The Last Night - Followed - By A Long Day

Tuesday night Roger's family and friends hosted a party for our farewell to Paris. About 25 people gathered at a quaint little restaurant in a courtyard that had about ten different little cafes and bars. It was a comfortable evening so the front windows and door was open for fresh air.

After dinner and drinks the other patrons were all gone so the music started with singing and dancing and we didn't get back to the apartment until 2 a.m. At 7 a.m. we left for the airport. I am writing this Wednesday night from Portland and we are looking back at one of the longest days of our lives - but also remembering the unique experiences of the past month.

Chichis - Churros - & Shopping

It's our last day in Paris so we started early. Roger's brother came to visit him from Brussels today so the men stayed at the apartment. Afran and I headed to a huge street market and went to several boutiques to do some shopping for clothes. I discovered that my size 10 to 12 is not easy to find in France. Their "one size fits all" is about a size 6. Many women here are tall, thin and gorgeous - making me wish that I was born French.

The first photo shows us relaxing over a two course lunch which included wine and French coffee for 12 Euros each.

The man is from the street market and he's making homemade churros (they call them Chichis in Paris). Yes, they are fabulous!

I just had to show you one more pastry case - the bakeries here are unbelievable.

At 8:30 tonight friends and family are throwing a party for us at a Paris restaurant so I am sure that it will be a late night. I decided that it would be wise to start packing because we have to leave for the airport tomorrow morning at about 8 a.m.

This trip has been an unforgetable experience.

Hamburg Airport

We're sitting inside the Hamburg Airport waiting for our flight to Paris. Roger's sister was afraid that we wouldn't have any food until tonight so she cooked a huge International breakfast with food from Germany, France, Iran and America.

The airport is close to where they live so it only took a short while to reach it. It's very nice having someone to interpret so our check-in went quickly.

I spent some time in a magazine / book shop looking for something in English and I finally settled on a newspaper and a paperback book. I was going to buy a Vanity Fair but the price was 11.95 Euros (that is about $16 US). The book was only 9 Euros and I figured I'd get more for my money. Europe is not the place for bargains but it's a joy to just shop and enjoy looking at beautiful fashions that we probably won't see in the U.S. for several years.

Hamburg Sunday Flea Market

Downtown Hamburg has a walking mall that is several blocks in length with cafes and shops on both sides. During the summer months antique and junk dealers set up shop in the mall between the cafes on Sundays. Today was the last time for the season and we were lucky to have perfect sunny weather.

Shopping for antiques in Europe is far different than the U.S. with some rare and unusual merchandise. Regretfully, the prices are also "rare and unusual" so I wasn't able to purchase more than a few items (which I bought for my own use). Nevertheless it was exciting to see such beautiful antiques. It felt as though I was walking back through history.

Friends Forever.........................

Roger and Bernd have known each other for over 35 years. They worked for the same company headquartered in Germany, with branches all over the world. They have corresponded and talked by telephone through the years and tonight they reunited after not seeing each other for over 15 years.

Bernd's wife Lillie is also a friend of Roger's so the evening was filled with stories of their memories and experiences. Rossi is a 2 1/2 year old Golden Lab who loves to be petted so he and I quickly became friends.

Bernd and Lilly have lived in Hamburg for many years and now they have a house near the Elbe River where Air Bus has an airplane factory. The drive was very enjoyable and we enjoyed a private tour of another part of Hamburg on the way to their home.

HOME ON WEDNESDAY - - - - -

It's official. We return on Wednesday, September 30th. It's an interesting flight in that we leave on Wednesday from Paris at 10:30 in the morning and we arrive in Portland at 7:30 that same night. (We lost one day when we departed Portland so now we make it up).

Hamburg Tour

This morning Mahmood drove us to a nearby lake that extends all the way into the city center. We enjoyed a leisurely walk where we found a beautiful swan swimming with a variety of large birds that we've not seen before.

This afternoon Aramak took me on a tour of downtown Hamburg. We started at the Reeperbahn which is the red light district near the harbor. Prostitution is legal here and the area of strip clubs and prostitution houses cover about four or five blocks in the district. Interestingly, on a nearby street there are a variety of churchs representing many different countries. This area was developed specifically for the numerous ship seamen who travel in and out of the port which is second in size only to Rotterdam.

The building is in the fresh fish market area where on weekends, fish vendors set up shop to sell fish that was fresh caught the night before.

The city is compact and clean with designer shops and beautiful residential areas.

Hamburg After Dinner

Pictured first is Roger's neice Aramak, with her two sons Kian and Nicou. #3 is on his way in about 10 days and he's also a boy.

Akram is Roger's sister and she prepared a fabulous banquet of delicious food tonight.

Mahmood is a proud grandfather with Nicou who is just a little over one year old.

Hamburg Thursday Evening

I've only been in Hamburg a short time but I am already falling in love with the city. It's clean with beautiful old buildings and flowers on almost every balcony. We're in the heart of downtown at Roger's sister and brother-in-laws condo. I took a photo of the back balcony just as the sun was starting to set. Tomorrow I'll show you the back yard which is like a small forest. The condo is on the second floor with a beautiful view in front and in back.

