The Grand Tour – Part Two

 

More learning moments …

 

PARIS POLICE

 About 3:30 am, my phone rang and the screen went black. I did not like the idea of being in a foreign country without my phone – I don’t like being anywhere without my phone.

 If you press certain buttons on an iPhone, 911 receives a call. Luckily, as soon as I heard that siren noise, I hung up and tossed the phone to Martin.

 Martin is good at fixing things but not good at hearing things. When he pushed the wrong button, he didn’t hear the siren. But I heard the nice Paris police officer asking about an emergency. I grabbed the phone, forgot all the French words I had practiced, and just said I was sorry. He quickly found someone who spoke English and I offered my lame story and my lame apology. She confirmed all was well and as I hung up, I heard them laughing. Glad we offered a respite from the seedy side of Paris.

 STONEHENGE

 When you walk around the tourist center and see Stonehenge on the horizon, you sense that this is a unique place.

 No funny stories, friends. I was moved.

 I imagined people thousands of years ago who lived primitive lives but were able to build something so majestic – and impossible. And I felt hope for our world.

 HOP ON HOP OFF TOURS

 It makes me sound like a real tourist – but I love those buses. For one ticket you briefly see the monuments, sites and sights that tell the stories of these great cities. Of course, for a closer look, better pictures and real immersion you have to hop off once in a while.

 We grieved at the wall in Belfast, sighed at the beauty of Notre Dame, were breathless outside the colosseum in Rome and were captivated at the Tower of London castle.

 But not all tours are equal. We used the same company in each city and discovered differences….

 *Rome’s narration was pre-recorded and had an intensive history lesson for each stop and all the monuments and special places between. If my memory was better, I would tell you some of those facts.

 *The Belfast narration was not pre-recorded but was quite factual and was presented by a guide with an enthusiasm for his city and the progress it has made since “the troubles.”  

 *Paris offered a great recording of facts and interesting stories, but the Paris traffic made it slow and a bit uneven. We sat outside Palais Garnier (setting for “Phantom of the Opera”) for an extended time but quickly drove past the Arc de Triomphe.

 *London did a recorded comedy show with several voices, lots of jokes, and not quite enough history for me. You have to work hard to make the Tower of London funny.

 HOME AGAIN

 As I maneuver doctor appointments for the hernia I discovered on my trip, stay in communication with the Federal Trade Commission to file identify theft reports and cancel several credit cards that I did not request, order glass for the front door that was broken by our lawn people – I am thinking that an Alaskan Cruise is a great idea.

 

Photos:    

Stonehenge

Disneyland Paris

Roman Colosseum 

St. Peter's Bassilica

Venice