I’m well aware of the horrific terrorist attacks around the world including Kenya, Nigeria, Beirut, Bangladesh (bloggers being murdered for not being Muslim enough) and many more. If I wrote about every attack around the world, Displaced Beachbums would cease to be about travel. But Paris and all of France has a special place in my heart.
As an American, the French are our oldest ally ~ beginning with Lafayette and the help of the French during our revolution. I’ve been fortunate enough to visit many times and also know someone who lives in central Paris. It’s personal to me. The French inspire me with their love of life, the physical beauty of their country, their history, their delicious wine, desserts and even their “confident” attitude.
My biggest fear is we will let Daesh (and other fanatics) change the way we live. When I say I’m “Praying for Paris”, I’m praying not only for those affected by the recent attack, but for the defeat of the darkness which has been allowed to permeate around the world.
Recently I’ve been attempting to reorganize the thousands of photos I’ve taken over the last ten years. In light of what’s happening in Paris, I made a quick visit to the French Embassy in DC yesterday and then decided I would concentrate on my France photos. Below are a few photos of my visits to Paris:
and then here’s a real throwback to 2004…