Champagne in the Air

 Buona Sera from Firenze,

That's Florence for you non-Italians. This has already been a complex journey, and it's not over yet. I'll reach my final destination Perugia tomorrow. Even though the trip went smoothly with no hitches, I'm still worn out and jet lagged.

I flew Air France business class from LAX to Paris Charles de Gaulle. It was one of their older planes, but the seat was fine, and the crew was lovely. The food. Gourmet and plenty of it. Let's start with amuse bouche, which as a pot of butternut squash puree with pine nuts. Washed down with Champagne. Now Air France firmly believes, "Everyone deserves Champagne," and a (lower end version) is even served as an aperitif in Coach. The version I got was divine, so I asked for more with the starter.

I had smoked duck breast and beet salad. Phenomenal. You will also observe a roll and some AOP butter from Normandy, which was divine. The Champagne went with everything.

Dinner wasn't done. I had ordered the chicken with vegetables and rice--with more Champagne!

I accepted the cheese course, but didn't take a photo I refused desert and drank water instead.

That's a LOT of bubbly, Pil, weren't you tipsy?

Nope. Small glasses and sipped slowly. I really appreciated the stuff.  And I did get a few hours of sleep.

Now Charles de Gaulle is emphatically not my favorite airport in the world. I had a tight transfer schedule and knew I had to go through passport control and change terminals. I was anxious about making my flight. But our plane arrived a big forty minutes early. I did have a hike to Terminal F, but the line at passport control was pretty short. By that time I needed the toilet, so I nipped into the Air France lounge before going to the gate.

The flight here was short. We flew over the Alps on a perfectly clear day with the snow capped peaks sparkling in the sun. I was fascinated by the villages in the deep valleys and wondered how the people managed because they seemed really isolated.

We were fed. I was expecting a snack box, but no. Air France has gotten top chefs interested in making food taste great at altitude, so I had had some smoked trout with a delightful pasta salad. I was so sleepy, I dared not drink more wine.

I decided since I was bougie enough to fly business class I was bougie enough to take a taxi to my hotel. And here I am in a very nice room on a quiet side street. It's a four star place, and I got a Real Deal on the room, which I booked early. Breakfast is included, and it's a short walk to the train station, but I can spend a few hours in Florence tomorrow before leaving for Perugia.

Ciao for Now