The breakfast view from The Idiot’s squat in Redding, CA, is a bit more tranquil than the bustling urban scene at his pied-a-terre in Paris.

Sunrise over Mount Lassen is more appropriate for morning meditation than the living room at The Idiot’s gigs in Montparnasse.

There are no pancake breakfasts at 5 a.m. during Rodeo Week in Paris. In fact, Paris may have the Olympics but there’s no annual rodeo week. Yet.

It’s not often that The Idiot sees an American flag dominating the sky above Paris.

The Idiot’s morning walk to the pool in Montparnasse features fewer palm trees than the walk to the YMCA in downtown Redding, CA.

The uncrowded outside pool at the YMCA in Redding at 6 a.m. definitely beats the crowded indoor pools in Paris.

The cobra at a Redding wildlife park is more colorful than any animals in Luxembourg Gardens.

The Idiot remains faithful to “The Barber From Boston” in Redding, CA.

The Idiot can dress as colorfully as he likes for a wedding in Redding, CA. Not sure about those pink shoes in Paris.

It’s hard to beat a wedding venue on the Trinity River near Redding, CA.

The Idiot has never had his tramp stamp waxed in Paris.

The Idiot and Nancy Wiegman, who hosts “Nancy’s Bookshelf” on the NPR affiliate in Northern California, join Brother Luis for a serene tour of the New Clairvaux Abbey in Vina, CA.

The idiot tries to remain faithful to all his aestheticians in Redding, CA.

The Idiot attended more ribbon-cutting ceremonies, like this one for a new children’s playground that he supported at the YMCA, in Redding than in Paris in May.

The Idiot met with Stanford classmate Kevin Devine in Redding to begin planning a “’70 @ 78” class party at Lake Tahoe in September 2026.

The Idiot practices with the Redding Zen Buddhist priory (that’s Rev. Helen in the middle) but doesn’t have a sangha in Paris. (Photo: Roya Mozafar)

The Idiot is the last man standing after a 5 a.m. spinning class in Redding, CA. He doesn’t dare cycle on Paris streets.

The Idiot gets his serious facials in Redding, CA. (Photo: Desiree Ferrari)

Grandmothers still give copies of “The Idiot and the Odyssey” to their grandchildren when they turn 21 in Redding, CA. (Photo: Leslie Schwerdt)

The Idiot had his two-acre backyard cut back in late May to prevent summer fires in central Redding, CA. He’s spared that task in Paris.

The Idiot has never seen a full moon through an oak tree in Paris, though the view from the Pantheon or the Eiffel Tower isn’t bad.