At the Charles de Gaulle airport in PARI

Paris is the most visited city in the world. That has been the case for a very long time. On this trip, however, we saw very little of her. We visited one of the largest malls in the Paris outskirts right next to Disney Paris. It doesn’t take long to conclude that Paris is a girls city. Out of say 200 stores most were clothes designers great and small, shoes, perfumes, bags, coats, jewelry and other similar vendors. All for women or and a few for children. There are a few mens stores and exactly two men’s sports shops. Sitting in the airport the shops here have the same bias for sure. You look at the designs in the upscale stores and then some African women walk by and designers disappear into mediocrity. The beauty of the designs and colors are striking especially compared to those of the old designer houses. Then a couple walks by and she is walking behind her husband all in black from head to toe. Other than maybe coming to visit a family member, one can’t imagine way such a woman would be brought to Paris. What could Paris offer her. No clothes, shoes, bags, perfume or jewelry could be afforded her. Something to wonder about. As you can see by the pictures, This airport is big, well kept and stuck in the 70s. That’s fine. Shabby 70s is miserable, fun, bright 70s is somehow stylish again, or maybe we should say “still”. So we are ending our time in France, not by choice, but by law. We are just one couple of thousands who are going through this most unwanted ordeal. Will we be back to complete our trip interruptis? Unlikely. Joseph will not be up to it and I may not want to bother. BUT perhaps a grandchild, curious about the Parisian culture and allure, may coax me back. Who knows. So friends and family, we will wing our way to Montreal and then onto Philadelphia for an evening arrival. So until another adventure, this is an intrepid adventurer signing off. Au Revoir.Read more