A city view

For the sake of fairness: Yalta got romanticized with a city by water picture, so Paris deserves one too. Isn't it beautiful? You can't even see the rain!

Some Paris beauty...

In Paris there probably is no such thing as Skönhetsrådet, or they simple are more interested in art than the one in Stockholm. :)

A certain satisfaction

Some satisfaction comes from seing thease new french Can:s on my "chimneypiece". :) The only thing to regret is that I didn't buy a few more...

First working day...

So was the vaccation over it was time for the first day at work. I really must say that it wasn't all that interesting: at the moment I am a lot more fond of my spare time than my work, and I wouldn't mind a few more weeks of full time russian or decorating my flat. Actually, although mostpeople would probably consider it normal to like their spare time more than work, to me it's kind of a problem; work is important to mee and not really knowing what I want to do at work or why is a problem that gets to me and to my mood.

Picture quest

Guess where ?

Meeting fall in Paris

Back at CDG! Flight bus was a lot easier, in particular with the help of my local guide who could find the busses. Actually, this time trains would probably have been easy too, since I carefully saved the 8.50 needed in coins to buy a ticket. :-) After getting off at the wrong yerminal and walking through most (?) of the airport I am now checked in and waiting for bording with AF1262 for Stockholm.
This weekend has been really great: good food, nice shopping, nice walks (not the least!) and dancing. Paris girls flat is really nice, in spite of the rat stories, although her bathroom makes my shower feel spacious. :-) Altough this will (hopefully) never be my own home, it's a city worth visiting again and again, and I truly do believe that ever soul need some crepes au fromage et un expresso at a moist Paris resturant every once in a while.
Thanks a lot Paris Girl!

PS (Post scriptum, not Priness Sophie):
Yes mum, I did send one post card, one only, and it went to the kind old lady.

Shopping day....

Now completely broke after a day looking through small shops, mostly of general curiousity. One of the really nice things with Paris is just the little shops. Amongst the more beautiful and in peculiar stores was one entire shop filled with melody boxes in various designs colors and materials: glass boxes, varnished wood... anything!
As far as my wallet is concerned this wasn't a very good day. I bought a few beautiful brigtly colored cans to store things in my kitchen (pictures will be published later) as well as some candy, and I thought for a long time about a little Laura Ashley clock that would've been nice on my bedside table, but decided in my wallets favour. Mathers were worse when the Paris Girl brought me to La Maison du Whisky, and I had before I left the store brought a bottle of Caol Ila single cask limited edition bottle 196 out of 251 (not as expensive as it sounds) and a bottle of Baker Kentucky straight bourbon (7 years, cask strength)...
Now it's time for me to stop writing or there will be now drink before dinner. :)

The Louvre

And then finally the Louvre got off my next-time list, and I got to see the Mona Lisa with my own eyes. Probably Mette would love it here, with dresses, china, furniture and paitings from century to century.

French intelligence

Arrived at CDG, followed the signs and found the RTR trains. The ticket machines the Paris girls thinks is the highpoint of the french evolution, proving the Paris transport system superiour to the SL network in Stockholm. And indeed this is intelligent! I walk up to the machine, and it's simple and polite AND it accepts my major credit cards like Visa and Mastercard.

I enter my order, and even though there is no english interface it's intuitive enough. I order a ticket to Paris and press the icon showing a credit card. Enter my card. It doesn't validate. Ok, sometimes Swedish bank Visas don't work to well abroad, so I repeat the process with my more international Eurocard. No result.

Next to me are two swedish women experiencing a similar problem, but with the assistance of one of the nicely posted guides that help people who can't figure out the machine. He point's at a sign next to the screen: "This machine only accepts FRENCH credit cards". But of course! There is the international community, and there is france. Just as I started to like this country.

But no need to rush to conclutions - the machineappears to accept cash, so walk to a nearby cashpoint, get cash, return to the machine, enter my order and ... but wait... this top modern machine only accepts coins.

I walk around the machine, then the entire hall. Can't find a changing machine anywhere. There is an exchange office, but they only have bills. I wonder what the train company though... all foringers arriving to this internarional airport will either carry euro coins or french creditcards? I ask one of the guides to help me find a changing machine. "There is no, but try in the shop over there". On my way to the kiosk (where the cashier spend a large portion of her time telling travellers they weren't changing money) I met the Swediish women, apparently still stranded too. We wished each other good look at getting out of the place, although it was apparent frrom their cynical smiles that they didn't put much hope in this.

So the shop was no good. I looked around and decided the huge cue (see picture) was probably ment for people in my situation. I bite the sour apple and stand there. It's long, but I wait, and wait, and wait. Curiously enough I find a changing machine hidden in a corner, inside the ticket office, cose to the front end9f the(ue. Other people leave the cue when they see this, but by now I don't take any chances - I keep my position in line and wait. (Fortunately, since the machine apparently doesn't give out any change) Finally it's my turn - I buy a ticket for Les Halles, pay cash, and walk away. It only took me an hour and a alf to get out of the airport. I have only one peace of advice for Paris Girl: If the community transport is the guiding star of french intelligence there isn't much hope! Leave now! Or - to make a pastishe on Churchills famous words on Europe: France propably is a very good thing - for the French.

Three reasons never to fly Sas to Paris

1. Air France has slightly wider seats
2. Air France are slightly more polite
2b. (for women) Air France serve ladies first
3. Air France let's you answer the tea or coffee question with excellent breakfast word "chocolate"

(The last one, in particular, was appreciated by me, who will now continue my in-flight sleep. :-) )

CDG airport

It came as a surprise to me that the airport isn't finished yet!

Time for take off

I just heard a brand new message on the intercom: "Ladies and gentlemen, for security reasons please do not fasten your seatbelts." New ideas, or just english in french?

.It's Paris time

On the road again - this time for paris in a time of international alert and flight chaos. I've got one tip for you: if it's important for you to catch your flightbus, make sure your cellphone clock isn't three minutes behind. :-)

Beaten by the system

Very serviceoriented and clever babysjka this morning. She followed me to the shower, unlocked the door, brought the key and left.
On the flip side - nothing nurtures my cold like an icy shower every now and then. :-)

Landed Kiev

Again - an excellent landing. Aerosvit flies a lot better than RyanAir, that's for sure!