07/01/86 Going up the Eiffel Tower

7/1/86 Tuesday

It is a good think I keep a diary or I'd never know one day from the next. I have seen a lot of really good movies. Of course they have been in French so I haven't necessarily understood all of what was going on!

After lunch we went to Paris. We went up to the 2nd floor of the Eiffel tower. It is kind of expensive (24F) It was really neat! I took a few pictures. We also drove around a bit. I met her sister and her niece. Very much rich snobs as far as I could tell. After that we went to St Germain Cathedral. I saw Jerome. Colette says we will go to Notre Dame and other places later on. She said next week we are going to Normandy. She is really funny. Always talking and murmuring in French. She will start saying something and then talk real quiet so I can't figure out the end of the sentence. I am finally beginning to understand a lot of what is going on - as long as people are talking at a slow to normal rate.

I got my first two letters today! Cool!! I was afraid my address was bad and nothing was going to come all summer!

I'm afraid I'm not going to have enough money. I've only spent $15 but I don't really get the F system yet. I always feel like I'm overspending.

Bon Soir

Comments

08/23/25 Organ

The Washington First Ward Building was sold to the City of Washington. Part of my responsibilities included dispensing of the organ and pianos in the building (along with other things). It is an Allen, approximately 1970s. I put the organ up on the auction. There were a couple of other people that were bidding on it, but I ultimately won the bid (for under $100). On the day I won the bid I was able to arrange a mover!!! I paid $250 to have someone from the piano store move it to our house (I have no idea how he managed to get that into the back bedroom....but he did it!!!) Then, it wouldn't work. 😭 I waited for approximately 6 weeks before a guy (who had to be 80 years old) came down from SLC and repaired the organ. (So the organ wasn't actually broken, it had to do with the electricity and the house talking nicely to one another.) It took him a couple of hours to figure it out. He charged about $200 and voila! I have a working church organ. Cool, eh? Now, I got...

03/28/26 Trip to Italy, Day 5, Saturday, Florence

We stopped at a local restaurant and got some breakfast tarts and then went to the Academia and saw the statue of David and had a tour. We returned to the same Restaurant and had panini sandwiches for lunch. Then we went to the Uffizi Museum for another tour. We had yummy gelato and took a rest for a while. We walked through the leather market and to a cool bridge. We walked around the city awhile into we came to a restaurant that was super cute and we ate outside. We had ravioli and pizza. We walked a bit more after dinner and then came back and played games. Academia Statue of David A bum shot Kevin and a cello One of the first pianos ever Early pianos Art in the Uffuzi The ceilings! Art in the Uffuzi Art in the Uffuzi Bridge of Sighs, Florence Shelly in the Bridge Florence Florence Andy and Shelly in the Uffuzi Art in the Uffuzi Florence Florence Trash bins in Florence Restaurant in Florence Outside in the street...so quaint! Restaurant in Florence Restaurant ...

03/27/26 Trip to Italy, Day 4, Friday, Venice to Florence

We headed out around 9 a.m. and got some breakfast in the train station. We played some games until it was time to go just at a table outside of the restaurant. We traveled from Venice to Florence by train… about 2 hours. It was really comfortable and nice and fun to watch the countryside go by. They even served soda and a snack on the train! Upon arrival we dropped off our luggage at the travel agency. Found some food at a grocery store and ate on a bench on the street. The streets were sooo busy! We then had a tour of the largest cathedral in Italy, Duomo, the crypt below and Kevin and Becky climbed the bell tower. Over 400 steps to a beautiful view of Florence. Fun fact...every city in Italy has a Duomo - Duomo means the biggest (most important) chapel in that city. We walked back to our place…and wow!! It’s on the fourth floor and it is awesome. Very spacious 2B3b with a washer. There was a little tiny elevator to go up to the apartment. It had windows so yo...

Griffin Family

Search This Blog