Fat Tuesday

On the first of several trips to Paris over the years we stumbled-upon Carnivale.

 

Jill had sleuthed the parade routes which converged at the Place de la République, a famous square located between the 3rd, 10th, and 11th arrondissements. 

 

Naturally, we took the subway to the famous square and situated ourselves at a cafe from where we could observe the arrival of the revelers. 

 

By the time the masses had assembled we joined the festivities for some Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity. 

 

Raising a toast to travel spontaneity and Lenten tradition…..

 

(Apologies for the glitchy autofocus)

Marks and Spencer

This roll-on deodorant has been living in my travel backpack since I returned from our family vacation last year in the UK.  

I purchased it at an M&S Simply Foods grocery within walking distance of our digs at the Royal Horseguards Hotel.  As a near lifetime user of Old Spice (original stick formula) deodorant this was a pleasant change of pace.  Not the roll-on feature - the scent.  A very pleasing scent.

Anyway, it's all used-up from traveling since then and I got to wondering if it was available for sale anywhere locally.  Nada.  Not Walgreens, CVS, Walmart, Pick & Save or Tadych's.  I didn't find it online at Costco either. 

I did find it for sale (and denominated in USD) at Amazon UK.  Unfortunately, the UK website in typical polite British form regrets to inform me: This item cannot be dispatched to your selected delivery location.  Please choose a different delivery location.

Obviously, somewhere on their side of the pond.

I did find something similar to the UK product available via our Prime account at Amazon.

But I'll give it a rest for the present and return to the comfort of my familiar Old Spice.

Besides, you never know when a travel opportunity might pop-up that results in a return to the UK. 

I can scratch that itch then. 

Meanwhile, if you're traveling to the UK and surrounding environs keep your eye peeled for Marks and Spencer and their smaller M&S Simply Foods.  You have my personal assurance you will find everything thing you need at regular pricing - even in midtown London.  Same for Monoprix in France.

Happy traveling.... 

Friday Music

This is one of my personal Top Ten Tunes.  And this video is the first published on the blog to launch some of the oddball music that finds its way here every Friday. 

Originally released on The Moody Blues 1967 album Days of Future Passed - a concept album chronicling a typical day – this song was subsequently released as a single in 1968. 

According to an interview with Justin Hayward, he composed this tune while sitting in the middle of a field near his home in England on a beautiful spring afternoon. He claims that he had his acoustic guitar in hand and the song just came to him. The song features Hayward on lead vocals and acoustic guitar. The backing melody comes from the mellotron, which was played by Mike Pinder. There is also a short flute solo at the end played by Ray Thomas. 

Fun Fact:  The jeans worn by Ray Thomas in this video are identical to jeans I wore in 1969.  Tie-dyed with black spattered ink accents.  High style.  Traveling in Germany that summer  my trousers would periodically draw the gaze of the locals and hushed comments like:  Das Hosen! Good taste, Ray.  But I might have beat you to it.

Tuesday Afternoon.....  

A Taste of Home

 

There is a saying that no matter where you are on the planet you're never far from a Packer bar where you can wet your whistle with a refreshing adult beverage and watch the game with like-minded individuals - even if you don't speak the local language.

From our first trip to France in 2012 we made a point to visit this joint...

Located at 184 Rue Saint-Jacques in the Latin Quarter of Paris - is the WOS (Wide Open Spaces) Bar.  

We've paid a call with each of the next two following trips and even made plans to watch the Super Bowl there if the Pack made it that far on our last trip in 2017.

Alas, like many other watering holes across all over the world they closed in October.  Another victim of the pandemic.  Regrettably, their Facebook page remains up but informs the visitor that the establishment is permanently closed. 

Carnivale

It is a fact that Mardi Gras DOES NOT have its origins in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Joseph Stillwell Cain, Jr. is responsible for initiating the modern way of celebrating this holiday in Mobile, Alabama following the War Between the States.

The Sunday before Fat Tuesday (today) is celebrated in Mobile as Joe Cain Day. The highlight is the Joe Cain Procession (not to be confused with a parade).

In the spirit of celebrating Carnivale there is this from our first trip to France….

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris

Notre-Dame de Paris – Our Lady of Paris – was begun in 1160 and for all intents and purposes completed a hundred years later.   

With more than 12 million visitors every year it is the most popular monument in Paris. 

Yesterday the cathedral caught fire resulting in the collapse of the main spire and the entire roof.  All of France and much of the world mourn the loss of this cultural and religious treasure.

 

 

click on images for a closer look

 

Jill and I have vacationed in France three times over the past seven years including stays in Paris - one of our favorite cities.     

 

Our most recent trip was early in 2017 - the first travel we've completed with close friends in many years.  It included attending services at the cathedral for the presentation of the Crown of Thorns.  In the interest of full disclosure I was scolded for the sacrilege of shooting some video in church. Chalk it up to a lack of refinement or ugly Americanism.  I endured some latent and fleeting Catholic guilt.  But I digress.  

 

In retrospect I'm grateful for having had the opportunity to attend services at this historic, architectural, religious and cultural treasure with close friends.  And taking the dang video too.      

 

Who knew....





Porch Setting

Second porch beer of the season and first one of retirement.  First Kiss - Imperial India Pale Ale from 3 Sheeps Brewing - Sheboygan, WI.

