Of course, we had to end with a repeat photo of the Eiffel Tower. It seems to have a personality of its own, offering varying views based on weather, crowds, and time of day.

Note: To all of our readers visiting our site via a smartphone, please click the “View web version” tab under the word “Home” at the bottom of the page to access the web version enabling you to access all of our archives on the right side of the page. We’ll be updating our site shortly, making these extra steps unnecessary. Thank you. 

Wow! The architecture was breathtaking.

Today’s post was prepared in record time after a fitful night’s sleep totaling no more than three hours combined. There’s no doubt in my mind that failure to have a good night’s sleep impeded my memory and ability to function mentally.

Hand-made pasta in the window of a local restaurant/deli.

Subsequently, I accidentally prepared tomorrow’s post instead of today’s, which I’m grateful to have done and can copy and post on our new site tomorrow morning (I hope without issues).

But, this fact left me facing preparing another post for today. Sure, I could have posted a notice stating “no post today.” But, in my desire for consistency and diligence, I didn’t want to do that.

There’s a pharmacy every few blocks.

What kept me awake most of the night was a sorrowful reality that my dear sister Susan’s life may be coming to an end in the next few days. I was back and forth on the phone during the night with my sister Julie and now, as we speak, she and our niece Kely, Susan’s daughter, along with Susan’s dear ex-husband Tom, are at her side.

I am so grateful she is not alone and has beloved family members at her side. She’s currently in a coma and highly sedated. The end is near. I’ve called several times to have the phone put up to her ear to tell her I love her and that although I can’t be with her, my love and my heart are right beside her.

We were able to flag down a taxi as we stood at this corner after dining at La Fontaine de Mars on Tuesday.

Sleep was elusive between the phone calls and texts, interspersed with crazy dreams, and this morning from 4:00 am on, I lay quietly in bed, preferring not to get up and awaken Tom. He hasn’t been sleeping well, and I didn’t want to awaken him.

With almost 13,000 restaurants listed on Trip Advisor in Paris, it’s tricky deciding on where to dine.

By 8:00 am, he awoke, and I got up, showered, dressed, and commenced on my first walk of the day. Sure, it would have been easy to forgo a day of walking, but one full day of laying around or sitting in a chair, hardly moving about, was certainly more harmful than continuing to maintain my walking schedule.

At this point, as I prepare the second post of the day when it’s already close to 1:00 pm, and I soon have to head out to work on the second half of the day’s walking goal.

Most of these perfect-looking fruit has been imported to Paris, as is the case in many other cities worldwide.

Lately, I’ve been hiding away after uploading the post, watching the Netflix TV series, “The 100.” If ever there’s been a day I’d like to hide away in a compelling series, this is it. 

Beautiful fruit for sale along the boulevard.

With my error in preparing tomorrow’s post, if tonight proves to be another sleepless night, tomorrow I will be equipped with a completed post to upload to our new WordPress site. I can only hope it goes well.

Please, if you don’t see the new post, bear with me, as I’ll continue to work on it to get it uploaded by the end of the day, if at all possible. Fortunately, our web developer will be available if I have questions along the way.

In the city of Paris, we never saw a single freestanding home. All the housing consists of apartment buildings such as this. We’ve found living in apartments such as these unappealing to us. We’re glad we stayed in Paris for this shorter period than our usual two to three months.  Apartments such as these are costly

So that’s it for today, folks, along with the final expenses for our 15-nights in Paris, is somewhat of a lackluster format. I had no energy to make it look better. But, surely, you get the drift here as shown below in the Euro exchange rate back in 2014:

         Hotel:                 US $3352, EU 2511 
         Train & Taxi fare: US $211,   EU  158 
         Tours:                 US $644,   EU  483 
         Dining & Snacks:  US $1438, EU 1077
         Airfare & Bags:     US $959,   EU  719 
         Total:                   US 6604,  EU 4948
         Average Daily:      US $413,  EU  310

Carved door to a city business center.

Have a good day. Stay safe.

Photo from one year ago today, August 16, 2019:
There was no post one year ago today due to sightseeing in St. Petersburg. We’ll be back with more year-ago photos soon.

La Fontaine de Mars restaurant is located in an upscale neighborhood from what we observed.

Note: To all of our readers visiting our site via a smartphone, please click the “View web version” tab under the word, “Home” at the bottom of the page to access the web version enabling you to access all of our archives on the right side of the page. We’ll be updating our site shortly, making these extra steps unnecessary. Thank you. Today’s photos are from the post from August 14, 2014, while in Paris, France. See the link here for more photos.

Tom wasn’t his usual smiley self while waiting for La Fontaine de Mars to open for our 7:30 reservation. Us old-timers always arrive too early. Why is that?

