Smoked a pack of cigarettes before midday, coughed up a lung around 1 (Sydney - Loire)

China to Paris and the Loire Valley

The new aircraft was another airbus, but it was an A330-200.  Ah, the 21^st century!  Individual screens.  Nice.  At least we could watch movies to while away part of the next twelve hours.

The token Aussie flight attendant from the trip to China was swapped for a token Frenchman for the trip to France.  Very culturally sensitive.  The female attendants all seemed lovely, but the men … questions came in the form of grunts.  When drinks and dinner was being offered they would look at you and wave a hand in your direction and mutter something.

Some of the passengers were also quite interesting.  There were a couple of people who coughed and hacked and hawked and spat. Classy stuff.  Really, you had to hear it.  That happened on both flights.  The people-watching was amazing, but I was really too tired and decided to sleep.  I know that will surprise some of you, but I actually slept for four hours.

Movie time: Django Unchained, Great Expectations and The Mummy: Tomb Raider.  Not up to my usual standard of B-grade rubbish, but choice was limited and seen some of the other gems on previous trips.

More people watching: nine year old boy.  His mother dressed him in his pjs and re-dressed him in the morning.  Cait said he made an unsuccessful attempt at getting his own pants on.  The area around him looked like a frat house after a food fight.  The chosen attire for walking into the beauty of a Parisiene day?  He had his angry pants on.  No seriously, across the back of his grey trackies was embroidered the word ‘angry’ and then either side were characters from Angry Birds.  Priceless.  It will take years of psycho-therapy for him to get over his childhood.

The verdict on the experiment?  If we had flown both legs in an A330-200, maybe it would be worth it.  Maybe.  The stop-over was way too long and the service was agricultural compared to other airlines I’ve flown with and then there was the food.  There appeared to be little difference in Premium except the quick check in and extra leg-room.  The menu was the same.  So, next time?  Well, if they have the A380 flying the route, which they will from July sometime, then I’d consider it.  Maybe, but probably not.  I hope Qantas forgives me for being unfaithful.

The drive down to the Loire Valley took longer than expected.  The traffic around Paris was appalling.  I could feel the tiredness seeping into my bones the further we drove.  Our pattern last year was to base ourselves in the centre of a region and use it to explore.  The same applies this time around and we are staying in the middle of farming country between Parcay les Pins and Courleon, close to Gizeux.  Not the names of French placed we were familiar with prior to getting here.  In finding a country retreat I surpassed even my own expectations.

The drive, once outside Paris, was fine, the traffic thinned and all was good.  For those back in the land of Oz who complain about the price of toll roads, get over it.  It cost almost €22 on the motorway, that’s almost $30 on current exchange rates.  Jayne was admiring the nice white cows that dot the country side and asked what there were, Charolais, I replied, it’s a common French variety.  I knew going to an agricultural high school would pay dividends.   Oh, what’s a Chevrolet then, she asked?  Caitlin and I burst out laughing.  A car came the stereo reply.  And we are still laughing about it even as I write.  She thinks it will be used in her eulogy.

House located.  Bags unpacked.  Back into the car to get some essentials: cheese, crackers, coke, chocolate, wine and something for dinner.  I couldn’t believe it, but I cooked on our first night!  That won’t be happening again soon.  It’s all about organisation.  From tomorrow it will be breakfast from a local boulangerie and a late lunch and for dinner, a “brie and a little wine and music”, as the Leonardo’s Bride song goes.

And then?  No and then. We were all sleeping by 7:30.