HOW ONE THING CAN LEAD TO ANOTHER...WELL...LET'S SAY YOU STUMBLE ONTO AN ARCHIOLOGICAL SITE...DAMN...THAT WILL DEFINITELY HOLD UP THE RESTORATION. I MET A GERMAN COUPLE WHO WERE ALSO VISITING THE SITE. THEY SPOKE NO ENGLISH AND I SPOKE NO GERMAN, BUT FORTUNATELY WE BOTH SPOKE FRENCH. WE ALL AGREED THAT THE RESTORATION STOOD A GOOD CHANCE OF TAKING LONGER TO FINISH THAN THE CASTLE ACTUALLY TOOK TO BUILD IN THE 11th CENTURY.



A VIEW FROM INSIDE OUT. FALAISE IS A CUTE SMALL TOWN. ALTHOUGH IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT IN WWII IT FACTORED BIG. IT WAS REFERED TO AS "FALAISE POCKET". THE GERMANS WERE SOURROUND, BUT OFFERED FIERCE RESISTANCE. THE CANADIANS FINALLY TOOK THE TOWN (BY THAT I MEAN FALAISE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED). LATTER, THE AMERICANS ENTERED THE TOWN TO MOP UP. I TALKED TO AN OLD GUY THAT RUNS THE 1944 MUSEUM HERE. HE WAS 15 AND LIVED HERE THEN AND WAS EVACUATED WITH HIS FAMILY. HE TOLD ME AFTER THE BATTLE OF FALAISE THE AMERICANS DIDN'T NEED MUCH OF A MOP...THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT.



WHAT WOULD WILLIAM HAVE GIVEN FOR EQUIPMENT LIKE THIS?....PROBABLY WOULD HAVE USED THEM AS WEAPONS.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

HERE'S A QUESTION FOR YOU...WHERE DO YOU KEEP YOUR MOST IMPORTANT POSSESSIONS?


A SMALL HINT.


YOU PROBABLY KNEW IT ALL THE TIME.
AS PEACEFUL AS THIS COASTLINE LOOKS TODAY, THERE'S STILL PLENTY OF EVIDENCE OF THE BATTLE FOUGHT HERE.


EXHIBIT A


EXHIBIT B


EXHIBIT C


I COULDN'T RESIST...I CLIMBED ALL OVER THESE BAD BOYS.
I DECIDED TO VISIT THE MUSEUM AS WELL AND FOUND IT QUITE INTERESTING. GET THIS...THERE ARE NO PICTURES OR VIDEOS OF THE INVASION...NONE! THE ONLY THING I CAN THINK OF THAT CAN EXPLAIN THIS, IS THAT SHOULD THE INVASION BE A FAILURE, THE ALLIES DIDN'T WANT IT TO BE WELL DOCUMENTED AS WAS THE DISMAL INVASION AND CHAOTIC RETREAT AT THE BATTLE OF DUNKIRK.


ESSENTIAL GEAR. ESPECIALLY FOR THE PACK-A-DAY MAN.


THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN YOUR PERSONAL FLOATATION DEVICE. PROBLEM IS ...YOU HAVE TO BLOW IT UP.


WOULD YOU JUMP OUT OF A GLIDER WITH IS GETUP? THE 101st AIRBORNE DID.


NOW WE'RE TALKIN'. THE PRECURSER TO THE CELL PHONE.



OH YEA, AND A HANDS-FREE DEVICE...NOT THEN REQUIRED BY LAW.

Friday, April 24, 2009

OMAHA BEACH...IF YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN HERE...FIND A WAY. ALSO, IF YOU'RE A LITTLE UNCERTAIN OF WHAT THE WORD SACRIFICE MEANS...DEFINITELY COME HERE!!

YOU ARE STANDING ON US SOIL HERE. THE PARK IS MAINTAINED BY A GROUP IN THE US...AND I MEAN MAINTAINED...NOT A BLADE OF GRASS OUT OF PLACE. FRIGHTENINGLY PERFECT WHERE A ONCE AN UNIMAGINED HELL REIGNED SUPREME.


A MONUMENT.



A STATUE.


AND A SEEMINGLY NEVER ENDING GALLERY OF HEROES. NOT ALL BURIED HERE DIED THAT FIRST DAY, BUT IT'S FAIR TO SAY OF THE 6,000 WHO DIED THAT 6th DAY OF JUNE 1944, MOST BURIED HERE WERE IN THAT FIRST WAVE.