No doubt, if I could have ordered anything that appealed to me on the menu in French restaurants, my dining experience would have been considerably more exciting and interesting. 

The staff was busy preparing for the evening’s usual totally booked tourist crowd, often Americans, from what we read online.

At that time in 2014, I wasn’t drinking wine and missed the opportunity to try a wide array of French wines. Also with my way of eating, required for my health, we never ordered a loaf of French bread, croissants, desserts, or pastries although it was tempting at times

This tiny room where we dined had seating for 16. The restaurant appeared to be a converted house with three of four rooms such as this on the second level, which we read was preferable to dining on the loud, busy main floor. However, some may prefer a more lively pace while dining.

With Tom’s sensitive taste buds and aversion to many spices and flavors, he didn’t take advantage of most French offerings. Then again, for us, during our world travels, dining out was never an important element.

This is the menu with prices in Euros. US $10 converts to EU $8.46 based on today’s rates.

We’ve found shopping for local fresh vegetables, meats, and cheeses, made cooking for ourselves a worthwhile undertaking, contributing to a wide array of meals we joyfully prepared and savored at our holiday home in any country.

The opposite side of the room in which we dined at La Fontaine de Mars. (I didn’t use the flash to avoid disturbing other diners).

Rarely, did we encounter difficulty in finding quality foods befitting our way of cooking and dining “at home.” The location where we had the most difficulty was while living in Diani Beach, Kenya for three months in 2013, where there were limited options for protein sources and the lack of availability of many cooking ingredients in the small Nakumatt Market.

My filet mignon on a bed of spinach. I moved over the steak and piled the sauce on the spinach.  My way of eating encourages eating lots of fat excluding trans fat, and vegetable oils but includes animal fat, butter, coconut and olive oil, avocadoes, and nuts.

Also, the fact that the tiny galley kitchen couldn’t fit the two of us at once, cooking wasn’t as much fun as usual. We often dined out when many of the local upscale resorts had beautiful restaurants and fabulous, continental cuisine at affordable prices.

Tom’s filet mignon with fries and butter for the breadbasket His steak was very small.

We’d been advised to avoid the local restaurants on the main road, due to security risks and the possibility of becoming sick when our digestive systems weren’t adapted to certain risks.

By the time I remembered to take this photo, I’d already consumed half of this server of Bearnaise sauce.

Subsequently, only a year later we were in Paris with the opportunity to savor many exquisite dishes and yet, we were somewhat impeded by our own self-imposed issues. 

Our bill which converted to US $85.11 at today’s rates.

That didn’t mean we didn’t enjoy the French restaurants. We did. We dined out every morning and evening since we stayed in a hotel without cooking facilities, often trying new restaurants, most within walking distance of our boutique hotel near the Eiffel Tower.

View from the upper level of La Fontaine de Mars from the steps to the upper level.

On a few occasions, we returned for a second visit to a particular restaurant when we found ourselves craving a repeat of a prior meal. Each time we selected a new restaurant, we perused reviews at TripAdvisor to ensure each location was rated high for quality, freshness, cleanliness, and service.

View of the back of Tom’s head and the busy first level which many diners prefer or where latecomers are seated. No reservations were held beyond 15 minutes of their scheduled time.

Although we dined at a few upscale restaurants, overall, we sought those in the middle range, to keep costs down. It was expensive in Paris for meals, hotels, transportation, tours, and services.  

Another restaurant we visited in Paris, Bistrotters. Tom, as usual, was first in line, waiting for the restaurant to open at 7 pm.

In a few days, we’ll share our total expenses for the 16 nights in Paris, (not 15 as previously mentioned in error), providing a clear perspective of what one may expect for a mid-range experience in the city of lights (which most likely will be higher considering we were there six years ago).

Based on the lighting in Bistrotters, it was tough to get a good shot of the menu. Enlarging this photo will enable easier reading.

That’s all for today folks. After uploading this post, I’ll be studying two videos provided by our web developer on how to post and manipulate our new site which as it turns out will be going “live” on Monday morning, our time, allowing us the day to work out any kinks or issues throughout the day. 

Tom enjoyed his first course of grilled chorizo.

Our web address will remain the same: www.worldwidewaftage.com and there will be nothing for you to do other than spend less than a minute familiarizing yourself with our new easy-to-use format. 

The waiter was surprised when I ordered the foie gras based on my food restrictions. He felt it may be too fatty without bread or crackers. I found it to be extraordinary, the best foie gras I’ve ever had. That morning, I looked up a few recipes and if I can find duck liver anywhere, I think that once we’re situated again in a few months, I may attempt to make this.

