Pineapples, croissants, and neon OH MY! A trip to Hawaii, Paris, Andorra, and Vegas
Sep 9, 2014, 7:28 pm
#17
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1) DC to Honolulu, and evening in Honolulu
Ok, this took far, far longer than I planned to get around to. .I figured "I'll be spending 30,000 miles on planes over the course of 12 days, lots of time for writing." What I didn't take into account is that my sleep schedule would get so out of whack that I'd find myself wandering streets at 3am enjoying cities in a whole new way, and sleeping when I could. .Plus, the trip ended in Vegas. I don't really need to explain much more. I got home after this mother of all mileage runs absolutely wrecked in more ways than one. Then there was life, and work, to catch up on...but finally...here we go!
In case you missed the post about how this trip came up, I've linked it here for reference.
Soon, the big day was here, and it was time to head out! Decided to be a bit frugal and take the Metro to the airport, which in rare form was running with no delays and everything went smoothly. So smoothly in fact, that I was from home and through TSA in under 30 minutes. Ended up with almost an hour before my flight, so popped into the Delta SkyClub for a quick breakfast. I wanted to check out their new offerings...and was seriously happy to find greek yogurt and hard boiled eggs. No salt anywhere though. Grrr. At least I had a chance to stock up on protein knowing Señor Jeff would soon try and put me in a carb-induced coma.
Boarding was right on time, and we were on one of United's oldest 737-800s today...but at least there was WiFi!
United Airlines flight 1662
Washington DC, National (DCA) to San Francisco, California (SFO)
Depart 8:15, Arrive 11:19, Flight Time.6:04
Boeing 737-800, Registration N18220, Manufactured 1998, Seat 2E
Today's route of flight was rather strange, I assume due to the storms covering the flyover states. Although we were blocked 6:04 gate to gate, flight time was announced at just 5 hours and 5 minutes...rather quick for this route. I was rather excited to be on this route, instead of having to trek out to Dulles and it was my third ever transcon out of DCA, and the first on United. So happy to have this route as an option now!
Not only were full pre-departure drinks offered, but they came with refills if you were a quick enough drinker. This was going to be an excellent crew! There was almost no wait for takeoff, and we were airborne less than five minutes after leaving the gate.
Today's breakfast choice was either scrambled eggs and sausage (powdered scrambled eggs on planes scare me...Jeff's sausage pucks scare me even more), or the big tray of carbs. I decided to go with the carbs and a bloody mary, figuring at least it might put me to sleep.
No dice on the sleep, so I spent the next four hours on the incredibly slow WiFi doing work. It was only $1 an hour, however, so you can't really complain about the speed too much at that price! About an hour after breakfast the crew put out the snack basket, stocked with what would become very predictable fare over the next few days.
The flight literally flew by (see what I did there?) and before I knew it we were landing in San Francisco.
Grabbed a quick iced coffee at Peet's (the first of many, many on this trip) and then decided to pass my 90 minutes at a new-ish wine bar called Uncork'd...where I discovered the cheapest glass of wine was $15 and the cheapest I was at all interested in was over $20. Um, no thanks. See, look at me being responsible. So I had a beer...a Lagunitas Hairy Eyeball...and it was delicious. Then, I had a second...just to be sure the first wasn't a fluke you know!
Scientific research complete, it was time to board the flight to Honolulu!
United Airlines flight 300
San Francisco, California (SFO) to Honolulu, Hawaii (HNL)
Depart 12:50, Arrive 15:09, Flight Time.5:19
Boeing 777-200, Registration N779UA, Manufactured 1996, Seat 1A
This was a newly-configured old United 777 which had formerly been a three class international plane and was now a two-class Hawaii config. I did a quick look, and the last time I'd been on this plane I'd been in 2A from London to Washington with Tony Blair across the aisle. I chatted with the flight attendant a bit about the new configuration, and he insisted this had always been a two-class plane and used to be the old domestic 777 configuration. Bzzzt...thanks for playing...just remember that when you believe flight attendants always know what's going on at the company. .
Being a Hawaii flight, at least there was bubbles...even if they were served in a plastic glass before departure:
Relatively short taxi, and soon we were off. I don't often pick window seats, but had decided to on this flight since I was most likely going to want to sleep and not have anyone climbing over me. Also, that's why I chose (unusually for me) the bulkhead. The advantage of the window was a few shots of SFO and the Bay Area right after takeoff:
The crew kicked into gear quickly, and there were nuts...and they were warm, and they were split in half. Ugh. Discount nuts.
