Things a Half a Century Old

As long as we've been planning this adventure, Teri and I have referred to it as our "50th Birthday Party," since we wanted to do something very special with some very special people to usher in our second half century.

While we will have a sort of 50th birthday party one night aboard the Marjorie 2, no presents will be required, just your presence. And you can even pass on the gag gifts of Preparation H and Polident.

Teri is actually a couple of months older than I and will have already turned 50 by the time we set off for France. Her birthday is May 12th, 1959. My birthday is on August 26th, 1959, so my actual birthday will be quite the anticlimax after we get home.

But, here's the deal--Teri and I aren't the only ones turning 50 this year. I've been thinking of other people, places and things that also began in 1959 and are also heading into the second half of their first century.

Our boat, the Marjorie 2, was launched in 1959.

And Barbie was first produced in 1959, although she's aging a little better than we are.

On the celebrity front, the only person you've ever heard of that was born on the exact same day as either of us is Ving Rhames, who shares his birthday with Teri.

But there are plenty of other famous folks who are also turning 50 this year including:

Bryan Adams, John McEnroe, Danny Bonaduce, Fabio, Marie Osmond, Kato Kaelin, Emma Thompson, Lorrie Morgan, Emeril Lagasse, Richie Sambora, Linda Blair, Simon Cowell, Hugh Laurie, Judd Nelson, Randy Travis, Sade, Tom Arnold and Weird Al Yankovich.

So we're in great company, even though none of them have been invited to join us.

The Daytona 500 turns 50 this year along with NASCAR driver Mark Martin.

Turns out 1959 was a big year for minor sports as the National Rodeo Finals was launched.

The Grammy Awards were born in 1959 and the winner of Record of the Year was "Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu" (Volare), Domenico Modugno.

Alaska and Hawaii were "born" into the Union in 1959 as they were admitted to statehood. In related, but unfortunate news, Andy Williams' "Hawaiin Wedding Song" was one of the top 100 songs of the year.

Charles De Gaulle was inaugurated as president of the French Republic, and Fidel Castro was sworn in as the big boss in Cuba.

The number one song of 1959 was "Mack the Knife" performed by Bobby Darin, "Gigi" won the Oscar for Best Picture, and a postage stamp cost 4 cents.

Gagner Ces Magnifiques Médailles

Gagner ces magnifiques médailles (Win these wonderful medals).
The word has gotten back from somewhere in France that the Marjorie 2 is equipped with not one, but two sets of boules. Even better, our captain knows the rules. So you'd better start practicing since the first annual BYSAP Petanque Tournament is officially on like Donkey Kong.

And what's a tournament without prizes and bragging rights? Just like the Olympics, there will be a gold, silver and bronze medal on the line for the best and most petanquishly gifted among us.

I've also arranged for much less beautiful "loser" medals, made of zinc or tin or aluminum or some other cheap metalish material. They are for those of us whose talents lie in other arenas of endeavor. Think of these as akin to the medals given to all the participants in the Special Olympics, no matter how they do in the competition.

Win or lose, we'll all get to proudly wear our medals to dinner one night. That should make a fun picture or two.

Important--Your Capitaine Requests

A bunch of odds and ends for you this evening and this one will run on a bit, but it includes one important action item for everyone towards the top, so please read at least the bit about the booking form and I beg your indulgence for the long windedness.

First of all, I've heard back and the smoking policy on the Marjorie 2 is that smoking is off limits anywhere below decks (cabins and common areas) but is fine in designated areas topside. Steve, you know you can buy Cuban cigars legally in France, don't you? And Colleen, you'll be free to fire up those Gauloises as you enjoy your pre and post dinner toddies. Glad that's settled.

This next bit is just for CFB. I just reconfirmed that this is a charter for 11. Is that still correct? If not, call me ASAP as this is kind of last call to add a 12th apostle to our troupe.

Here's the bit for everybody to act upon. I've heard from Sally Dillon at Special Places Travel today and she needs each family to fill out their booking form, sign the "we won't sue you if we drown" disclaimer and return it to them. Click on the link here for the booking form every family unit needs to fill this out, sign it and fax it back to Sally at 1-240-465-3066.

For the top part of the form, the barge is the Marjorie 2, the cruise starts June 14 and ends June 20, 2009, there are 11 passengers in six cabins and it's a charter.

You can leave blanks in the bits about payment, the questions about where you'll be staying the night before and at the end of the cruise and the bit about travel insurance. Sally already has that information. But be sure to include any special needs, wants or dietary requests in the form (only green M&Ms? only diagonally cut cucumber sandwiches?--I'll bet Steve and Cathleen are the only ones who get that one).

