I was awaken at 6am on the dot to what sounded like a group of college age kids singing John Denver’s Country Roads in perfect English.  If I wasn’t already in love with Paris, this sealed the deal.  I had plenty of time before needing to head to the airport, so I set out to the Metro again and took it to the stop directly adjacent to the Arc de Triumph.  As it as early morning, I had the place to myself, and there were very few cars using the extremely busy roundabout surrounding the monument.  After a quick stroll around, I took the stairs back down and the tunnel under the roundabout, and then strolled down the Champs Elyesees, which was mostly vacant of pedestrians and cars.

To save some time, I took the subway further down the avenue to Place de la Concorde, and stopped by to check out the menu at Chez Flottes, a restaurant Katherine recommended.  While it was open at this early hour, I decided to save my money and wait for the free food on the plane.  I strolled stroll through Jardin des Tuileries, which had a playground that the girls would love.  I stopped by the Pyramid at the Louvre once more, and then walkedk around a bit in search of a bakery to buy some pasteries and a baguette to take home, though the only one I found didn’t have quite what I was looking for.  I had trouble finding the Metro stop that was closest, so ended up walking even more to the stop by Opera, taking the Metro back to the hotel.  After another quick shower, I grabbed my belongings, checked out, and took an Uber a few minutes away to Gare du Nord, the north train station.  While it was huge and complex, signage made it quite easy to find the RER C, which would take me all the way to Terminal Two at Charles de Gaulle airport.  I left the hotel at 9 and was at the airport by 10, so a very quick trip.

 

I left plenty early anticipating a long wait at passport control and security, though after finding a kiosk to print my boarding pass, was able to use the Sky Priority line, and was through both in less than five minutes.  That gave me time to meet up with my new coworker friends at the gate, and walk around a bit to pick up some cheese, a bottle of hot chocolate from Angelina, macrons, and a baguette for the girls, along with a croissant and raisin roll for myself to hold me over.

After being there for two hours, boarding began just after noon.  My friends and I were all assigned seats in Delta One just prior to boarding, so we boarded immediately and settled in, enjoying some champagne and orange juice and almonds prior to departure.  We pushed on time at 1:12pm, and were airborne shortly after.  Meal service was very quick with only about two thirds of the 25 seats in Delta One occupied.  I first enjoyed the ginger marinated prawns, salad with pumpkin seeds and cherry tomatoes, and the most delicious Thai coconut soup along with a glass of chardonnay.  This was followed by cod with rice and vegetables with a Spanish Rueda, finishing with my traditional ice cream sundae and cheese plate with Tawney port.  By this point I was ready for a nap, so covered up with the nice duvet, laid the seat flat, and slept about four hours of the 8 hour flight.  One awake, I watched an episode of Good Bones (a home renovation show that takes place in Indianapolis).  It was then time for lunch, and I chose a Cuban sandwich with salad.  The sandwich was good, but the salad was frozen, so I skipped that.  We were served by Barbie the entire time, a very professional though friendly and fun Atlanta based flight attendant.  She was an absolute pleasure.

We had a nice view of the Indy 500 on the way in, and the race had just finished.  We arrived 30 minutes early, and I was one of the first off the plane, and the first to use Global Entry.  It was only about five minutes from the time I left my seat to the time I cleared customs.  I waited around for my new friends, as one was so kind as to have her ride drop my off at an Indy 500 party I was attending not far from their house.

Closing Thoughts – Going into this trip, my main goal was to be on the first ever scheduled transatlantic flight from Indianapolis, with a secondary goal of scouting for future trips with the wife and/or kids.  While I’ve heard from so many that they love Paris, I also heard from many that they believe the French are rude, the city is dirty, etc.  As with anything else, I went into the trip with an open mind.  I found the city no more “dirty” than most major cities, and that what some may consider “rude” is just different cultural norms than Americans.  I also believe that your interactions are a product of what you put into it yourself.  If you come in speaking English assuming they will also, are loud, pushy, etc, they will see you as an “Ugly American,” and reciprocate.  Like with anyone else, if you attempt to speak their language and follow their social norms, they will be much more gracious and helpful, and appreciative of your efforts.  That said, as an absolute cheese geek, someone who’s slowly discovering wine, and while lacking a sweet tooth generally, was floored by the pastries, I quickly became obsessed with French food, which I’d previously thought of as fancy and over the top.  Couple that with the beautiful architecture, streets, river, monuments, and history, I can now safely say that Paris won my heart, turned me into a Francophile, and left me yearning to explore the city and the rest of France as soon as possible.

