Jay Gamel

11th and 12th grades (1960-1962)

Paris Suburbs - Versailles, Marly-le-Roi, and Le Vésinet

There are too many to remember them all. Wonderful skating afternoons in Paris with Terry Jennings and Chris Poole and Vicki and the gang, having Larry Phillips and Mike Graham knock me silly, teaching me how to play football as a Senior,opening up the school store with John Seay and many many fun days and nights with John, playing air guitar, and me playing air piano. Stuffing Kleenex in my mouth to keep from falling off my chair at a chamber music recital in the gym. dorm nights for the six months I stayed there after my dad got sick and was sent to Walter Reed. sitting on the ammo dump outside the PX drinking a case of Lowebrau ($3) just before leaving for Texas. Madrigals and making the record, football trips, the mud bowl in Chateroux ... Many, Many stories.

Head to Paris, Embassy, Pigalle, Left Bank, Louvre, Gardens, metro, walking mostly and stopping at a sidewalk cafe. The book stalls along the Seine were a constant source of fascination, as were the flea markets. An occasional student riot was always fun during those sticky Algerian protests. Out in Le Pecq near San Germain, I’d scoot to Versailles, up to San Germain for bread and cheese. Driving all over with the Vespa was what a 15-16-17 yo did. Skating and other activities with the gang, working on yearbook. All good memories.

Sitting onstage at jazz club after Senior Prom with Buddy Powell playing. John Seay, Pam Moore and I can’t remember the other two (sigh). I got my hand slapped when I reached for the piano. A very special night for all of us, I think. Other moment was going to the Moulin Rouge with a date and running out of money, missing the last bus back, and having to take a cab all the way to Garches, wake her parents to get money to pay the cabbie, then ride home in the rain on the Vespa, maybe 10 miles. long day, that one.

A lifetime of memories, great one up on you in high school comparisons, opening my eyes to world events (Algeria, Vietnam, NATO, Germany’s Fulda Gap, International money and finances) and traveling to Spain and Germany. Opened my eyes and ears to take in what I was really seeing. That lasted me a lifetime of experiencing the world.