In Paris

On my way back from Dublin I changed flights at Charles de Gaulle in Paris. The Air France flight arrived 30 minutes late to Paris, we were eight passengers who therefore missed the connection to Sao Paulo with five minutes! We could see the plane still attached to the walk ramp that leads to the gate but the Air France staff told us the gate was irrevocably closed. The next flight was going to leave at 11:15 PM so that meant a 13 hour stop-over in Paris. Frustration! I became angry and argued with the staff at the transfer desk until I got two meals and VIP lounge access. As I was entering the VIP lounge I saw an old man on crutches starting to fall down an escalator, I just dropped my stuff on the ground and ran to fetch him. He fell forward, down the stairs but I managed to get him before he fell completely. Then I turned him around and carried him to the top of the escalator where his wife was. He said thanks and then a couple of women applauded me, shouting “Bravo, monsieur!”. That made me think of a movie with Bruce Willis I saw dubbed to French a long time before, “Le Dernier Chamartin”, i.e. The Last Boy Scout.

After a quick coffee at the lounge I decided to take the train to Gare du Nord, down town Paris. I thought that why should I spend all that time at the air port, better to see “le Paris” in all its glory. It was kind of windy and cloudy but no rains luckily. I started with walking by the Seine to Notre Dame. Last time I saw the church “live” was back in 1989 when me and Jon were backpacking through Europe. It still looks the same! Then I had lunch by the Seine, beneath Pont Neuf, fighting of the seagulls.

I continued my walk along the Seine, then headed to the Louvre. It was crowded with people, of course. I entered the museum, entry fee is 9 euros and went to see the famous da Vinci painting of Francisco de Giacondo´s wife with the secret smile. Mona Lisa. It is smaller than I thought it was going to be. A lot of people were taking photos and I was thinking why, the pictures they take can not compete with any of the post cards you can by at the entrance shop. Then I thought that it is not the quality of the picture that is important, it is the fact that you can say “Been there, done that!” and prove it.

After the Louvre I was getting hungry again so I went to a brasserie on Rue Setembre 4 and ordered Entrecote with Sauce Bearnaise and Pomme Frites. I drank a Leffe beer. The food was good but the beer too sweet. The sun was setting as I headed back to Gare du Nord. It was a tired sales guy who boarded the flight back to Sao Paulo, I slept the whole way.

"Our lady".

Pont Neuf.

Lunch by the Seine.

Le Louvre.