Choice of lunch was "chicken cacciatore" or "pasta." I went with the chicken which I've seen numerous times over the previous few years and knew would be a safe option with a reasonable amount of vegetables and protein.
The drinks trolly, sitting out in the gallery. Note the bubbly and pre-made mai tai skewers:
...and for dessert, Jeff Sundae #1 of the trip, this time with two cherries and hot fudge. (Pay attention, we'll get back to this.)
Flight went quickly despite no WiFi, mainly because I passed out for three hours after lunch. Lack of sleep and a few glasses of wine will do that. Woke up shortly before approach into HNL:
Grabbed a quick Starbucks in the terminal (that's americano #2 of the trip) and headed out of the airport to get my rental car:
They'd run out of the tourist special (the Mustang) so instead they tried to upsell me to a Camero. No dice. So...when I got out to the lot...all that was left was Cameros, so I was told to just take one. Mess.
Traffic wasn't awful, and was at my hotel, the Moana Surfrider, in about 30 minutes. No real upgrade to speak of, slightly bigger room, and headed right out to walk off some of the jetlag. Walked up and down Waikiki enjoying not having to wear shoes, and feeling the sand and water on my toes. Did a little bit of shopping, and just generally slowed down. The relaxation had set in!
Saw Duke's OceanFest was going on that week, and for a brief moment considered the one mile openwater swim the next morning. However, considering I haven't swum in 10 years, and am contending with a fractured hand AND two fractured ribs, I decided it might not be the wisest thing to do. Drowning on my first day of vacation would be a bad thing.
So, instead of signing up, I retreated to the Moana for a mai tai.
...throw in a post-mai tai beer.and it was time for a gorgeous sunset.
By this time I was fading pretty hard, having been up since approximately midnight Hawaii time. Despite my three hour nap in flight, I just didn't have the energy to venture far for dinner...so I headed next door to Duke's to sit at the bar and people watch. Tonight's entertainment was a sketchy swarthy Lebanese guy and his posse who kept telling me about his days "in the export/import business" in Paris. He also asked me if he smelled good...um...dude...you smell like the 1990s. Do people really still wear that much cologne?
Had my usual...the nachos with Kalua Pork. YUM! ...and a few Big Swell IPAs of course to keep the nachos company.
Made it back to the hotel, and by 9pm was absolutely passed out. It had been a very long day!
In case you missed the post about how this trip came up, I've linked it here for reference.
Soon, the big day was here, and it was time to head out! Decided to be a bit frugal and take the Metro to the airport, which in rare form was running with no delays and everything went smoothly. So smoothly in fact, that I was from home and through TSA in under 30 minutes. Ended up with almost an hour before my flight, so popped into the Delta SkyClub for a quick breakfast. I wanted to check out their new offerings...and was seriously happy to find greek yogurt and hard boiled eggs. No salt anywhere though. Grrr. At least I had a chance to stock up on protein knowing Señor Jeff would soon try and put me in a carb-induced coma.
Boarding was right on time, and we were on one of United's oldest 737-800s today...but at least there was WiFi!
United Airlines flight 1662
Washington DC, National (DCA) to San Francisco, California (SFO)
Depart 8:15, Arrive 11:19, Flight Time.6:04
Boeing 737-800, Registration N18220, Manufactured 1998, Seat 2E
Today's route of flight was rather strange, I assume due to the storms covering the flyover states. Although we were blocked 6:04 gate to gate, flight time was announced at just 5 hours and 5 minutes...rather quick for this route. I was rather excited to be on this route, instead of having to trek out to Dulles and it was my third ever transcon out of DCA, and the first on United. So happy to have this route as an option now!
Not only were full pre-departure drinks offered, but they came with refills if you were a quick enough drinker. This was going to be an excellent crew! There was almost no wait for takeoff, and we were airborne less than five minutes after leaving the gate.
Today's breakfast choice was either scrambled eggs and sausage (powdered scrambled eggs on planes scare me...Jeff's sausage pucks scare me even more), or the big tray of carbs. I decided to go with the carbs and a bloody mary, figuring at least it might put me to sleep.
No dice on the sleep, so I spent the next four hours on the incredibly slow WiFi doing work. It was only $1 an hour, however, so you can't really complain about the speed too much at that price! About an hour after breakfast the crew put out the snack basket, stocked with what would become very predictable fare over the next few days.
The flight literally flew by (see what I did there?) and before I knew it we were landing in San Francisco.
