Reached!!

We're home! Yesterday went by in a haze of packing. The packers were, amazingly, through in a matter of 30 minutes inspite of Tweedledum's dire predictions about french efficiency. I've managed to send all my wine bottles bought from the Loire valley to London. I hope I still have them when I get there.

The second half of the day was Gare de Lyon, cab, checked in at the Etap, dinner at Courtepaille, good wine - Chateau de Bourg 2002, foie gras, baguette, cordon blue and chocolate cake with glace - the final meal in France. Off to the airport at 5 am for the 7:45 departure only to find the flight delayed. We were to be in Milan by 9-15. We left Paris at 8:45! Tweedledum and I were wriggling in our seats throughout - will we make it, will we not?? Landed in Milan at 10:40 with the certain feeling that the connecting fllight would have left. Have to say, after all the negatives I have heard about Alitalia, I was impressed. They had the flight on hold. We disembarkd at 10-35, they had someone waiting who rushed us to the next flight. We were on by 10-45 and had left Milan by 10-55. The scheduled departure had been 10-40 - hardly any delay! Of course we were sure that there was no way the luggage would make it. A slight detour from the flow of the day here. When we landed our bags were out before we were. They made it!!

As for the flight - what can I say. Had an interesting Italian juice called Canatal, red coloured orange juice. Till I tasted it, I was sure he had served me Pamplemousse or something. Service was decent, certainly not as bad as it was made out to be. Illusionist was an interesting enough movie for a flight - wonder if it a true story though. Eisenheim, hmmm. The view of the Alps from the flight was gorgeous to say the least as was the view of home from the sky. Home - mummy, papa - my glass, the taste of the water. The list of pleasures is never - ending.

France was great. Home is incomparable.