Visiting Friends in Garmisch

Yesterday I had lunch with our dear friends Lenora and "Woody" Woodcock and their children Riley and Jacob. John has known Woody since they flew together as Captains at Moody Air Force Base many moons ago and then we were stationed together in Aviano, Italy. Katie used to babysit their children when she would come home to Aviano for the summers and winters during college. Wow, it was so good to see them. Woody is the Dean of Academics at the NATO School in nearby Oberammergau (the home of the Passion Play).

The family came out to Edelweiss and we went to lunch in Garmisch at the famous "slappy pants" restaurant. Can't pronounce the name but it is always remembered for the Alpine dancers that come out in their leather pants and lederhosen to dance the native Bavarian dances. They slap the leather pants when they dance.....hence the "slappy pants" place. We spent several hours together just catching up on all the people we know and what everyone is doing. Some people she knew about and others I knew about so we shared information.




Today I drove up to their home in Oberammergau, about 20 minutes outside of Garmisch. It is a sleepy little alpine village that is famous for the Passion Play which is produced every 10 years. It's a huge event and people come from all over the world to see it. They live right in the center of town in this adorable alpine house. We ate at a FABULOUS restaurant in town. Can you believe that in this tiny village up in the Bavarian Alps is a Michelin Restaurant? We didn't eat at the Michelin restaurant but at the other one and the food was wonderful. The atmosphere was soooooooo German.

This is a school right across the street from Lenora's house. She said tourists stop here all the time to take photos of this beautiful building.

While waiting for Lenora to get to the restaurant, I walked around and took some photos. I soon made a friend. While standing next to a fence around this little house with a barn attached to the back, a black tuxedo cat ran all the way from the back of the barnyard and jumped on the fence next to me. He commenced to stick his nose right into the camera as if to say "hey, how ya' doing? What's this thing? Can I look? Let me smell it. What does it do?" This went on for about 10 minutes. He would follow me along the fence and poke his head at the camera. He was so friendly. And such a scraggly thing he was. He was skinny and sort of warped with his head hanging kind of low. He had one bad eye---it looked brown and the other was green. I think he was blind in the brown eye. I finally had to leave him behind but he lay down on the fence rail and just watched me from afar. Every time I came near, he would stand up and remind me that he was there and start poking his face into the camera lens. He was so clever! And such a charmer.

I did a photo shoot this morning at a lake near the hotel called Reissersee. It was nestled at the top of a hill near the Reisseree Hotel. Today was a cloudy day and the fog was lying low around the lake. Made for some nice photos.

I also walked around the main street in Garmisch this afternoon just looking around and snapping photos here and there. Didn't get much.

Oh, how I hate to leave in the morning. Garmisch is beautiful any time of the year. I've been in the winter snow; and the spring and summer. This was the first time I have visited in the fall. The colors are spectacular and I am so glad I came on this trip.

Eibsee

Went on a twilight shoot this evening up at a lake near Garmisch called Eibsee. It sits at the foot of the Zugspitz. Beautiful place and a lovely drive about 10 minutes from the hotel.

These are the mountains on the other side of the lake right behind where I was shooting. Beautiful!

I'm off to sit in the rockers in front of the gigantic fireplace in the lobby of the hotel.

Life...what an adventure.....

An adorable dog

An adorable little Pug I saw at the Aviano market.

Day at Neuschwanstein Castle

After renting a car and tootling around Garmisch, I set out on the Bavarian roadways to find my way to Schwangua where the fairytale King Ludwig II built his Cinderella castle high up in the Bavarian Alps. I've been there before but it is always worth a trip back. It is a quaint little tourist trap in the Alsp surrounded by the beautiful mountains and a lovely lake called the Alpsee. (Lakes in Germany are always a "see" i.e. Eibsee, Reissersee, Chiemsee. See means Lake. ) No kidding, this is a for real castle that the king built. I am not sure if he ever even inhabited it as around the time he was close to finishing it, he died mysteriously in the Lake near the Castle. His death was never resolved and to this day no one really knows what happened. The castle is the one Disney based the design of the Cinderella Castle at Disney. The castle is dedicated to the Opera composer Robert Wagner, who was a very close friend of the King's. The King was very cultured and loved the Opera and the arts and supported Robert Wagner's work.

