finally . . . back in Paris!

 I have waited 15 years to return to Paris.  

 

It was my Plan C although initially it was Plan A.  Got repetitive messages to go to Malta so I scrapped my plan for 3 weeks in Paris for A Sacred Journey Tour to Malta for a week, then Sicily for another then on my own for a week in Paris.  

 

The tour was to begin on Oct 2nd but in early September the tour was cancelled much to my disappointment.  I didn't want to give up my week in Paris and my round trip ticket was in at out of Paris so I moved to Plan B.  A week in the south of France at a beautiful retreat in the Pyrenees, five days at a chateau in the Loire Valley, then add 2 days in Paris.  One thing I loved about France is how easy it is to get around.  Their transportation system is fast and efficient ...

 

But when I looked into the travel choices it was not as easy as I remembered.  And as with pretty much any country, they are having their political problems.  Choices were to go from Paris to Carcassonne by train -- changing trains 3 times with luggage, then stay at hotel overnight because of my late arrival into Carcassonne before getting a private shuttle to the retreat out in the middle of open country.  The alternative was flying -- 11.5 hour flight with a layover either in London or Algiers arriving in Carcassonne the next day and costing 500 euros.  Both options taking 2 days to go to the south of France from Paris.  It didn't seem right.  

 

 So I checked with the company I booked my apartment in Paris with to see if they had other apartments available for the time of the tour.  They did, it fell easily in place and I got the feeling this was meant to be.

 

So here I am . . . with more to come.