I flunked silence, solitude, and simplicity on my way home on Friday. The flight from Florence went well, as did my trek through the CDG Paris airport. The 1:30 PM flight to Boston was a little delayed, but no problem. As we neared Ireland the pilot announced that due to a little mechanical problem we would be turning back to CDG, but no problem. Fine with me. We were told that Air France personnel would meet the plane and help us rebook our flight, but no problem. That was at 6 PM. Then the problem began.
Five plus hours later, at 11:30 PM, along with two young women who had taken me under their wing, we were in a taxi to an airport hotel twenty minutes away (it’s a HUGE airport). The following day, after comfy but rather unrestful sleep, a full breakfast with my new friends, and a taxi back to the terminal, we boarded the 1:30 flight and made it to Boston 15 minutes early. No problem. Clearly Air France flunked.
Five plus hours later, at 11:30 PM, along with two young women who had taken me under their wing, we were in a taxi to an airport hotel twenty minutes away (it’s a HUGE airport). The following day, after comfy but rather unrestful sleep, a full breakfast with my new friends, and a taxi back to the terminal, we boarded the 1:30 flight and made it to Boston 15 minutes early. No problem. Clearly Air France flunked.
A picture tells a thousand words.
A picture tells a thousand words.
That being noted, I flunked keeping the silence, solitude, and simplicity that l long for and want to create in my life. At times during the five hour wait in line, I spoke up with annoyance and impatience, forgetting my calm, my zen, my loving spirit. In my defense, however, along with my travel companions, I also remembered my gratitudes. Everyone of us was able to stop being self-involved, to recall the Ukrainians, either fleeing or hiding from death guns and bombs.