This is the station where the Catacombs are. While my friendly station attendant said it would take an hour to get here, it only took 15 minutes.

Glad the weather was seasonal so I explored the area. Right now I am resting on a perch inside a fruit 🍉 stand as Mc Donald’s was closed. Can you imagine???? Bing Crosby is 🎶 White Christmas as I ✍️. No wonder the Europeans pick up English so well.

Here are some of the fun stores I visited in this area.

Now Tony Bennett is 🎶 Where is ❤️. Just had Perry Como sing Silent Night and Johnny Mathias did O Holy Night. Quite a concert I’m having. One hour more..

Grocery Stores similar to the US, but prices, wow!. Joe did good by us. Sure will miss him but he texted me Merry Christmas so am sure he’ll stay in touch.

Can’t do it on a postal salary.

Well, am letting Mariah Carey take me out as time to line up for the Catacombs.

🍾🥂🍾🥂🥂🍾🥂🍾🍾🥂🥂🍾🥂🥂🍾

Scheduling this for New Year’s Eve.

Wishing you a Happy New Year!

🎉🥳🎈🎊🥳🎉🍾🥳🎉🎈

Upon leaving Notre Dame decided to walk. What a beautiful journey to Sacre Coeur.

The Seine

The walk to Sacre Coeur was a long one but as they say, enjoy the ride. If you’ve followed me you know what a challenging, and at times horrific year this has been for me. Grateful it is in the history books.

Back to Paris……..

Eventually I pooped out, and took the metro 🚇 to complete the journey.

The Christmas decorations were spectacular as are the French men. Oh la la!

The artists area was inspiring.. wish I had more suitcase 🧳 space..

She bears repeating…

See you tomorrow.

Writing from my hotel room at 3 AM. Collapsed at 7:30pm waking at one. This is a normal occurrence of jet lag.

To digress the trip from the airport was 45 minutes long. Had an amazing Pakistani driver who has lived in Paris for over 20 years. He even carried my bag which is a rarity, gave him a $10 tip.

💸💸💸💸

He offered much information about the area and spoke English fairly well. He had three daughters all in college and one studying to be a doctor.

🏫🏫🏫

I always cringe when I hear evil stories of immigrants. Why? Enough said in this story as this is common place for immigrants and their children. They have so much to offer and work so hard.

In the 45 minute journey was able to snag a catacomb ticket. It was a bit pricey, but includes a boat ride on the Seine. My next blog should be from there and looking very forward to it. All the reviews are five star.

Well, it’s back to sleep for me. Breakfast is included and at 7:30. The catacombs tour is at 10:15 and I’ll have ample time to find the place.

Until then, bon nuit.💤💤💤💤💤💤

🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪

Today I learned (partially) how to navigate the Paris Metro. My hotel is outside the normal perimeter of the Parisian Arrondisements in Arcueil. Believe it’s a bit of a suburb in American ways.

🚊🚊🚊🚊🚊

Thankfully I met a patient staffer from India 🇮🇳 at the metro window who helped. Bought a day trip billet (ticket) for 10 Euros and was able to navigate a bit with much help from friendly Parisians and young staff at my hotel.🏨

Am trying to use Google translator but of course practice attempts worked and when in use with real folks failed. Oh technology, but on to more trials tomorrow….

That said did an outside visit reading the many billboards explaining the renovations in French and English. Mainly I scanned the pictures associated with the information.

The pictures..

Stopped and had some hot mulled 🍷 and gazed at the structure. It is an amazing feat that was undertaken..

There are many wonderful cafes in this area and business is thriving!

Next on to Monmartre where Keanu Reeves risked life and limb in the last John Wick movie.🎥

. Stay tuned!!!

After doing a 10 minute eccentric workout had some time to explore the airport.

Found the airport to be clean with the usual fare. One of the coffee shops was open at five so that was good for passengers,and vending machines were also available.

And large recycling containers ♻️

Halls were wide and clean, allowing for good passage with adequate signage…

But what I really liked was the assortment of children’s items in the play area..

Loved the American flags around the customs area…

And I had to scratch my head when I saw this following picture. Am I in Orlando airport or what? Then I recalled I was on a Paris flight and Paris Disney is a big draw.

Next am going to investigate the Paris Catacombs. Hope I snag a 🎟️.

Stay tuned.

