A Room With A View

When I had the apartment in New York for the winter people would ask me why would I spend a winter in the city. I always replied that I went south for the winter just not as far south as the other people. Once I replied I would go to Paris except for the language problem. It suddenly occurred to me I had no language problem, I was bilingual or could be again with a little effort.

Finding the Paris apartment took two phone calls to an agent listed in a brochure at the French tourist bureau. The first apartment in the Marais was not light enough. We passed on the chic eighth arrondissement and settled for the Latin Quarter which afforded us a light and bright duplex. The top floor encompassed a living room, dining area, kitchen, bedroom and bath, below two bedrooms and a bath. It was decorated flawlessly in beiges and Thai silk pillows and lots of books in various languages.

The building had once been a monastery and was built around a court which made the apartment very quiet although we were but steps from the market on Rue Mouffetard. In the Spring the trees in the courtyard put forth cherry blossoms.

I find it most amusing to hear the know nothings condemn the French health care system. When Mariana and I had the apartment in Paris I transferred my care to the French health care system. The transfer was facilitated by Connie who was living in Switzerland at the time. She sent an e-mail to the American Women’s Club in Zurich saying I needed care, I would be in Paris I spoke French. By return e-mail I had a doctor who would enter me into the system,

Every three weeks I took the metro from Place Monge to Ballard the end of the lilac line. I walked the four blocks to the brand new fabulous building , Hopital Europeen Georges Pompidou. Within the three story atrium were grown trees, restaurants and of course the hospital.

In the private room in which they treated me everything ran off a remote control wand. The blinds went up and down the bed went up and down etc. If I arrived before eleven AM the French cheerfully provided me with breakfast. After 11 one was served lunch. Breakfast was better than lunch. A Breton nurse took care of me swiftly and pleasantly. When the treatment was over I spoke with the billing people. On one occasion I forgot my credit card and they waved me on saying I could pay next time. Just like in America.

Annals of Iceland

Some time ago The New York Times travel section ran an ad for a long weekend in Iceland. Elliot and I packed our carzinkas and went off to that exotic if not tropical island. We landed at the airport in Keflavik and rode from there through a moonscape of black volcanic rock for miles to Reykjavik,. The airport was very impressive for such a small island, built I believe by the US Army for World War II and probably maintained by the CIA.

Reykjavik was small for a capital and wooden. We were used to the stone of the Mediterranean. We visited the Parliament building and a nearby Viking dig as well as a buggy ride into the surrounding area. The Icelanders have the oldest democracy in the world still called the Althing as it was in Viking days.

The people were large and friendly much like the Scots we had encountered before. Actually Iceland was colonized by Vikings and their Irish slaves. They are all related and the phone book produces perhaps a dozen family names.

Everything ran on geothermal energy. The hotel was steam heated and then the hot water was run into the pipes for washing. The temperature for March was friendly if damp. The Gulf stream which is a moderating influence flows close to the Southern coast of Iceland keeping the harbors open all year.

We visited the wild north face of the island. Noone lives there mostly geysers, mountains, water falls and birds. In the south there were greenhouses everywhere heated of course by the underground geothermal energy. We had fresh tomatoes and salad at dinner which was mostly fruit of the sea. Fishing is important in Iceland, but surprisingly so was the transformation of bauxite from Jamaica into aluminum, again the cheap energy source.

Reykjavik abounded with swimming pools Everyone from 3 to 93 swam almost every day. I actually went swimming in the famous Blue Lagoon on one trip. The water was quite warm although the air was still March.

There were no erupting volcanos nor were any new islands born while we were there. Fish, lamb, good food and woolen sweaters abounded.