Arrival in Paris

Had a good flight.........well, as good as can be sitting in a coach seat in a metal tube hurtling through the air. Luckily the middle seat was empty so the woman in the other aisle seat and I could spread out a bit. Once again I really couldn't sleep on the plane, just dozed a couple of times for 30 or 45 minutes. Don't understand that at all----I can sleep anywhere. I could have had a great career as a mattress tester. BTW I do think one way airlines are saving money is by using the flimsiest toilet paper imagineable!

We were scheduled to arrive at 9:40 but made it earlier. I estimated that it would take util 10:30 to get through customs and get my luggage. Actually I was getting into a cab by 10. Customs was a non-event---no questions. Seems like the last time I went to England there were all sorts of questions...are you here for business or pleasure, where are you going, how long will you be here, do you have a return ticket? This time just a quick stamp on the passport by a bored looked official. I wonder if all this info, along with background info, is stored in a big computer somewhere and unless you are flagged they just wave you through.

As I was hauling my suitcase I wondered (and it would not be the first time) if I could have packed less. But I felt better when the woman in the other aisle seat mentioned that her bag barely made it under the 50 pound limit----and she is only going to be in Paris for a week.

My teacher at Alliance Francaise told me to speak confidently when I told the cab driver where I wanted to go. On a scale of 1 to 10 I was probably a 7 but I did get the line out....."Allez a la Gare de l'Est, sil vous plait". Apparently it was understandable enough that I did end up at the right place! Taking a cab was not the most economical way, it cost 43 Euros, but it was the fastest and easiest. Charles De Gaulle airport is north of Paris, about 17 miles from the center of Paris. I could have taken the train, but have read stories of pickpockets targeting jet-lagged tourists. Which, from a pickpocket or thief's point of view makes good business sense--easy pickings. I could have taken a couple of buses, but would still have to get from one point to the East train station.

The cab was a Mercedes and I thought.......hmmm, the cab business must be pretty good! But on the way in I noticed the cars on the road. Most were hatchbacks and as small, or smaller, than my Civic. So I guess you'd have to have what is considered a bigger car for a cab. The first time I went to Germany I was surprised to see that the city work trucks were Mercedes.

On the ride in we went past several blocks of open air markets with great looking fruit and veggies. Fresh food is very, very big in France.

I arrived at the train station with two and a half hours before my train left for Germany. I spent some time scouting out the different cafes before settling on one. I had a salad and a little bowl of fruit. In the fruit bowl I recognized the kiwi, pineapple and mango, but had to ask what the big white bits were--lychee fruit. All very good.

While I was eating I looked out the window and saw three armed officers patroling in front of the station. I don't find that disconcerting, I like that they make their prescence known. This is not just since 9/11 either. The first time I went to Paris, in 1999, there were armed officers in the Metro (subway) and in front of the Eiffel Tower. Back then, when we thought "this could never happen to us" I found it surprising and a little un-nerving. The three I saw at the Eiffel Tower seemed to be in different services, they had on different uniforms. I, very politely, asked if I could take their photo, and they agreed. I think Europeans have known for a long time they are targets and are more vigilant than we are. They accept it as necessary and as a matter of course. I could tell the difference in airport security 15 years ago. Even then in London you did not go past a certain point without a ticket.

There were quite a few shops at the train station, but since it was a holiday some of them were closed. There was a Sephora, which was open, but I managed to keep myself out of it because I didn't want to have to haul my luggage through the store. I just recently learned that Sephora is a French store, and supposedly the stores in France have tons more than the US stores. BTW, Sephora sells makeup, skin care, perfumes.........all those girly things. But I am sure I will make it to one before I come home.

There was a flower stall at the train station that was doing a fairly brisk business. I guess it is more noticeable than in the states where you can buy flowers in a grocery store. I bought a small bouquet for the friend I am staying with in Germany. Ahead of me a young man was buying a large bouquet and he and the clerk were picking this flower and that to make it look just right.

One word of warning about public bathrooms in Europe, like at train stations--you will pay for the priviledge. At the train station the cost was half a Euro, but the bathrooms are spotless.

I have worn my contacts on overseas flights before but have no idea how I managed it. This time even wearing my glasses my eyes were so dry and light sensitive. Once on the train I kept going to sleep. I wanted enjoy the countryside but just couldn't stay awake. I finally went to the bathroom to freshen up and that revived me a bit. A good thing! I had left the train schedule at home and my ticket just said Paris to Saarlouis with no mention of changing trains. Luckily the announcements were made in French, German and English so I knew we were arriving at Saarbrucken (the major city in the area). There was no conductor around so I luckily talked to a young woman (who as it turned out wanted my window seat!). She told me Saarlouis was in a different direction than this train was going. So I decided to get off--hoping I wouldn't have to call Gina to tell her I was stranded at the station. I found a conductor who pointed towards the very last platform and said that was the regional train to Saarlouis ("Sar-louie"). There were quite a few people already at the train and I was hoofing it, trying to make it on time. German trains are exceptionally punctual, they leave when they are scheduled--no exceptions. Just went I got to a door it closed! I hurried to the next car and made it in just as the doors were closing. I didn't realize that you could press a button on the outside and the door would open. I knew it wasn't far to Saarlouis and didn't want to risk missing the stop, so I just stayed in the area by the door. I looked at the map of the stops on the wall and saw that Saarlouis was the 4th stop. Imagine my surprise when the first place we stopped wasn't on the map! The announcements were only in German now. Thank goodness the next stop was Saarlouis and I managed to get off without mishap.