I'll give you a couple of weeks to get this done and then I'll start nagging, so please take care of this sooner rather than later. Let me know when you've sent your fax so I can know who to pester.

By the way, if you ever have any questions for Don or Sally Dillon at Special Places Travel. Trust me, they are both wonderful to work with and very patient with my constant barrage of strange questions, multiple schedule/hotel changes and weird requests (they're already all over our boules tournament). Anyway, here's their contact information:

Phone (toll-free): 1-877-64-BARGE.

Fax: 1-240-465-3066·

E-mail: info@specialplacestravel.com

WEB: http://www.bargesinfrance.com/ and http://www.specialplacestravel.com/

Next, Sally has a really, really good five page pdf suitable for printing that has all kinds of great practical information on this trip and covers a lot of ground and FAQs in a clear and concise format. Here's the link.

Here's a link with technical and other details on the Marjorie 2. The first one that jumps out at me is that it's the same age as Teri and me, so Marjorie will be turning 50 on this trip as well! How cool is that?!

And the beat goes on: Sally weighed in on the whole dress code issue. Here's what she had to say:

"Clothing: Informal and casual clothing is the norm on board. A raincoat or light jacket and sweater are recommended. Warmer clothing is often needed in early spring and late fall. Dress in layers because weather can be extremely variable in all seasons. Soft-soled shoes are essential, for the decks, cycling, and walking (and rain). A coat and tie is not necessary, although some men do wear a jacket for the Captain's Dinner. Women may want to dress up a bit that night, as well. Throughout the week, for men, a shirt and slacks are fine for dinner, while shorts are fine during the day. For women, slacks and a nice top are fine for dinner. But if you want to dress up by all means go ahead - it's your cruise! Don't forget to bring a bathing suit if your barge has a hot tub.

Most passengers do change for dinner. We usually suggest wearing the same kind of thing you would wear to a local restaurant. A jacket is usually appropriate for men for the captain's dinner the last night. But as you said, it's your cruise so you can wear whatever you want!"

And finally . . . I recently downloaded several pdf brochures from the French government tourism website. One is a general brochure on Burgundy, one is on biking in Burgundy, one is boating in Burgundy and the last is on the Burgundy wine road. I'm not sure how useful they are for trip planning purposes, but they've got lots of pretty color pictures in them and are very useful for daydreaming. If you want any or all of these brochures, just let me know and I'll forward them to you via e-mail.

I've actually ordered hard copies of several of these and expect to have them in the next few days.

If you've made it this far, thank you for your patience.

Le Capitaine

Money Strategy

Over the last year, the Dollar has fluctuated wildly against the Euro but has generally gained a lot of strength. Right now it's hanging at about $1.30 per Euro, which is way better than the $1.60 that it cost to buy a Euro last June but not quite as good as the $1.25 per Euro price we had in November.

I don't know if the USD will continue to strengthen against the Euro or not between now and when we head to France, but I do know that the last time the Euro was this cheap was two full years ago.

So you can gamble that the Dollar will continue to gain ground as the European economy goes deeper into the same recession we're experiencing, or you can "lock in" these prices by buying some Euros now.

I'm planning on ordering some Euros from our bank in the next few days to hedge my bet and then perhaps hit the bank again a little closer to the trip if the exchange rate continues to move in our favor.

If you do this, be sure to check your bank's exchange rate. If the "official" rate is, say, $1.30 per Euro, you can bet that your bank will charge more than that. Let's say $1.36. That six cent spread is how the bank profits from the deal. If they charge more than a few cent premium per Euro or tack on transaction fees, it's better to wait and just hit the ATM once you get over there.

You can always check the current "to the minute" exchange rate on Yahoo money so you know what your bank should be charging you. Here's the link

Dressing For Dinner--this one's mainly for the girls

At the request of my DSW, in a few days I'll be posting a poll on dressing for dinner on the trip. This applies especially to the six nights we'll be dining aboard the barge.

Specifically, how many "dress up" nights vs how many "casual" nights do we want?

Also, what constitutes "dressing up"? Coat and tie? Sportcoat and open collar shirt? Any colorful tee shirt without too many holes?

We would like to designate one night aboard the Marjorie 2 (probably the last night) as a "special" night and call it our 50th birthday party.

Teri said that the ladies in the group would be intensely interested in this topic and may already be obsessing on what they will be wearing and how they would prefer the gentlemen of the BYSAPC to present themselves at dinner as their fashion acccessories.

Typically people in Europe tend to dress up a little more for dinner than we do here in the States, but since this is our own little love boat, we are empowered as a group to set our own dress codes while aboard. In Paris your dress for dinner will depend greatly on the kind of place you choose.

