You may well wonder where we are at the moment.... Stuck just north of Paris for almost a week. Fortunately we are in a wonderful, historic Gite de France, where we were in February en route to India. A long story -- here it comes.
After being in Delhi for a few weeks, we had decided to zip over to Vietnam/Cambodia for a month, then return to India for two days, staying with a friend who had kept two suitcases for us, for our return. Ha! When we went to the airport in Saigon at the end of our month there, they informed us that our visas would not allow us to re-enter India for one more month (I hadn't read the fine print, and current regulations make this a new rule for North Americans). So we had to stay one night longer in Vietnam, then get out (our Vietnam visas had expired!) and go to Delhi -- but only to stay in the transit area in the airport there, where we had to wait for 15 long overnight hours for our flight to Paris, sleeping on the floor. But worst of all, we weren't even allowed to go out to the departures area to meet our friend with the two suitcases (or even have the suitcases checked in by him) -- so we had to ask him to send them to Paris via air freight (USD$600--yikes!!!) where they are now stuck in Paris Customs and we are still awaiting their delivery because of course, no one works on the weekend here. Rats! Bill says never again, this travel to India. And I am inclined to agree, for the moment, anyway.
My advice (Bill speaking now) is to avoid Air India like the plague. Besides serving the worst food I've ever experienced on any airline, they adamantly refused to simply allow our bags to be checked onto our flight, even though our friend had brought them right to the airport, and even though they knew it would cause us, and our friend, great inconvenience and expense. For that extreme discourtesy, they are on my permanent no-fly list.
Ok, back to Cynthia.
So here we are, at Les Herbes Folles, hoping to get away in a day or so. Which means we won't be in Barga until Wednesday or Thursday -- and that is only if the paper work and all can be done (en Francais, of course) in time. Thanks be for our wonderful host!
So here I sit, gazing out the window onto lovely, ancient lawns and gardens. It is full spring here, with tulips and daffodils all a-bloom and the cherry trees resplendent. We have gone to some lovely places nearby, to a gorgeous medieval village called Senlis, where there is a fine Gothic Cathedral; then to Chantilly to see a palace which belonged to a prince -- the Duc de Conde -- who thought he would be re-incarnated as a horse, so had magnificent stables built, for some 250 horses kept in luxury, 500 hunting dogs ... and of course, the exquisite palace for humans.
So here I sit, gazing out the window onto lovely, ancient lawns and gardens. It is full spring here, with tulips and daffodils all a-bloom and the cherry trees resplendent. We have gone to some lovely places nearby, to a gorgeous medieval village called Senlis, where there is a fine Gothic Cathedral; then to Chantilly to see a palace which belonged to a prince -- the Duc de Conde -- who thought he would be re-incarnated as a horse, so had magnificent stables built, for some 250 horses kept in luxury, 500 hunting dogs ... and of course, the exquisite palace for humans.
We drove to a lovely area: Les Andelys, where there are many old half-timbered buildings; we have time to draw our surroundings; we have picnics on the lawn of our ”home”. So there ARE some side benefits to our travails…. Next, we hope, our news will issue as we are en route to Barga.
The long story, as always, convoluted.
The long story, as always, convoluted.
Hey Guys--Some great images--I envy you. And, Bill, your drawing/painting is great--better than the reality as in photo, but isn't that what art does? Well, they say that the getting there should be seen as the real joy of travel--what do you think? Air travel is shit! But, wish we were there with you. Maybe next time--Hugs, D & EM
ReplyDeleteSome misadvbenture! It seems you've been able to make the best out of it. How interesting to compare the photos of Canadian tourists in Vietnam with photos of Canadian tourists in France. Both sets are wonderful, and the ones about France would be very special for a vietnamese person.
ReplyDeleteMaybe all the officials of Air India wanted was a mordida, a 50 dollar bill slipped inside your passport? If that was the case, I think you did right in not complying.