Our travel day was delightfully different from past travel days in so many ways. First the 10 hour flight didn't "feel" like 10 hours, it actually whipped by. Well, could that be because I watched one movie after another after another -- five in total -- with two brief interruptions for reasonably eatable meals.
When I pulled up to the El Rancho Inn Park and Fly to meet Sharon she was pretty gloomy; her dog had been sick for two days and she was worried that her sweet rescue lab was suffering separation anxiety. And a mutual friend just had a stoke that morning and she was terribly worried. I've been on an emotional roller coaster for quite some time (please make my humboldt house sell to someone -- anyone!). We are so ready to get on with our lives, deal with moving two paranoid cats, acquiring a third one when we arrive, and meeting the new friends who are living in Arizona without knowing they are dying to meet us. So we enjoyed big supportive hugs, exchanged sad stories and lost our gloom in the anticipation of our next adventure! There is truly nothing like GIRL TRIP to wash away the blues -- and we were anticipating our first celebratory glass of champagne in Premium Economy.
We discovered Premium Economy last year. For just $200 more you no longer stand in the cattle call line to check in, you whip through the boarding line, the seats are SIGNIFICANTLY more comfortable with multiple positions, the TV screen in much larger, the food is better, well, you get the idea. Having always chosen to fly the least expensive way in the past, I will never again fly steerage internationally, the trip is simply too long.
But before I tell you more, I need to back up to the airport. First we stopped to purchase snacks -- a small sandwich for Sharon and a yogurt for me -- but I could resist snapping a pic of the candy:
Then we were ready to go ... we were only a little excited ....
So long flight that didn't seem as long as it really was and a lovely landing, Exit plane, wend your way through the train to customs (we were the only plane and it was virtually empty which has never happened), on to baggage claim (all three showed up in a reasonable amount of time and out the exit to the ramp. Now you need to know that EVERY other time I've flown into Paris there has been a problem with the shuttle service. Yes, we had terrible problems when I flew into Rome -- so maybe it's just me?
This time we went with Royal Transfer Shuttle. It was a very reasonable 55 euro one way trip.
Okay, so up the ramp as we scan the signs looking for our name. The fourth guy on the left held a sign with my name on it. Seriously, the 4th guy! This bodes very, very well! He grabs my cart and takes off. I grumble at Sharon for her long stride and quick steps -- he left both of us in the dust! But we've both been hold up in a plane for 10 hours -- we needed the quick step to loosen up.
We get to our hotel in half the time it usually takes -- maybe that's just how my day has been going since we left on our adventure?
And WOW! Rashid is behind the desk. He was here our first and second trip, then he was no longer with the hotel last year (turns out he was getting his masters in hotel management) and now he's back as assistant manager and is hoping to be promoted soon. We were thrilled to see him again, he jumped up from behind the counter and it was hugs and kisses around! He just handed over our key (no need to show ID, evidently we are memorable :) and we came up to crash.
Sharon is out cold and I'm still pecking away, waiting for the crash that is inevitable. I've now been up for 24 hours straight.
I think that's it for me. Au revoir!
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