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. We Americans are not accustomed to seeing heads attached to our food (particularly poultry and rabbits), but then Parisians are not so divorced from the sources of what fills their plate and palate. The market was a great way to whet my appetite for a trip back to France in the near future.

Allow me in this last update to include some comments that I omitted from my daily entries, but that may interest you:

• London offered great theater, and I wish that I had the time to take greater advantage of it. However, I attended a performance of "The 39 Steps," a humorous retelling of Hitchcock's synonymous movie. The play (nearly) gets by with only 4 actors, who nonetheless together play dozens of characters. I highly recommend it.

• For all the supposed tension between religious communities, both in London and in France, none of this was obviously to me. I stayed in the Paddington neighborhood in London, which has experienced an influx of Muslim immigrants (all living in the traditionally Christian shadow of St. Mary's Hospital). Bus stops there even held ads touting products to help diabetics endure their Ramadan fasts. During my moment in their neighborhood, the courtesy shown toward and from these residents suggested a genuine openness to diversity. And although the French don't want hijabs in their public school classrooms, those wearing them on Parisian streets were treated without scorn.

• In France, we visited Blois' Museum of the Resistance and Paris' Memorial for the Deportation, both of which offer testimonies to the victims of and the struggle against Nazism/Fascism. The images and information were chilling, and thus I thought perhaps too sad for an upbeat vacation blog. Today's tolerance was absent in those days. France shipped approximately 200,000 Jews, gay folks, gypsies, Jehovah's Witnesses, and political prisoners to the Nazi concentration camps. Only 3 percent returned home after the war, and the rest were never heard from again.

• In the Loir-et-Cher region (where Orchaise and Blois are located), swallows swooped gracefully around the buildings where they nested, including our own chateau. And during the morning or evening, when we opened our large bedroom windows, occasionally we would receive a winged visitor in the room with us.

• Street performers were ubiquitous in Paris. These dancers, gymnasts, and musicians often drew large crowds. Among the grand sculptures, fountains, and topiary, they gave the streets a carnival atmosphere.

• While I'm reluctant to recommend my hotel in London to other visitors (a refurbishment was overdue), the Hotel Elysee Montparnasse in Paris was a joy. The accommodations were lovely, the staff was extremely attentive, they provided an excellent breakfast buffet, and the price was unbeatable for what is usually an expensive city (less than 100€ per night per room). Nearby cafés abound, and a Metro station lies within a half-block of the hotel's entrance.

• Parisians treat their street life like theater. Almost every sidewalk café places its chairs facing out toward the passing pedestrian traffic. Therefore walking in front of patrons is akin to walking across a stage with the audience looking on. Since I was a part of their floor show, I was repeatedly tempted to bow before I exited their view.

• Jet lag is real, and a bit annoying.

I hope these momentary glimpses into my/our trip have proved a bit brightening and enlightening. I certainly have enjoyed posting them, and with over 600 visits to the site, at least a few folks have kept tabs on this ragtag band as we skipped merrily around bits of England and France. Thanks for reading, and keep me posted on your own adventures.

Peace,
Lawrence McFarland