Grabbed a quick iced coffee at Peet's (the first of many, many on this trip) and then decided to pass my 90 minutes at a new-ish wine bar called Uncork'd...where I discovered the cheapest glass of wine was $15 and the cheapest I was at all interested in was over $20. Um, no thanks. See, look at me being responsible. So I had a beer...a Lagunitas Hairy Eyeball...and it was delicious. Then, I had a second...just to be sure the first wasn't a fluke you know!
Scientific research complete, it was time to board the flight to Honolulu!
United Airlines flight 300
San Francisco, California (SFO) to Honolulu, Hawaii (HNL)
Depart 12:50, Arrive 15:09, Flight Time.5:19
Boeing 777-200, Registration N779UA, Manufactured 1996, Seat 1A
This was a newly-configured old United 777 which had formerly been a three class international plane and was now a two-class Hawaii config. I did a quick look, and the last time I'd been on this plane I'd been in 2A from London to Washington with Tony Blair across the aisle. I chatted with the flight attendant a bit about the new configuration, and he insisted this had always been a two-class plane and used to be the old domestic 777 configuration. Bzzzt...thanks for playing...just remember that when you believe flight attendants always know what's going on at the company. .
Being a Hawaii flight, at least there was bubbles...even if they were served in a plastic glass before departure:
Relatively short taxi, and soon we were off. I don't often pick window seats, but had decided to on this flight since I was most likely going to want to sleep and not have anyone climbing over me. Also, that's why I chose (unusually for me) the bulkhead. The advantage of the window was a few shots of SFO and the Bay Area right after takeoff:
The crew kicked into gear quickly, and there were nuts...and they were warm, and they were split in half. Ugh. Discount nuts.
Choice of lunch was "chicken cacciatore" or "pasta." I went with the chicken which I've seen numerous times over the previous few years and knew would be a safe option with a reasonable amount of vegetables and protein.
The drinks trolly, sitting out in the gallery. Note the bubbly and pre-made mai tai skewers:
...and for dessert, Jeff Sundae #1 of the trip, this time with two cherries and hot fudge. (Pay attention, we'll get back to this.)
Flight went quickly despite no WiFi, mainly because I passed out for three hours after lunch. Lack of sleep and a few glasses of wine will do that. Woke up shortly before approach into HNL:
Grabbed a quick Starbucks in the terminal (that's americano #2 of the trip) and headed out of the airport to get my rental car:
They'd run out of the tourist special (the Mustang) so instead they tried to upsell me to a Camero. No dice. So...when I got out to the lot...all that was left was Cameros, so I was told to just take one. Mess.
Traffic wasn't awful, and was at my hotel, the Moana Surfrider, in about 30 minutes. No real upgrade to speak of, slightly bigger room, and headed right out to walk off some of the jetlag. Walked up and down Waikiki enjoying not having to wear shoes, and feeling the sand and water on my toes. Did a little bit of shopping, and just generally slowed down. The relaxation had set in!
Saw Duke's OceanFest was going on that week, and for a brief moment considered the one mile openwater swim the next morning. However, considering I haven't swum in 10 years, and am contending with a fractured hand AND two fractured ribs, I decided it might not be the wisest thing to do. Drowning on my first day of vacation would be a bad thing.
So, instead of signing up, I retreated to the Moana for a mai tai.
...throw in a post-mai tai beer.and it was time for a gorgeous sunset.
By this time I was fading pretty hard, having been up since approximately midnight Hawaii time. Despite my three hour nap in flight, I just didn't have the energy to venture far for dinner...so I headed next door to Duke's to sit at the bar and people watch. Tonight's entertainment was a sketchy swarthy Lebanese guy and his posse who kept telling me about his days "in the export/import business" in Paris. He also asked me if he smelled good...um...dude...you smell like the 1990s. Do people really still wear that much cologne?
Had my usual...the nachos with Kalua Pork. YUM! ...and a few Big Swell IPAs of course to keep the nachos company.
Made it back to the hotel, and by 9pm was absolutely passed out. It had been a very long day!
Sep 10, 2014, 10:52 am
#20
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Join Date: Mar 2003
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Posts: 5,518
Sep 14, 2014, 6:53 pm
#22
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Join Date: Mar 2003
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Posts: 5,518
2) Day in Honolulu, and redeye to DC
Thanks to an early night, managed to wake up early...around 530, and headed out for a "short" run to fight off jet lag. Headed down Kalakaua towards Diamond Head, before realizing it was too early and it wouldn't be open yet. Slight detour to Starbucks. Had coffee, read the paper for an hour, and then started the run. Got to Diamond Head, hiked up to the peak, and ran back. Around six miles total, and the perfect antidote to jetlag!
