Au Revoir!

Our final two days! Where did the last six months go? As you can imagine, we're running around like mad things, finishing up this and that, but before I shut down this blog and bid you all a fond adieu, I do have one more story to share. And it has to do with saying "goodbye".

A few weeks ago, we went to our favorite flea market at the Porte au Vanves. After several hours of browsing, we walked over to the bus stop to take the #95 all the way across Paris to our neighborhood. One of those bus rides that acts like a sight-seeing tour because it passes one Parisian icon after another, ending up by crossing the Seine by the Louvre and going up the Avenue de l'Opéra with the Opéra Garnier standing resplendent at the end.

As we waited for our bus, another bus approached, a #191, coming in from the outskirts of Paris and terminating at Porte au Vanves Metro. We noticed right away several things that were not normal. First of all, the driver's official RATP tie was tied onto the outer side mirror, merrily flapping in the breeze. Secondly, the front of the bus was festooned with balloons.

The driver pulled over to the curb and tooted. Immediately, the door of a nearby RATP office (the local MUNI) opened and several men came running out, smiling, cheering and whistling. One of them had a camera. They posed with the driver in front of the bus.



It was then that we noticed the third unusual thing about the situation. Tacked onto the windshield of the bus was a yellow sign that read "MON DERNIER BUS". Suddenly it all made sense. The driver was retiring and he had just completed his final bus route!

Passers-by stopped and smiled and applauded his big moment. We joined in, adding a few "bravos!" Some people called out "bonne retraite"!

In the picture above, the driver is the fellow with the shaved head standing on the left, holding on to his tie. He beamed at everyone before climbing back into the driver's seat to take the bus to the depot. What struck us, of course, is the fact that he looks to be about 45 years old! In fact, he would be 55 years old, the age at which certain categories of workers here are allowed to retire with full pension benefits. One of the biggest financial burdens on the French economic system, it is precisely this whole retirement age issue that is currently sparking furious discussion in the French Senate and almost weekly "manifestations" in the streets.

This fellow managed to complete his working career under the old system, and one hopes he does, indeed, have a "bonne retraite", even though from our perspective, 55 years old seems a ridiculously young age to call oneself retired!


Be that as it may, dear readers, it is now time for me to take my leave of you all, and "retire" this blog. Thank you for following along with all of our adventures, thanks to those who were able to navigate the BlogSpot website to leave comments on the blog, and thanks to all of you who wrote emails. It's been an unforgettable six months!


With the full moon rising over the rooftops of this beautiful city last Saturday night, and the lighted towers and spire of Notre Dame gleaming in the distance, I bid you all a very fond AU REVOIR!