In the Louvre

Last weekend I had to go to Bahrain to get a new stamp in my passport – for reasons no one can fathom or explain, many of us must go out of Saudi Arabia every 30 days. Then we can return, get a new stamp, and we’re good for another 30 days. So once a month or so a few of us get a taxi, drive across a 20 mile causeway into Bahrain, and have a nice breakfast and do some shopping or watch a movie for our trouble.

Of course, it wouldn’t be that simple, would it? No, because you must go through immigration and customs to get across the causeway. Hmmm, I’ve been to Canada and there was nothing to it – you pull up and stop, advance to the agent when they signal, show your passport and tell them where you’re going, and you’re on your way again in a few minutes. Same for coming back into the U.S.

Understand that Bahrain is a small island, just a few miles off the Arabian Gulf coast, and the only ways onto this small sandy island is by airplane, boat, or across this causeway. But you must stop and pay a fee at one booth, stop and show your passport at another, stop and clear customs at a third, and stop and show your fee receipt at a fourth. That gets you OUT of Saudi Arabia and up to the Bahraini series – one booth to show your passport and get a stamp and welcome to the Kingdom.

The process is repeated in reverse to go back to Saudi, except that you only have to pay the fee on your way out. I’ve seen this process take between 10 minutes and 3 hours, and have heard first-hand from other folks where it took double that. There is very little rhyme or reason to this, and it is a constant source of irritation and frustration when you travel across. Typical time to get through all this is 45-60 minutes. Oh well, it’s the price to pay for being here and having so much fun!

On this trip our group went for breakfast at Ric’s Kountry Kitchen and had a great meal. Then we went to the City Centre Mall for a little shopping and a movie. We saw Red 2 and enjoyed it, and I loved seeing scenes in London and Paris in spots were Dana and I had walked a few weeks ago – very cool!

However, I must say that I love to read, and one of my favorite books of all time is the Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas. I’ve read this wonderful story a dozen times, and every time is fresh and exciting to me. After returning from our trip I thought it would be a great time to revisit this old friend.

If it was cool to see some movie scenes that we’d been, I have been thrilled to read this book and see passages about streets, buildings, and going to the Louvre – referring to the king’s game room, his antechamber, the guard room – and know that I walked through those same rooms just a few days ago. Don’t know why, but it just makes the book come even more alive for me. For my money, the best movie to come from this book was made in the 70s and featured Michael York, Oliver Reed, Raquel Welch, Richard Chamberlain, and many others - beautiful production done in two parts, and as faithful to the original story as could be done. I highly recommend it and will try to find it myself once I finish re-reading the book!

Enough literary reflections for one night! Here are two pictures from our trip of the Louvre, and one of Notre Dame cathedral – more soon!