My Companion, fellow traveler, Gladice

So I feel it necessary to write a paragraph about how this trip happened. I am traveling w/ Gladice, my ex-boyfriends mother, who is 80 years old in September. If she won the lotto, she'd be happy to live in airports and travel to the next new place. WHY many people have asked? Cause Gladice rocks and she has 'fire in her belly' as she often talks about young kids these days not having. She has a desire to see the world in her time left on the planet. I'm the lucky one. She picked me to travel with. And being a travel whore, why not her, and why not me. This trip is for her. Make no mistake, on day three, I'm learning it's about me and how much I have to learn, think about, contemplate. I have a huge problem with this aging process, I'm not sure who doesn't after 40-something. I am reminded now daily of many things:

Gladice has patience. She is a lesson in life, age, wisdom, courage, fire and a desire to see history, see how other people live, to participate in their life, as an observer and suck the life out of life. She takes things in stride, she rests when she needs to, she is very happy to sit at the local establishment and watch life in the present and observe. (meanwhile drinking cafe au laits and smoking cigs.) And at almost 80, i'm not one to get on her ass about smoking. I feel so privileged to be here with her and experience this. (and yes, i've already bummed a few american spirits off her..sorry mom). It is with gratitude to her sons, Rob, Stephen, Scott that have trusted me to be with her and more to Rob for making this all possible. I want her to have the trip of a lifetime and can't even begin to think about how it changes me too in the interim. She is a trooper. And a classic example of having fire in the belly. We still have much more to do in Paris, then on to St. Petersburg, then Madrid. There is so much we have to learn from our parents, from older people....make the time. We only get one life. I think it's an obligation to live it fully, without fear and take what we learn and pass it on.

Marais District (3rd Arr.)

Apparently this used to be swampland according to Frommers. The Parisians moved it and filled it, housing a center of the city's Jewish community which has now become more of a trendy area housing a number of the gay and lesbian community filled w/ quirky boutiques and restaurants.

In the hood there is a great walk tour that will take you to the Picasso Museum (closed until 2012), the National Archives of France, Victor Hugo's house, Louis 13 square. An easy walk for the young and young at heart. There is one road, rue des Rossiers that is still dedicated to all things Jewish, including the best Falafel sandwiches know to man. Get there before 12 or stand in line. Worth the wait. It's also home to Place des Vosges, Paris's oldest square. All a must do.

At the end of our road, rue Charlot, it meets rue de Bretagne - a very cool market called 'Marche des Enfant Rouge' - inside there is fish/meat/produce, a great little creperie and surrounded by lots of little antique shops.

The Marais is a perfectly situated quiet little neighborhood that is a great base to see the rest of Paris.

Paris...The Flat.

It's night three of dinner on the patio in Paris. Why does everything taste better here? Why does yougurt taste better than any full fat kind you can find at Whole Foods? Why do eggs taste better, mushrooms...I'm sure there's an argument but I don't care. And it's NOT just because I'm in Paris. And I'm sorry..you can't get $4 bottles of yummy french wine anywhere else but here.

So I booked this wicked cool flat on homeway.com which just happens to be based in Austin, only 3 miles from where I live. This little flat couldn't be more perfect: hugely inconspicuous colbalt blue doors at 43 rue Charlot in the Marais district (3rd Arr.), open up into a breath taking courtyard full of blooming pale pink roses w/ grape vines growing over one of the terraced rooves. The building is so old I can't begin to comprehend what it looked like in the day...Inside has been completely renovated with the exception of the plumbing and the dark timber beams in the high ceiling.

There are cool stone walls in the rooms, a contemporary kitchen, convection micro, oven and stove top it took me an hour to figure out how to use. Forget words, just symbols. Note to self: if in europe faced w/ the same...put a POT ON THE STOVE TOP then mess w/ the buttons. "F" doesn't mean FAIL..well kinda...or ferme, it means put a fucking pot on the stove then I'll work.

The bathrooms are two: one to pee and poo, the other to shower and dress. The shower is not typically french in that it's a walk in, no bath, but does have lots of heads and options. WAY cool. It's the reason I complain about not being able to find cool shit in the US to remodel my bathroom. (pix to come).

Outside there is the most fab patio - two olive trees, an american sized patio table and chairs. One does not need to eat out..just by at the local market and do it at home. It'll save you un beuacoup d'argent.

Can a non-writer write about travel?

Several people over the years have told me I should journal all my travel stories and adventures. "But I can't write!" I said. Well, someone said, " just write like you talk." Well hell, I can do that.