Sunday, August 15

Sunday was a travel day for us. We both decided it would take two full weeks to see Paris “proper”. We divised a plan that we could offer to “trade” Kathryn’s apartment in D.C. for one in Paris sometime in the future. We also decided that was probably the only way we could afford to be in Paris for two weeks!
Another wonderful breakfast at the hotel and then a cab ride to Charles de Gaulle aiport. The lines at the airport were long and slow. After standing in line for about 40 minutes, we got to a place where someone could look at our tickets and then tell us which new long line to stand in. Well, they told us we were in the wrong set of long lines and we had to go to another area of the airport. The lines were even longer at the new location. We were never going to make the plane!

I stood in line and Kathryn went off to see if she could find some help. She came back with big smile on her face! The government had purchased her a “premium” ticket and she was allowed to go through a shorter line. We did and the day was saved.

There was a Spanish school group on our flight, they had been to New York and were on their way back to Madrid via Paris. They were very loud in line, but pleasantly and surprisingly very quiet on the full plane.

Because Kathryn had a “premium” ticket, she sat in first class and got a full meal, and I sat back with the students and peasants and had a sandwich.

Another cab ride to our new hotel The Intercontinental Madrid – very beautiful – and a beautiful boulevard running through the heart of Madrid.

Kathryn and I both napped then walked the boulevard searching for a dinner place. We found a nice sidewalk café, right on the boulevard, where a piano player made dinner extra special.