Schloss Neuschwanstein, translated, New Swan Stone palace, the castle of the Swan Knight Lohengrin, of Wagner's opera of the same name, is a 19th-century Bavarian palace on a rugged hill near Hohenschwangau and Füssen in southwest Bavaria, Germany. Although public photography of the interior is not permitted, it is the most photographed building in Germany and is one of the country's most popular tourist destinations in Germany. Ludwig himself named it Neue Hohenschwangau; the name Neuschwanstein was coined after his death.

The painting of the throne room is to the right which features a glass gem-encrusted chandelier; all Twelve Apostles and six canonised kings are painted on the wall that surrounds the pedestal for the throne - the actual throne was never finished; and Jesus, behind the pedestal. This reflects Ludwig's view of himself as king, by the grace of God. It is really quite an impressive room. The floor is entirely mosaic.

The King's bedchamber even had running water and a toilet with a flushing system. The King's master suite includes a four-post bed hand carved of wood, the canopy of which is carved as the cathedral towers from every cathedral in Bavaria, a secret flushing toilet (which flushes with water collected from an aqueduct) and a running sink in the shape of a swan.

The castle is the most extravagant building one has probably ever seen except for maybe Versailles, the home of King Louis and Marie Antoinette. That is also pretty extravagant.

Some of the surrounding scenery: Autumn leaves of beautiful golden colors in the forest all around the castle; another view of the castle; views of the surrounding mountains.

King Ludwig's Coat of Arms

Mountain pass on the way to the castle.

Early snow here last week. The scenery is breathtaking everywhere you look. The famous Zugspitz, the highest point in Germany, lies in these Alps. I learned to ski at this great mountain along with Josh and Justin. What an adventure!

It is always an adventure to come here and visit. We have been many times over the years and always have a wonderful time. We have traveled here for ski vacations together with all the kids. Dan once flew in to Munich and spent his school vacation here with us learning to ski. We have many fond memories of this beautiful place.

First night in Garmisch

The first night in Garmisch was pretty much uneventful. Got to the hotel via a really nice British taxi driver from the "bahnhofe" train station to Edelweiss Lodge. (for the non-military, Edelweiss is a military resort location in the Bavarian Alps in Germany) I got settled in the room, opened my patio door to the crisp night air, and called John to let him know I made it into Garmisch. The slow train ride from Innsbrucke Austria into Garmisch is worth the whole trip. It passes through meadows and small Austrian and German villages like Seefeld and Mittenwald. It travels through tunnels in the mountains and narrow tracks along the side of the mountain. Quite the traveler's experience. We made this treck up the mountain many years ago (in 2000) while stationed in Vicenza, Italy for our very first trip up to Garmisch. We stayed in a "pensione", which is someone's house who lets rooms. It was extremely charming and a great first experience with Germany.

I was hungry and went to "The Pullman" restaurant in the resort and was serenaded by this lovely man tickling the ivories for all the guests in the restaurant. He is truly wonderful on the piano. While standing at the hostess stand getting seated for the restaurant, an older couple overheard me say that I was dining alone and asked me to join them for dinner. You know me....I jump at the chance to meet someone new and delightful. And delightful they were. They were retired educators and he had also retired from the Army. He was an Army Ranger in Special Forces who had jumped out of every kind of aircraft under all kinds of conditions. He had served in Vietnam also. He loves airplanes and enjoyed telling me about a small puddle jumper that he flies regularly. They were such a joy to spend an evening with and so sweet to invite me, a total stranger, to have dinner with them. Jean and Bob Jacobson were their names. Jean said, " I just don't like to see anyone dining alone. What harm is it to invite someone to have dinner with you?" And so we had a lovely evening together talking about his time in the Army, about their retirement travels, and about John's service in the military. Military people are so good and hospitable. They know how to meet people and make them feel welcome and at home.