Anyway, ladies (and gentlemen too, if you're so inclined) please feel free to weigh in on your sartorial preferences.

Speaking of dinner in Paris, Mike has been busy researching dining spots near our hotel. He's had exchanges with our hotel's concierge and has come up with several highly recommended places within a short walk of the hotel. The price range of these restaurants vary from pretty reasonable (for Paris) to kind of expensive, but none of them are anywhere close to the 300 Euro threshhold that we had been warned of.

Mike will be passing on his short list to me and I'll in turn share the links with you for your comment and approval. Once we've mulled over the menus, we can decide how many "group" nights we want to have in Paris. Of course you have the option of going your own way for any or all of the nights we're in the City of Lights.

One thing to keep in mind about restaurant dining in France is that you can mentally deduct 15 to 20 percent from the bill since tipping is almost always included in the price of the meal. As an American, it's almost impossible for me not to tip, so I usually leave 10 percent anyway, which tends to endear me to the wait staff wherever I go.

Up, Up and Away!

I think I've asked this before and got only modest response from the delegation, but I want to try the question again.

If the weather is nice.

And

If we can arrange it.

And

If it's not prohibitively expensive.

Who wants to take a balloon ride one morning while we're in Burgundy?

I think it may cost as much as 200€ or more per person for a one hour flight if you want to go, so it won't be cheap. I'll investigate the details when we get there, but for some reason I have the idea that this would be a very fun thing to do and a once in a lifetime kind of deal.

Smoking section

One of the enduring images of France is the cafes filled with people whiling away their days carrying on intimate conversations or reading Le Monde as they quietly nurse their cups of coffee.

And an important part of this mental picture are the lit cigarettes that go with this scene.

For decades that was a pretty accurate picture, and I've always found this to be somehow romantic and appealing for some reason--one of the strange little things that made France special. Of course the reality of this smoking culture could be a little less pleasant when you found yourself in a crowded restaurant where virtually everyone was lighting up before and after their meals distributing enough second hand smoke for everyone to get their fair share of nicotine and smoke infused clothing whether they smoked or not.

In any French city or village, if you wanted bus tickets, a newspaper, phone card, stamps, post cards a candy bar or, of course, cigarettes, you would head for the nearest tabac. A tabac is a store licensed to sell tobacco products in France and are identified by a distinctive elongated diamond sign. There was one of these little mini-marts on every corner, and I hope they're still thriving and we'll still see plenty of them on our adventures.

Well, if that's what you're expecting, you may be disappointed. On Jan 1, 2008, restaurants and cafes in France became smoke free. Now smokers are forced to dine al fresco or huddle outdoors between courses to get their fix.

This has been a controversial move and not without consequences. The New York Times reports that the number of cafes in France has dropped from over 200,000 in 1960 to fewer than 41,500 today, with about two cafes closing every day. In addition, the number of bankruptcies of French cafes rose by 56% in the first six months of 2008 and cafe owners are blaming this directly on the smoking ban!

The good news for the couple of smokers in our number is that the weather in June should be lovely and Europeans are crazy for dining outdoors when the weather is nice, so smoke 'em if you got 'em.

Obama's French Cheese Emergency

I’ve been looking for a French angle to the Obama inauguration, and thanks to British newspaperman Charles Bremner, I’ve found one.

I’m a freak for French cheeses. No doubt we’ll all get to sample dozens of varieties of French cheese (there are literally hundreds of different kinds) while we’re over there, but it turns out that one variety is being held hostage in a trade war and could be unaffordable if we get a hankering for it once we get back home.

Here’s an excerpt from Bremner’s report:

The in-tray of Barack Obama may be piled high, but he might like to put aside the banks, the Middle East and health care to focus on a truly urgent matter: the French cheese emergency.

The new President could blow the great goodwill that he enjoys in France if he fails to reverse a parting shot by George W. Bush against that symbol of Gallic gastronomy -- roquefort cheese. We could even face a new round in the war against Yankee junk food, with Coca Cola and MacDonald's in the firing line.

The story began last Thursday when Washington suddenly tripled an already heavy duty on the pungent blue cheese from the southern Massif Central. The idea was to punish Europe for maintaining a longstanding ban on beef from US cattle that had been administered with growth hormones. Roquefort had been under a 100 percent retaliatory duty since 1999.

Some in France have been quick to see the new Washington measure as petty, belated revenge against the "cheese-eating surrender monkeys" for their opposition to the 2003 Iraq invasion. The Americans slapped new duty on an array of other EU food imports, including fruit, chocolate and chewing gum, but none was subject to the 300 percent reserved for roquefort.