After a good night’s sleep, I woke refreshed at about 8am.  I snagged a croissant from the hotel breakfast area (which I later learned that breakfast was 12 Euro – oops!) to hold me over, and walked to the Metro station and took the subway south to the Pont Marie stop, on the north side of the Seine adjacent to Ile Saint-Louis, a small island in the Seine.  My Facebook friend Katherine (who has visited Paris over 70 times) had recommended checking the island out, so I strolled from one end to the next, stopping at a small shop for a broccoli and gorgonzola quiche and a rhubarb torte.  From there I made my way west to the island that houses Notre Dame, stopped a few more minutes to admire it, and crossed to the south side of the Seine to the statue of Saint Michele.  It was there that I met up with Dan and Sarah, who’d arranged for us all to take part in a free walking tour given by Sandeman’s, a tour company that gives walking tours throughout Europe.  I ate my treats while waiting, both of which were delicious.  Unfortunately I had my hands full and didn’t get pictures, but they were both very appetizing.

The tour guide was Mexican, lived in the UK for a time, and had been in Paris 7 years.  The first stop was at Notre Dame, where we learned about the history of the building and some about the French Revolution.  We then stopped near the State Police headquarters, where he pointed to bullet holes that have been preserved since the Nazi occupation of the city during World War II.  We then stopped on the Pont Neuf Bridge, where we learned about King Louis IV, and about how the small half-moon cutouts were used by early day tooth extractors who used alcohol to “anesthetize” patients before hammering teeth out and throwing them in the river.  We then made our way to and across the Pont des Arts, former the “love bridge,” that once contained padlocks that couples attached to the bridge, throwing the key into the Seine, to symbolize eternal love.  Next came the Louvre, where we learned about its history, and the history of how the Mona Lisa became so famous (mostly because it was stolen and later found).  The last stop was just west near the Jardin des Tuileries, a huge city park, where we could see the Eiffel Tour and learned some of its history.  There was a wealth of fascinating information about the history of the city and each location that I’m leaving out, so if you’re ever in Paris, I highly recommend it.  While it’s free, a nice tip is fair, though even with that, it’s a steal.

After the tour, they invited me to join them, so I walked with them along Rue de Rivoli on the north side of the park, then into the square housing the Colonne Vendome, a statue of Napolean, and surrounded by 5 star hotels and high end stores.  We strolled back to the south side of the Seine, eventually finding a Monoprix grocery store to pick up some meat, pate, cheese, and baguettes, then found a small park in which to have a picnic.

After our lunch, we parted ways, and I headed back up to the Seine, and walked several miles along it to the base of the Eiffel tower.  The closer I got, the busier the walkway along the river got, and by the point I was at the base, it was packed with tourists.  By this point my feet were starting to feel the miles, so I plopped down in some grass and got on FaceTime with the girls. I had the camera set up so the tower was directly visible behind me, and the girls were all giddy with excitement when they saw it.  After chatting with them a few, I called my mom to check in with her.  By this point I was ready to stop walking for the day and have a couple beers, but not after a pit stop at the Pullman hotel nearby for a pit stop.  Bathrooms on the streets in Paris cost money, and as with many large cities, business don’t allow people to use theirs, so my standby trick of finding a nice hotel and discretely finding the toilets by the meeting rooms worked once again.

About a 30 minute ride on the RER C and then the 2 Metro, I got off in an ethnically diverse neighborhood, with fantastic smells of all types of food to match.  La Fine Mousse is one of the top rated beer bars in the city, and was a nice little spot.  There were a few bar stools, a few tables for four, and several tables for two along the window/walls that were open, as it was pleasant enough outside.  After a table beer and a Cantillon Kriek, I headed back to the 2 Metro, and took it a few stops away, and walked the several blocks back to the hotel.

After a shower to refresh after walking miles in almost 90 degree heat, I walked a few blocks to L’Ardoise Gourmande, a nearby restaurant that had excellent Yelp reviews for their classic French cuisine.  I was attracted to the prix fixe menu and reviews of excellent service, and the fact that they had duck, a favorite of mine.  I sat at a table for one on the sidewalk outside, with a nice view of an early 1800s era Catholic church.   The server (who I believe to be the owner) was quite helpful with navigating the menu and pouring me a glass of her favorite Bordeaux.  I ordered the escargot as an appetizer, and while I’m glad I got to experience it and enjoyed it, would be fine passing on it next time.  The duck (canard) was served with a red wine sauce and mashed potatoes.  The skin was crispy, and the meat was tender, so perfectly cooked.  By far the best duck I’ve ever had.