So much fun to be had on this journey of life.......

Train Ride to Garmisch, Germany

I started my journey at San Lucia Train Station in Venezia. I had to take my car back to the airport and take the bus over to the train station at Pizza le. Roma. I changed trains in Verona to a faster EuroCity Train. The cars have “cuchette” cabins that contain six seats. What a surprise to me when I arrived at my cuchette to find it occupied by five old men traveling together. Their faces lit up light Christmas trees when I stood at the door and they realized I was going to sit with them on the trip. They immediately jumped out of their seats scooting around and readjusting their seating asking me where I wanted to sit; taking my luggage and getting it organized; and making sure I was comfortable. I sat in a seat right by the door and after a few minutes I spied an electrical outlet right by the window across the cabin. I asked them if they thought it would work and I plugged in my computer to try it. They immediately jumped out of their seats again and begin to reorganize the seating arrangement to accommodate me desiring to use my computer on the train ride. The light on my IGO did not come on even after the train started moving. So the gentlemen next to me got up and went to find a train attendant to see what he could do about getting the computer going. After a few minutes the little blue light on my computer adapter lit up and I had electricity. The old man returned to the car with a huge smile across his face turning his cheek towards me for me to kiss him!!! I graciously complied with a quick kiss to the cheek and a bunch of “gracias.”

After a little while, the more talkative one of the group who speaks a little English, told me that they were tennis referees on their way to a match near Bolzano in northern Italy. I took all of their photographs and they were happy, happy gentlemen.

The question came up as to whether I would be able to access internet. One man held up his telefonino and explained that he could get telephone internet WiFi on the train. So we tried to see if I could get it. I got signal but very weak and then I finally got found a connection but I had to have an account with them and enter a password. So I am content to write and work on my photos. It was quite funny though because they got into a heated discussion about whether I would be able to get internet on the train. One man just got downright mad about it and was yelling at the others. I think he must be Sicilian!

So here I am riding the train in a car full of tennis referees!!! How funny is that.

Days in Aviano

I have spent the last four days in Aviano, Italy where I lived for three years. It has been two years since my last visit. I have been itching to back here for a long time. Traveling all the way to Italy from Hawaii is not a pleasant experience. I have done it twice over the years and it just takes too much out of me to do it on purpose. As soon as we got to Abu Dhabi, I began to plan a visit to Italy to meet with my vendors in Venice and to visit my old stomping grounds in Aviano.

Frankly, I feel like I have come home. John and I were fortunate enough to make Italian friends while here that have lasted even after we departed. We always visit our good friend Aurelio who was the cousin to our landlord. He worked in the vineyards beside our house and offered assistance to us on many occasions as we transitioned living in a foreign country. He translated for us many times and offered a helping hand on too many occasions to mention. He and his wife have become important people in our lives and we do not visit the area without calling on them and seeing how they are doing.

I also became friends with Nicoletta Caine, an Honorary Squadron Commander associated with the base. She worked with her husband Federico Camarotto at their winery Col Longone and she was instrumental in developing relationships between the Italians and the Americans in the community. She and Federico worked tirelessly to produce good "vino" for the Friuli region and invited many people to their beautiful villa in Caneva. They have hosted many important VIPs in the area and attended many functions on the base throughout the years. I became a personal friend of Nicoletta's and have enjoyed a lasting friend. I cannot imagine coming to Italy and not seeing my good friend. I had dinner with her and her dear friend Armando tonight in Sacile at Ceolini's, a beautiful restaurant overlooking the water in the river that runs through Sacile. Nicoletta is a teacher in the Italian school system and is currently teaching English and Spanish at middle school and high school. John and I love her dearly and value her friendship.

My hairstylist Carla Torresin is a must see person on every visit. She truly knows how to take care of my beauty needs. She cut and colored my hair the whole time we lived here and we became friends in the process. If I were very rich, I would fly to Italy once a month for Carla to do my hair. The Italians are just very good stylists. I spent some time with Carla this afternoon drinking cappucino and catching up. The other stylist in her shop, Brigitta, is also someone I love to see when I come back. She is so sweet and has a beautiful home in Sacile right next to the Sacile Duomo.

