Month: May 2013

Monkeys on the Bay

IMG_0538_Snapseed

Kongo was able to mix business with pleasure this week on the Chesapeake Bay.  The little monkey flew to Washington Tuesday for a meeting in Annapolis, Maryland on Wednesday.  What fun to meet on a boat to discuss new business opportunities and long term strategy then get underway for a three hour sail on the bay.  In the photo above Kongo sails beneath the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.  When he got home today he had lunch with Mrs. Kongo on a restaurant on the San Diego Bay.  This is the way monkey business should be conducted!

Continue reading →
Advertisements

The Monkey of Notre Dame

IMG_8865_Snapseed

Spectacular Gothic architecture.  Gargoyles.  Stained glass to die for.  The Notre Dame cathedral in Paris lives up to everything you’ve ever read about it.  Dating back to the 1100s, this is a really, really old church.  It’s been restored at various times over the centuries and today it remains it good shape.  At least as far as the monkey could tell.  Kongo didn’t climb the belfry but might be tempted to do it at some later date when he had more time.  

Continue reading →

Secret Passages of Paris

IMG_0305

Monkeys love secrets and scattered about Paris in the 1st and 2nd Arrondissements are nearly two dozen hidden passageways that seem to escape the crush of tourists in the shops along Rue de Rivoli.  These passages were the shopping malls of the 18th and 19th century and at one time there were more than 150 of them in Paris.  The ones that remain today have been restored to their original glory and offer a glimpse into the past and the promise of hidden secrets and spirits of those Parisians who walked these wonderful places hundreds of years ago. Mrs. Kongo and the monkey were guided through these secret places where (relatively) few tourists venture by a lovely young lady and student of history named Erell Bernard.  Read on for a glimpse into the past.

Continue reading →

Paris Reflections

IMG_8954_Snapseed

After a full week in Paris, Kongo made it safely home.  After a long, long night’s sleep his little monkey head is clearing and he is no longer saying “bonjour” to everyone he meets but he already misses Paris.  He misses eating dinner at midnight, sleeping until 10, grabbing a flaky pastry and white coffee  at a little cafe across the street, bottle(s) of wine with dinner, eating a la carte, and riding the Metro.  While the weather could have been better (it rained every day) and the temperature warmer (but that gave the monkey an excuse to wear a scarf) Paris was absolutely wonderful and several misconceptions were busted during his short visit there.  Let me tell you about it.

Continue reading →

Window Shopping in Paris

IMG_0035_Snapseed

Kongo isn’t really a shopper.  Mrs. Kongo, on the other hand, has honed this skill to a fine art but even she was a bit overwhelmed with the shopping opportunities and wide variety of things designed to dazzle and tempt even those that have everything.  While walking around one day, Kongo snapped some photos of some of the fun things available on the streets of Paris.

Continue reading →