We Have Landed

July 25 & 26

Just before leaving, our Euro purchase brought the painful revelation that the Euro had strengthened to 1.788 from February, when it was 1.488. The only good news is that we’d locked in a deposit on half the Paris apartment cost and the airline tickets, provided the airline doesn’t go bankrupt from fuel cost increases before we complete our return trip.

As scheduled, we lifted off 2020 Friday evening on a Zoom 737 from Pearson’s Terminal 3. It has a seat configuration across of 2-3-2, and we were fortunate enough to have a window section, 14^th row, so good view and comfort. Zoom ran 3 consecutive movies, which kept us well entertained, with no complaints about the meal, snacks and beverages throughout. I had last had sleep Wednesday evening, taken over by preparing for the trip. While I had expected to get at least 3-4 hours of sleep to refresh, none came. Lynda, likewise, got little.

The 7-hour flight had a scheduled touchdown of 0940. We touched down at CDG’s Terminal 3 around 1000 - hard to explain - possibly head winds but otherwise insufficient ground speed. Its Terminal 3 is very small and used for charter operators.

As we had understood, we took the Roissybus, which runs every 15 minutes to Opéra, run time around 45 minutes. At 8.90 € each, it’s quite the bargain, compared to taxi, the only issue being having to handle baggage and get from Opéra to Madeleine. Were we the savvy metro folks we are now, we would have known enough to hop the Opéra metro for a 1-stop trip to Madeleine, from which it would have been a 1 ½ block walk. Upon being delivered to Opéra, we didn’t really understand at the time where the apartment really was but, after several enquiries, we made our way there. Included was a small hotel attendant who allowed us to use his desk phone, dialling the number for us. I spoke with our designated contact, Jacques Leon, who said he’d meet us in 5-10 minutes at the street address. True to his word, he greeted us warmly, and acquainted us with the functional details of the apartment’s use before leaving, offering to be constantly available.

I have to mention that, throughout these and subsequent many contacts, the Parisian encounters were universally exceptionally polite and helpful. I would emphasize, however, what we had previously understood - one must greet an individual upon coming and going and not proceed until the greeting exchange has been made - makes a huge difference.

Our apartment is wonderfully located on a very short street. Rue du Chevalier St-Georges is connected to Boulevard de la Madeleine by rue Dephlot, which runs SE immediately from the front east side of La Madeleine. Rue du Chevalier St-Georges is a 1 block fork off Dephlot, ending at St-Honoré. It runs SW, the 1^st street E (and parallel to) rue Royale (which is the street that joins La Place de la Concorde with La Madeleine). The apartment is located in an inner courtyard, furthest from the street, so totally quiet. Access is by code box from the street level after certain hours and into the building door. There is easy access to the metro at Madeleine and Concorde, easily enabling access throughout Paris. The apartment met all the promises of the photos and communication.

The day of our arrival, we were to receive Josiane and Isobel at the apartment at 1900, before their hosting us at a restaurant. I had intended to use that time in introducing Lynda to Paris by first showing her Île de la Cité and Île St-Louis after walking to Place de la Concorde and looking up the Champs-Élysées. Instead, it turned out that the universal plug adapter that Lynda had purchased did not have the clearance to plug into any French plug. Our laptap is critically important in that it offloads digital camera images (at the rate of 100-300 daily), so off I went in pursuit for an adapter that actually worked (with my North American plug and adapter that I couldn’t get to work, in the unlikely event they could show me how), again asking all sorts of Parisians along the way:

• Up to the rear of la Madeleine to Darty, an appliance retailer, including computer supplies; speaking to a sales person, directing me to a wall of universal adapters; being assisted by another, who selected a universal adapter (advertised as working in 150 countries); confirming it would work; being prepared to pay its outrageous 30 € price, just to have something that works;
• Back to the apartment, learning that the unpackaged adapter didn’t appear to fit (the side for the North American plug had a rectangular and not circular hole to accommodate the ground); back up to the store, which confirmed same; reversing the intention of the store to give me an in-store credit;
• Up to Au Printemps department store, located around Opéra and several blocs above Madeleine. It was indicated as likely to have adaptors. Instead, they immediately directed me up the street to FNAC - what a great place (See my July 28 experience for why I might say that)!
• FNAC had the plug - a simple adaptor - and for 10 €.

Having now gotten to the point I thought I was at upon arrival, I had only wasted 3 hours in the process and our planned walk. In addition, exhausted as she’d been, Lynda had been flaked out the entire time, unaware of the length or extent of my travails.

Off we finally went, walking from the apartment through la Place de la Concorde and across its bridge to the Left Bank. We had a very pleasant walk, aided by shade from the overhanging boulevard trees on a sunny day. Our walk took us to L’ Île de la Cité, walking behind Notre-Dame Cathedral to reconnoitre a restaurant that I’d sought to make lunch reservations for the 28^th. I mistakenly believed our restaurant was the one signed as not opening until the evening. Ironically, we ended having a very pleasant dry white at the bar of the very restaurant I sought - Au Bougnat - see the 28^th.

We returned from the Cité metro stop and had a short period of time to prepare for our hosts. Josiane and Isobel appeared, and we exchanged gifts. We walked along St-Honoré to the Vendôme area of Paris east of us, at its Place du Marché, where there are several restaurants. We enjoyed a pleasant meal and cheese, and returned the favour with after dinner drinks at an outdoor bar near our apartment. They realized that Lynda was nodding off regularly, but I have to admit to a foggy memory of events, suggesting that fatigue was also a factor.