Pooey. Apparently, I don't get to stay in Paris forever. I used up almost all of my Euro play-money, so perhaps it is time to return home to refuel my wallet.
Unfortunately, this meant getting up a little earlier than Jackie and I were used to. Yesterday, Jackie purchased some carry-on luggage and last night packed it up for me to take home with me.
Packing was a challenge. For one, my new boots were too big to pack. Which means I had to wear them, and carry my runners. Oops. Now I'm one of those dumb women who travel in heels.
Between her things, and my things (I think my own carry-on bag at least doubled in weight), Jackie decided that she'd better accompany me to Charles de Gaulle airport. Although both bags are wheely, they were definitely unwieldy. Getting them to the ground floor of the hotel was a challenge.
By the way, for anyone planning to travel to Paris (and who isn't?), the Hotel de Nevers is an excellent deal. With the cost of the room and breakfast split between the two of us, we each paid 295€ for a 10-day stay. (When you consider that one litre of Coke set us back 10€, this really is a bargain.) It is a bit of a walk to the major tourist attractions, but if you're more of a metro person, it's just a hop, skip and jump.
Anyway, Jackie and I took the metro to the RER train station, and just missed the express train that goes to CDG. When the next one arrived, there were so many people already on the train and so many on the platform, I was sure we weren't all going to fit. Jackie got on, and I was still on the platform. Help help, Jackie! Don't leave me behind!
Somehow, everyone managed to get onto the train, but we were packed in like lemmings. Or is it sardines? Whatever. But all of a sudden, I realized why the tour books warn you to watch out for pickpockets on the RER lines from CDG (it was like the crowd around the Mona Lisa, only there was less pushing). Somehow Jackie managed to get a seat, and she held my bag, which was good, cause I was stuck in a crowd of potential pickpockets.
Eventually, a seat became available near Jackie, and I finally got to sit down and take off my jacket. It was awfully hot with so many people standing right on top of each other. They all exited at the Parc du Exposition, which looked like a business/research area like Innovation Place. Our next stop was Terminal 1 at CDG.
Usually Air Canada would be flying from Terminal 2, but since that connecting tunnel collapsed some months ago, they've been temporarily moved back to Terminal 1. It seems like the ticket counters have been squished in, because it isn't very convenient.
I checked Jackie's bag, and the Air Canada lady wanted to weigh my carry-on luggage. Oops, too heavy - I had to check it. Oh well, I'd kind of suspected that might happen and had packed with that thought in mind.
Jackie and I sat down and had a Coke, and then said our goodbyes. She had stored her luggage at the hotel and was planning a day trip to Fontainebleu - I told her to take many pictures of Napoleon's rooms. Her train to Pamplona wasn't leaving until about 11 p.m. Paris time.
Once again, we all had to climb onto a bus and drive out to the airplane. Slows things down a little. Oh, and apparently my boots set off alarms in airport metal detectors.
The flight back to Toronto was long. On the positive side, it wasn't very full and the lady next to me switched seats after we took off, so I had two seats to myself. The film was "Shrek 2" (bwah ha ha! - funny movie!), and I got lots of food. Chicken, ice cream and pizza... and lots of Coke! I also got through 105 pages of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (seemed appropriate reading material).
We had a bit bumpy flight, which, oddly enough didn't alarm me too much. Perhaps I was overtired or something, but I was eating my ice cream and the cabin was shaking, and I laughed. It seemed like a ride at Disneyland (except at Disneyland, there is absolutely no possibility of crashing and drowning in the ocean). And there was a funny noise when we were coming in for a landing - briefly I wondered if we'd lost something, but it didn't seem like a good idea to scream "Oh my god, the wheels are gone!!!!" Apparently a few people were nervous, because when we finally bounced down the runway and braked to a stop, a number of people applauded.
So, then I am stuck in Lester B Pearson airport. It's 2 p.m., and my plane to Saskatoon isn't leaving until 8:50 p.m. Bummer. And Yimei's phone number is on my carry-on luggage, which Air Canada made me check. Double bummer. Why aren't you here, Yimei? WHY?!?!
So I hop on a bus and (after a long ride through rush hour traffic) end up at the Square 1 mall. So far, Toronto isn't very exciting. But I did get a Coke and find some Internet, so things could be worse. (Where are you Yimei? Why aren't you here? Are you feeling guilty yet? Are you?)
Square 1 mall was okay. Lots of shops to hold my attention, and it definitely beats sitting in the airport for seven hours.