OK, I'M JUST SPIT-BALLIN' HERE, BUT IF YOU CLICK ON THIS PICTURE YOU CAN READ THE NAME ON THIS MARKER. THIS GI's NAME IS DONALD H WEISEL, A TEC 5, 16th INFANTRY, 1st DIVISION FROM PENNSYLVANIA... MAYBE FROM PENNSYLVANIA-DUTCH COUNTRY...MAYBE A SON OF GERMAN IMMIGRANT PARENTS...SENT TO BY THE USA TO FIGHT THE GERMANS IN FRANCE. I KNOW WELL THAT POLITICS MAKES FOR STRANGE BED-FELLOWS...I'M STILL WORKING ON WHAT WAR MAKES FOR. AN AMERICAN OF GERMAN ANCESTRY ADORNED WITH FLOWERS AND A FRENCH AND AMERICAN FLAG. I GUESS I'LL BE WORKING ON THIS FOR A WHILE. NOTE TO SELF...LOOK UP THE DERIVATION OF THE WORD INFANTRY...IT MAY HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH SENDING CHILDREN TO WAR.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

AH...WHAT CAN YOU SAY...LE MONT SAINT MICHELE...AT HIGH TIDE IT USED TO BE SURROUNDED BY WATER...THEN THEY WENT AND BUILT THAT SILLY CAUSEWAY TO LET ALL THE TOURIST IN...LIKE ME.


THE CHURCH HAS GONE THROUGH MANY PHASES... FROM PRIMITIVE CHRISTIAN TO ROMANESQUE TO GOTHIC... UNTIL FINALLY IT WAS CONVERTED TO A PRISON AFTER THE REVOLUTION. IT STAYED THAT WAY UNTIL THE MIDDLE 1870'S. DEVOID OF ANY REAL ART WORK (LOOTED BY THOSE REVOLUTIONARIES NO DOUBT), THE BEAUTY OF MONT St MICHELE IS MORE EXTERNAL THAN INTERNAL.

BUILT IN 708 AD..IT SEEMS THAT THE BISHOP OF AVRANCHES, AUBERT, WAS VISITED 3 TIMES IN A DREAM BY THE ARCHANGEL MICHAEL WHO INSTRUCTED HIM TO BUILD A CHURCH ON THIS VERY ROCK. SO HE DUTIFULLY DID JUST THAT. IT'S FUNNY THOUGH, THE OTHER DAY I HAD A SIMILAR DREAM. BUT IN MY CASE, I SIMPLY GOT UP, WHEN TO THE BATHROOM, HAD A SMALL DRINK OF WATER, WENT OUTSIDE AND SMOKED A CIGARETTE, TRIED TO LOCATE ORION IN THE NIGHT SKY, AND RETURNED TO BED. APPARENTLY, I'M NOT SO EASILY MANIPULATED.



THE ENTRANCE TO THE CITY. DID I REALLY THINK THAT I WOULD BE THE ONLY ONE THERE ON A THURSDAY MORNING?




IF YOU CLICK ON THESE PHOTOS, YOU CAN ENLARGE THEM A SEE MORE DETAIL. THE DETAIL HERE IS THAT IF YOU ARE PARKED IN ONE OF SEVERAL PARKING LOCATIONS AT AROUND 18:00 HOURS (6:00PM TO YOU AND ME) YOUR CAR WILL BE UNDER WATER. THE TIDE RECEEDS VERY FAR OUT TO SEA LEAVING ENORMOUS STRETCHES OF BEACH FROM THE SHORE OUT TO SEA. PROBLEM IS THAT WHEN THE TIDE COMES IN, IT MOVES AT A RATE OF 18 KILOMETERS AN HOUR (APPROX. 12MPH). THINK AGAIN...YOU'RE NOT GOING TO OUT RUN THIS ONE.



YEA...I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO HAD THIS IDEA.



I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG IT TOOK ME TO GET TO THE TOP. WHAT I DO KNOW IS THAT I QUIT SMOKING FOR ABOUT 2HOURS OR SO.
I THINK THIS PLACE IS CALLED GAUTIERS LEAP. NAMED AFTER A PRISONER WHO LEAPED TO HIS DEATH.


DID I MENTION THERE WERE STEPS?...AND LOTS OF THEM.


I ACTUALLY GOT A NOSE-BLEED STANDING HEAR. I HATE HEIGHTS!