Got back to the hotel, and had a huge container of pineapple and some aloe juice from the ABC store before giving up on being productive at all. Grabbed a towel, headed down to Waikiki, and just sat in the sun for a few hours.
I may have only had 24 hours in Honolulu, but between a walk, dinner at Duke's, the run up Diamond Head, and beach time, I'm pretty sure I maxed it out!
Around 1:30 I called for the car, put down the sun roof, and headed back to the airport on a gorgeous day. No problem dropping the car off, and soon I was at the extremely empty United check-in area:
Thanks to the United mobile app and TSA pre check, I was already checked in...which was sort of a pity because it would have been entertaining to see the look on the agent's face when I checked in all the way to Paris!
Less time in security means more time for liquid Aloha! Went to the Kona Brewing Company in the terminal to grab a lite lunch...and of course a few Big Swell IPAs:
I told the waittress to bring me the tastiest app on the menu whatever it was...the kalua pork quesadillas didn't disappoint!
After a quick lunch, I decided to do some plane spotting. HNL is great for it, since it's an open air terminal and you can get up close and personal with the planes.
Delta and a Korean Air A330:
Delta 747 - to Tokyo I think?
Alaska 737 and American:
Delta A330 hiding behind the palm trees:
Delta A330 with United 767 in the distance:
More Delta:
I love that Alaska has so many flights to Hawaii. It was kinda a cool experience a couple years back when I tried them on this route:
So, sidenote for the aviation geeks. There's a cool store at HNL that sells all sorts of airline knickknacks. Baggage tags, bags, you name it. I was relatively well-behaved:
Soon, it was time for boarding, and the walk to the gate. It may be outside, but this is still INSIDE security:
The HNL-IAD flight tends to be full of self-important people who very quickly forget their relaxing vacation and return to the DYKWIA mode. I wanted to get to the gate early, in order to make sure to get past them. My last time on this route I got chewed out for trying to board first, and wasn't anxious for a repeat. This time, the agent didn't even bother inviting Global Services on first...heh...good thing I was already at front of the line.
United Airlines flight 144
Honolulu, Hawaii (HNL) to Washington, DC, Dulles (IAD)
Depart 15:45, Arrive 7:04 next morning, Flight Time 9:19
Boeing 767-400ER, Registration N69063, Manufactured 2002, Seat 1D
1D. A seat I was about to become very very familiar with over the next few days. A glass of sparkling Château le Jeff to welcome me on board:
It's a long way to DC!
Once airborne, the crew was quick into action. A glass of 2014 Château le Jeff (red) and a glass of water for me. Lots of flights coming up, and need to stay hydrated!
Oh look! It's the same chicken dish I had the day before...but with a different salad dressing!
Decided to live on the wild side today and get hot fudge AND caramel! Plus, got THREE cherries. #WINNING!
...at this point I promptly passed out. For over six hours. It was absolutely wonderful.
Woke up, had two bottles of water, brushed teeth, and actually had enough time for breakfast. Something I don't usually do on redeyes, as I tend to sleep until the last minute.
...and I was glad I did. It was the Jeff McMuffin which I'm sad to admit I've been craving. Oh, and I shared a diet coke with "dad." Beats me, the can told me to do it!
Landed 10 minutes early, and the advantage of being in 1D is I was first off the plane, and first to Starbucks where I proceeded.to mainline some caffeine. It was a long trip ahead!
Grabbed the Washington Flyer bus to the new silver line station on Metrorail...it works SO much better than the old bus to West Falls Church. I had 10 hours in DC, and I planned to maximize every minute of it!
Got back to the hotel, and had a huge container of pineapple and some aloe juice from the ABC store before giving up on being productive at all. Grabbed a towel, headed down to Waikiki, and just sat in the sun for a few hours.
I may have only had 24 hours in Honolulu, but between a walk, dinner at Duke's, the run up Diamond Head, and beach time, I'm pretty sure I maxed it out!
Around 1:30 I called for the car, put down the sun roof, and headed back to the airport on a gorgeous day. No problem dropping the car off, and soon I was at the extremely empty United check-in area:
Thanks to the United mobile app and TSA pre check, I was already checked in...which was sort of a pity because it would have been entertaining to see the look on the agent's face when I checked in all the way to Paris!