I walked back to the hotel after a loop around the church, stopping at a grocery store for a snack, and after packing up most of my belongings, was asleep pretty quickly, around 11pm.

While I had the thought to go visit the departure gate for the inaugural flight from Paris to Indianapolis, which would have been another party with the governor, speaker of the house, and other dignitaries riding along, I decided I’d rather dive into seeing Paris.  The walk from the gate to the train to passport control was long, but once there, the line moved quickly.  I was through it in about 30 minutes, which is much better than some European airports I’ve visited.  I had not yet booked a hotel for my two nights there, but was eyeing a couple not too far from the Opera House that were reasonably priced.  The Roissybus was 12.50 Euro, departed every 15 minutes, and went straight from the terminal to the Opera House, so it seemed like a logical choice.  After driving around a couple more terminals for pickups with good views of several Airbus A380s and a static Concorde, we made the hour long drive to Opera, which would probably have been about half that with no traffic.  Regardless, it was comfortable and efficient.  During the ride, I booked my hotel for $85 USD a night via Hotwire.

Once reaching the Opera House, I could have hopped on the Metro (subway) and gone a few stops to the hotel, but I opted to walk the 20 minutes along Rue la Fayette to get an idea of the area.  It was a bit confusing that the Hotel du Pre, and my hotel, the Relais du Pre, were right next to each other and had the same color awning and same font.  After going in the wrong hotel first and waiting 5 minutes for the desk agent to finish a phone call, I discovered that I still had a few more steps to get to my hotel!  I arrived around 11, and though they didn’t have a room for me yet, the agent offered to store my bag if I could come back around 1pm.  While I was desperate for a shower and had hoped they may have a room available, I certainly understood not being able to accommodate well before check-in time.

Having done research before the trip, I made my way south on Rue du Faubourg Poissonniere, southwest on Rue de Clery, and South again on Rue due Louvre before reaching Fromagiere Danard.  I was taken in by all the cafes along the way, each with the chair facing outward, so that patrons could enjoy people watching while they dined.  From the time I started crossing the street to Danard, I could smell the cheese, upon entering, I was in awe of the cheese case immediately to the right upon entering.  The dining room was small, with several tables for two, and a couple for four.  The server invited me to sit, and I asked about the Tour of France, with options of 2 meats and 3 cheeses, or 3 meats and 5 cheeses.  I initially told him I wanted the former, with a request for a blue, an unpasteurized (stinky) option, and a chevre (goat cheese), along with his favorite meats.  Upon further review of the cheese case, I decided to go big and opt for the larger portion, as a couple other cheeses caught my eye.  This was all served with a glass of Sauvignon blanc, and with baguette, which I learned was the preferred delivery method over crackers, as there was nothing to mask the flavor of the cheese using bread.  While I sat, several more couples came in, some with reservations.  One couple was from Chicago but was now living in the Netherlands.  I sat there for over an hour enjoying my food and wine, and loved every minute of it.

After lunch, I saw that the Louvre was only a few blocks south, so I took a quick stroll down to check out the exterior and to see the famed Pyramide du Louvre, before walking to the Palais Royal metro stop, taking it to Poissonniere stop by my hotel, and checked in.  I was assigned room 205, which was small but adequate.  The one interesting part was that the bathroom was tiny and there was no wall or shower curtain separating the tub/shower from the room.  Along with this, the only means of taking a shower was to use a faucet on a hose that was hung at knee level.  Needless to say, water got everywhere each time I showered.  After a shower, a nice two and a half hour nap had me feeling refreshed.

I’d been in communication with three women from my company who were on the flight over, and we’d agreed to meet up for dinner.  They were finishing up some sightseeing, and were headed toward Notre Dame.  I headed south again, taking a different route for variety.  I spent a few minute sitting in the courtyard on the west side of the cathedral admiring its grandeur, before finding the three ladies and walking with them to the south side of the Seine to eat at Hippopatumus, where one had eaten on previous trip.  We enjoyed a nice meal and good conversation.  My appetite was lacking, so I had two small plates: froi gras (I’m sure I’ll catch flack, but I wanted to try it once) and asparagus with a poached egg, along with a glass of rose.  For two of the three, it was their first trip abroad, and one of their first times enjoying their benefits. I’d like to think that by telling them of my family’s adventures, I may have convinced them to give it a try a bit more more.