I have to visit all the ladies at Stradella's cafe. I enjoyed their company too many mornings while I lived in Aviano. Stradella's is the local gathering place and watering hole. It is the center of the community. If only we had places like this in America!

I was sad to learn right after I arrived that my old acquaintance Bartolemeo (Bart) died only last week. Bart had a leather stand in the BX where he sold Italian leather purses, luggage, and briefcases. His son ran a stand in the local markets and traveled all around the area. When I used to go into the BX, Bart would call out to me, "Costanza, Ciao Costanza." Even if I was all the way on the other side, he would call out to me. I got used to my greeting and always looked forward to his bright smile and tossle of silver hair. So, Sunday afternoon when I went into the BX, I was looking forward to hearing him yell out "Costanza!" His stand was always right by the front door so I noticed immediately he was not there. Then I saw his little shop all closed up and a sign on the door that read "closed due to death in the family." I then walked over to read a paper posted beside the sign. Sadly, it was Bart's obituary from the local paper. He died up in Maniago helping his son at the market last week. I really missed him. It's the little things in life that mean so much sometimes. You never know what your presence in someone's life means to them. I am sure Bart never knew how much I enjoyed his jovial greeting and how much it meant to me to hear him call out my name in Italian. I was blessed to have him in my life. Thanks, Bart.

There are also the Italians who I met and loved dearly but didn't get to know personally. The little man at the hardware store, the young girl who opened the massage and tanning center, the girls at Viaggi travel who helped me plan trips and buy train tickets, Pierre, the manager of Viaggi travel who lived just down the street from me, our next door neighbors Fulvio and Cinzia, the lady who always waited on us at Doimo's, Anna and Alberto who ran Ca d'Bosco restaurant in Budoia, Georgio of Georgio's famous restaurant in Budoia---everyone loves Georgio; and many, many more of the local people in Aviano who shared their beautiful country with us so graciously.

I could go on and on about this little place. At times, I think it is a little slice of heaven. I left a big piece of my heart here. I always come back.

Opera in Venice

Went to the Opera tonight and saw La Traviata. It was performed in the church San Giovanni Evangelista. The opera is by Verdi and considered one of the 20 top operas of all time and ranking third within that category. Beautiful, beautiful music with the lead role being the soprano. She really had a beautiful voice. I managed to sit on the front row and was right in front of the stage. It was pretty awesome. What a wonderful way to spend an evening!

Day in Burano

Burano is the most beautiful little island I have ever seen. The colors are magnificent. All the buildings are painted bright colors. The colours of the houses follow a specific system originating from the golden age of its development; if someone wishes to paint their home, one must send a request to the government, who will respond by making notice of the certain colours permitted for that lot. This practice has resulted in the myriad of warm, pastelly colours that characterises the island today. I was a little disappointed because it was a cloudy day. You couldn’t really see the reflections of the colors on the water as well.

Burano is an island in the Venetian lagoon, although like Venice itself it could more correctly be called an archipelgo of islands linked by bridges. It lies near Torcello at the northern end of the Lagoon, and is known for its lacework. Burano is situated 7 kilometers from Venice, a short 40 minute trip by Venetian motorboats, "vaporetti". The current population of Burano is about 4,000. It is small and quaint. Very charming.
I ate lunch at this great little restaurant named Riva Rosa Ristorante-Enteca , which was not a typical tourist location. It was a little off the main drag. The restaurant was quite elegant with very sophisticated waiters. Not what I was expecting for a little fishing village. I had Ravioli stuffed with Seabass and sprinkled with Mullet Tobargo. The food just melted in my mouth. I also enjoyed a great glass of Pinot Grigio with my meal.

I traveled back to the mainland Venice arriving at the Fondemente Nove and walked my way through all the little calles that wind through the city until I reached San Marco. I took a vaporetto down to Rialto to meet with Matteo, one of my vendors. I spent an wonderful hour with him looking at new items. His creations are so beautiful. He gave me some samples for my business and I was off to take more photographs. I’m loving my camera!