Less time in security means more time for liquid Aloha! Went to the Kona Brewing Company in the terminal to grab a lite lunch...and of course a few Big Swell IPAs:
I told the waittress to bring me the tastiest app on the menu whatever it was...the kalua pork quesadillas didn't disappoint!
After a quick lunch, I decided to do some plane spotting. HNL is great for it, since it's an open air terminal and you can get up close and personal with the planes.
Delta and a Korean Air A330:
Delta 747 - to Tokyo I think?
Alaska 737 and American:
Delta A330 hiding behind the palm trees:
Delta A330 with United 767 in the distance:
More Delta:
I love that Alaska has so many flights to Hawaii. It was kinda a cool experience a couple years back when I tried them on this route:
So, sidenote for the aviation geeks. There's a cool store at HNL that sells all sorts of airline knickknacks. Baggage tags, bags, you name it. I was relatively well-behaved:
Soon, it was time for boarding, and the walk to the gate. It may be outside, but this is still INSIDE security:
The HNL-IAD flight tends to be full of self-important people who very quickly forget their relaxing vacation and return to the DYKWIA mode. I wanted to get to the gate early, in order to make sure to get past them. My last time on this route I got chewed out for trying to board first, and wasn't anxious for a repeat. This time, the agent didn't even bother inviting Global Services on first...heh...good thing I was already at front of the line.
United Airlines flight 144
Honolulu, Hawaii (HNL) to Washington, DC, Dulles (IAD)
Depart 15:45, Arrive 7:04 next morning, Flight Time 9:19
Boeing 767-400ER, Registration N69063, Manufactured 2002, Seat 1D
1D. A seat I was about to become very very familiar with over the next few days. A glass of sparkling Château le Jeff to welcome me on board:
It's a long way to DC!
Once airborne, the crew was quick into action. A glass of 2014 Château le Jeff (red) and a glass of water for me. Lots of flights coming up, and need to stay hydrated!
Oh look! It's the same chicken dish I had the day before...but with a different salad dressing!
Decided to live on the wild side today and get hot fudge AND caramel! Plus, got THREE cherries. #WINNING!
...at this point I promptly passed out. For over six hours. It was absolutely wonderful.
Woke up, had two bottles of water, brushed teeth, and actually had enough time for breakfast. Something I don't usually do on redeyes, as I tend to sleep until the last minute.
...and I was glad I did. It was the Jeff McMuffin which I'm sad to admit I've been craving. Oh, and I shared a diet coke with "dad." Beats me, the can told me to do it!
Landed 10 minutes early, and the advantage of being in 1D is I was first off the plane, and first to Starbucks where I proceeded.to mainline some caffeine. It was a long trip ahead!
Grabbed the Washington Flyer bus to the new silver line station on Metrorail...it works SO much better than the old bus to West Falls Church. I had 10 hours in DC, and I planned to maximize every minute of it!
Sep 15, 2014, 7:16 pm
#24
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
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Programs: UA GS, AS MVP 100K, DL Diamond, Marriot Lifetime Titanium, AmEx Centurion
Posts: 5,518
3) Day in DC...a 10 hour connection...and IAD-CDG
Having landed right on time, I grabbed a triple iced espresso for fuel at the D-gates Starbucks, and headed straight to the Washington Flyer bus, where I learned that the bus doesn't start until 7:45 on weekends. It was only 7:10. Grrrr. In an attempt to (a) be fiscally responsible and (b) curious about the new bus to metro service on the silver line, I waited. This meant a $5 bus plus about $5 metro ride vs a $55 taxi....
Shortly, the bus arrived, and the Washington Flyer bus is no longer a nice coach bus, but a glorified public bus with luggage racks. Actually was glad to see this, because the bus now runs every 15 minutes instead of every 30, and is $5 instead of $10, so it's definitely a win. Soon we were at metrorail, and I was enjoying a quick ~25 minute ride to my place. Can't really complain about 40 minutes door to door on public transit from Dulles!
Emerging from metro, looking a bit scruffy, bags already forming under the eyes, but none the worse for wear:
So, I had exactly 10 hours in DC, one of which was eaten up getting home. .So, first order of business was a load of laundry. Then packing a weekend bag for Andorra. See, I'd left my luggage in Honolulu, to be picked up on the way to Vegas, so I had only my laptop bag with me. Packed a weekend bag, and by 10am I met some friends at a local restaurant for a quick brunch and catching up on this crazy trip. One of the friends did a 48 hour Johannesburg mileage run with me about a year ago, so the insanity was easily related to.
