27th-Chapter-U.S. visit
Cannes/Paris, Saturday, November 15, 2025
Today we left for a 3-week visit to the US, our first since moving to France. We will spend the weekend in Paris and then a few weeks in Tucson to visit Rebecc’s sister Nita, followed by 5 days in San Francisco.
Cannes to Paris
Originally, we had booked a TGV for 12:33 to arrive at the 8:22 PM CDG station. We changed our TGV train to Paris Gare de Lyon to arrive earlier and give us more time in Paris. Our new tickets had us leaving at 8:22 AM to arrive at 13:51 Gare de Lyon (about 6 hours).
On the train, we shared a seat with an interesting fellow from Paris who works as a translator for a hush-hush security firm. I won’t offer his name or photo to protect his privacy. We discussed a wide variety of topics on the 5-hour ride.
Upon arriving at the train station (Gare de Lyon), we stashed our bags at the station and headed out to explore. The day was a bit wet and cool.
We had lunch at Cafe de Industrie (16 Rue Saint Sabin).
We walked around Paris and explored the Place des Vosges
The Place des Vosges is one of the oldest squares in Paris, and also one of the most beautiful. Called Place Royale until the end of the 18th century, it was initially dedicated to King Henry IV, then to his son, Louis XIII, after Henry IV’s assassination. Visitors stroll under its arcades or along the paths of the central garden, taking the opportunity to admire the superb red brick facades. The numerous 17th- and 18th-century mansions have been transformed into internationally renowned museums: the Picasso Museum, the Carnavalet Museum, the Victor Hugo House, and more. The square is the ideal starting point for a walk in the Marais, one of the capital’s most charming historic districts, renowned for its heritage treasures and its unique atmosphere.
Later, we walked in intermittent rain to the Notre Dame Cathedral to explore the renovations. We did not have a reservation, but the line moved quickly. They did a magnificent job in restoring it.
The construction of Notre-Dame began in 1163 under Bishop Maurice de Sully and was completed around 1345. This colossal undertaking, spanning nearly two centuries, marked the birth of the French Gothic style. The cathedral quickly became the spiritual and political heart of the kingdom. It was here that the coronation of Napoleon Bonaparte, the funerals of numerous sovereigns, and key moments in national history were celebrated.
In the 19th century, Notre-Dame fell into oblivion. Threatened with demolition, it regained its splendor thanks to Victor Hugo ‘s novel , *Notre-Dame de Paris* (1831). The writer depicted the cathedral as a living entity, “a book of stone” recounting the soul of the people. This literary success led to a vast restoration campaign directed by Viollet-le-Duc. Thanks to this work and the passion of artists, the cathedral regained its lost prestige.
On April 15, 2019, a devastating fire engulfed the roof structure, nicknamed “the forest,” and destroyed the central spire. This tragedy shocked the world. In a matter of hours, Notre-Dame became a universal symbol of the fragility of our heritage. Yet, amidst the flames, the golden cross and the main altar remained intact, a beacon of hope
After that visit, we explored Paris a bit more as the rain was letting up a bit. We picked up our bags at the train station and took the nearby metro to our hotel (Moxy) at the CDG airport. We were staying there as we have an early flight on Monday.
Paris, Sunday, November 16, 2025
Rebecca was a bit wiped out from our train and rested at the hotel. I set out for lunch at a Sushi restaurant I had visited before and then joined up with our train friend as he offered to take me on a walking tour of his neighborhood. There was a Georgia O’Keeffe exhibit in a courtyard.
After our walking tour, I headed over to one of my favorite museums in Paris, Musée d’Orsay. Getting off at the local metro, I chanced into a street market and scored two pairs of warm socks, one of which Rebecca quickly commandeered for herself.
Located in the heart of Paris, in the former Orsay train station, the Musée d’Orsay houses the world’s largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art. Reflecting Western artistic creation between 1848 and 1914, its collections showcase all forms of expression, from painting and architecture to sculpture, decorative arts, and photography. The most celebrated artists are represented: Millet, Courbet, Degas, Monet, Manet, Gauguin, and Van Gogh, as well as Carpeaux, Rodin, Nadar, Vallotton, and Vuillard.
It was constructed for the 1900 Universal Exhibition before being transformed into a museum in 1977 by President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, and then inaugurated in December 1986 by President François Mitterrand. The architectural project was entrusted to the ACT-Architecture group (Bardon, Colboc, Philippon) and the interior design to Gae Aulenti. In 2024, the Musée d’Orsay welcomed more than 3,751,100 visitors from around the world.
Paris/San Francisco/Tucson, Monday, November 17, 2025
We caught an early breakfast at the hotel. Being located at the airport (CDG) it was an easy walk to the terminal for our flight. We boarded a 9:00 AM United flight to Tucson via a connection in San Francisco (11H/35M). Our flight took us over the bottom tip of Greenland.
My row was empty, so I was able to stretch out.
