CHAMONIX…..$20 HOT DOGS

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There is news regarding Greece this morning.

The Greek government has proposed further pay and pension cuts. Part of the austerity program to help Greece pay back the euro monies loaned them. Germany being the primary lender, the bank in effect.

This will be the third pay and pension cuts the Greek people have experienced because of the loans.

As I have indicated many times, the Greek people will not stand for what is happening to them too long. Imagine Washington cutting your salary by one third and taking a portion of your pension. Futher, appreciate that the Greek government is not as here in the United States. We get mad at Washigton, say bad things about our legislators, etc. Most Greeks in government are outright thieves, however. The Greek people know it and are at the point of saying screw you!

I was in Greece this summer when demonstrations occurred. In the past twenty four hours, there have been riots.

As we slept, the Greeks began a 24 hour protest. An anti austerity protest. Greece is closed down at the moment. People not working and so forth. The people are demonstrating in the streets. Thousands of them. Four thousand additional police have benn called to control the riots. Molotov cocktails have been thrown.

I visted France on my European trip. Only two days. Only one town. Chamonix. Chamonix is also known as Chamonix Mont Blanc.

Italy and France connect via the Mont Blanc Tunnel. 11 km. A magnificent piece of construction. An architectural masterpiece. Well maintained. Beautiful views on either side. A half hour car drive Courmayeur to Chamonix.

Chamonix was the home of the first winter Olympics in 1924. It is a sking mecca. A tourist haven. Five million tourists a year visit. The normal population is 10,000.

I found Chamonix pleasing to the eye. Beautiful buildings. Many small attractive shops. Many outdoor cafes. Lovely restaurants.

I did not like the French people. Snobs. Even the merchants. Could care less about visitors. Tourists were not treated as they are treated in Key West, another tourist mecca.

My first day in Chamonix was the same day that I woke to an August snow storm in Courmayeur. It was cold and rainy when I arrived. Long pants time. Layered clothing.

I have only two photos of Chamonix. Besides me, each shows the buildings and beauty of Chamonix.

I had lunch in the restaurant behind me in the first photo. Very nice appearing. Because of the rain, I ate inside. Lovely. Comfortable.

The menu was in French. No English sub titles as I was accustomed to on the trip. What to do? I scanned the menu and recognized an item. Sausage and potatoes. In French, of course. I pointed to it on the menu. The waitress took my order.

When the meal arrived, it consisted of two boiled hot dogs and french fries. I called the waitress over. A mistake. No, she said. You ordered sausage and potatoes. She pointed to it in French on the menu. Turns out the French word sausage means hot dogs.

The manager came over. I explained the error. No sympathy. No let me get you something else. Note that the two boiled hot dogs and french fries cost $20.

I am a grandfather. I have eaten boiled hot dogs before. So I said what the hell!

I did request ketchup. For the french fries. Another tragedy! The waitress was insulted as she told me…..We are a French restaurant! No ketchup.

I enjoyed my lunch. I would not let the situation spoil my day. It was my fault anyhow. I should know how to read a French menu.

Yesterday was a lot of nothing. Enough to keep me busy, however. A haircut with Lori. Coffee and the papapers at the Plantation Coffee House. Diane and Theo working. Nice people. Back to home where I worked on friday’s internet show.

Published an article on Amazon Kindle. Hooversville, Hoover Blankets, Hoover Soup.

Hoover was a millionaire and a humanitarian. He headed the massive relief program after World War I to feed the starvinbg Europeans. He was much respected. Hoover became President in 1928. The big deprerssion hit in 1929. People were sleeping on the streets covered with newspapers, eating in soup kitchens, losing their homes, hurting big time. The federal government did not help. Hoover believed public monies should not be used to help the people. He refused to provide federal relief funds. He publically stated that people had to get out of the hole they were in without public assistance. Their problems were not a federal concern.

Tough.

I compared the sitaution then to now. Though not as bad, we are experieincing difficult economic times. I compared Hoover and Romney. Two men from similar backgrounds. Birds of a feather philosophically.

Dinner was late. At the Town ‘N Country in the Marriott Beachside. Wednesday night there is a deal. At the end of your meal, the manager flips a coin. If you call it correctly, the meal is on him. I called it correctly. Heads. My prime rib was free.

It rained all night. It is raining this morning. Overcast. Much thunder. Some lightning.

Today is thursday. Bocce night. Will we be able to play?

