kdeversblog

Like countless numbers of people before me, the vibrant and beautiful city of Paris has charmed me with its delicious food, gorgeous architecture, and easy access to art and culture.

My friend Marie drove me to the airport on Wednesday, September 6th and although I had some pre-flight jitters, I was excited about the trip. I knew that Marie would take good care of my dogs and Richard was at the house, so the homefront was in good hands.

After the flight to Atlanta, a reasonable layover and an eight hour flight to Paris, I sailed through baggage claim and customs.

My first view of France was a during a long descent to the Charles DeGaule airport. I was surprised to see so many open fields and small clusters of buildings.

The Viator shuttle met me and several other passengers at the airport and the drive to the Airbnb where John and I are staying was a stunning introduction to the city. All sizes of motorcycles vied with cars, with a few bicycles thrown in to increase the danger factor. I recognized landmarks that were only familiar as photographs or movie locations. As we paused in traffic, I turned my head to see the Eiffel Tower and craned my neck to peer straight up its full length.

John welcomed me at our  Airbnb on rue St. Andre des Arts in the St. Germain area of the East Bank. I felt a bit tired since I barely got a few hours of restless sleep on the plane, but after getting settled I was ready for a walk around our neighborhood. It surprised me how I quickly adjusted to the time difference and experienced no jet lag. After a solid ten hours of sleep the first night I was refreshed and ready for our J & K Excellent Adventure to shift into high gear!