Arrived here at 4 AM. This flight was much different than 20 years ago when I traveled with my daughter. At that time, the plane was loaded with babies, screaming, as Irish American folk were bringing them to see grandparents.

So am here for 2 hours with ETA Paris 930.

The adventure continues.

Am on Aer Lingus as I write. This airline does something sensible, they board the back of the plane first. Maybe this will catch on for other airlines.

Leave it to the Irish!

My seatmate is a skinny Irishman so I am in seventh heaven. He could be a serial killer, but I wouldn’t care as long as he’s skinny.

There are so many people flying on Christmas Day. Guess it’s caught on that. It’s cheaper to do it this way.

Enjoy!

On my way to NYC via Coach 🚎. Only 1 hour 50 minutes with one short pick up. Flight ✈️ to Paris leaves at 5 so need to be at JFK by 2pm.

Traveling Aer Lingus. Last time I flew them got cut off from 🥃. Ha!Ha! And they say the Irish ☘️ are drinkers…Not..

Been watching Joe put through his final touches on his legacy and how the rapist thinks he can undue it. Fool that he is as this little leprechaun knows how to do things iron clad or he wouldn’t do it…..

💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪

I just can’t wait till the rapist and the ev guy get into it.. will be very interesting as they say.

Just a matter of time.

⏳⏳⏳⏳⏳⏳

So that’s it for today. Didn’t make it to any holiday events yesterday as nights caught up with me but am well rested to start the trip.

Happy Holidays to all, and especially my one constant reader.

🎄🎅🎉🎄🧑‍🎄☘️🥂🤶🌲🛫

🎄🎅🌲🧑‍🎄🎄🤶🌲🧑‍🎄🎄🤶🎄

I’m not much for holidays, birthdays 🎂, weddings 💒, or any kind of celebration. I simply like to let them pass. It kind of started when as a child we went to a rare family event.

On the drive home from one of these rare events my parents would scream at me the entire ride home about every word I said which was apparently wrong.

🎉🎊🎈🥳🎈🎊🎉

You see my father was one of 11 and somewhere out there I have over 60 cousins on his side. However, I know none of them. In fact when they had a family reunion some 35 years ago, (and who knows if it’s an annual event), I wasn’t invited.

My sister was but for another day.

🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓

Our Christmas holidays were always filled with intense arguments. It was common for gifts 🎁 to be opened and thrown at the giver with screams how the gift 🎁 was hated.

🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁

And it wasn’t just confined to Christmas, it was the other holidays, and birthdays as well.

And the family wedding invites were the worst.

No need to replay as you’d never believe me anyway.

🎂💒🐣🎄

So now that you have the history, and why I hate any celebration. Enter my daughter’s in-laws, the idyllic family. Her mother in law has a Christmas 🎄 room in their McMansion filled and organized with decorations for every holiday.

🎅🧑‍🎄🤶🎅🧑‍🎄🤶🎅🧑‍🎄🤶

I don’t have a clue at 68 how to have a “normal holiday.” All I know is I am dreading my Christmas Eve appearance with these lovely upper middle class people.

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I have told my daughter I will stay for 2 hours and am hopeful little damage will be done in those 120 minutes, or 7200 seconds.

Life is never dull.

✈️🌎🍀🛬✈️🌎🛩️

And Paris awaits.

Tonight I met with my daughter and son in law for dinner at a local Italian restaurant. I paid as their Christmas 🎅 gift 🎁 and they gave me some sweet, thoughtful treats…

• A red bag 💼 for my upcoming trip to Paris.
• A commuter cup to replace the one I stole from her home. She never told me it was her favorite mug.🤷🤷‍♀️🤷‍♂️
• An ecosystem to grow herbs.🪴 look
• A Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade sweatshirt.
• A Chinese lantern 🏮 for my porch which is already hung.

After being sick with a cold for the last 11 days with the last four days on the couch I am returning to work tomorrow. Will be doing 3 night shifts, and then departing for Paris on the 25th.

🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷

This is one of those wonderful Gate One travel deals $800. for 6 nights in gay Pari! Check them out and get on the list for their email specials and look 👀 forward to my blogs.

😥🤧😰

Am so glad I am healed but now one of my 7 cavities the dentist 🦷 discovered last week is talking to me so I have been slipped in on the 23rd for a filling.

My this has been a challenging year.

Looking 👀 forward to 2025.

🍾🥂🍾🍾🥂🍾🍾🥂🍾🍾