Remember…..The Key West Lou Legal Hour. Tomorrow morning. Friday. Ten, my time. World wide. On the internet. www.konknet.com/tv/personalities.

Enjoy your day!

COURMAYEUR…..FOOT OF MONT BLANC

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Spent most of yesterday preparing friday’s internet show. The Key West Lou Legal Hour. KONK Broadcasting has been moving. I have been unable to do the show for two weeks. I missed doing it! I am thrilled to be preparing for a friday show again.

Remember, the show has a new internet address. Reception supoposedly will be better. www.konknet.com/tv/personalities.

Some of friday’s goodies include the ten foot python found last week at the Key West Airport, contraception to be taught in Key West and other Monroe County schools, eating worms and roaches, teaching the young to make Molotov cocktails in Tunis, a son who stole his mother’s jewels so he could visit a brothel, a medical theory that castration leads to longer life, HIV and jail sequestration, and more. The more of course includes my take on the Presidential campaign, last night’s debate, and an update on Greece’s economic problem.

A good show in the making. Join me.

I did get out of the house briefly during the day. A noon manicure with Tammy. A neighbor airport pick up at 5.

Last night was dinner at the bar at Hogfish. Fish and chips and read the newspapers.

Parking was unusual last night at Hogfish. There was none. Cars everywhere. Even way up the road. The place was packed.

The Presidential debate. A few brief comments.

Neither candidate answered questions. If either were in a court room in front of a Judge, they would first be yelled at and then held in contempt.

I thought Obama the winner. Far and away. Romney continues to be weak on foreign affairs. He is also too combative. A tough opponent. On the other hand, if he conducts every day business in a similar fashion, he would not be successful as President. Putin would knock him on his ass if Romney got in Putin’s face. Similarly, Romney evidenced a lack of respect for his opponent and the moderator.

Lets move on to happier things. Like Courmayeur. A small ski village at the foot of Mont Blanc. Another stopping off place on my European trip.

Courmayeur is in northern Italy. One half hour car drive to France and a one hour drive to Switzerland. It is located in a valley high up on Mont Blanc. Mont Blanc is the highest point in Europe. Part of the Alps.

I was in Courmayeur in August. It was warm. But…..I woke one morning to snow. That is how it is on Mont Blanc. The temperature had dropped from a mid 70 high the day before to a 20 degree temperature the next morning.

I found Mont Blanc awesome! Magnificent! Over powering!

The favorite food of those living in the Courmayeur area is polenta. Ground corn. It was eaten with every meal. Huge plates of it. I could not stand the polenta. My only dislike on the trip.

There are nine photos of Courmayeur.

If I was on the side of a mountain near Switzerland, what else would I live in other than a Swiss chalet? Which I did. The first photo is of the chalet. The building actually contained four condominiums. Each with a balcony facing Mont Blanc.

The next photo is of some other chalets to the right of the one I was staying at.

The chalet buildings are old old. Hundreds of years. They are purchased and renovated. The outer stone reset. Wood stairs and balconies added. Some of the wood additions are reflected in the next photo.

Shadows intrigued me. They were caused by the angle of the sun and the position of the staircases. The next photo hopefully is representative of the shadows.

The next pic is the dining room of the chalet.

The next photo is the best! I took it from the balcony of the chalet. Mont Blanc with clouds below its peak.

The next two photos are different shots of Mont Blanc taken from different places and angles.

The last photo is interesting. It did not come out as intended. However, I still want to share it with you.

Mont Blannc is high. Very high. Trees run up its side. Then suddenly stop. As if a line were drawn. Beyond the trees were rock and dirt running to just below the peak. I was trying to capture the tree line break and show the difference.

The top of Mont Blanc is neither dirt nor rock on the surface. It is glacier ice and snow! Twelve months a year.

Enjoy your day!

COURMAYEUR

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CAMOGLI…..ITALIAN RIVIERA

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Yesterday was one of the busiest I have had in Key West. Business, not pleasure. I was at it from 9 in the morning to 3:30 in the adfternoon. Two business conferences, 2 bank conferences, a visit to Social Security, a visit with son in law Corey, computer time, etc. Plus walking between people and places. Parking near impossible.

I was exhausted when I finished. Sufficiently tired that I did not go out last night.

Today, I plan on doing nothing. It is going to be a Louis day. Only thing scheduled is a manicure at noon. A fun thing. Tonight another Presidential debate. Pure pleasure for me to watch.