My first glance from the airplane was of soft green fields intersected with forests of tall trees. As the buildings came into view, it was hard to see them because the trees are everywhere.

We flew an Air Bus via Air France and the flight was just a short one hour 20 minutes.

An Adventure Alone

Roger's medication causes tiredness and weakness so today he decided to stay at the apartment and read - - I decided to be brave and go out on my own. I had my Metro map, coins and apartment keys so I headed for the Louis Blanc Metro Station and headed for the Saint Michel and Saint Germain area. I even was able to change to another line at one of the staions without getting lost. I got off at the Metro staion next to the church that we visited a couple of days ago and I walked in the opposite direction to see some new area. I ended up in a very exclusive street with designer shops so it was fun window shopping. Once I was tired walking I stopped at the cafe shown in the photo and enjoyed a Nicoise Salad and a glass of white wine. It was outside the common tourist area so most of the people appeared to be local. I know very little French but I can communicate wine, water, and the words for chicken, beef and fish.

More Chateau du Jard

Here are more photos from the chateau. My one regret is that I could not take a photo of the exterior of the chateau. It is so large from the front that I was unable to find a place to take a photo that fit the entire building into the photo frame.

The rooms are decorated with period furniture and the gold that you see in the photos is hand applied 24 karat gold leaf. Most of the interior is French except for the Persian carpets and some exquisite paintings by a famous Iranian artist. For me, it was like being a child in a candy shop to walk through each room and discover beautiful Victorian era and older antiques.

Chateau de Jard in Chaumont-en-Vexin

Today we drove to Chaumont-en-Vexin to have lunch with a family friend, Lili, who owns Chateau de Jard, a beautiful chateau that was built in the 16th Century. Lily Moin purchased the property about eight years ago and she spent five years renovating this beautiful property. The renovation was more difficult because it is a historical property and there were restrictions in the modernization of the building. The place is huge with a thickly wooded forest, an orchard of fruit trees, large areas of grass with beautiful statuary and a separate restaurant and inn available for weddings and other special occasions.

Lunch lasted 3 1/2 hours and we were served delicious food on Limoges china in a large dining room. The home has two stories and it has two professional kitchens, several living room or parlour areas, a library and eight bedrooms, each with a private bathroom. The main house is for family and friends and the second building is for paying guests. Roger and I have been invited to stay with Lili and her husband so if we are able to extend our trip we may be able to return there for another visit before flying home. There are many small villages close by so it will be fun to explore the countryside.

Notre Dame and Other Interesting Things

After breakfast we headed to the Metro which is only about five blocks from the apartment and went to the stop closest to Notre Dame. It was just a short and beautiful walk on a bridge to cross the Seine and we were there. There are two entrances; one with a long line and one with no line that said "free entry" so we went to that one. I think the long line was for people who wanted to go up to the top of the towers but I'm really not certain.

The cathedral is gorgeous and we spent some time just sitting and absorbing the beautiful stained glass windows and elegant statuary. They have a small museum that I went through while Roger rested.

After viewing the church we walked over another beautiful bridge and found a park where there is a gorgeous building that was built in 1944 to honor the many fighters who liberated France during WWII. We spent some time sitting and appreciating the amazing beauty. Then it was time to stop at an outdoor restaurant for cafe and water and now we're back at the apartment. Afran surprised us with a late lunch of escargot and mussels with garlic sauce for appetizers and chicken with Fois Gras sauce. Yes, we're being terribly spoiled and loving every minute. In France when you buy escargot they come with the shells so I'll bring some back with me. Fois Gras is also available in jars or cans so I'm adding that to the list of things to bring back to the U.S.

Just Some "Stuff"

We just finished our walk that started along the canal and took us to our favorite bakery and market. Europeans live a much different life than we do in the U.S. Here in Paris:

• Almost all shops are closed on Sunday because the country wants to promote time with the family and not shopping
• At night many people sit by the canal and river with a tablecloth, food and wine and they have a picnic
• Even wealthy people who live in apartments only have about 800 square feet with a toilet room and a separate shower room, 2 bedrooms, kitchen and living room plus a front entry
  
• Many streets are closed on Sunday to encourage people to walk in the streets
• Many words in English are the same as in French but they most often have a different meaning. When we left we asked Afran if she needed anything from the Marche and she asked for raisins but she said that she didn't want the ones that were stuffed. I asked Roger to clarify this in Persian and we discovered that she wanted grapes with no seeds.
• The radio stations play Elton John, The Beatles, Elvis Presley and other American rock and roll in between French music.
• Many workers have a two hour lunch (and they take that long to eat) but they work later into the evening
• The train in Paris travels at 200 mph so it only takes one hour to go to Brussels
• At a dinner party, cocktail hour begins at 8:30 to 9:00 p.m. and dinner is served closer to midnight
• Pastries (or desserts) are a snack that is served with cafe in the afternoon - instead of eating sweets after dinner, either fresh fruit or cheese and salad are served (with baguette or some other variety of fabulous bread)
• Everyone that I have met speaks two to six different languages fluently, yet I often encounter people who do not speak English. It's not uncommon for young people to live and go to school in a different country for two years at a time to learn a specific language
  

Sunday Antique and Junk Market

After a late breakfast of raclette Afran and I went to the weekend antique and craft fair (a huge market with almost everything you can imagine).