Philippe Folliot, a centrist MP for the Tarn, near Roquefort village, called for a super-tax against Coca Cola. "I find it especially shocking that the Bush administration, at the end of its term, should take roquefort hostage again," he said.

The producers of the ancient cheese -- a favourite of the ancient Romans -- have kept their foothold in the US market despite the 100 percent tax over the past decade. Only 400 tonnes a year -- two percent of their production -- goes to the US, where it is treated as a luxury food. Their hopes of expanding will be scuttled if the new administration confirms the duty, which is to take effect in March.

Executive Decision

Okay, so I've made an executive decision. I've booked us at the Hilton at CDG (click on link here to see it) for that last "bonus" night in France. It solves a couple of problems. Mostly, it's a good hotel and we won't have to stress about getting to the airport on time for a morning flight since the hotel is at the airport.

Also, I had enough Hilton points to buy two of our rooms with points so those two rooms were FREE. And I got a very good rate for the other four rooms. Good is a relative term when you're paying with Euros for rooms at the Hilton, but still.

Five Months and Counting

Can you believe we leave exactly five months from today?

Very Important, Schedule Change, Please Read!

Okay guys,

I'm really sorry about this and I want to talk to each of you to make sure everything is cool and get your input. Can you call me at (205) 428-6838 in the next few days? Don't make me come after you. Thanks.

I've just gotten off the phone with Continental Airlines, and they have changed both our outbound and return flights. The outbound wasn't that big a deal, but the return is going to be a royal pain.

Here's what's happening:

Our outbound flight is still on June 10 but the times are a little earlier. It will be a little inconvenient, but not a deal breaker.

All except Steve and Melanie will depart BHM at 10:55 a.m. on Wednesday June 10 and will arrive at IAH at 12:42 p.m.

Steve and Mel will meet the rest of us in Houston and will join us on the Paris leg.

Our flight to Paris departs Houston at 3:05 p.m. on June 10 and arrives at CDG at 7:45 a.m. on Thursday June 11, so we're going to have a full day of jet lagged sightseeing on our first day.

Here's where it turns ugly. Our last day aboard Marjorie is the morning of June 20 and the crew was going to drop us off at the airport following a nice (but very early) breakfast. Our scheduled 12:55 p.m. flight from Paris was already earlier than either the Barges in France or Marjorie II people wanted it to be.

You see our last night aboard the barge will involve a special dinner that should go late into the night and they wanted us to be able to get a good night's sleep, have a nice last breakfast and then take the several hour drive back to Paris CDG. They prefer that the flight be no earlier than 4 p.m. to keep us from having to get up too early, but they agreed to push things up because I told them they had to.

Okay, so now things are totally screwed up on the return because the flight we were on out of Paris at 12: 55 p.m. is now going out at 9:25 a.m. on June 20 and that's just impossible.

So the good news is you'll get that extra sleep on June 20th and that nice leisurly breakfast. The bad news is that we'll be spending an extra night in Paris and won't get home until the 21st.

So here's the new flight plan:

We leave Paris at 9:25 a.m. on Sunday June 21st and arrive in Houston at 1:30 p.m.

Steve and Mel go their separate ways and the remaining nine of us fly from IAH to BHM at 3:40 p.m. and get back at 5:29 p.m.

Okay so here's what I want to talk about with you.

1. Is this schedule change a huge problem?

2. On the last night, do you want to go back to our nice digs in Paris or a hotel by the airport? If we stay in Paris we'll have to leave the hotel very, very early to make our flight and it will cost a lot more. On the other hand, airport hotels suck.

Finally, let me be up front on this last bit: My budget for this adventure is beyond shot and I totally wasn't planning on six more hotel rooms and more vans to get us back to the airport. So if some of you can afford to chip in to help cover your rooms and van on that last night, that would be gratefully accepted. Just cut me a check after we get back from the trip and I'll happily cash it. Otherwise, no worries, I've got you covered.

Election Postmortum

Now that the election is over, I can tell all.

I was shocked that of the six submissions there were two Eiffel Tower designs and two flag designs. That was completely coincidental. Teri and Cathleen were our designers and they came up with their designs without any discussion amongst themselves of what they would be doing.

The winning logo (by a vote of 6 to 4) was Cathleen's tower design. Teri was the creator of the flag design that was the other runoff choice. I think they both did an amazing and wonderful job.

Now it's on to the job of putting the logos on clothing items, luggage tags, etc.

And the Winner Is . . .

Three Days Left to Vote

There are three days left to vote in the logo runoff election and it's a very close race, so every vote counts. Five of you have yet to vote. I hope an odd number of us end up voting as I don't know what we'll do if the runoff election is a dead heat.