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  Paris, France
Monday, April 14, 2008

Today I slept in a little to try to catch up more than I had been able to up until then, and then took to the road again, heading to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Gorisse who live in France just across the Belgian border. This is the area where the front-line trenches ran during WWI, and their bucolic little village was occupied by the Germans through most of the war. The actual front line of WWI ran only a few hundred meters from where their house is located today. Even after all these years the flotsam and jetsam of war still works its way to the surface of farmland in the surrounding area. Children have to be taught not to touch pieces of metal they may come across in forests or fields as some ordnance that surfaces is still live!  WWI still occasionally kills people.
 
We had a long, very pleasant visit over a four-course lunch. Mr. Gorisse directs a music school, and is an extremely accomplished musician on several instruments. He is going to receive a distinguished award from the State very soon, for his years of exemplary service as a teacher and administrator. We discussed the new hymnal that has just come out in English. Mr. Gorisse has overseen the translation and preparation of the French hymnal. We only have about 30 more to go until we'll have the whole hymnal translated and we can print a permanent version ourselves.  We also discussed the possibility of having periodic Sabbath services in Paris, and how the Gorisses might be able to assist with that.
 
It's always pleasant to visit with this fine couple and always hard to leave, but I had one more visit scheduled back in Paris with a man counseling for baptism. So I drove the rest of the way and checked in to my usual hotel near the Hôtel des Invalides, a rest home for former soldiers, especially those handicapped during their service. Napoleon Bonaparte is buried under the dome of the church which is part of the complex. The French Army Museum surrounds the central courtyard.
 
The man I was to meet, arrived right on time and we had a very constructive visit at the hotel and then continued our discussion over dinner at a little bistro nearby. I consider this "my neighborhood" in Paris, since I usually stay here when I come and I've been doing that for around 20 years now, so I have favorite places to eat, and the Bistro du 7ème is one of those. I just got back now and it's nearly midnight , so this will be another rather short night.

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