Singapore to Paris

We arrived at Changi  Airport about 9.30 pm and I was surprised to how mechanised everything was as last time we visited we  were told how important it was for there to be a job for everyone in Singapore. We checked in to get our boarding pass and luggage tags at a kiosk, then self checked in our suitcases. Then it was off to departures to be thumb printed out as we had been thumb printed in on Sunday.

After 4 attempts in one lane and 2 attempts with another official in another lane, my thumb prints refused to match. So I was sent to the official desk to get it sorted. This took a bit more time, but I am so pleased they have good security so they know who is getting on their planes.

Our flight to Paris left at 12.15 am on an A80 Airbus. Very smooth flight and again we were glad to be in premium economy. This section was only half full so when the girl in front of me reclined to go to sleep I was able to move one row back to give me more room. This is the longest flight we have ever done but it was OK.

Another plus for premium economy I hadn’t thought of before: you get to board after First class and Business Class. So there are only ever about 36 people in the queue to go through several gates for boarding pass check. Then they split into 2 aisles on the plane. So you are not rushed to get your hand luggage in the overhead lockers. And there is always enough overhead locker space as the smaller number of seats share the same space as that allocated for more people in economy. The same applies when disembarking. You are 3rd group off and you are always near the front of the plane – so very easy to manage hand luggage and much less wait time.

We landed at 7.30 am Paris time 13.5 hours flying time) and were transferred to our hotel in a large van as there were now 10 in the group. It is growing each day.

The Charles de Gaulle airport and the 35 km drive to the city were very disappointing after Singapore. After flying over such beautiful French countryside it is such a pity that graffiti and rubbish spoils our first impressions of Paris. Even the area between the road lanes was full of rubbish like broken concrete and building supplies.

The traffic was also a shock to us. We were driving through peak hour so we expected it to be busy, but we didn’t expect the chaos and lack or organisation on the roads. As we drove around the Arc de Triumph I felt like I was in one of those many movies that show people driving erratically in this area. I thought it was just for the movies, but it was actually all real.

We arrived at the Hotel Bradford  (no nothing like the Bradford in Rutherford) at 10 Rue St Philippe Du Roule at 9 am. It is very quaint with delightful furniture in the coffee area.

Our rooms were not ready but we could freshen up and leave our luggage. We then went to nearby café for a quick drink while the others arrived.

Then we all caught taxies to the Seine River cruises. We were booked on the Bateau Parisian for a 2 hour cruise, 3 course lunch and wines. Very nice. The weather was perfect and there were 14 of us on the table. The entrees were fabulous – our pick of the courses. Paul and I chose different options for each course  and shared. I don’t usually do the’ take photos of my food’ thing – but made an exception today.

As this is our first trip to Paris we were blown away by the architecture and the amazing bridges. I was seated in behind a long table so couldn’t take many pictures but Paul made good use of his movie camera.

They had a lovely entertainer who sang in French and played the electric violin. The atmosphere was perfect.

One thing we found strange was the cab fares. We had 4 cabs leave the same hotel and go to the same place. The fares ranged from 15 Euro to 25 Euro. On the way back our fare was 8.5 Euro, while others payed a lot more. Obviously not as regulated as our taxi industry!

Here’s Paul’s movie recap of our lunch experience:

 

Back at Hotel Bradford Elysees, we checked into our room on the 3^rd floor and made our way to the lift. This was a surprise. A wire cage – nothing we’ve seen in Australia for many many years. Our room is just lovely. Much larger then what friends had told us to expect in Paris.

Our room was serviced in the evening while we were at dinner – it is a bit like being on a cruise. We came back to find our bed turned down and chocolates on our pillow. The room also has a complimentary non alcoholic mini bar that is replenished daily. They also provide complimentary refreshments down stairs from 2pm – 11 pm daily for house guests.

Most of the group went to a small café called Ton Tons, one block from our hotel for dinner. Luckily Greg had booked as it was packed. They have happy hour from 5-8 pm and it works very well. Other cafes in the area were empty and this one was buzzing. We just had pizza and salad then adjourned for an early night to ward off the jet lag. It was 40 hours since the Singapore group had slept in a bed.