Paris to Detroit to St. Louis - October 21, 2008
20081021 – Paris: Got up at 7:00, which proved to be a bit too early. Dark as pitch out there and it was raining and a bit chilly. We did our morning stuff and packed up everything ready to go. Then we went out to Rue Saint-Antoine (sharing Robin’s umbrella) and found a café for breakfast where I had OJ, croissant, simple omelet, and coffee. Robin had a croissant. Didn’t take too long and then we were back in the hotel to sit in our room watching TV until about 10:30 or so when we went downstairs to the lobby with all our gear to wait for the Levins. They came a bit before 11:00, turned in the key to their apartment (it’s managed by the hotel), and we waited for a taxi to the airport.
We left the hotel about 11:00 and got to Charles de Gaulle Airport just a bit before noon. Our plane was at 2:00. It took over an hour and a half to make it to the gate with the line at checking in and the line and process at security. Here, not only did you have to take off your shoes (they offered booties to put over your socks), take out your quart bag of liquids, and take out your computer, you also had to remove any electronic device (iPod, camera, etc.) from your stuff and put it into a tray for scanning. The line was very long, like some ride at Disney World. You were sorted into the green line or the yellow line on an I’m-not-sure-what basis. We were in green. Looked originally like it was green for US and yellow for EU, but as the line snaked around, we were shifted over to a yellow line. And then there are the folks who push you aside in line to get in front a couple of spaces. Or the ones who run you over with their carry on luggage as you are walking down the concourse.
Got to the gate about 1:15 and they were boarding. This time, I put both my suitcase and backpack in the overhead rack so I had room to stretch out, so to speak, with nothing under the seat in front of me. It’s almost nine hours from Paris to Detroit. The video/sound system kept crashing (it’s Windows-based). The food was good, both Robin’s and mine. I listened to a book on my iPod and tried to drown out the conversation of a woman in the row in front of us who talked at just that pitch and volume that is grating … and did it most of the flight.
Got into Detroit on time. Smooth flight. Went over Iceland, Greenland, and Labrador which were all ice and snow covered. Saw lots of mountains, glacier lakes, etc. Clear skies and good viewing all the way. We went through immigration and customs pretty fast. Didn’t have to wait for luggage since we had it all with us. Then joined the Levins in the lovely NWA Club, got online there, had a cookie, and then went to our gate for the flight to St. Louis. I had not slept on the Paris-Detroit leg since we were to get back to St. Louis at around 8:00 PM and I wanted to try to get into that time zone with my body. However, on the Detroit-St. Louis leg, I slept pretty much the whole way.
Fun to see Marian, Jeff, and Donna at the airport. Jeff and Donna took Robin home while Marian and I went to the neighborhood Ihop. I had an egg-beaters omelet. Yucko by comparison to what I had in France. Then home, unpack, and to bed.
What a wonderful trip.
We left the hotel about 11:00 and got to Charles de Gaulle Airport just a bit before noon. Our plane was at 2:00. It took over an hour and a half to make it to the gate with the line at checking in and the line and process at security. Here, not only did you have to take off your shoes (they offered booties to put over your socks), take out your quart bag of liquids, and take out your computer, you also had to remove any electronic device (iPod, camera, etc.) from your stuff and put it into a tray for scanning. The line was very long, like some ride at Disney World. You were sorted into the green line or the yellow line on an I’m-not-sure-what basis. We were in green. Looked originally like it was green for US and yellow for EU, but as the line snaked around, we were shifted over to a yellow line. And then there are the folks who push you aside in line to get in front a couple of spaces. Or the ones who run you over with their carry on luggage as you are walking down the concourse.
Got to the gate about 1:15 and they were boarding. This time, I put both my suitcase and backpack in the overhead rack so I had room to stretch out, so to speak, with nothing under the seat in front of me. It’s almost nine hours from Paris to Detroit. The video/sound system kept crashing (it’s Windows-based). The food was good, both Robin’s and mine. I listened to a book on my iPod and tried to drown out the conversation of a woman in the row in front of us who talked at just that pitch and volume that is grating … and did it most of the flight.
Got into Detroit on time. Smooth flight. Went over Iceland, Greenland, and Labrador which were all ice and snow covered. Saw lots of mountains, glacier lakes, etc. Clear skies and good viewing all the way. We went through immigration and customs pretty fast. Didn’t have to wait for luggage since we had it all with us. Then joined the Levins in the lovely NWA Club, got online there, had a cookie, and then went to our gate for the flight to St. Louis. I had not slept on the Paris-Detroit leg since we were to get back to St. Louis at around 8:00 PM and I wanted to try to get into that time zone with my body. However, on the Detroit-St. Louis leg, I slept pretty much the whole way.
Fun to see Marian, Jeff, and Donna at the airport. Jeff and Donna took Robin home while Marian and I went to the neighborhood Ihop. I had an egg-beaters omelet. Yucko by comparison to what I had in France. Then home, unpack, and to bed.
What a wonderful trip.
posted by Bud Hirsch at 10:35 AM
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