The broad circle, for me at least, has been closed. I returned home last night, weary but whole, to a pair of pets who were pleased as punch see me again. So today's is my last blog entry and will include a bit of a wrap-up. First however, before setting out for Charles de Gaulle Airport, I took some photos of Saturday morning's street market located a block from our hotel. The freshness of the produce, meat, & seafood made it all extraordinarily appealing. ...

After months of planning and negotiation, the excursion to the Western cultural meccas of England & France is about to begin. Tomorrow, at around 10 PM, I take off for London. (My friends and I will join up in France on Saturday.) Anyone on the mailing list is invited keep tabs on us, for as often as I can, I plan to upload pictures and keep a daily diary of the trip. I'll try to keep the writing riveting, the photos fresh, and the blogging brief. Yet I sti...