High gravity brew at 8.2%.  Must be the kiss of wild flower honey in the recipe.

It's been a tragic time for one of my favorite cities.  Raising a toast to Our Lady of Paris... 

Winter Weary?

From the Marais District of Paris is this photo.  

The muse on the right is Old Man Winter - a stooped old-guy with cane. 

The muse on the left is Young Woman Spring - a naked lady with grapes.  

If memory serves at this moment I was enjoying a refreshing Côtes-du-Rhône.  

I like winter but I’ll take the lady with the grapes…..

Friday Music

Having visited Paris three times over the past seven years It has occurred to me that sharing this tidbit is helpful during carnival season. 

Paris Carnival (Carnaval de Paris) is an annual event – tracing  its history back to the 15th century. A festive costumed parade through Paris led by Pimprenelle - a magnificent Limousin cow in a beautiful red dress. Pimprenelle is the mascot of the carnival and leads the ‘promenade de boeuf gras’ in reference to a popular 16th-century tradition.  Carnival parade starts from the Gambetta square (the nearest metro station Gambetta, 20th arrondissement); along the Belleville Street through Republic Square (place de la République).  The festivities are scheduled for Sunday so if you leave now you won't miss the fun.

You can learn more about Carnaval de Paris here. 

Locations Illégales!

Speaking of more things French the city of Paris is suing Airbnb for 12.5 million euros ($14 million).

The city of Paris says that Airbnb published illegal rental advertisements.  Specifically, Airbnb failed to include a city registration number that is used to enforce compliance with a 120 day maximum on rentals per year. 

At 65,000 rental listings Paris happens to be Airbnb’s single largest market in the world. 

Founded in 2008 in San Francisco - Airbnb matches people wishing to rent out all or part of their homes to temporary guests via a website.

Friday Music

Written by the exceedingly prolific  Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller this blues favorite was originally recorded by Willie Mae Big Mama Thornton in 1952, Even though it was Thornton's only hit record it spent 14 weeks in the R&B charts, including seven weeks at number one.  Not only is it included in the Grammy Hall of Fame it is listed on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll.   Famously covered by Elvis Presley it has been covered by a pile of additional performers.  Hound Dog...

Veterans Day

Today is Veterans Day and I thought I'd take a moment to talk about my favorite veteran - Howard Gaertner.  Who also happens to be my dad.  Dad has been gone now for seven years already but I'm sure he'd appreciate the mention.  

This picture was taken on September 13, 1945 at Reims, France.  That's seventy-two years ago - an eternity by today's standards.  That's dad on the right and his best friend - Donald Darneider - a classmate from Cathedral High School in Milwaukee.  Germany had surrendered in the spring of that year and Japan had surrendered a month earlier.  At the time this picture was taken dad was all of 21 years of age.  He'd already spent three months in combat - including the invasion at Normandy, the battle of the hedgerows, the breakout of the bocage at Saint-Lô, the dash across northern France with Patton's forces and the liberation of Belgium.  He was evacuated to England after being wounded in the Meuse River crossing in September of 1944 and returned to be part of the Army of Occupation.  This was turning out to be an exceedingly long deployment and a boatload of experience for a previously skinny depression-era kid who was drafted after graduating high school.  

On one of our trips to France Jill and I brought along a handful of old, grainy, black and white photos and made an attempt to locate where those pictures were taken.  The two below were taken of dad (by classmate Don) in Paris sometime in July of 1945...  

The Trocadéro... 

Notre-Dame de Paris...

    click on images to enlarge

My pal NewGuy - who also happens to be a veteran - suggested this.  If you want to see something that is both awe-inspiring and chillingly creepy -  check this out.  

Creative Destruction

Creative destruction refers to the incessant product and process innovation mechanism by which new production units replace outdated ones. 

This term was coined by Joseph Schumpeter back in 1942.  He considered it 'the essential fact about capitalism'.  Sure, it might make someone squirm but that's what capitalism is all about.  

When I was a child a burger at McDonald’s was fifteen cents.  And a trip to McDonald’s wasn’t a convenience as much as it was a novelty and a special treat.  Nowadays, there is a movement pushing for a $15 and hour minimum wage – for simply standing behind the counter and politely saying ‘Welcome to McDonald’s - may I take your order?’    

We’ve come a long way from 15 cent burgers to $15 an hour unskilled starter jobs so pardon me for sounding somewhat curmudgeonly.  Faced with rising costs agitated by the labor movement – those corporate giants in the fast, consistent and convenient food business are going to respond with technological innovations.  Technology that mimics a tablet such as self-service kiosks for ordering your meal.   

I encountered one of these for the first time in the food court of The Louvre in Paris, France.  Yup.  A McDonald’s in The Louvre.  And it only took me a short while and a couple of tries to figure it out.  Pick your language, place your order via touch screen, insert your chip-enabled card, take your slip and walk over to the queue and someone will hand you your meal or soft-drinks.  Simple and fast.   

It’s not just McDonald’s that has embraced job-replacing technology - plenty of other restaurant operations have turned to this type of technology as a fix for rising labor costs.  A fix that won’t necessarily inconvenience the customer.  

Those $15 jobs aren’t being threatened by immigrants – it is the relentless march of technology.  You can learn more about this technology and additional ideas here.