We are visiting France for about three weeks. One week in Paris, one week in Provence and one week at the French Riviera. During our visit to Paris on top of all of the historic sites the Bastille Day Parade will occur. We are looking forward to that. In Provence we’ll visit up the road at St Etienne where we will be attending a wedding of one of Elizabeth’s cousins. On the French Riviera we will drop by and visit with the newly married couple in Monaco, view a couple of films in Cannes, shop in St Tropez and dine in Nice. You will hear more of these places in detail as we visit them.

This whole trip is an adventure. By that I mean other then lining up a hotel in Paris for a week and another for two days in St Etienne we are gypsies wandering at will.

We are renting a car and let the adventure begin. Elizabeth and I did something similar in Italy when we travelled from Milan to Florence, Rome, Naples, Capri, Calabria and finally Sicily. After seeing the highlights of Sicily we would drive out in the morning and only make right hand turns and as a result ending up with stories to tell of misty morning in a pine forest on a mountain top in the middle of Sicily or on the sea shore choosing between a dozen fish we had never seen before to bring home and cook for supper. Let us hope we suffer a similar fate. 

Regarding speaking French Elizabeth is bilingual but in English and Polish, and Moi, if you remember I was married in the past to a lovely French lady called Lise. Although it is said you can learn a language in bed it didn’t work out that way. I know more French then the average Canadian who can only read the side of a Kellogg’s Corn Flake package, but just a little. The high tide of my speaking French was the day I got married in Quebec City in 1967. During the reception I spoke in English, French and Italian to the amazement of all. It took me weeks to memorize what I wanted to say but for years after cousins and friends would speak to me in French or Italian, and of course I only understood English.

When I do my twice a year tours to Sicily, people are always amazed that I don’t speak Italian. How is that possible? How could I run a tour and not speak Italian? Well surprise, surprise, not a problem. Travelling in France and not speaking French, not a problem.

I look forward to showing Elizabeth around the Paris I know and finding new adventures as well. I have been there three times before. The last time was in 93 and like everything else I am sure Paris has changed but many things are the same I am sure. Maybe I can sit in some Paris square and at midnight as the clock strikes 12 p.m. a car will roll up and I get in and go back not only to 93 but further back to the 1920's a la Woody Allen. You never know. I still believe in Santa Claus.