On My Way to Join Mimi and Tom
in Paris
Let's just say my trip wasn't golden.
I started the day feeling nervous about the trip, for no particular reason - it's just me. I finished cleaning the house, older daughter and boyfriend are due into town a day before we get home, plus it's nice to come home to a clean house. Although, I did leave behind my 19 year son, so it might have been a complete waste of time!
I couldn't eat any thing really, but I had passes for the United Club Lounge and if it was anything like the British Airways Lounge, I would be more than fine. I was counting on that as I knew my nerves would be better once I was at the airport and checked in. Wrong! Crackers and soda and instant coffee. Ugh! At the British Airways Lounge there is a choice of several hot entrees, a full salad bar, desserts and high end beer and the option of mixing a cocktail to your liking.
But I did get a lousy lite beer, some crackers and a banana to eat on the plane. I did get a comfy seat to watch the first half of the FIFA soccer match between Germany and Brazil. 5-0 in the first half! Germany was on fire or Brazil had lost it's will to play.
When it was time to board my flight, I jump over to a kiosk to get a bottle of water just in case we get stuck on the runway before we take off - which means no food or beverage, but be careful because it also means no bathroom breaks! My entire purse dumps out as I am paying - so when it's time to board I can't find my boarding pass! A freak out moment, even though I know no one else can use it as there wasn't time. I found it right after they printed out a new one. No problem.
Because of all this drama I forgot to ask if the plane was full to see if I could move to a seat that was next to a empty seat.
Turns out there were two empty rows in the back of the plane - one woman was lying horizontal and slept! I did not. I would have moved if I knew because of the old man in front of me who kept dropping silent but deadly bombs. Oh, old man!
There was a lot of turbulence on the plane - so when I am scared I instinctively reach out for my husbands leg. Only this time it is not my husband! Very embarrassing!
When we landed it was so cloudy that it seemed is if we just dropped on the runway instead of approaching it - again with the hand on the leg!
Now I've got 6 hours to kill in Charles de Gaulle airport before Tom and Mimi land.
I have learned that airports don't have a lot to do in the arrival section - most people don't mill around once they've landed. Read, stretch, espresso and then a bathroom break every 30--60 mins. Then I realized that 1 was in terminal 1 and they were landing in terminal 2. The shuttle train was easy - and I was asked in French if this shuttle was going to terminal 3 and I replied correctly in French. I love those moments!
I hadn't slept in 24 hours and hadn't eaten very much when they were due to land and I was getting very sleepy
so I ventured to stretch out to and find a bathroom once last time before our trek to the apartment we rented. I came back to where they were going to enter and closed my eyes for a few minutes and when I woke up, I saw that my suitcase was missing! Talk about panic! I realized I left it in the bathroom. How tired and totally stupid.
Lucky for me a bathroom attendant had come in, had an announcement made, and stayed with the bag. Unlucky for my husband was that it was his name on the bag tag and they announced that Tom had left his bag in the ladies room!
Unlucky for me - he heard it!
Tomorrow - Parsons Paris
Pam
I couldn't eat any thing really, but I had passes for the United Club Lounge and if it was anything like the British Airways Lounge, I would be more than fine. I was counting on that as I knew my nerves would be better once I was at the airport and checked in. Wrong! Crackers and soda and instant coffee. Ugh! At the British Airways Lounge there is a choice of several hot entrees, a full salad bar, desserts and high end beer and the option of mixing a cocktail to your liking.But I did get a lousy lite beer, some crackers and a banana to eat on the plane. I did get a comfy seat to watch the first half of the FIFA soccer match between Germany and Brazil. 5-0 in the first half! Germany was on fire or Brazil had lost it's will to play.When it was time to board my flight, I jump over to a kiosk to get a bottle of water just in case we get stuck on the runway before we take off - which means no food or beverage, but be careful because it also means no bathroom breaks! My entire purse dumps out as I am paying - so when it's time to board I can't find my boarding pass! A freak out moment, even though I know no one else can use it as there wasn't time. I found it right after they printed out a new one. No problem.Because of all this drama I forgot to ask if the plane was full to see if I could move to a seat that was next to a empty seat.
Turns out there were two empty rows in the back of the plane - one woman was lying horizontal and slept! I did not. I would have moved if I knew because of the old man in front of me who kept dropping silent but deadly bombs. Oh, old man!
There was a lot of turbulence on the plane - so when I am scared I instinctively reach out for my husbands leg. Only this time it is not my husband! Very embarrassing!
When we landed it was so cloudy that it seemed is if we just dropped on the runway instead of approaching it - again with the hand on the leg!
Now I've got 6 hours to kill in Charles de Gaulle airport before Tom and Mimi land.
I have learned that airports don't have a lot to do in the arrival section - most people don't mill around once they've landed. Read, stretch, espresso and then a bathroom break every 30--60 mins. Then I realized that 1 was in terminal 1 and they were landing in terminal 2. The shuttle train was easy - and I was asked in French if this shuttle was going to terminal 3 and I replied correctly in French. I love those moments!I hadn't slept in 24 hours and hadn't eaten very much when they were due to land and I was getting very sleepy
so I ventured to stretch out to and find a bathroom once last time before our trek to the apartment we rented. I came back to where they were going to enter and closed my eyes for a few minutes and when I woke up, I saw that my suitcase was missing! Talk about panic! I realized I left it in the bathroom. How tired and totally stupid.Lucky for me a bathroom attendant had come in, had an announcement made, and stayed with the bag. Unlucky for my husband was that it was his name on the bag tag and they announced that Tom had left his bag in the ladies room!
Unlucky for me - he heard it!Tomorrow - Parsons Paris
Pam
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