We made it. All the United flights we’re on time. We had a tight connection at Dulles but it worked. The flight across was not the best because the 757 is a lousy aircraft for long flights. It is a 737 made to go longer distances, so it is single aisle. Three reasons it’s bad:
- Not enough toilets. Three toilets for a 2-3 hour flight is OK but for 7+ hours, insufficient.
- With one aisle, there seemed to be a cart in the way the entire flight. Figure two beverage services, one meal service, collecting trash, and duty-free sales. With two aisles, there’s a work-around, literally.
- The seats are not comfortable. The sag in the seat places one’s bottom away from the back so there is no lumbar support. Fanny fatigue sets in very soon. Didn’t sleep worth a darn.
On the plus side, the video entertainment was super although we wanted to sleep. Did catch "The Hunger Games".
But all in all, never again on a 757.
But all in all, never again on a 757.
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The apartment is a dream. Large, totally modern. Two TVs, with several English language channels. Great kitchen. The landlord is very accommodating. Will post some pics in a later blog.
It was Friday night. I brought a candle & matches, so Susanne lit the Shabbat candle before we went out. Reminds me of the time in 1984 when Jeff, Carole & I were in Athens during Passover. I brought a miniature menorah. We lit what were really birthday cake candles in the hotel room.
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The Eiffel Tower: Once in a Blue Moon
We have a Paris tradition. On our arrival day with jet lag in full force, we always do the same touristy thing. We go to the Trocadero to see the Eiffel Tower. It confirms we are REALLY in Paris and nowhere else. I blogged about it last year. But this year we did it differently…at night. As you probably know, August 31 was a rare “blue moon”. Has nothing to do with the color, but it is a second full moon in the same month.
That night in Paris, it could have been cloudy. The moon could be any where in the sky. But for us the sky was nearly cloudless & it lined up with Eiffel.
A blurry shot of the top of the tower. Low light plus 10x zoom does not make for good focus on our little point & shoot camera.
The above photos show the normal lighting on the tower. But just as we arrived, the tower was having a light show and thankfully I took a video of it before it stopped. [If the video doesn’t play, click on “Steve’s Travel Blog” at the top. It will take you to the web version where it will play.]
We spent the day today shopping for groceries & getting our Paris cell phones while the jet lag lessened. Tomorrow is the monthly free museum Sunday so we'll be out & around. That’s it for now.
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