bienvenue à Paris

Nous sommes ici! We made it! No problems with Air Chance, except for the 15 minutes waiting for the jetway at CDG - but that just meant that our luggage arrived (all of it!) very quickly after our trek through the airport (including a short train ride between terminals). Kevin's colleague, Anders, met us at the airport and, looking at our beaucoup baggage, smartly negotiated with a (probably unauthorized) van driver to pack us all in for the drive to Paris (about 30 minutes). He even managed to make sure that the driver took a trip on the roundabout at the Arc de Triumph (very interesting and amusing traffic flow when you're jet-lagged) and then across the Seine to the Eiffel Tower, which is nearly in our neighborhood. The landlady, Monique, was waiting for us and the first news that she relayed (over the intercom) was a bit daunting - after 2 consecutive nights of sleeping in a chair at 35,000 ft (at least for Kevin and Megan), we now had to haul our beaucoup baggage up 5 flights since the elevator was broken. Now, Kevin has long experience with the advanced nature of French technology, especially how it somehow knows to break down at the most inconvenient time, but never before has that involved 16 bags and 5 (spiral) flights! After much huffing and puffing, we arrived to exchange our bonjours.

The apartment, shall we say, is not extravagant. Shab chic is probably going a bit too far (like, forget the chic part). Still, it's dry and the bed was certainly more comfortable than even the exit row (with its extra leg-room). And the coziness will certainly promote family interaction. We actually had dinner together this evening and we even talked to each other (there are benefits to not having a functioning TV). Here's a picture of our first meal at Ginoux.

Monique is nice, but perhaps a bit technically challenged. The internet wasn't working and the light bulbs in the apartment were mostly dead - perhaps because they would occasionally blow up like the one in Kathleen's room. Anyway, Megan organized fixing the light bulbs and Kevin (eventually) figured out the internet (hence this post). Grace organized the kitchen (details better left imagined) and then this afternoon we succeeded to buy some fresh food. That was the second victory of the day, the first being the croissants and baguettes Kevin captured this morning. It was easy to find the Patissier this (Sunday) morning - just look for the shop with the line forming out the door!

Well, fini for now. A forced bed time is upon us; traveling east is really a pain with the jet lag but tomorrow is a school and working day! Bon nuit!