The European Extravaganza!

Easy Jet is evil

OK, we know we have a lot of updating to do, because the internet was very expensive in Paris: Please excuse any huge mistypes because the keyboard here is the craziest one yet. Who ever thought that you would have to use the shift key in order to place a period?

So, we have never been so happy to leave a place as we were with Naples. When we last left off? we were getting ready to go to the airport. It was not all that hard to get to (we just took a bus straight there), but once we were there, our problems started. There was nothing to do in the airport, and like the Italian train system, they do not tell you where to check in until 20 minutes after you were supposed to have checked in. We found a post office that was open, but not for business, so we decided that we would just try to find a shop where we could buy stamps after we had gone through security. What a joke! By the time we found the counter where we were supposed to check in, there was already a huge line. For whatever reason, the line did not move, even when they opened up a second counter, so we were forced to stand there with our back packs on for over an hour. During that time, we watched a stereotypical Italian fight between older people (someone was trying to cut in line!): it was very loud and the hands were flying! We have no idea why Easy Jet took so long to check in about 40 people, because by the time we got to the counter, the plane was supposed to take off in about 15 minutes and it only took us about 2 minutes to get our tickets. Now we know why that show on TV always shows people screaming at people from Easy Jet!

The insanity continued, as despite the fact that the Underground had been bombed just 2 days previous and Europe was "stepping up its security", not once was our passport checked at any point during our trip. Also, in order to make things even slower, we were not allowed to walk the 20 ft to the plane, but had to cram onto a bus and have it drive us there. Never have we seen such pushing and shoving by adults; the result of Easy Jet not issuing seats (you just sit wherever is free when you get on the plane).

The flight itself was rather benign, although Laura's sweatshirt had to be stowed in the overhead compartment because it was somehow a safety infraction while resting in her lap. Whatever! We were just so relieved when we got off the plane in Paris. It took us about 2 hours to make it from Orly to our hotel, but we braved buses and the Metro successfully to do so. And yes, it was a hotel. For the only time on the trip, we had a private room, with only 2 beds, and a bathroom! Youppi!

We had not eaten anything since our meager and somewhat terrifying breakfast in Naples, so after trying to realign our spines, we went in search of a grocery store. Thankfully there was one not too far from our hostel, and we stocked up on cheese, tomatoes, paté, and bread.... ooooh, and 2 euro wine! Alas, the bread was not the best it could be in France, but that's the price you pay when you do your grocery shopping at 8 pm. I am telling you, nothing ever tastes as good as it does in France! The cheese is sooooo good, and the produce always tastes so fresh. Our days of hours in the sun and eating very little took their toll, for even loading up on food, the wine made us giggly very fast and we went to bed with everything pleasantly fuzzy. We slept well that night, knowing we had big days ahead of us in Gay Paris.

posted by Steph @ 10:18 am