Voir Dire

Roman Theatre in modern day Lyon, formerly the city of Lugdunum during Roman rule.  It seems that France was predestined to have a contested history of its borders.  Controlling a swath of land running from the Atlantic and North Sea down through famous vineyards and valleys to the Mediterranean was always going to be a valued prize.   River Saone running through Lyon and the streets of Vieux (Old) Lugdunum. Yacht Club de Monaco (YCM) is a reminder to me that someone is always doing it better.  Backing up a super yacht into Monaco or Cannes just says that you're winning.  Winning the game of life.  I'm not even jealous, I just feel good standing next to such success.  The town of Annecy, also known as 'Venice of the French Alps' The walk up to Chateau du Clos de Vougeot in the region of Bourgogne, or a castle in Burgundy for the layman.  Besides demanding my pinot noir have striking and vivid colour, fleshy, generous, long to the tongue intro...

Arriving in Paris from SaiGon made 42 degrees feel like 14.  Endless walkathons, vin chaud and famous structures at every turn keeps the chill off and interest up for the most part.   Peak low-season around Paris.   Vistas from Eiffel Tower.  Arc de Triomphe and a look down the River Seine.  Napoleon's tomb is under the gold dome.  Gustave Eiffel had a small apartment at the top of the tower and would invite special guests.  One guest was Thomas Edison who gifted him a model phonograph after the 1889 World Fair. Endless walking, but somehow the city just keeps grabbing your attention around every corner. Au Revoir to Paris, it was time to head south for some of the Mediterranean climate. Cannes on La Cote d'Azur.

Unraveling the history of Vietnam is a challenge and impossible to fully comprehend as a foreigner.  But even having a decent understanding of Vietnam in the 20th Century makes traveling here more of a treat.   An Bang Beach - Hoi An                                                      Kim Bong Carpenters Village - Fishermen outside Hoi An Poor kids, because of the French not leaving any kind of sports culture they're left riding to the parks with their badminton racquets to knock around the shuttlecock. (background behind Dean)  Cu Chi, Ben Duoc tunnels outside SaiGon.  I would have gotten killed immediately as a tunnel rat.              Before the tour of the tunnels there's an option for the gun range.  I chose the M60 with 100 rounds.

VIETNAM - THE WAR YEARS               In the 20th Century alone, Vietnam fought French Colonialists, the United States, Communist China, Imperial Japan during WWII and the Communist Khmer Rouge led by Pol Pot in Cambodia.  They basically fought two Revolutionary Wars and a Civil War simultaneously all the while coming into the 21st Century as SouthEast Asia's new 'tiger' economy.  The people and steel land of Vietnam have proven to be indomitable.                  Sai Gon  'Paris of the East' built by French Colonialists starting around the 1870's.        The French surrender in 1954 after 56 days of fighting at Dien Bien Phu (Central part of the country). They withdraw the next year leaving behind everything they had built in their colony and the country is split at the 17th parallel, establishing North and South.               ...