Often the cause unfortunately me think we write about far away lands and beautiful monuments , forgetting what we have at home. The most beautiful monument to mankind were/ are your parents , I have briefs mentioned of my parents in my blog but now that they have passed away and nostalgia sits in ,it is time to do a tribute post on them. The pictures cover different periods and not in order. Bear with me please this post is for loving families all over our world. Hope you enjoy it as I.
Looong ago as a child left Punta Brava, Havana, Cuba, It was a journey to freedom with an intermediate stop in Madrid, Spain, on Cubana de Aviacion old Britannia four propellers airplane 16 hrs flight with a fuel stop in Santa Maria Açores island , My dear late mother Gladys took me out to join my father already in the USA,(he escape by boat!). This was a very humble trip with the clothes we had on and no money into cold snowy Madrid, We got an used coat from Catholic Charities, I have a good time been a poor refugee in the big City and was treated hugely nice by all with dear memories that have kept me very close to the big City of Spain, My grandparents from Tenerife always spoked fondly of it ,and it finally show it was all true, My dear mom was always next to me always protecting and caring for me like an angel, She is sorely missed now,
From Madrid we moved on in life to finally join my Dad Elio after five long years not seeing him, We arrived at Kennedy airport in NYC on a flight from Iberia no 951, This began finally my life in total freedom, After a family welcome with my paternal aunt in Hoboken NJ ,we came to settle as a family again in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, Here began our working and school lives to archive the American dream ,hard work and perseverance together as a strong family with great values that are firmly implanted in me, I went to the McGinnis Middle School for one year before passing to Perth Amboy High School, I passed my driving licence here with a fire test drive to Yankee stadium in the Bronx, NYC. We eventually became US Citizen in New Brunswick courthouse in 1980. My parents had small businesses from grocery store, men’s clothing store, and a nightclub, and purchase several homes reaching fully the American Dream !!
From Perth Amboy I decided to attend University studies in Daytona Beach ERAU, Coming back and forth by car with my 1977 Chevy Monte Carlo from here to NJ usually took 17 hrs drive and became a real road warrior !!! Of course, my parents were always behind me and my biggest supporters not only in material things but in encouragement and moral support, Always together like the muskeeteers!!!We came up with the slogan of the movie that carry my life thereafter, all for one and one for all !!! Indeed. I graduated in 1982 and came back to work at EWR Newark Liberty international airport with an FBO (fixed base operator) handling cargo duties and charter flights to England and Greece, After tasting the beaches of Florida, it became clear my future was in Florida, I took the decision to move there and my parents Elio and Gladys always supporting me ! I moved back and they purchase the house so have one when they were ready for retirement, I chose and they bought at Ormond by the Sea Volusia County just north of Daytona Beach on the beachside, 150 meters from the beach !!! It was glorious living and enjoy fully the Sunshine State again,,, However, always behind me my parents were not long in retiring to the house in about a year and a half afterward, We came together again!
While in Ormond by the Sea, and in my world travels as a young single guy, met a girl in Paris name Martine and you know the story of that in several posts in my blog, My dear late wife Martine was an inspirational, a good wife and one heck of a mother !! She is missed greatly, While here we had our first boy at Halifax Hospital, Daytona Beach,and was baptised in St Brendan Catholic Church in Ormond by the Sea, However, together we continue to a job placement and moved again to an appartment in North Miami, by the Keystone Yacht Club in Biscayne blvd and NE 135st street !! We started to load up on kids and twin boys were coming so my parents again,,,sold everything and came down to purchase a house for all while taking care of the grandchildren now 3 boys in west Hialeah while we worked in Miami by the airport and Beacon Center, While in Hialeah, my Martine gave birth to twin boys at Hialeah Hospital which brought more joy to our family, They were baptised at St Barbara Catholic Church of Hialeah.
We, then as a family of 7 or the magnificent Seven to moved again and purchase a bigger home in Miramar, Silver Lakes division, Sapphire Bay sub division, in Broward county, We had a great family time there. From there we made several trips to France to visit the family and enjoy the bounties of our belle France, We even took charter flights thru Gander Canada sponsored by the Consulat de France in Miami and the French expat group Miami Accueil! It was in this period where we traded nationalities as my Martine became an American citizen in Miami and me a French citizen both in 2000, all these times my parents always on guard with us helping us and protecting us ,did one heck of a job with my boys, glad they got the same home education as I.
Finally , as was expected after yearly trips to France going back to 1990 we made the decision to move to France in 2002, Preparing the move and finding a job for me as the biggest wage earner we finally did it all in August 2003, I came first to start my job in Sept03 and once the house in Miramar was sold they followed in Dec03, I tried to be neutral and told my parents of this decision where they can stay behind and will see each other every couple of years or they can move with us as residents but with no French will be lonely as we needed to work, Of course, their decision was immediately coming with us, no way they will leave their only child and 3 grandchildren go away !! I was happy too !! We got them as family reunification with all the paperwork done in Miami and their entry was flowless, My wife Martine, my 3 boys and my parents Elio and Gladys came on Dec03, to join me in France which already had an appartment waiting for them.
