Returning to Europe after 40 years
In this era of sardine can airliners and minimal service, there is one airline and one airliner that deserve recognition . . . first, the Boeing 777, which is without doubt, the most well-ventilated plane in service— an enormous wide-body with 3-4-3 seating in economy, two aisles and engine intakes that must be 20 feet in diameter . . . and Air France, which is the most civilized airline I have flown on since the early days of TWA. Going well beyond peanuts and cokes, on the flight from Atlanta to Paris, the flight stewards first brought us complimentary beverages, which included wine and champagne, and refills if you wanted . . . at no charge.
The video screen on the seat in front of us had nine movies to offer, plus TV shows, games, music and GPS flight progress—all free, with complimentary earphones, which you can keep. Then came the dinner—our choice of fish or chicken with rice pilaf, green salad, French roll and butter, plus pudding, a brownie and a cheese wedge, all with more wine or champagne.
Shortly after that, the beverage cart came around again, with coffee, tea, juice, water . . . and cognac if you so desired . . . all complimentary. And this would have been passable in business class, but I was in Coach Economy. I've never seen such generosity and service from an airline.
Six hours later, as we flew East into the dawn over Ireland, breakfast was served. Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, fruit plate, rolls, butter, orange juice and yogurt.
And unlike other airlines which don't like people hanging around the galleys, and shoo you away, Air France keeps its mid-plane galley open all night, and passengers can stop in for water, juice, cola . . . what ever they want . . . all the way across the Atlantic.
We landed at Charles de Gaulle Aeroport right on time, and I made my way into Paris to the Mont Parnassse train station to catch the TGV high-speed train to Bordeaux . . . a 200 mph train which hurtles through the farm land of western France with such quiet stable ease that you really have to wonder at America's lack of imagination when it comes to train travel, and the stupid resistance to high-speed trains. They are magnificent.
I arrived in Bordeaux the 10th, and I spent all day the 11th seeing this city. I have maintained for 40 years that France has the greatest cathedrals on Earth, and upon seeing St. André's today, I hold to that opinion. Soaring to 130 feet, the interior of this structure is as grand as they get. This was the cathedral in which Eleanor of Aquitaine was married to Henry II of England on May 18, 1152. She was the only monarch to have been both Queen of France—and, Queen of England. This relationship has been best described to us in the screenplay, The Lion in Winter.
There is a long standing myth that the French are not friendly to Americans. I have not found this to be so—quite the opposite , in fact, I have stopped at least eight people in the streets of Bordeaux today asking for directions to my hotel, a certain store, a certain bus stop, a particular street . . . and all of them were very helpful—once they stopped laughing at my French and realized that I was truly American.
One man led me to his parked car, and he unlocked the car to retrieve a map of the city, and together, we figured it out. All of the people I accosted on the streets were completely obliging, stopped in their tracks, and helped me as best they could, some of them mustering their long-dormant English to be certain I understood.
Thanks to all of them, I found my way back to my hotel (Hotel California). See next installment
