A ten hour flight to…

When I started my day, I knew I would have plenty of time to get to the airport. The airline asked the passengers to arrive four hours in advance, but that seemed excessive to me. I figured three would still be more than enough time. To get to the airport, I usually take a bus to the BART (local train) station and an hour later I arrive at the airport. Since I had a medium sized suitcase and a carry on, I decided to tske a taxi to the station..

The taxi arrived on time but as we were driving down the main street, I couldn’t remember whether or not I’d turned out a certain light, and I knew that the thought of that light burning would bother me, so the driver took me back, and I ran through the house. No lights on! Whew!

i was afraid that I wouldn’t make the train, but I did, with about five seconds to spare. The reluctant elevator from the concourse to the station didn’t take forever, and I was grateful. An hour later, I was at the airport

The international terminal was empty, or nearly so. It seemed very strange. No crowds of people waiting in lines. I marched up to the lonely customer servoce representative and got checked in. I’d already downloaded my bording pass but we decided that I woukd be more comfortable in a different seat, since the flight was not filled. He examined my vaccination card. I was all set.

I have TSA PreCheck so security hasn’t been much of a problem and with an empty airport, the whole procedure took about five minutes.

As I wandered around the terminal, I discovered that the only people I saw were coming from arriving planes.

I enjoyed checking out the local merchandise involving landmarks and sports teams and actually bought a better iPhone case to replace my flimsy one. Having a medicinal alcoholic beverage also is one of my pre-flight traditions.

It was boarding time. Normally it takes a while to board the plane, but by the time I made it from the bar to the gate, most of the people had already boarded. I got to my economy plus section, with seating for about forty. There were seven people. I decided to sit in the middle section, all by myself.

Service was wonderful. I read my book. I watched the onboard entertainment.
I checked to see when we would arrive. The flight was smooth. One thing I didn’t do: sleep. Jet lag will be a constant companion for several days. It happens on every trip.

We landed early. Passport control was a breeze. Got luggage in a half hour. The trip into town took longer than expected because of traffic. I took pictures in the taxi.

When we got to our destination, my friend had just arrived from the bakery so I could enjoy my first fresh croissant!

Welcome to Paris!