Tonight I am going to the Opera to see La Traviata. Another magnificent day in Venice!

Day in Murano

I got up early and rode the vaporetto out to the island of Murano to visit my old friends Lucia Siega and Salvatore (Toto)Galanti. They are the couple who makes much of the jewelry for my glass business. They are so hospitable and fun to be around!

As always they prepared a wonderful meal. We had Apertivo for a before dinner drink, frizzante water, and white wine with our meal. Toto prepared bruschetta with sun-dried Sicilian tomatoes, and one with pesto sauce on top, and another dish from filo dough that was almost like a quiche. Then, we had zuppo pesche, seafood soup with shrimp, squid, and calamari in a tomato base broth. Yum! Yum! Venetians are known for their fish diet and know how to serve it up. And of course, we finished the meal with an espresso.

We chatted and had so much fun talking about the UAE. Lucia worked for many years as a tour guide with a travel agency in Venice and has traveled all over the world. She was very eager to talk about the Emirates. Lucia speaks four languages fluently so we converse in English very well. Unfortunately, Toto speaks only Italian so we have conversations with child like English and Italian with Lucia translating when needed (which is a lot). I found today as time went by that I was speaking more and more in Italian again. Spending time with them and talking with them triggers a natural tendency to speak in Italian. It is very interesting to see how much you remember. I think if I was here for a month or so I would be speaking very well again. I have forgotten so much. However, when I hear a word I often recall it but would not have been able to speak it until I heard it again!

After I departed their house, I wondered around the island and met with several new vendors talking about the possibility of using them for new jewelry designs. I am looking for pieces in a specific price range so I did some negotiating today. The glass business has been hurt by the economic crisis and many of the furnaces have closed in the last year. Lucia and Toto are very much afraid that many will not be able to re-open. One of the oldest furnaces on the island, Venini, is struggling to stay open. They are only operating their furnaces a few days a week for a few hours and have layed off many employees. They have yet to close their doors and are trying to hang on.

I had a good day today and enjoyed spending time with dear friends. I hope that it will not be so long before I see them next time.

Il Barbiere di Siviglia

I went to the opera tonight and saw Il Barbiere di Siviglia The Barber of Seville. For those who do not know, you can associate it with the Bugs Bunny cartoon where Bugs massages Elmer Fudd’s hair in the barber’s chair. He actually stands on top and massages to the tune of some great music. I know everyone has heard…Figaro, Figaro, Figaro…..well this is the opera.

It’s a comedic opera and I laughed out loud on numerous occasions. The music was splendid. The opera was not performed in an opera house but in the San Giovanni Evangelista cathedral. It was an intimate setting with a small stage and the actors were right there. They even walked out into the audience while singing. In some scenes they even danced with audience members and interacted with the small orchestra. The music for this opera is very famous and I know most of you have heard some of the music at some points in your life.

What an experience!!!!! Fantastico.

Glad I'm Not Shy

I am so glad that I am not a shy person. Not that I feel there is anything wrong with people who are shy. I just believe they miss out on things in life because they are shy. Shyness has its advantages. People who are shy don’t have much to say unlike the gregarious person who has too much to say. I am afraid I fall in the latter. But I am not sorry that I do. If I were shy would not have met all these wonderful people that I have met on this trip so far.

I would not have met…….

Aida, a Parisian lady who translated for me at the SFR store in Paris, who was so kind to assist me when she heard me struggling to make the clerk understand what I wanted to buy. And then, she stayed on and helped me make sure I knew how to work the device for my computer. Then, she introduced me to the store manager, Mustapha. He was Tunisian and a very nice man. The French are not usually this kind. She even invited me to have lunch with her this week.

A middle-aged couple who stood next to me in line at the Musee’ Jacquemart Andre’. We waited together for 45 minutes to enter the museum to see a collection of Dutch artist (Van Eyck mostly) on loan from a museum in Amsterdam. They were returning to Paris after 20 years. They lived in Paris for five years while he worked for the consulate. They were from Columbia, South America. JA really charming couple. I noticed her before I even got in line because of the chic white jacket she was wearing with the bright blue scarf around her neck. Very dapper.