Every place visited on my European trip was different. No two places alike. Today, I share with you my visit to Camogli.

Camogli is a small townm on the Italian Riviera. I spent one week there. Its population small. Approximately 5,000. Off season. In season, Camogli is booming with tourists. How many, I never was able to ascertain. It is a summer beach town. Frenetic is the best way to describe it.

The summer visitors were well dressed in fashionable summer attire.

Camogli is located on the Portofino penninsula. Just over a mountain is world famous Portofino.

Beachside buildings are 6-8 stories high. Multi colored. Each building reflecting its own hue. In days gone by, Camogli was an active fishing port. The buildings were differently colored so the sailors could identify their homes from the sea as they returned. The color was placed in the sand mix as the buildings were constructed. It is not from paint. The colors have faded over the years. Today though still obvious, the colors are muted.

Buildings are actually called houses. Why, I do not know. Most were constructed around 1,000 A.D. Some before. Camogli is an old town. It looks like an old town. There is nothing modern appearing beach front.

Hanging wash intrigued me. It was all over the place. Camogli buildings may be old on the outside. They are not old on the inside. All beach front condos are in the $1 million range and furnished consistent with such cost. Yet every one hangs their wet wash outside a window to dry. Everywhere in Italy. Not just Camogli.

I believe the real reason is that their is an electrical power problem in Italy. There has always been. The people forget. They tell you they hang the wash out to dry because it smells better. Not just outside buildings. Beautiful private homes, also. A rope of hanging clothes is always to be seen on a front porch.

The photos tell the story. Seven photos in all.

The first is of me with Camogli in the background. A part of the Italian Riviera. Colorful and old.

The next photo is an opposite view of the first. Mount Portofino is behind me. On the other side of the mountain is Portofino.

There is a walkway between the beach front buildings and the beach. It is called a promenade. The next photo is me standing early morning on the promenade. Note the wash hanging out the windows.

Camogli was not without steps. The next photo were the the steps I had to climb each morning to get to the inernet store to do my blog. What you see is only 25 per cent of the steps. The stair way curves up and around the building.

The next photo is of one of the $1 million condos with wash hanging out to dry.

On the back side of the beach front condo buildings were inner courts. Expensive condos were located off the courts, also. Again, the wash. Obviously, I had become fixated with the hanging wash.

The last photo is an alley way between expensive condominium buildings. The space is referred to correctly as an alley. Note the wash again and me staring at it.

I enjoyed Camogli. Old. Medieval. Wash hanging to dry out windows.

I felt like I was in Italy.

Enjoy your day!

CAMOGLI

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GREAT SUNRISE

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I was lucky this morning. I woke just as the sun was breaking over the horizon. Just me, open water and the sun. Magnificent!

Yesterday was Sunday. Turned out to be an odd ball day for me. I had a business project to complete. Thought it would take an hour or two. Took all day.

The only time I left the house was to have Sunday dinner with Lisa and the family. Corey is growing a beard. Looks good. Robert is into baseball. Has a first baseman’s mitt and a hard ball. Ally could care less about anything.

A superb meal! Dessert the best. Crumb cake by Lisa.

I spent ten days on Amorgos. I would like to spend ten years. As you will recall, the only way in and out was the once a week boat. I obviously took it.

My goal was to get to Athens. Not easy. Although only one boat ride. the trip took nine hours. The boat was a local. It stopped at every small island on the way to Athens. Five hours into the trip and I was still within 50 miles of Amorgos.

I got on the boat at 6 in the morning. It was dark. Four of us.

Coming to Amorgos, I rode tourist class. Packed in like sardines. if you think nine across on an airplane is bad, how about thirty. Ten, ten and ten. I learned there was a business class. Business class is first class on the boat. I went business class.

It was well worth it!

The trip was not bad. I actually enjoyed it.

Business class consisted of a huge room on top of the boat. Well done. Service. All kinds of amenities, food and drink. Enjoyed breakfast. A drink or two. Lunch. A chocolate ice cream soda. An occasional coffee. I slept on and off. Actually slept most of the way. Missed some terrific sights I was told. Business class was surrounded with huge windows offering a view of everything.

There are only three photos of the nine hour trip. All are of me sleeping.

The three photos are shared with you this morning. Scroll down.

Enjoy your day!

BOAT…AMORGOS…NINE HOURS TO ATHENS

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JENNA AT NIGHT

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Jenna and Louis were out together last night.

