A Parisian Layover

After a wonderful send off at EWR I was on my way. The trip to Mauritius was going to be a much longer one than my previous visit, which was only 4 hours from South Africa. First I would fly 7.5 hours to Paris CDG, then a 12 hour layover until my 11.5 hour flight down to MRU. Here we go!

The first leg was fairly painless despite my lack of sleep. Even after a glass of wine and a bad movie, I was still playing the contortionist passenger game and flipping myself every which way to find a suitable sleeping posture. I arrived bleary-eyed in Paris at 7am and confirmed my flight to Mauritius would depart at 7pm that night.  With plenty of time, I decided to leave the airport and explore the city. With the tragedy at Charlie Hebdo a few days prior I was a bit nervous to reenter Paris security with my drone and all of my other equipment, so I stashed everything in a locker and went out to cure my cabin fever & satisfy my craving for authentic Camembert. 

The city was just waking up as I popped out of the Metro at Chatelet on the Seine. Having toured Paris previously, I decided to skip the Eiffel Tower and try my hand at the Louvre. It was freezing rain and I hadn't packed for winter, so indoor activities were crucial to this outing! After sourcing a consignment shop for a warm hat and an extra layer, I was ready to brave the Parisian winter. To my dismay, it seemed as if most of Paris' tourists also wanted to visit Ms. Lisa that day... it was a mad house. The bitter cold and wind abusing the square motivated me to make Plan B - the Picasso Museum. It was quite a long walk, so a stop for espresso and croissant were integral to completion of the mission. Revived and thawed, I wandered the quaint streets and eventually found the museum where I spent a nice afternoon with one of my favorite artists. It is a beautiful museum, with delicate architecture, a fluid layout, and of course, plenty of art to keep me entranced for hours. By the time I emerged it was nearing sunset, so my quest for cheese was accelerated. I got very lucky and caught the vendor of a small shop just prior to closing time. I procured quite a few delicacies to share with my Mauritian friends, and was off to CDG via St. Michel and the giant Christmas tree. 

Security was light, which in the past has meant (for me at least) a bit more scrutiny. The drone drew no questions, but I was stripped of my Camembert treasure. No soft cheeses allowed?! The disappointment must have been obvious, because the sympathetic agent allowed me to at least try a chunk of that delectable cheese on my still-warm baguette before moving on. Ahh, protocol... As it turned out, I should have hung out much longer at security and finished that wheel, as my flight was delayed until 11pm. Instead, I curled up on my bag for a little nap. Boarding time eventually came, and I was off once again in the direction of summer...