Unfortunately, this meant getting up a little earlier than Jackie and I were used to. Yesterday, Jackie purchased some carry-on luggage and last night packed it up for me to take home with me.
Packing was a challenge. For one, my new boots were too big to pack. Which means I had to wear them, and carry my runners. Oops. Now I'm one of those dumb women who travel in heels.
Between her things, and my things (I think my own carry-on bag at least doubled in weight), Jackie decided that she'd better accompany me to Charles de Gaulle airport. Although both bags are wheely, they were definitely unwieldy. Getting them to the ground floor of the hotel was a challenge.
By the way, for anyone planning to travel to Paris (and who isn't?), the Hotel de Nevers is an excellent deal. With the cost of the room and breakfast split between the two of us, we each paid 295€ for a 10-day stay. (When you consider that one litre of Coke set us back 10€, this really is a bargain.) It is a bit of a walk to the major tourist attractions, but if you're more of a metro person, it's just a hop, skip and jump.
Anyway, Jackie and I took the metro to the RER train station, and just missed the express train that goes to CDG. When the next one arrived, there were so many people already on the train and so many on the platform, I was sure we weren't all going to fit. Jackie got on, and I was still on the platform. Help help, Jackie! Don't leave me behind!
Somehow, everyone managed to get onto the train, but we were packed in like lemmings. Or is it sardines? Whatever. But all of a sudden, I realized why the tour books warn you to watch out for pickpockets on the RER lines from CDG (it was like the crowd around the Mona Lisa, only there was less pushing). Somehow Jackie managed to get a seat, and she held my bag, which was good, cause I was stuck in a crowd of potential pickpockets.
Eventually, a seat became available near Jackie, and I finally got to sit down and take off my jacket. It was awfully hot with so many people standing right on top of each other. They all exited at the Parc du Exposition, which looked like a business/research area like Innovation Place. Our next stop was Terminal 1 at CDG.
Usually Air Canada would be flying from Terminal 2, but since that connecting tunnel collapsed some months ago, they've been temporarily moved back to Terminal 1. It seems like the ticket counters have been squished in, because it isn't very convenient.
I checked Jackie's bag, and the Air Canada lady wanted to weigh my carry-on luggage. Oops, too heavy - I had to check it. Oh well, I'd kind of suspected that might happen and had packed with that thought in mind.
 |
| This is goodbye - I'm flying home, and Jackie is going to Pamplona |
Jackie and I sat down and had a Coke, and then said our goodbyes. She had stored her luggage at the hotel and was planning a day trip to Fontainebleu - I told her to take many pictures of Napoleon's rooms. Her train to Pamplona wasn't leaving until about 11 p.m. Paris time.
Once again, we all had to climb onto a bus and drive out to the airplane. Slows things down a little. Oh, and apparently my boots set off alarms in airport metal detectors.
The flight back to Toronto was long. On the positive side, it wasn't very full and the lady next to me switched seats after we took off, so I had two seats to myself. The film was "Shrek 2" (bwah ha ha! - funny movie!), and I got lots of food. Chicken, ice cream and pizza... and lots of Coke! I also got through 105 pages of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (seemed appropriate reading material).
We had a bit bumpy flight, which, oddly enough didn't alarm me too much. Perhaps I was overtired or something, but I was eating my ice cream and the cabin was shaking, and I laughed. It seemed like a ride at Disneyland (except at Disneyland, there is absolutely no possibility of crashing and drowning in the ocean). And there was a funny noise when we were coming in for a landing - briefly I wondered if we'd lost something, but it didn't seem like a good idea to scream "Oh my god, the wheels are gone!!!!" Apparently a few people were nervous, because when we finally bounced down the runway and braked to a stop, a number of people applauded.
So, then I am stuck in Lester B Pearson airport. It's 2 p.m., and my plane to Saskatoon isn't leaving until 8:50 p.m. Bummer. And Yimei's phone number is on my carry-on luggage, which Air Canada made me check. Double bummer. Why aren't you here, Yimei? WHY?!?!
So I hop on a bus and (after a long ride through rush hour traffic) end up at the Square 1 mall. So far, Toronto isn't very exciting. But I did get a Coke and find some Internet, so things could be worse. (Where are you Yimei? Why aren't you here? Are you feeling guilty yet? Are you?)
Square 1 mall was okay. Lots of shops to hold my attention, and it definitely beats sitting in the airport for seven hours.
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