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REALITY vs STAGED: TRUST YOUR JUDGEMENT MORE THAN THE DREAM

December 4, 2019 by

Who hasn’t had reality bite them on the butt when they see a new place and say, “I thought it would be different.” It’s a companion piece to, “This doesn’t look like I imagined.” Not to leave out, “I’m still glad to be here.” When I visited Versailles I had expectations, which were fueled by […]

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HOW TO TRAVEL LIKE A GYM RAT

September 28, 2019 by

A gym rat is an expert on gym fashion. Some are better at it than others, but gym fashion is big. Traveling like a gym rat means combining gym fashion with daily wear. Look around any street or mall or library and you’ll see it in action. And no, yoga pants aren’t part of the […]

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SPEAKERS CORNER SPEECH TO THE MASSES

September 22, 2019 by

My Speakers Corner speech to the masses didn’t go quite according to plan, which is always part of my plan. Actually, I was prompted to take to the ladder. One prompt and I had my speech ready. But Hyde Park is a long haul from one end to the other. How long? Longer than I […]

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FRENCH PRESS IN THE MORNING AND RICK STEVES HISTORY

September 19, 2019 by

I noticed the French press in the sidewalk restaurants one Paris local said cost $100K in fees for table rights. Tight stadium seating from one place to the next looked formidable, but not to Rick Steves fans. Stadium seating? All eyes forward in most cases, but what’s to see? Traffic, on foot and in cars, […]

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BOOMER LOCKDOWN: TALKING ‘BOUT MY GENERATION

September 16, 2019 by

The saying of ‘you get a better look at America from the outside’ has never been more true for the coming boomer lockdown. I’m on the outside, the France side, and I finally found the right look I’ve been searching for. What I see is the Eiffel Tower showing it’s dazzle, like the biggest continual […]

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PARIS PURCHASE: WHAT YOU CAN’T BUY

September 16, 2019 by

The most important Paris purchase on a mission to harvest cultural material? It’s a bad question because the big things aren’t for sale. The key is remembering the important parts.

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NOTRE DAME UPDATE FROM OREGONIAN IN PARIS

September 12, 2019 by

How do they fix broken stone and burned timbers? It looks like this:

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FRENCH TRAVEL WITH OREGON AND IOWA

September 10, 2019 by

French travel started out bumpy. I found my seat on the second plane, the long haul plane out or Minnesota. But it was occupied. That’s no way to start. Simple adjustment, right? But the lady had the same ticket for the same seat. At least that’s what she said. Then we all looked at our […]

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PARIS RIVER: HOW WATER MAKES THE CITY

September 9, 2019 by

The Paris river divides the city like the Willamette divides Portland. But instead of an Eastside / Westside divide, Paris goes with Right Bank and Left Bank. One method means knowing the compass, the other is much more simple. Think of finding a place with directions that include east, west, north, and south. I’m already […]

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WHAT TOWER TOWERS OVER EVERYTHING? ONE GUESS

September 8, 2019 by

Some Guy said he ate lunch underneath everyday because it was the only place he didn’t have to look at it.

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