We started at the Chart Room. It had been a while since we were together. We had a lot of catching up to do.

Shila was at the bar. She chatted with us a bit.

Jenna is a sparkling 26 year old. A striking beauty. It does my ego good to be with her.

Jenna is a mainstay with West’s local TV channel. she has her own talk show 5 days a week. Does the evening news 3 days a week. The weather 3 days also. She studied for this kind of work in college. After gradu ation, she wascaster for a year in the Cazrolinas. She has been in Key West since. Jenna wants to be Katey Couric.

Dinner was to be Michael’s or Town ‘N Country. Stopped at Michael’s forst. a thirty minute wait. We decided to head to Marriott’s Town ‘N Country. We enjoyed a long leisurely meal. Table talk covered Key West, what was going on, who was involved in what, etc.

After dinner, I dropped Jenna off. Headed over to Don’s Place. stan and his wife there. Stan is herschel’s brother. The wife works at the new Publix. I vented a coulle of minor dislikes I had with the new place. She swatted me down every time. a loyal employee!

The Monastery. The Monastery is on amorgos. On the side of a very high cliff. Everything uphill to get there. First a bus ride up a steep winding hill. then an extremely long walk up irregular steps. then a furhter long walk up a dirt path. finally steep steps directly into the Monastery.

The Monastery is also known as the Monastery of Panagia Hozoviotissa, as well as Grace of Panagia. Most Greek words are long. I think intentionally so a stranger may not understand. Basically, the Monastery is a shrine to the Blessed Virigin.

Around 1150 A.D., a King Alexis Comenus was vacationing on the beach in Amorgos beneath a towering cliff. It is said he was sunbathing. At this poit, the historical story takes two twists. The first and probab ly correct is that an icon of the blessed Virgin swept up on the sand at his feet. Jewed and beautiful.

the other tale is that Alexis was on the beach as before when an unmanned ship swept up on the shore. No people on board. Only the icon. It was determined the vessel was from Palestine.

Whatever, Alexis viewed the icon as a message from God. something good for alexis. He decided to build a shrine comemorating the event. As close to the exact spot where the icon was swept ashore.

Behind Alexis was a high cliff. Straight up. thousands of feet. Alexis determined the shrine had to be built on the side of the cliff.

It was.

an architectural triumph when you consider the primitive tools used, the inexperience of workers with such a site, etc. The finished monastery has been and still is considered a masterpiece by builders world wide.

Photo 1 is the bus stop. Note the Monastery sign.

The next photo is of the irregular steps going upward. The Monastery is the white building just above center in the photo.

The Monastery is clearly seen in the next photo. I was below it and still had a considerable distance to walk.

I am closer to the Monastery in the next photo.

Finally, the Monastery! This photo shows the final steps to the front door. The doorway is the only entrance. It is about 4.5 feet high and narrow. the purpose of such construction was to protect the Monastery from invaders. Only one at a time could come through the door. That person had to bend in oredr to enter. The monks inside chopped their heads off as the bad guys tried to gain entrance.

The viedws opf the sea are magnificent from the Monastery. the next photo is a shot taken from inside the front door looking out at the blue water.

The next pic is of a spartan hallway.

The final photo is of the seda from a Monastery window. Again, beautiful!

Monks take vcare of the property. I could not determine the name of the oerder. they take a vow of silence for life, with one exception. They also vow never to see or be seen by those not of their group.

there are only three monks legft today. No wonder. nor an easy liefe style.

there were however 10-15 men working in and around the Monastery doing odd jobs. C leaning, gardening and the like. they were not memebers of a religious order. i suspect they wenmt to the Monastery forf a time to find themselves and God. They followed the silence rule.

A monk spoke to our group once. At the tend of the trip. we were taken in a long narrow room with beautiful hand made tables and chairs. The monk served us a fruit drink spiced with honey and some small sweand gave a brief history of the Monastgery.

the monkk was tall. Hus face weathered. His hands and faced dirty. Dirt under his nails.

Earlier I had wandered through the Monasgtery. there were many other icons also displayed. Many old paintings of monks. Jewelry and other treasures.

Incense was burned inside the Monastery. I could smell it through out the visit. It added positively to the visit.

There was a dress code. enforced. Men had to wear long pants. women a dress or pants. Women ahad to have gtheir arms covered tot he wrist.

That’s it for the Monastery. Tomorrow some pics of the many steps I encountered on gthe tgrip.

Enjoy your Sunday!