We landed around noon and had just over an hour to make our 1:10 PM connection between SFO and TUS. The challenge was that we had to clear customs in San Fran and transfer our bags to the new flight.
We missed the SFO to TUS connection and were rebooked on the later 4:10 PM flight, arriving at 7:21 PM.
Making the connection was a bit of a comedy as I tried to find the baggage drop-off point in SFO. I finally had the gate agent walk me through the process at the airport. Neither she nor I realized I had exited the customs area through the wrong door.
I brought my pass for the United Lounge, so we used it to catch lunch at the club and relax.
The connection was on a smaller plane, and we enjoyed a sunset while flying. Rebecca came up with a creative solution to reduce the light on the board so she could sleep.
We landed in Tucson around 7:30 PM and took an Uber to Nita’s place (Rebecca’s sister), where we were staying.
Tucson, Thursday, November 20, 2025
Today we made a pilgrimage to Costco, our first visit in five years. It was nice to be able to read the labels in English and buy industrial-sized products.
We are enjoying seeing the Arizona mountains.
Tucson, Saturday, November 22, 2025
We began preparing for Thanksgiving with a trip to Trader Joe’s, another familiar place we had not visited since moving to France.
Tucson, Sunday, November 23, 2025
Nita’s dog Bailey is holding court on his couch perch.
Tucson, Thanksgiving, November 27, 2025
We enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner with Nita and her guest, Rick. Rebecca did a great job of preparing much of the food. I contributed my self-proclaimed Award Winning dressing. 
Tucson/Phoenix/Raleigh, Friday, November 28, 2025
My daughters are both in Raleigh for Thanksgiving, so I flew there to meet up with them on Saturday. Nita generously lent me her car so I could drive to the airport.
I left at 8:00 AM on an American connecting flight to Phoenix, arriving at 9:30 AM. Then it was a 10:00 AM flight to Raleigh/Durham, arriving at 4:15 PM
I booked a room at the Airport Wingate. My hotel shuttle driver drove me to the local Walmart to pick up a few things for the room for the night.
Raleigh, Saturday, November 29, 2025
I met up with my daughters for a walk in the local park and lunch. It was great to see them again. Katie was visiting Sarah for Thanksgiving.
Sarah has a relatively new job (and is crushing it) and a house that she shares with her fiancé, Aleks. They are getting married next September.
They drove me to the airport for my 7:00 PM flight to DFW, connecting to TUS.
I made the first leg just fine, but the DFW to TUS was a nightmare.
The 10:30 PM departure was cancelled due to equipment issues. We were told to go to a different terminal to catch a replacement flight that was originally scheduled to leave around 11:00 PM. That flight was moved back to 1:30 AM, then 4:00 AM, then 6:00 AM, and finally 7:00 AM. I spent the night at DFW. I changed my flight to take a scheduled 7:10 AM TUS flight, not trusting the latest update. After explaining my situation, I was upgraded to better seats. I finally arrived back in Tucson around 9:30 AM.
The view from the airplane on the final leg in the morning light was beautiful.
After my ordeal, I contacted AA customer service and negotiated a 20,000-mile credit to my account.
Tucson/San Francisco, Monday, December 1st, 2025
We caught an Uber to the airport.
Our 10:20 AM TUS flight arrived at SFO at 11:50 AM.
I was seated next to an interesting fellow. He was flying to Silicon Valley to spend a week at Nvidia (where he has a lab) to learn and exchange information regarding AI hardware architecture. We had several interesting discussions.
We grabbed an Uber to our hotel in Union Square (Orchard Hotel/665 Bush St). The hotel was not very full but was clean, well-located, and comfortable.
After checking in, we dropped the bags and set out for lunch (Sears Diner) and to explore the city. We bought a three-day metro pass and took the cablecars around the city.
We visited Fisherman’s Wharf, Chinatown, North Beach and several other landmarks. We noticed many self-driving Waymos around town.
Note to self: Next time, we should purchase a Clipper card to get around.
San Francisco, Tuesday, December 2nd, 2025
Using our transit card, we hit several San Francisco tourist highlights, including
A catalyst for the hippie movement in the sixties, San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district remains its standard-bearer . Murals, trendy, even downright shady shops, psychedelic art, revamped Victorian houses, and a multitude of hipsters per square meter—that’s Haight-Ashbury. But also drugs, rock ‘n’ roll (Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, and the Grateful Dead lived there), the Summer of Love
The “Painted Ladies.” This perfect alignment of seven Victorian houses (often called the “Seven Painted Ladies”) is located on Steiner Street, across from Alamo Square
Why are they called that? The term “Painted Ladies” refers to Victorian or Edwardian-style houses painted in three colors, which highlights the details of their architecture. The expression was first used by writers Elizabeth Pomada and Michael Larsen in 1978. 48,000 Painted Ladies in various colors were built in San Francisco between 1849 and 1915.
