The trip from Tucson to Paris was seamless. We even made our one hour connection from the domestic to international terminals in Atlanta with time to spare -- much better than last year's itinerary that included 3 hours in Houston and 5 in Frankfurt.
Economy class on Air France was as delightful as possible. Very nice French flight attendants, who were generous with champagne, wine, and cognac, made the cramped quarters tolerable, as did the private movie screens at each seat and an expansive selection of entertainment. The movie "I'm Still Alice," was a little bit of a bummer, but I'm now even more determined to enjoy -- and find the best in -- every moment of our trip. Half a Xanax and 3 listenings to a Joaquin Sabina CD in my sleep, and it was time for breakfast.
My dear friend Carolyn warned me about the terrifying French taxi drivers, but we've had far worse in New York City. At least this one didn't drive on the sidewalks. Could have been that there were too many motorcycles parked on them.
Carolyn certainly did steer us right on our hotel, Relais Hotel Vieux Paris with its 500+ years of well-preserved architectural details and charm. The most charming feature is the desk clerk Henri. (I'm thinking that anyone, like Henri, who thinks Detroit is a great place to visit, has got to have an exemplary positive attitude.).
While David napped, I visited with Henri, and together we mapped out several of our activities for the next 2 days, especially those involving food. More on that later.
For now, David and I are enjoying our welcome champagne in the hotel drawing room. Henri's wife brought Lebanese treats to go along with it. Then we're off to dinner at L'Epigrame. Henri promises we will love it. In his words, "It's not touristy." Wonder if he's comparing it the the the Subway and KFC we saw on the drive in? Or does he just take us for people with exquisite good taste in spite of our bedraggled appearance?
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