We rented in Verneuil sur Seine, Yvelines dept 78 of the Île de France region of my belle France .My boys went to school at Jean Zay Collége there, In about 8 months we purchase a house in lovely sublime Versailles in the Notre Dame district near the train station Rive Droite and the ND Market ! It was a wonderful purchase and great happiness for all 7 !! My boys went to high school in the nearby town of Le Chesnay currently attach to Rocquencourt as Le Chesnay-Rocquencourt, We were able to put them in the high school Lycée Blanche de Castille where they were happy to be independant and take the former bus A currently bus no 3 which drop them off in front of the school by the hospital Mignot and back by the Notre Dame market in Versailles ! There were indeed very happy moments in my life!
While in Versailles, we had the tragic loss of my dear mom Gladys from an uncurable disease call Pulmonary Fibrosis, doctors gave her 3-6 years to live and she did 4 after diagnose, Very sad news, I lost a huge monumental dear mother or what definition a mother should be , she was. Always in my mind and heart for all she did for me and her grandchildren, She was taken care of her sickness at the Hôpital de Meulan-Les Mureaux (Currently Meulan is name Meulan en Yvelines 78) just by the Seine river, She passed away in her bedroom on December 27 2007 22h or 10pm. We stopped by when possible now living far but she was cremated at the Crématorium et Parc Mémorial du Val d’Oise of Saint-Ouen-l’Aumône in Val d’Oise dept 95, Her ashes were spread by the SNSM volunteer lifeguard organisation with the Notre Dame du Port vedette boat SNS 131 in Honfleur Normandie as she like it there after visiting during the Fête des Marins and seen the virgin taken thru the town and into a boat to be blessed at sea, and here,it has been for my wife and dad as well, Many memorable moments we spent together even if life took her short before her 73, birthday. She was a brave lady never complaint, a tough Guanche of Tenerife heritage ! RIP never to be forgotten, and always missed.
Life goes on as they tell me but never the same, we went on to move west for job improvements as well always forward, It was at the request of my wife as my previous job were taken me away from upwards of 3 months, and needed to be kept closely by the family so I did, I found me an international very good job in Saint Nolff Morbihan dept 56 of the region of Brittany, I moved to an apartment in Brec’h in june 2011, My wife, father and 3 boys came later in July 2012 after the house was sold and all paperwork done as the first two buyers for the house felled thru in their financing !!, Once all in the apartment we went out for a house and my wife Martine chose the one we still live on in Pluvigner moving in July 2013. Already 10 years here, breaking my record of 5,5 years per residence time !!! As said, already have plenty on the memories of my dear late wife Martine in my blog so will go onward to my Dad Elio.
My Dad Elio had several medical complications but medicines and good care especially nurses coming home all cover by the great French social security system, he was kept in good conditions and we took him everywhere ! Even, eventually in wheel chair !! From our home base in Pluvigner we saw our belle France and dear Spain all over and tagging along my Dad, 3 boys and by now our dog Rex,(name chosen by my wife after a police tv series dog). The motto we took out all for one and one for all is well in our veins ! We enjoy him very much as always funny smiling positive huge Dad and immense grandfather we never got a No from him !!! His complications got him to have a cerebrovascular accident after a fall and he had a few very active stubborn Guanche !!! He had further complications from it and finally after a hospital stay of a month and a half was send home uncurable to be maintain with an HAD or hospital at home services where nurses will come three times a day to take care of him at home, At home, he lasted about another month and a half until finally passing away in his bedroom on January 7, 2023, at the good age of 87. He is sorely missed now by all we have left, me and my 3 boys, We remember him fondly on his antics and trips together, He was cremated at the same as my dear late wife Martine in the Crématorium et Parc Mémorial du Pays de Vannes in Plescop ,and put to the ocean on April 12 2023 on the same boat vedette SNS 131 named Notre-Dame-du-Port in Honfleur, Normandie. Sad moments indeed as the house is now more empty than ever, and we only have great wonderful memories of all, never to be forgotten and always thank you Dad and Mom, or as we call them Pipo and Mima !!!
I put the SNSM station in Honfleur which had taken my precious 3 to sea, I guess I will be next, needless to tell you I am a donor since 2008: https://station-honfleur.snsm.org/
There you go folks, maybe sad for me, but a must in my blog. After all, as i said, this blog is my life’s history and all that goes with it bad or good. Lucky mostly has been good ,and huge teachings of love to continue the battle of life. Hope you too enjoy life to the fullest as it is short indeed. Again, hope you have enjoy the post as I
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 