Departure Day Continued

I made it safely to Paris, but before I launch into a description of the City of Lights, I’ll write about some highlights from the rest of the trip. British Airways has wonderful service and friendly crew members. They also serve actual meals and drinks (including alcohol) without the extra charges you find on many other airlines. My favorite part about transatlantic flights is the movie screens on the seatbacks. The selection wasn’t very good, so I chose a movie that several of my friends had recommended: “The Hangover.” It was a good comedy and a nice way to spend 90 minutes of an 8 hour flight. After dinner, I started to watch “Notes On A Scandal.” Wonderful acting by both Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett. Unfortunately, I fell asleep after an hour and didn’t wake up until breakfast time.

In London, I had to go through British security and run to my next gate for my 45 minute flight to Paris. One young American woman threw a fit when she was told that in the United Kingdom her kind of foundation was indeed considered “liquid” enough to be a safety hazard. Rather than moving it from one bag to another, she argued with the agent for 10 minutes. Then, she proceeded to improperly load her bags on the spinning track, causing further delays. A security officer eventually confronted her and told her that she had no right to be upset and waste people’s time by acting like a brat. I got through with 8 minutes to spare and just made it onto my plane.

The Paris metro system is also efficient, but confusing, especially when you don’t have a great sense of direction to begin with. Furthermore, I was carrying a 20 pound backpack, a 30 pound suitcase, and a 70 pound monstrosity. Thanks to the help of friendly information agents, I got to the correct stop only to spend 20 minutes walking uphill on cobblestones and sweating profusely. I reached my hotel, took a shower, and rested for 45 minutes before heading out again to see the sights.