Later, we took the ferry to Oakland to have dinner (Yoshi’s) with Doris, a friend who lives there. We met her in Cannes when they rented an apartment below us. She had recently lost her husband.
At the ferry stop is the Jack London cabin, where he lived for a while.
San Francisco, Wednesday, December 3rd, 2025
Another day of exploring using our transit pass.
After a repeat visit to Magnin for breakfast, we walked over to the San Francisco Mint for a visit. Contrary to Google, it turns out it is closed to visitors.
We then took the cable car to Lombard Street, and saw the twisted street.
Lombard Street is a huge, long, heavily trafficked road that runs through San Francisco from the Presidio to the Embarcadero. It’s also part of Highway 101 (between Broderick and Van Ness). But it’s best known for a tiny, one-block section in the Russia Hill neighborhood, between Hyde Street and Leavenworth. Eight sharp turns make it one of the most winding roads in the US
This brought us to Ghirardelli Square for a look around, and then we caught a bus to the Golden Gate Bridge.
Ghirardelli Square, considered the first successful adaptive reuse project in the country, has a history that spans more than a century and covers three continents. This specialty retail and dining complex, housing shops and restaurants, was originally a chocolate factory established by Domenico “Domingo” Ghirardelli.Born in 1817 in Rapallo, Italy.
In the 1960s the chocolate manufacturing operation was sold and transferred to San Leandro. A group of San Franciscans, fearing Ghirardelli Square might be demolished, purchased the property. Unique shops and restaurants were created within the old factory, combining the latest in retailing and fine cuisine with the flavor of old San Francisco. The project officially opened on November 29, 1964.
We returned to the downtown area via the bus and took a Waymo ride back to our hotel.
San Francisco, Thursday, December 4th, 2025
I purchased a daily Muni Senior pass to discover that Bart had a different pass.
We took BART to Berkley for no good reason other than to explore it. After an hour or so of wandering, we returned to the city to relax.
That evening, we joined my Nephew Brian and his wife and son for dinner in their neighborhood. It was nice to see them and get caught up, as they recently returned from Thanksgiving in Michigan.
Rebecca used this opportunity to return to a Haigh Ashbury retail shop to pick up a few things.
Our return took us through Chinatown.
San Francisco, Friday, December 5th, 2025
Today was Muir Woods day via a tour. We were picked up at 8:15 AM near our hotel and joined our group of 6 people.
We made a brief stop at the Golden Gate Bridge and then proceeded to Muir Woods for 90 minutes on our own. The trees were very impressive.
After the Woods visit, we were dropped off for an hour in Sausalito, where we caught lunch at Copita. Then it was back to the city port.
We spent a few hours at the port, stopping off later at a discount store to buy an additional piece of luggage to cart our stuff home.
We rested a bit back at our hotel and then headed out to Tony’s Pizza for dinner.
We stocked up on some hard-to-get items at Walgreens for our return home. We were a bit surprised to see that many items in Walgreens were under lock and key, apparently to discourage shoplifters. The place felt like a giant vending machine.
San Francisco, Saturday, December 6th, 2025
Our final day in San Francisco. We checked out of our room and stored the bags.
We took the Muni to explore Castro Street
This progressive, accepting, creative and diverse neighborhood is also home to some of the most welcoming residents in the city. The activism of the ’60s and ’70s forged a community with sizable political and economic power that rallied around the likes of Harvey Milk. When the historic Twin Peaks bar at Market and Castro streets was built with floor-to-ceiling windows, most took it as a sign that Castro residents were secure in their gay identity.
Nearby Noe Valley, a village of wooden Victorian houses, has a touch of the Castro’s flair and an easygoing mix of hipsters and families.
and the Mission District.
Named after the Mission San Francisco de Asís, founded in 1776, the Mission District is San Francisco’s oldest neighborhood. Today, it’s the heart of the city’s Latino culture, famous for its spectacular murals , legendary taquerias, and the laid-back vibe of Dolores Park . Carlos Santana grew up there, and the neighborhood remains a hub of artistic creativity.
Both of which were interesting in their own right.
We were searching for a place to have lunch and ended up at Jake’s Steaks for a Philly Beefsteak and a hamburger.
Afterward, we discovered Maxfield’s coffee shop. Maxfield is Rebecca’s mother’s maiden name.
We then took the bus back to Union Square and rested a bit in the lobby of The St Francis, a local landmark. We collected our bags and grabbed an Uber to the airport, where we used Rebecca’s United lounge pass to hang out and catch a bite before our flights home.
Our return flight was via Swiss Air, United’s partner.
Our flight left SFO at 7:20 PM on Saturday and landed in Zurich at 3:30 PM on Sunday (11H/5M plus 9 time zones). We left Zurich at 5:00 PM and arrived in Nice at 6:10 PM, a short hop.
We took an Uber back to our place in Cannes as we were rather tired and happy to be home.
Cannes, Monday, December 8th, 2025
We were welcomed home on our first morning with a beautiful sunrise.
