Why is it, that the day you can sleep in, you wake early. I didn’t manage that the last weeks at work. So I wake up early. The bed was good at the Radisson blu. Watching some YouTube before I go down to breakfast.
A good breakfast buffet, nothing over the top, but a good diversity of food. Not many people here, normally this would have been the prime time for breakfast.
Had to check out at 12:00 so just doing that – and I had to pay for the breakfast, no luck this time – and take a small detour to the parking area, where the Geocaching TravelBug hotel is. Dropping off some TBs and go to security. I have the fast track access, but there are no people here. Found out that they call it the “silent week” at Oslo airport. Everybody is already on holiday. It is a short week in Norway with Thursday off and most have only 1/2 working day on Wednesday.
I have to empty all my hand luggage – all the cables and cameras – I was to lazy to take everything out. But I still have 4 hours left to my flight, so the security guard has a little bit of work while I pack the stuff.
Directly to the lounge. Just sitting, watching “Fear the Walking Dead” on HBO and having a small lunch (why did they put coriander into the beautiful salad? Uneatable for me… I am one of the persons with the soap gene).
Boarding at 16:10. Overbooked flight and full flight. I mean full. Other airlines keep the middle seat free for Economy plus/Business class. Not SAS. Like Sardines in a can. Putting up my own IFE system with a downloaded Netflix movie.
Bad service. They only had salmon – which I hate, so I ordered the small pizza from the snack menu. I have to wait until service for Economy class is over – ok. But then they forget me and dont have anything left. On a business class ticket? Unbelievable. For once I will complain to SAS.
Paris CDG is a weird airport. The escalators in this concrete structure go down, under and up again. But a short way to the exit. Just a short shuttle ride to terminal 3, where my hotel (Novotel) is located. I am lucky and don’t have to wait for a shuttle. My hotel is the one directly at the station. Perfect. 30 meters walk. Get a nice room with a big bed, a sofa and a nice bath (with a separate room for the toilette).
A quick grab of my camera and mobile phone and off I go to central Paris. Want to take some geocaches at Notre Dame Cathedral. A 30 minute train ride. 10 Euros one way. Cheaper than other cities.
Half way to the city, I get a news update, that the cathedral is burning. It was not me, really. There go my planes for that. The station is closed, so I get out one before. Traffic chaos, people everywhere. The shore of the river Seine is packed. People everywhere. Roads closed. You can’t walk anywhere.
Taking some pictures, finding a geocache and then going back to the hotel. Not much to do when it is dark and everything is closed. A little bit bad luck, but I have to get up early tomorrow. Charging everything before my flight to Canada tomorrow. Alarm goes at 6:00.
Bonne nuit!