After our normal routine of yoga, meditation, breakfast and walking Bella, we started the preparations for our departure later on. We had, over the last week, accumulated some extra baggage in the form of presents for friends and family. That made it quite a challenge to fit everything into the suitcases and bags. Eventually, Christophe managed to make it work without exceeding the allowed 23 kg for our one big suitcase.
Apart from packing our belongings, there was the responsibility of leaving the house in a decent state, and leaving the family with a little something for when they got home. And walking Bella a last time before leaving for the airport.
We divided the tasks and succeeded. When we left the house at approximately 15:15h, the apartment was clean, Bella had had a second outing, and there was a savoury pie in the kitchen, which required only to be heated for 15 to 20 minutes in a pre-heated oven.
Getting to Gatwick Airport
We walked to Finchley Central Underground Station and took the Jubilee to Green Park. There, we changed to the Victoria Line to travel to Victoria Station, where we took the Southern Railway train to Gatwick Airport. This all went without a hitch, and we arrived at the airport at around 17:15h, which left us ample time to check in, buy something to eat, visit the toilet and board the plane, which took off at 18:50h as planned.
Flying from Gatwick to Charles De Gaulle Airport
So far, so good. We lost an hour due to the difference in time and landed at Charles De Gaulle Airport at approximately 21:00h Paris time. And there the fun started. At customs, there were only two counters manned, and the officers on duty made a study out of each and every passport. We had arrived with a half empty plane, and we were amongst the last ones to leave it. We stood in line for over 45 minutes to have our passports checked…
The joys of public transport
Baggage retrieval went quickly and problem free. We found our way out of the airport and into the train station, where we learned that there was some kind of railway maintenance on our trajectory. The SNCF (french railway) provided us with transportation by buss to the nearest train station. That took one hour. And then another 25 minutes by train, 25 minutes by underground, 5 minutes on foot to Christophe’s aunt Monique to fetch the keys to Dominique’s apartment, and finally 15 minutes on foot to Dominique’s apartment. We were in bed at 1 o’clock, completely knackered. It had been a long, long day.