The Grand Tour

The Grand Tour was the traditional trip through Europe undertaken by young British men of means in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. It served as an educational rite of passage. This was True's 'Grand Tour.'

They started in Munich, where True met his friends after flying by way of Dubai. Here he is drinking beer with his pal P.J. at the famous Hofbrauhaus. I like the contrast of dark-haired True drinking light beer and blonde P.J. drinking dark beer.

A hearty meal of pork with potato dumpling.

The boys visited the Dachau concentration camp, near Munich. True said it was sobering but good to see.

They took a train to Paris, arriving late at night. Here, they are eating at a sidewalk cafe on the rue de Rivoli opposite the Tuileries Gardens.

True looking very American at the Louvre.

The Hotel Regina where Grandpa Leo used to stay and the statue of Jean d'Arc that we all loved.

At Palais Chaillot in Trocadero.


It was a beautiful day.

The boys, P.J., Stephen, Jackson and True.


The Seine, looking lovely, from the Pont d'Iena.

True, thinking deep thoughts at the Rodin Museum.

True took his friends to visit our old neighborhood and our old apartment.

At the front door to 11 rue Eugene Labiche.

This is the window to the dining room where the boys used to do their homework.

True's old bedroom overlooking rue Octave Feuillet.

Amorino, the boys' favorite gelato place in Paris.

They walked to our old shopping street and bought wine and cheese and fruit and cold cuts for a picnic.

The picnic site in Jardin du Ranelagh, where Sky and True played often when they were kids.

The Caucasian Wingnut, subject of both Sky and True's grade school 'tree project.'

This is a picture of True sitting beneath the tree doing a drawing of its leaves when he was in the fourth grade.

Steak frites at l'Entrecote in the Latin Quarter.

Shakespeare & Co., the famous Latin Quarter English-language bookstore, where I used to go and where I took Sky several times.

The boys then took the train south to the Riviera and met up with some girls from their school in Cannes.

Of course, this is not the scrappy Europe trip that I remember ... they rented a villa with the help of one of their friend's parents. That is the villa in the background and their own private pool in the foreground.


Oysters, of course!

True had a cozy middle bunk for the night train from Cannes back to Paris.

He had time to go to Trocadero for breakfast at our favorite place, La Carette.

His last photo in France before taking the train to the airport.