An American in Paris

Well, not exactly. I stumbled across a blog written by an American girl who is studying in Seville and her blog links to that of another American girl who is studying in Nantes . I find both of them quite interesting, the first because it is pretty well written, the second because I know the area, our house being just about an hour's drive from Nantes. A comment on her trip to Mont St Michel and St Malo brought to mind an incident which always makes me smile when I think of it.

Back in 2006 a group of Americans from the Lions Club with which we are twinned came over for a visit. One of the placed we took them to see was the small village of Alfriston (once the haunt of smugglers). Alfriston can claim to have the first property to be taken on by the National Trust - the Clergy House, which is a medieval thatched property. While we were looking round it, one of the guides pointed out that it had been lived in as a family home for many years "before America was invented".


What it is to be young! Mind you, I don't think I would really want to be that age again. Despite the problems of creaking knees and a back that aches after only an hour's gardening, I am quite happy to be an old age pensioner. Of course, in these politically correct times, the phrase 'old age pensioner' is frowned on - I can't think why; after all, that is what we are! My cousin makes me smile when she rings a restaurant or whatever and asks, "Are you cripple-friendly? You can't say that, but I can, because I am one!" She suffers from MS and is mostly wheelchair-bound.

And there's another puzzle. When (or, more to the point, why) did 'handicapped' become 'disabled' when referring to parking places? And what will they be when 'disabled' is non-PC?

I do seem to have burbled on a bit today - a prerogative of old age!!