Getting to Paris

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Well, it's great to be back in Paris - even though we're both really tired!

The flights were uneventful (which is the way we like them!). The only upset was finding out we were flying on a 747 instead of an A380. I was relying on getting some work done during the flight, but didn't take a spare laptop battery because the A380 has laptop power! Ah, c'est la vie! I did get some done - but the biggest problem was simply lack of space. Once the person in front of me pushed their seat back, I was stuffed! So, there was nothing for it but to watch movies!

It was foggy in London, so we saw hardly anything flying in or out. Saw even less of the channel - too much cloud.

We were rather disappointed to discover that the renovations at Charles de Gaulle airport that caused us grief in 2008 are not yet finished! As a result, we spent a good 10 minutes trying to work out where the baggage claim was! Still, we sailed through customs without so much as a glance.

More problematic was getting a Metro ticket at Gare du Nord. Being Sunday, there were no humans working the ticket outlets and for reasons that we're yet to fathom, the machines would not accept any of our three different cards! Still we got there in the end - found our apartment without any problems and the voluble owner got us settled in. The area around Rue Saint-Denis still has some of the old seediness of days gone by, but it's been 'gentrified' a bit (kind of like St Kilda, I guess). Wandered around the area: Rue Montorgueil (kind of pronounced mon-tor-goyi), Rue Tiquetonne, Rue Saint-Denis, Rue Saint Sauveur etc. Love the narrow streets and buildings! Take away pizza from a boulangerie in Rue Montorgueil.

Right! We've managed to stay awake until what our bodies regard as after 3am, so I think we're justified in feeling tired. Anyway, that's my excuse for not being able to write a more lucid first blog! Now to see if the pizza is hot!

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Photos

Cool house at Pointe Trigano
Love these skinny houses on triangular blocks!

Comments

[anna]

nice
Hi Guys nice work....great way to view your travel experience