Nov 23 - Paris, France

After breakfast at Gerald's, I set out on bicycle. From 9 am until 1 pm I cycled through the streets of Paris, traveling down every street and boulevard of any size. I picked up my mail at American Express, and had lunch with Gerald. After lunch he took me up to Montemarte, the artist colony on the hill where the Basillica of the Sacred Heart (Sacre Coeur) overlooks Paris.

We took the Metro downtown and walked through the Latin quarter. He showed me the faculty of Sorbonne, where the student riots occurred in May. After dinner with the Gasty's I went with Gerard and his girl to a student dance at the House of Norway at the student union. Got to bed at 2 am.

Gerard Gasty
12 Rue du Baigneur
Paris 18e

Letter home written from Paris, Nov 23, 1968

Dear Folks,

I arrived in Paris last night on the train and am staying here four nights with a boy I met in Germany. He's a student at the university near Versailles. I picked up your mail at the American Express office today. Cashed the check ok. I received the tickets back to Dallas. I thought he have me pay the bill here. He sent it to you however, so I have about at $150 surplus, and I'll pay you when I return.

With the Franc about to be devalued, I'll wait until I leave Paris to buy my gifts. Everything will be cheaper. Today I was cycling around Paris. I was in front of the Palais de l'Elysee off Champs Elysees and there were hundreds of policemen. I found out later that the Prime Minister was arriving to confer with De Gaulle on the latest problems.

The snow melted while I was in Lyon, but I took the train to Paris anyway to hae ample time to see England. It's now already the Christmas season here, and downtown Paris is packed with early Christmas shoppers. All the street decorations are out, and the sight is breathtaking for a small-town kid. I circled the Tour d'Eiffel, but I'll save the .40 ascent to the top for a better day next visit. Tomorrow I'll attend 10 o'clock mass at Notre Dame, then visit the Louvre, Versailles, and the Gardens of Luxembourg.

Monday I'll go out on foot window-looking. The airline agencies along Champs Elysees are 21st Century in design, and the shops downtown are fascinating. Then I'll stroll the Latin Quarter looking at the numerous book stores.

This is roughly my remaining itinerary:

16 Geneva
17 Annecy
18 Chambery
19 Lyon
20 Lyon
21 Chalon sur Saone
22-25 Paris
26,27 Folkestone, England
28, 29 Uckfield
30, 1,2,3 London
4,5 Slough, Bucks
6,7,8 Great Yarmouth
9 London
10 Folkestone
11,12 Tourcoing, France
13,14 Brussels
15-17 Genk
18 Luxembourg

I could spend a month here and never stop moving. There's too much to see and too little time. As it is I'm up at 6 am and down at midnight, and on my feet all day. One day of my schedule would take you a week to recover from!

Au Revoir,

Michel