The young African American woman from San Francisco and her boyfriend Pierre. I met them while dining at a little café near my hotel. They sat next to me. She was very sophisticated with a bohemian skirt on and slippers. She worn huge sunglasses and big earrings. Even her voice was smooth and classy. She has lived in Paris for the last 8 years working in the fashion industry between Paris and London. She loves life. She lives on the same street as Sarkosy. She said security was a real problem. It hinders the life of everyone who lives on the street.

The older couple who was sitting on the other side of the young woman from San Francisco. They were from the mid-west and overheard me talking with the young couple. They wanted to know about cultural activities such as the opera or a concert in the nearby area around the hotel. I shared a couple of things I knew about and they were on their way.

The four sisters from Britain who were visiting Paris for a long weekend for the baby sister’s 60th birthday. I stumbled on them in the garden at the Musee’ Armee. They were all sitting on a bench together and I notice immediately that they must be relatives. They were taking photos of each other on the bench. So I walked over and offered to take a photo of all of them together. They were wonderful. All silver haired and smiles. The birthday girl had lived in the US for many years and traveled all over the States. She was very proud of this fact! They were just lovely and I enjoyed spending time with them.

The camera man and television broadcaster who were interviewing people outside a cinema on the Champs Elysee. I was taking photographs of them and they caught me! So they walked over and interviewed me about what kinds of movies I like. The broadcaster asked me what interested me most about a movie: the acting, the script, or the actor. As usual I elaborated. I told them it was really about the performance and the dialogue for me. Not so much the actor. They asked whether I thought movies were cast well and if there was a movie I thought the actor was not right for the character. I told them “The Firm.” Tom Cruise, even though he was good in the film, was not the character I envisioned when I read the book. Somewhere on French TV, I am sure I am a star.

The two nurses from Australia who have spent two months traveling all over Europe and the USA. They said once they get across the pond, they better make the best of it and see all they can see in one go. I noticed them because they were sitting at a little café drinking beer as I passed. I stopped and took some shots of a little dog sitting near them. About 2 hours later I came back by and they were still sitting there drinking beer. I laughed and said, “you guys still here?” and then the conversation began……it lasted about an hour and they were delightful. One of them has an aunt who lives in Texas so they went to Texas and then visited San Francisco, Las Vegas, and New York while in the States. They laughed out loud when I told them people mistake me for Australian. Too funny!

Alberto, a businessman from Seville, Spain who sat next to me on the bus from the airport to Piazzale di Roma in Venice. He was arriving from Tokoyo. He had spent a month in Venice in September, went to Tokoyo, and was returning to spend another month before going back to Spain. He is working with a company in Padova, right outside of Venice.

The old street vendor near the hotel who asked me to marry him. He said he was alone and if I would marry him, he would take me home with him! He asked me how I liked Venice. He smiled a lot and had rotten teeth. I see why he was alone. His face was full of character and he let me shoot some photos of him. He was kind of charming in his own way. Too bad I’m already married or I might have considered it.

The gondolier who was hanging around his little stand unemployed for the moment. I spotted him and his buddy who was reading a paper. They were great photographic material so I stood around and took lots of shots. I then spied a good shot of a gondola and leaned against the side of the little stand to get a better shot. All of a sudden I heard a voice right in my hear “Gondola”! And then a huge laugh. I had been leaning next to a small window. He seized the opportunity to tease me and opened the window without my knowledge and shouted in my ear. He laughed and laughed because it made me jump of course. He closed the window and I heard him laughing and telling his friend about scaring the lady. Funny things happen on the way to……

The gentleman from Los Angeles who stopped me on the bridge by the train station to ask directions to San Croce. He was trying to visit all the different districts of Venice before he leaves tomorrow. San Croce was the last on his list. He has lived in Los Angeles for 30 years and works in the high-tech industry creating state-of-the-art web design for large corporate America. He immigrated from Tehren, Iran as a teenager. His family was forced to leave the country and start a new life in a new land. He went to UCLA and also owns a restaurant in LA. He was quite a nice gentleman. I couldn’t really help him but we had a nice long conversation. He asked lots of questions about Venice when he found out I used to live nearby.

