Day 432 Paris

 

Not the picture you’d imagine when you think of Paris but there it is. We were up early and enjoyed our last breakfast on the cruise ship before being spit out into the harsh word of reality. Our bus dropped us at the airport by 10am and we quickly lined up with hundreds of folks checking in. Once through security we settled in to what would become two very desirable airport seats. As flights were delayed or postponed the masses grew and people began sitting on the floor or on any surface that could support them. There was a strike with the employees of Air France and hour after hour our terminal became more congested. We were finally boarded onto our plane to Paris around 5:30pm, remaining hopeful we could make our connecting flight. When the pilot came on the loudspeaker to tell us we weren’t scheduled to take off until 7pm and would have to sit on the runway until then. I admit I chuckled a bit at the fact that an hour earlier the most valuable spot you could have was a seat, now we were all sitting! Be careful what you wish for. We finally took off and landed safely in Paris, connecting flight long gone. It was then a made dash to find someone to help and not an Air France employee to be found that wanted to take on the challenge. We ended up going out then back in to departures to try and book our return flights. The crowd behind me was an angry bunch, tired, hungry and hot. The nice employee I spoke with worked it out for Tim and I to fly tomorrow morning to Montreal then catch a flight with Air Canada to Boston, somehow this seemed reasonable after my long day so I took it. She then gave me vouchers for airport food, a voucher for a hotel and wished me a goodnight, ready to take on the angry mob behind me. Now almost 10pm the only restaurant open was McDonalds and we were hungry enough not to care. Our Paris Big Macs tasted delicious and were devoured as quickly as possible so we could make our way to the hotel. One quick shuttle train from the airport and we make our way to the hotel. The crowd seemed to be following since we were once again in a long line, but happy we’d soon have a place to rest. The bed was incredibly comfortable, or we were so exhausted it was just better appreciated, either way it felt nice to lay down. With French speaking tv as our backdrop and wearing the white t-shirt provided by the airline, I was asleep in minutes. If asked if I’ve ever been to Paris I can say yes, but does McDonald’s dinner at the airport and a night in an airport hotel count? Neither tim or I have ever been to Montreal so we’ll cross that off tomorrow as well. Out of all the craziness of the day, we had a comfy seat, safe landing, food to eat and a bed to rest our tired bodies, after two weeks of vacation, to complain now would be a bit silly. I’m sure we will make it home tomorrow, with travel stories to share. I’ll be up early, waking up in Paris and appreciating the journey home.