I WAS SURE I'D BE THE ONLY ONE HERE TODAY. FUNNY THOUGH, HAD THIS BEEN A SATURDAY, OR SUNDAY, OR ANY DAY IN THE SUMMER...WELL...JUST MULTIPLY BY 100.


THESE PEOPLE KNOW THAT THE TIDES COMING IN. TIME TO SADDLE UP.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

THIS IS WHERE IT ALL BEGAN FOLKS...THE BUBBLES IN WINE.


HAUTVILLERS, FRANCE (YES I KNOW, PRONOUNCED OH-VEE-AY). THE PLACE WHERE BROTHER DOM PERIGNON DID HIS BEST WORK.



A VIEW OF HAUTVILLERS WITH VINES RIGHT UP TO THE FRONT DOOR.



NOW THIS WAS INTERESTING! AS I WAS PAYING MY RESPECTS TO BROTHER DOM, WHO IS BURIED IN THE FLOOR OF THE ABBEY CHURCH, I NOTICED FOR THE FIRST TIME THE RELICS OF St HELENE, MOTHER OF CONSTANTINE THE GREAT. HOW ON EARTH DID HER BONE GET HERE? YOU PROBABLY KNOW THAT IT WAS NOT UNCOMMON FOR CHURCHS TO USE ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING TO ATTRACT PILGRIMS. I HAVE SEEN THE SEAMLESS ROBE OF JESUS, THE RELICS OF MARY MAGDALENE, THE SHOES OF MARY, MOTHER OF JESUS, A SMALL PIECE OF THE CROSS, A NAIL FROM SAME, THE SKULL OF MARY MAGDALENE, AND LIST GOES ON...ENDED FOR NOW WITH THE RELICS OF St HELENE. BUT TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY...RIGHT SCARLET?
THE BACK ROADS FROM REIMS TO EPERNAY THROUGH LES MONTAGNES DE REIMS.


WHY THIS PICTURE? I KNOW IT ISN'T VERY CLEAR. I SHOT THIS FROM LES MONTAGNES DE REIMS. IF YOU LOOK AT THE CENTER OF THE PHOTO, YOU CAN SEE JUST HOW IMPOSING NOTRE DAME DE REIMS IS IN RELATION TO THE OTHER STRUCTURES.



I KNOW...THIS IS NUTS,BUT THAT IS AN ACTUAL LIGHTHOUSE VERY, VERY FAR FROM ANY OCEAN I KNOW OF.





THESE DUDES ARE READY TO SPROUT. FROST CAN BE PROBLEMATIC HERE AS WELL AS BURGUNDY. NOT TOO BAD HERE BECAUSE THE GULF STREAM MODERATES THE WEATHER MUCH MORE SO THAN THE INTERIOR REGIONS OF FRANCE. AS I RECALL, "BUD BREAK" IS TRIGGERED WHEN THE GROUND TEMPERATURE EXCEEDS 50 DEFREE FOR A CERTAIN NUMBER OF DAYS IN A ROW. I DIDN'T HAVE THE HEART TO TELL THESE VINES THAT IT HAILED JUST TWO DAYS AGO.




AH..BUD BREAK IN REIMS. THE WEATHER FOR THE MOST PART HERE HAS BEEN EXCELLENT. GENERALLY THE RAIN, WHICH AS BEEN RELATIVELY SPARSE, HAS BEEN WELL MANNERED ENOUGH TO OCCUR ONLY IN THE EVENINGS FOR THE MOST PART. NOTICE HOW FAR FROM THE SOIL THE VINES IN CHAMPAGNE ARE TRAINED, EVEN THOUGH THESE PINOT NOIR GRAPES ARE GROWN MUCH FURTHER NORTH THAN THE PINOT GROWN IN BURGUNDY.



THE REASON THESE GRAPES CAN BE TRAINED SO MUCH HIGHER, IS THAT THE CHALKY SOIL HOLDS THE HEAT BETTER IN THE CHAMPAGNE REGION THAN THE ROCKY GRANITE SOIL FOUND IN COTE D'OR OF BURGUNDY. IN FACT, EVERYONE HAS HEARD OF THE WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER, ENGLAND. WELL IN FACT, THAT BAND OF CHALK IS ENORMOUS. IT EXTENDS FROM WELL SOUTH OF THE CHAMPAGNE REGION IN FRANCE ACROSS THE ENGLISH CHANNEL TO ENGLAND.