Each day’s new post will be in plain view along with recent posts, archives, and advertising, easy to access using cell phones, laptops, computers, and tablets. No longer will cell phone users need to follow the special instructions at the top of each of our recent posts.

This plate provides a better perspective of the size of my portion of foie gras. In the middle were pickled tomatoes and a salad, both of which contained sugar in the dressing which I opted not to eat after taking a taste. The coarse salt and the cayenne pepper on the right of the plate were the perfect accompaniment.

Happy day to all!

Photo from one year ago today, August 14, 2019:

A port of call on the Baltic cruise enabled us to tour the city of Copenhagen, noticing many colorful buildings. For more photos from this city, please click here.

Venus de Milo by Alexandros of Antioch, also known as Aphrodite of Milos. It was amazing we got this shot free of onlookers when hundreds of visitors were crowded around the statue also trying to take photos.

Note: To all of our readers visiting our site via a smartphone, please click the “View web version” tab under the word “Home” at the bottom of the page to access the web version enabling you to access all of our archives on the right side of the page. We’ll be updating our site shortly, making these extra steps unnecessary. Thank you. 

Many of the statues were spiritual.

Tom waited patiently while I continued to walk around the historic and famous statue waiting for the perfect moment. Although the light from the window behind my shot impeded the quality of the photo, I was thrilled even with the one person crouching on the ground in the left center of the photo. 

Artemis, the Moon Mistress.

With that one flaw, I avoided the necessity of editing the photo in any manner, which I rarely take time to do anyway, especially when, under usual circumstances, we have thousands of photos to handle in any one month.

Scary skeleton statue.

Gosh, I wish I had that problem now! I can’t find a single photo op in my field of vision at this time during the COVID-19 lockdown while in a hotel in Mumbai, India, on day #143. When that ever changes is up for grabs with nary a word on the news as to when we may get out of here.

One can only imagine the skill required for the detail in this sculpture.

Today, it was announced that India is interested in acquiring millions of doses of Russia’s vaccine, which has yet to go to stage 3 human trials. This is the vital stage of testing, which is imperative in ensuring the safety and efficacy of the vaccine.

This painting is entitled, The Fish Market After 1621 by Frans Snyder.

We realize that down the road. Travelers may be required to have proof of vaccination to cross borders, fly on planes, trains, public transportation, embark on cruises or participate in any public group activities. 

Tom in front of a statue of a hunter in the center courtyard.

This may be the future-facing all of us. We’ve decided we won’t take a vaccine until its safety and efficacy have been proven through millions of doses or when or if it’s mandatory for us to leave India or enter or exit another country in the future.

Another exquisite statue in the courtyard under the glass pyramid.

We accept and understand the fears and refusal many have over the use of vaccines. But, years ago, in 2012, when we prepared to leave the US, we visited a travel clinic to have approximately 18 injections/vaccines for various illnesses. 

Of course, there were many expensive shops on the way to the exit.

Since that time, while in South Africa, we had the necessary boosters to continue our original vaccines. We felt this was an essential byproduct of choosing to travel the world. 

Once we exited the Louvre, it didn’t take long to find a taxi.

From now on, if a COVID-19 vaccine proves safe and worthwhile after millions of doses have been tendered, I imagine we’ll jump on the bandwagon. We don’t feel confident COVID-19 is going away anytime soon. And, with our still-burning desire to continue to travel, we may have no choice.

We spotted this view from the window of the taxi while we were driving back to our hotel.

With the US having the highest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the world, even when and if we stopped traveling, we may need to protect ourselves there as well.


Yes, we realize that at some point, we won’t be able to continue to travel. We’ve accepted the reality that we may have no choice but to return to the US as we become older when we become less and less able to continue with the rigors and challenges of traveling. We have no delusions about this.

It wasn’t long before we spotted the famous landmark, the Eiffel Tower, a short walk from our hotel, which has been an excellent location for our time in Paris.

However, if our health is good, we could at least stay in vacation/holiday homes in various parts of the US (or the world) for perhaps three to six months at a time, continuing to enjoy a life of exploration and adventure, rather than feeling stuck in one location. 

We have no interest in ever owning a home again. We don’t ever want to “outfit” a house with furniture and “stuff.” That’s not us, and I can’t imagine it will ever be.

Ah, there it is.  The Eiffel Tower has been my favorite sight to see in Paris.

For now, we remain firmly in place, in this pleasant hotel environment, although highly repetitious in our meals and activities, waiting to “see how it goes” over the next several months.

We’re not stressed. We’re not unhappy. We get along famously. And, above all, we are grateful to be safe.

You stay safe, too.

Photo from one year ago today, August 13, 2019:
There was no post one year ago today while out touring at a port of call on the Baltic cruise—more tomorrow.