Grey Paree

The direct flight with personal tvs was pleasant. Airplane movies have improved to now be on demand, so I could start and stop at will. I ended up watching 3.5 movies over the Atlantic. The flight ended an hour early on a sour note, with a terrible landing. Thump, thump, whoa! Everyone around me was sure the plane was going to tip or go off the runway. The pilot said that the wind was so bad that the airport might end up being closed soon. As usual, we were given a complimentary twenty five minute bus tour of the beautiful Charles de Gaulle Airport. When we finally arrived at the gate, the immigration officers were not yet at work. Once they clocked in, we were finally admitted into France.

After grabbing my bag, I walked the length of the airport to the train. Having done that many times, I now know where to get the ticket, where to get the train, how to work the turnstiles while carrying a suitcase and so on. As the train made its way through Paris, the throngs of commuters pushed their way on. I changed to the metro. Having done this part so many times, I even remembered which exit from the station was the optimal one. Unfortunately, it was raining and my crocs are terrible in the rain. I managed to walk to the hotel without incident. Thankfully, a room was ready for me. A nice room. While in the lobby, I ran into a contingent of my coworkers who were headed to the office; they had arrived yesterday. I told them I was skipping out. A shower and a nap were calling my name.