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As the Centenary of Armistice Day Approaches, Honoring My Great Uncle

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Private John (Jack) Sweeney – 3rd Pioneer Battalion. Service No 325 John Sweeney, my great uncle, brother of my paternal grandmother, and known to all as Jack -  to save confusion with his Dad, also John.  He served with the 3rd Pioneer Battalion on the Western Front and was killed in action and is buried in France.  The tragedy of his death was compounded with the death of his wife, shortly after the end of the war. His 3 sons were then placed in an orphanage in Geelong. The Sweeney Family came to Australia from Ireland as immigrants in 1876 and settled in Melbourne.  John was the first child to be born in Australia, his two older siblings, Peter and Mary were born in Ireland and he had three younger sisters. John was born in Pharan on July 11 1880, he joined the Garrison Artillery in 1899 when he was 19 yrs. of age, this was just before the Boer War, and served with them for about 3 years.  John’s service record has his occupation as a ...
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Paris Greeter Walk - The Islands

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The meeting place was  Pont Marie Metro Station, Alain was waiting and after Alain explained where we were going and some of the history we headed off. We were going to explore Ile Saint-Louis   one of the most expensive areas to live in Paris.  Strolling through we passed many heritage plaques and  grand doorways that hid courtyards. We also came across the Bakery school and the story of Heloise and Abelard - the french Romeo and Juliette as Alain explained it to me. Turning a corner there right on the sidewalk a petrol pump? It was explained that because of the crowded conditions they don't have petrol stations like ours and it was out front of a garage - mechanic's store.  We wandered through narrow cobbled streets and past small shops and cafe's. This is the smaller of the islands and one resident has never left in over 30+ years as everything needed is right here. Dolphin Down pipe Grand Doorway and Dolphin Down pipe Now that'...
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Semolina Pilchard climbing up the Eiffel Tower

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I couldn't spot one but that dosen't mean that it wasn't there, and I didn't see a walrus nor an eggman either. Here are the photo's I took from various angles, maybe you can spot one? As I had become used to crowds of people everywhere I went, what got me in Paris was the number of hawkers everywhere and also beggars. Found this in Paris  Even the Eiffel Tower is 'Walking on Cherry Shoes'
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Bon jour! Parlez-vous anglais?

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 Heaven help me, I'm going to Paris and I don't speak French nor understand it! Leaving from St Pancras Station, you carry your own luggage on board. They do have luggage slots at the front and back of each coach, but I'd been hoping to check mine as I had wanted to check out Platform 9 and 3/4 before I headed off. It wasn't meant to be. The Eurostar - the train to Paris, was quite crowded and I was lucky to have a seat to myself. You do get a fairly decent view of the countryside as you are leaving London and also on coming into Paris. Arriving in Paris  it hits you how every other country you've been in looks after us 'foreginers' with dual language signage. Not here, everything is in French, and asking for assistance as politely as possible, only leads to shoulder shrugs, and finger pointing - by way of directions. How I got to my hotel was a miracle in itself. Once there a different 'French' came out. I was looked after as if I wa...
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