Paris, then the travel day from hell

It is now Wednesday - my internal clock is still a bit off after what can only be described as a diabolical route back to the U.S. Suffice to say if I ever return to Le Mans, it will be on the TGV to and from Charles De Gaulle airport.

Here is a review of the last two days in pain-staking, excruciating detail. One was great in Paris, the other a disaster trying to get back from Paris.

On Monday, I took the TGV from Le Mans to Paris Montparnasse to meet my aunt, my gracious travel partner (even if I was only flying out with her and then meeting up for a day in Paris). We took a couple of metros to get to our hotel, not situated far at all from the Eiffel Tower (the obligatory photo is to the right, but at night it is truly amazing).

It was raining -so much like the first couple days of the week and most spring or fall days in Milwaukee - you have to make a plan to make the best of it. My aunt and I decided to take a bus tour of Paris rather than walk around, and still wound up seeing most of the historic city's major landmarks.

Notre Dame, the Champs Y'Elysses, the Arc de Triumph and the Eiffel were all four of our stops, plus we stopped to have a drink on the Champs (Panache beer, which was typical French sissie beer - it was sweet and not dry, but grew on us). Notre Dame is absolutely stunning. Words and photos don't do it proper justice. The Arc, quite honestly, is better when you're driving towards it than when you're actually in it. But we still went inside the circle.

That night we had easily the best food of either of our respective trips (my aunt was in Switzerland and Paris for a few more days while I was in Le Mans). At Le Bosquet in Paris, we had an incredible dinner. Mine was a scallops and shrimps main course with couscos, her's a veal liver with salad. Then came dessert, the highlight of the meal. She had a creme brulee, me a peach crumble.

A friend of mine recommended I try the French peaches at some point and I owe him a major bit of gratitude for that. This was a delectable, every bite melting in your mouth perfect bit of consistent balance between a crusty crumble and fresh peaches. I haven't had anything like it before, and I probably won't again. Simply phenomenal.

To top off the day we went straight from there to the Eiffel to see it light up at night. It was great.

***

That was a good day, despite the weather. Tuesday, our day of travel back to the U.S., was not.

We took two metros to the proper station to catch another train to CDG airport, but this is when the fun started. Or agony.

My aunt had not gotten tickets for this particular train as yet so were running around in an unknown area while all the ticket windows were closed. So on an automated machine we attempted to charge for the tickets. Neither credit card worked. We went upstairs and found a second level of windows, these with agents present. We got tickets and made it to the right level for the final train. Key word there, right level.

We got on what appeared to be the right train headed to CDG but this one didn't have a map until we were on. Most on board got off at the first stop and that's when my aunt realized we were on the wrong train. We head back to the station, and got on the proper train right then.

So we arrived at CDG after circulating through the old, round and confusing terminal 1. We attempt to check in at hall 2, at 10:10, for an 11:15 flight to Chicago at the United desk.

The flight is closed. An hour in advance.

Several lines later after the language barriers and going through customer service (which there wasn't any of, thanks to being sent to the wrong line). We get re-routed to Washington, D.C.'s Dulles airport, then to Chicago. Plus my aunt has to fly back to Phoenix from Chicago. It's a major SNAFU, only that's being modest.

We then proceed through the "security rules guy" line, the "get seats" line, then through customs, then we are in the gate area. I'm freaking out as we are attempting to get to our gate and pushing to go faster because I don't want to go 0-for-2. And once in the proper gate section, there is yet another line - the actual security checkpoint.

So now it's the whole Russian Roulette routine as we're taking everything off and putting it through security. My aunt wanted to check her bag while I insisted on carry-on, and it was at this juncture we found out why. She had a number of liquids and even a little scissors in her bag - all confiscated. This is another 7-10 minute delay.

We made it onto our plane to DC - just. The only movies showing were insanely stupid - I watched both Paul Blart: Mall Cop and the second Steve Martin Pink Panther movie and honestly wonder how these things are put in production. Or how Blart was the first U.S. movie to make over $100 million at the box office this year. Baffling, really.

Oddly our layover in DC was the only part of the trip that went swimmingly. We had Potbelly's sandwiches and then headed for Chicago. A quick flight later and in Chicago we each hit our next series of pitfalls as we went our separate ways.

Her flight back to Arizona was delayed and I have no idea whether she made it back or not as have not spoken since. My bus to Milwaukee was delayed by an hour as it rained, heavily.

All told, an excruciatingly awful and extended 24-hour period ended with 12 very much needed hours of sleep. The rest of my life, post-Le Mans, begins now. Cheers.