Upon finishing dinner, we took the RER C train in the wrong direction for two stops before realizing our mistake, then changed platforms, and took it in the right direction to a station near the base of the Eiffel Tower.  By the time we got off the train, thunderstorms had moved into the area.  We waited in the station for a bit hoping it would clear up, but eventually donned ponchos (glad they grabbed an extra for me from the tour bus they’d taken) and ascended the stairs into the storm.  The next few minutes turned into a comedy of errors, as we tried to find out way to the base of the tower, crossing a flooded street to find no sidewalk on the other side, walking through flooded grass, finding a dead end, finally finding our way to the base of the tower, though not being able to go along the path to it, as it was flooded, getting soaked all the while.  By the end we were laughing about it.  Once going through security to go under the tower, we spent some time trying to find where to get tickets to go up.  At this point, I was soaked and exhausted, and because I wanted to wait to spend the money to go up when Laura was with me, I opted to head back to the hotel.  Luckily I found that a bus would take me from just a block away to the hotel.  Unfortunately the bus terminated service at Opera, though I caught another that took me the rest of the way.  In the meantime, waiting for the next bus, I talked to a couple from Lahore, Pakistan.  The man had attended Ohio State, so we talked a bit about the Midwest before parting ways.  After a small bottle of wine from the hotel, I feel asleep in minutes.

In September 2017, when I caught wind of a “major announcement” taking place at the airport, I drove the 5 minutes from my workplace to be present for what I rightfully assumed would be an announcement of nonstop service to Europe, likely by either Delta or a European carrier.  Thankfully, I was correct, and as soon as Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb announced it’d be Delta servicing Paris nonstop, I immediately determined I’d fly on the inaugural if at all possible.

Initially the plan was for the whole family to go, but we determined the logistics of taking all three kids would be a nightmare, and that we’d be better off waiting until they were older.  We had the thought of Laura joining, but her getting that Friday off would have been difficult.  In the end, she told me that she knew how much it meant to me to be on the first flight, so to go alone and scout it out for a later trip with her.

I got to the airport several hours before departure, so I strolled through the gate area to see the festivities being set up, which included drinks, hors d’oeuvres, a cake, souvenirs, a harp and accordion, a station for pictures, and more.  It was pretty empty, so I started to head to the other concourse to grab a beer, but ran into Dan and Sarah, a Delta pilot and his wife, who I met several years ago.  They were headed to the Delta Sky Club, and invited me to join.  I’m not one to pass on such things, so we headed in, where there was a large tray of macrons to greet us, along with the usual spread of food, and more hors d’oeuvres and champagne being passed around by club staff.  We enjoyed a nice hour of conversation there with friends of theirs who were taking the flight before heading back to the gate.

 

By the time we got to the gate, the party was in full swing.  Speakers included Indianapolis International Airport Executive Director Mario Rodriguez, Major Joe Hogsett, Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch, Delta’s VP of Network Planning, Consulate General of France in Chicago Frederic Chole, and students from the International School of Indiana.  Soon after the speeches, boarding began.  While earlier in the day the flight was wide open, there were a lot of last minute employee listings, so it was a bit dicey for a while, and for a few minutes, it looked like I wouldn’t get a seat.  Luckily, I was able to get an aisle seat in the next to last row, and most if not all other standbys got on, including a group of three other employees from my company who were only going to go if they all got on.  While they’d all worked at the company several years, we were in separate parts of the building and hadn’t met previously.   We hit it off!

Soon into the flight, we were provided with a small snack (I’ve forgotten what it was at this point), enjoyed with a Sweetwater 420 pale ale.  Dinner was a small salad with ravioli with both pesto and red sauce, enjoyed with a glass of white wine, which was soon accompanied by a glass of red wine that ended up on my tray table which the flight attendant accidentally poured for the woman next to me when he misheard her order.  After dinner service, the cabin lights were dimmed, and while I tried so sleep, I only managed two or three hours of sleep.  I also watched a few episodes of “The Detour,” a hilarious comedy about a family of four on the run who end up in Alaska.  I’ve very picky when it comes to comedy, and this one had my laughing quite a bit.  I later learned it’s available to watch on Hulu, which also happened with the TV show “Atlanta” on my last trip on Delta.  May be time to spring for Hulu.  Breakfast was a bagel with yogurt and orange juice, though I took only the juice, as I wasn’t hungry, and wanted to save room for food in Paris.  We arrived to the gate early around 8am local (2am at home), and being that I was in the next to last row, I was one of the last to deplane.