Nice to Paris to Salt Lake City to Sacramento
We woke up at the Nice Novotel a little before five. Sort of slept fitfully anyway. The last night of a trip before an early flight the next morning is always sketchy at best. The prime directive is always getting to the airport on time far more than any sleep.
I showered in one of the most terrible showers I’ve seen in a long time. Couldn’t figure our how to get the shower part working, didn’t get hot enough, water flew everywhere. We finished packing and moved the stuff down stairs at a bout 5:45. No breakfast or even coffee, but we got the credit card switched and checked out. The cab arrived at bit before six and we loaded up and were off. It was windy and had been raining a bit. Zoe and Sue said it had started to rain when they came in last night. I watched the odometer that the driver had reset as we left and the trip to the airport took almost exactly 10 kilometers. The cost was 35 euro. Not cheap, but easy. He unloaded our stuff in the rain at the new Terminal One for the short trip to Paris. I couldn’t check in at the kiosks so we had to go into the full service line. We were one of the first few in line; we had beaten the crowd getting there so early. She took our luggage without question. No weight problems at all. We moved to the security and that went easily. Left my shoes on but had to take off my belt off. By the time we all got through, it probably was somewhere around 6:45 only about a half an hour before boarding and an hour before we left.
We boarded onto the tightest leg room I’ve experienced it a long. From what the ticket said we had to board the next flight to Salt Lake City at 9:40 and it would leave at 10:10. We had to get to another part of the terminal. We had to go downstairs and through a passport control get into a bus and drive around a huge loop to the other side of where we had landed. As we were driving I saw a clock that said 9:40, boarding time. When we got off the bus, we had to go upstairs and go through security. We got stuck behind a nun that didn’t quite know what was going on, but finally we got through right at ten. We hustled down to gate 33 to see the sign that said the plane would leave at 10:35.
It was great to get on board and settle in. the plane wasn’t full so we could spread out. Zoe had the full middle row and Sue, Christine and I had a two of the side seats to ourselves. The captain said the full flight from wheels up to wheels down would be ten hours and 18 minutes. There would be three movies: Journey to the Center of the Earth, Mama Mia, and Get Smart.
We are currently in the middle of Mama Mia at the four hour and forty minute mark. .
8 hours thirty minutes. It’s chilly n this plane. I’ve developed a little headache. Not sure we will make out Sacramento plane. We are supposed to get in at two and then go through customs and leave on the next plan by 2:50. Seems like a long shot.
The flight was almost exactly 10 hours and 20 minutes. Customs in SLC was very easy as we were the only flight going through when we got there and we were through by just a little after two. We had no problem making the 2:50 flight. We were on a puddle jumper and were home by about 4:30. We all took the shuttle with our stuff and were home by five. The biggest surprise was gas was down t $1.77.
On Saturday we received this email from Tim.
Dear Jim, Christine, Susan, and Zoe,
back again safely in California I trust, boy your timing was so good, the morning after you left it snowed almost all day (about one foot of snow), and the roads would have been very difficult!
We would like to thank you for choosing Villa Sampaguita as your place to stay in Piedmont and to say that we really enjoyed having you as our guests and hope that you had a pleasant stay with us and also hoping that you had a good visit to Barolo and an easy trip back to Nice.
If you are ever in Italy again we would welcome you to stay again and we always offer returning guests a discount.
Arrivedeci and ci vediamo
Tim and Rina,
Villa Sampaguita
Thursday morning, November 27 2008 10 a.m.
Just 24 hours later
Thursday morning, November 27 2008 10 a.m.
Just 24 hours later
Top Ten List of the France/Northern Italy trip
1. Cullatello and Nebbiolo at Eataly
2. Opera Rehearsal at La Scala
3. One painting Caravaggio show in Milan
4. Seeing the Last Supper for a second time
5. Dinner at Madama Vigne
6. Sessions at ECIS
7. Winery Tour in Barbaresco
8. Tour of Rivetto winery, tour of the Barolo valley, view across the vineyard to
9. The arcades of Torino
10. Tim and Rina
11. White Truffle Festival in Vezza (Nutella Crepes and handmade pizza)
Top Ten Food
1. Culatello at Eataly
2. Ravioli with sausage sauce
3. Bicerin in Torino
4. Panecotta
5. Cinghiale and Polenta
6. Antipasti (rooster salad, beef crudo, meat with yellow sauce)
7. Chard and pinenut tart
8. Nutella Crepe
9. Zucinni flowers beignet
10. Spinach soup
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