Exhausted.
It was an utterly uneventful flight, and I don't mean that in a good way. I managed to get the one window seat on the flight that had no window :-( It also required an impossible angle of my head to see the video screen. I thought about asking to switch seats, the flight was about half full. But I've done so much orchestrating in my life for the whole family, I just didn't have the gumption. So, I curled up and fell asleep instead.
Every now and then my hip flexors would scream, so I'd move around - as much as one can on an airplane. Eventually we were fastening our seatbelts to prepare for landing.
Very smooth transition right off the plane and into passport control - took only a few minutes. Collected bags, hopped on the RER B and down to Montparnasse. I just about flipped when I realized I hadn't printed maps of the neighborhood. But, I had studied them, so I ventured off with written instructions only. I followed the flat owners directions and walked right to the apartment. Unfortunately they weren't expecting me for another hour. Cleaning lady still in.
So, I dropped the bag and wandered a bit. Found a pleasant park bench to chill. Turns out, there's a Velib bike service point just 1 block from the flat!!!
This is a pic I swiped from the internet - forgot to take a pic when I walked by. But this is what the bikes look like. It's €1 per day for unlimited 30 min. journeys. Extra for longer spins. I'll definitely be taking one of those out tomorrow. Gotta take advantage of being able to ride on the right side of the road while I still can. Perhaps I can find a map that shows all the service points. Maybe I can make my way right into the city center.
While on the train from CDG I was reading Bicycling Mag. It is, of course, full of Lance v Alberto rubbish - which is now all completely irrelevant :-( But I was struck by the number of articles discussing the rising statistics of bike use in the context of successful small town campaigns to achieve bike friendliness. In Greenwich we tend to accept a little too readily, perhaps, that there is a strong anti-cycle lobby. Maybe we should just assume that everyone wants happy bikers around and go from there.
ANYway. Lovely flat!!
Sun absolutely streaming thru the tall windows.
The forecast called for 69F, so I thought it might be a bit chilly. But it's clearly warmer and gorgeous!
After catching up on news a la Sky - hooray for the 3 English language channels - I realized I'd best go for another walk lest I fall asleep about 8 hours before I should. I forgot the melatonin, so I could be in for a real time change spanking.
I checked out the local grocers and purchased some tomatoes, cheese and bread for dinner. Odd being back in a country where I haven't the slightest clue what anyone's talking about. I seem to manage however, assuming that the question the woman at the shop asked before checking my groceries thru was, "Do you have a store loyalty card?" Life flows how life flows, whether it's in NYC, Paris or the tiniest Cornish village.
I have managed the occasional "Merci", "Pardon" and even "D'accord." And if you're sitting down I will admit that I used them all in the same conversation even. Me, standing to get off the train and negotiate around another couple with luggage, "Pardon." Woman, in French, "We're getting off here too, when we stop I'll get all these bags out of your way." Me, "Oui? D'accord. Merci." I'm sure I sound like an idiot. But I'm choosing to remember a foreign language instructor at uni who said I had lovely French pronunciation. When trying to speak German.
One more thing. Here is my companion for the trip:
He doesn't have a name yet. So if you have any ideas, let me know. I've got this at the ready, just in case: "On l'a volee dans ma chambre!" Hopefully it won't get any use.
A bientot!
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