So you see why I call this blog the Spirit of Adventure. I definitely have the spirit. I am not afraid to approach people and they are definitely not afraid to approach me. Sometimes this can be a nuisance as I seem to attract some strange people from time-to-time. I call it my “weirdo beacon.” All my family members are fully aware of this beacon and try to stay away when it is going off.

Life is truly an adventure……..join in.

The Sidewalk Nazis of Paris

These are machines that cruise the sidewalk to clean it. It sprays water and also has rotating brushes on the front that pushes the debri around. They just jump the curb and proceed to do their business----doesn't matter how many people are on the sidewalk. No, they do not clean the sidewalk at night or early morning when no one is walking on it. The clean it all during the day---during rush hour even. I observed one machine the other day. He started down the sidewalk behind this little old lady carrying her grocery bags. Well, she must have been hard of hearing or something because she didn't turn around until the thing was right on her butt blowing leaves all over her. She probably felt the water spraying on her legs. I wanted to smack that driver. He was just cruising along ever so slowly just a few steps behind her.

Here's some photos from Paris:

Out of Abu Dhabi

I haven't posted in a while so I have not mentioned that I am going to Europe for a month. I am currently in Paris. I got here Thursday night, the 8th, and leave tomorrow morning bright and early heading to Venice.

I have walked miles through Paris this week. Not once did I get on a metro or take a taxi! (I took a taxi from the airport but that doesn't count). Friday I went to the Invalides area. I went to the Hotel Invalides to see the army museum and Napoleon's tomb. I can't believe I want to see that Rascals tomb but I do. I am quite entrigued with Mr. Napoleon and find it so interesting how he rose to power in France---and throughout Europe. However, I didn't see the tomb as I got ingrossed in taking photos outside in the garden, met some sisters from Britain on a weekend Paris trip, and ran out of time. I walked over to the Musee Rodin to see The Thinker and took a lot more pictures in their Rose Garden. The museum was okay but not great. I came home late and collapsed. I think I overdid it.

On Saturday, I rested a bit and then decided to take it easy and not push myself. I strolled around my neighborhood---L'Opera. I tried to get tickets to a ballet and the opera but couldn't get either. They were sold out. I had a late afternoon lunch/dinner at the Cafe Haussman across the street from the hotel and sat outside for about 2 hours people watching. I met a young black woman from San Fransico who was there with her boyfriend Pierre. She is in the fashion industry and has lived in Paris for 8 years. I also met another couple but can't remember where they were from.

Today I lazed around and enjoyed my morning in the room. I went on an afternoon photo shoot that extended into the night. I started out in my neighborhood thinking I would go to a museum nearby and spend a leisurely afternoon looking at famous artwork. However, the line was around the corner and an hour wait just to get inside. I opted out. I've been there before. I did spend about an hour hanging around outside and shooting people. (not with a gun) Interesting stuff! I then walked on down to the Champ Elysee and went to the Arc O'Triumph. I walked for two hours and ate lunch in a cafe where I could people watch and snap photos. My waiter was from Italy so I got to practice my Italian. I walked on down to the Eiffel Tower just before dark and went through a street art exhibit on the banks of the river. After dark I started back to the hotel. I window shopped all the way home taking photos of clothes I like. Since I can get a tailor in Abu Dhabi to make custom clothes, I am shopping for styles I like. I found quite a few things along the designer street on Haussman Blvd. I like Valentino! He has GREAT style. Jackie O thought so too!

So I am off to Venice in the morning I'll stay there four days and then on to Aviano where we used to live. John may meet me there for a few days. He has to go to Aviano for some training and he is trying to get it scheduled while I am there. Can't wait to go to Stella's for some great Italian food!!!!!

Life is good. I'm so blessed.