The last photo is of a long alley that has shops on two sides so we walked a block down and then came back on the other side. This is where I found some lovely Victorian era antiques that I will sell when I return. I made a point to buy only things that originated from Paris and I managed to find an eclectic group of items. It was a lot of fun and the beautiful weather even made it nicer.

Now it's time for Roger and I are to take a walk around the neighborhood.

Another Great Party

The party last night was great fun. Our hosts, Farah and Parviz, live on the seventh floor of a high rise condo building in a lovely Paris neighborhood. We arrived about 9 p.m. for appetizers and cocktails followed by a delicious dinner. As we returned home at 2 p.m. we found it interesting that there is the same amount of traffic that time of the morning as there is during a week day. It is said that Paris never sleeps and I believe that may be true.

Saint Germain - Paris

After a late Friday night it was hard to be up and ready at 9 a.m. this morning but Roger had an appointment for his final blood test. Shortly after the test was completed we headed for an appointment with an ear specialist. After an extensive examination the doctor determined that Roger has an infection in his left ear and he prescribed four medications. He said that the malady would last approximately one month and, even though he'll experience some vertigo and tiredness, he should walk and exercise normally. He further stated that car and airplane transportation are OK so we're very pleased that we can still fly to Hamburg Wednesday afternoon.

When we returned to Paris we headed for the Saint Germain area which is near the Seine River. The streets are narrow and they are filled with many small cafes, shops, churches and apartment buildings. When we entered the Saint Germain Church we heard singing and pipe organ music and we discovered that they were rehearsing for a wedding. As we left the Bride was just coming out of the limo.

We had our choice of many different types of cafes and we finally decided to stick with French. The cafe we chose featured a three course lunch for 12 Euros and we were pleasantly surprised at the quality and quantity of delicious food that was served. After a leisurely late lunch we continued to walk until we were all tired so now, after a short nap, we're getting dressed and ready for a party at a friend's apartment. Yes, it will be a late night again................

Champs-Elysees

Tonight we drove to Champs-Elysees to take a short walk and enjoy the beautiful warm night weather. We were there around midnight and I'm writing this at 1:30 a.m. so tonight's blog will have to be a short one.

EXCITING NEWS !!!

I have wonderful news. Roger was just released from the hospital and tonight we are celebrating with Afran, his brother, Khosro and sister-in-law, Shahnaz, who drove to Paris from Brussels this morning. To make the celebration even more special, Shahnaz cooked dinner and they brought the food with them. They own a pastry shop in Brussels so the dessert will be fabulous. Yes, we are all celebrating and I suspect the celebration will go on for the rest of our trip. The physician misdiagnosed the problem. Iraj did not have a stroke. After an MRI and other tests today, they now believe that his dizziness, pain and weakness was caused by an inner ear problem. Tomorrow he will see a specialist for a firm diagnosis.

We may not have time to visit Brussels but if the doctor tomorrow says that it is OK for Iraj to fly to Hamburg, we'll still be able to make the trip.

Wednesday in Paris

It has been another busy day that started with us filling gasoline at a curbside station. We simply pulled up to the curb, stopped the car and had a man instantly filling the gas tank. It was interesting looking into the small office / shop because almost every shelf is stocked with an alcoholic beverage. I suppose it's so both you and the car can get gassed quickly?

We arrived at the hospital about 10:30 to find Roger watching CNN in English on the room's TV. He had his second night of sound sleep so he's gradually looking and feeling better. Late this afternoon he was given an EKG and tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. he's scheduled for one more test. The doctor said that if the test comes out well, he may be able to return to the apartment late tomorrow afternoon. He'll be ordered to have complete bed rest but at least he'll be in a comfortable home environment with both his sister and me to take care of him.

This afternoon Afran and I went to an elegant three story shopping center to do some browsing and I bought a new electrical connection for my computer and three French language musical CD s. Afterward we stopped at a lovely chocolate shop to buy a snack for Roger. Belgium is known for excellent chocolate but Paris is also known for some very inventive and interesting chocolates.

After shopping we stopped at a nearby sidewalk cafe and Afran ordered Lapin and I had Monk Fish with Lobster Sauce (with chunks of lobster meat). The sauces here are amazing and Afran knows how to make them all by scratch so guess who is going to be looking over her shoulder when she's making them. (Last night we had homemade Foie Gras Sauce on a Filet Steak).

Our weekend plans won't be formulated until we see how Roger is feeling but I know for sure that I'll be going to an outdoor Antique Fair on either Saturday or Sunday.