A Most Gracious Parisian Welcome

Was in Paris recently on business and so decided to contact Virani, who as we all know burns the tiki torch bright in the City of Lights.

Well, Virani could not have been more forthcoming or gracious, so in addition to a private note of thanks let there be a public one as well. And thank you, Hanford, for creating a forum where like-minded people can not only share their passion but also establish friendships -- even across the world -- where otherwise such a thing would not have been.

And without further ado:

Satan's Sin (left) and Virani make the scene on the Left Bank.

Virani was kind enough to take my colleagues and me to an extremely cool club on the Left Bank, and after that, a lovely nighttime stroll to inspect the unearthly beauty of Notre Dame.

(I hope the cathedrals in heaven are half as nice.)

I wish we could've played with Virani more, but cruel work intervened.

Other Parisian highlights:

The grave of Oscar Wilde, at Pere-Lachaise cemetery, still the most fashionable address for recently-deceased Parisians.

Those things that look like dots on the monument are actually kisses. That's right -- kisses. As if someone had rouged up their lips and planted big wet ones all over it.

The blonde in the background is Mrs. Satan's Sin, and the brunette is the Eldest Daughter of Satan's Sin.

Another view of the monument. The figure is an angel.

An inscription on the rear of the monument. Note kisses. The inscription is mostly a summary of Wilde's career, and closes with these lines from The Ballad of Reading Gaol, which you can just perhaps make out:

And alien tears will fall for him,
Pity's long-broken urn.
For his mourners will be outcast men,
And outcasts always mourn.

The grave of Jim Morrison. Pretty hard to find this one. Kind of off the beaten path.

Did you know that JM's father was an admiral? I knew a boatswain's mate who was the coxswain on Admiral Morrison's barge, and he reported that father and son detested each other.

I guess Otto on The Simpsons is sort of a nod to this, as Otto's father is also an admiral.

Mrs. Satan's Sin wanted to move into the Louvre.

The Eldest Daughter of Satan's Sin at the Pompidou. I do so love modern art.

My family in the Metro. Best public transportation I've ever seen, anywhere. Cheap, too. And fast.

Not only that, but there was a "champagne" at a quickie-mart near my hotel that cost one euro a bottle. It was delicious! I'd pack two or three into an ice bucket first thing in the morning, and then in the evening, when my labors were done (and my wife and daughter were invariably out), I'd plop down in front of the TV and drink this stuff like it was going to be outlawed tomorrow, eat the most delicious cheese and bread I'd ever had, and watch some very weird French game shows. I was in heaven!

Anyway, thanks again, Virani. I look forward to the day I can be your host.

[ Edited by: satan's sin 2006-02-22 17:55 ]

[ Edited by: Satan's Sin 2006-02-22 17:57 ]

[ Edited by: satan's sin 2006-02-22 18:25 ]

Thank you very much for this kind message. I was very honored to let you see some sides of my hometown. I was also very happy to meet your wife and friends, as I had an excellent time with you.
Thanks also for letting us see some good sides of Paris, not the dog poop or crazy driver in the streets :wink:
I look forward to the day we'll meet again (Hukilau ?). Thanks also to Tiki Central.

Excellent report.

And this being my 1000th post - I'd like to take this opportunity to say that The Amber Love Goddess, who's birthday is today, and I will be visiting Paris in April and look forward to some sweet uke strumming with our French Ohana.

And sampling some fantastic wines, I hope.

EDIT: Anela Linei says "... and tonight we're at Trader Vics in Atlanta."

[ Edited by: pablus 2006-02-23 15:35 ]

Excellent report! I thought your daughter was just very very tiny! I spent 3 weeks in Bordeaux 10 years ago and the best part was the $4 bottle of red wine, the fresh baguette and the unbelievable cheese, is there an emoticon for droooooooool?

PS - I don't think you're supposed to snap photos in the Louvre :wink:

Mrs. Pineapple:

My eldest daughter (Alex) is grown. Choosing not to join us in Paris was our middle child (Verity), who is almost grown, and our son (Max), also almost grown. I very much missed our Scottish terrier (Pip), but not our cat (Blix).

Work was so tight that I did not even have time to go to the Louvre on this visit, so the criminal picture-taker was Alex. I shudder to think of what else Mrs. Satan's Sin and our child got up to while I was industriously working my fingers to the bone.

I was very glad to visit the Pompidou on this go, and as you can see from that photo I have not figured out all the quirks of Mrs. Satan's Sin's digital camera.