Now 11:30 and still 6 hours before my flight....so I unwisely went and played an hour of hockey. Why not, right? .It'll make me tired for the flight! .Had a great time, more than a little amused at my own insanity, and by 2p was home, showered, and right back on Metrorail to take me to Dulles.
I'd checked in online, so it was straight to security where there was almost no wait at pre-check, and less than 15 minutes after arriving at Dulles I was already in the D-gates Red Carpet Club, which I don't think I'd been to in years. It was time for some delicious Tilamook cheese and a few glasses of Château le Jeff. Despite a huge brunch of french toast and two sides of bacon, I was starving from hockey, so I went to town:
The Dubai flight was also leaving from the D gates shortly, and the people watching was nothing short of fascinating. Several younger military looking types getting absolutely tanked on Bud Light (their lack of tolerance made me ashamed to be American) and perhaps the scariest part...a middle aged portly Texan guy who ordered "6 shots of Jack Daniels on the rocks." Yes, he paid like $70 for it and didn't seem phased. I'm gonna guess he has a fear of flying...more surprisingly the bartender didn't seem surprised at all.
After catching up on e-mail, it was time to join the crowd at the gate to board the absolutely packed flight.
United Airlines flight 915
Washington, DC, Dulles (IAD) to Paris, Charles de Gaulle (CDG)
Depart 17:15, Arrive 6:55 next morning, Flight Time 7:40
Boeing 767-300, Registration N673UA, Manufactured 1999, Seat 1D
Welcome aboard...1D again. .I was becoming very familiar with this seat. .I actually like it a bit better on the 767-300 than the 400, because on the 300 you're closer to the lavatory, and on the 400 everyone comes up there expecting a lavatory, and not finding it. I don't know, maybe I'm reading too much into it.
Welcome aboard, here's your bubbly...in a cracked glass...which I didn't discover until I gripped the class and it dribbled all over me:
Of course, that just made me be more careful....wine abuse is a serious crime and I wasn't about to waste it! The crew was absolutely great as well, and I was impressed with the level of French spoken by the crew. I don't know if this is a legacy from the Pan Am days, but it was a nice surprise.
So, what's for teh nomz today?
Service was quick after takeoff, and the crew was actually able to make a good recommendation on the wine. First time in a long time the crew knew anything about the wines, and actually had a recommendation. Unfortunately, I've forgotten which it was.
The "sesame coated tuna" ummmm.....
The salad was above-average, but seriously...packaged croutons out of a hub? Come on United you can do better!
The beef? .Well as is the norm out of Dulles it was harder than a hockey puck, and only slightly tastier. At least the veg as reasonably good.
Another bonus from this crew, they did the cheese service before the sundaes. It was a small thing, but a nice touch.
I'd so enjoyed the caramel-hot fudge combo the night before that I decided to go with it again...just to be sure. .It's part of the scientific process you know. I only got two cherries, so felt mildly cheated...but there was amaretto, so that helped. This brings the sundae count so far up to three for the trip. We weren't even 60 hours into the trip yet, and over 10,000 miles already covered.
The great things about flying so many miles, and crossing so many time zones in so little time is...the body does what the body needs. No silly "it's a 5pm flight...no way will I sleep." This was my second redeye flight in a row, and I was tired...so I crashed. For six hours. .I only woke up 15 minutes out of Paris.
...where for the first time ever, the immigration officer actually bothered to ask me why I was coming to Paris, where was I staying, for how long, etc. Maybe he just wanted English practice (which I refused to let him have, despite his repeatedly trying), or maybe I'm finally in some international database of suspicious people who go to Somalia on vacation, and go DC to Andorra via Hawaii, who knows...but eventually he let me into France:
Wandered the terminal a bit, where I finally found the holy grail: .Starbucks! .It was dead at this hour, and had a nice chat with the Moroccan guys who worked there while I refueled with another iced triple espresso and a chocolate muffin....and paid nearly 8 euro for the honour. Ugh! Then it was time to find my way over to Terminal 3 for my connecting flight to Barcelona with...eek...Vueling!
Shortly, the bus arrived, and the Washington Flyer bus is no longer a nice coach bus, but a glorified public bus with luggage racks. Actually was glad to see this, because the bus now runs every 15 minutes instead of every 30, and is $5 instead of $10, so it's definitely a win. Soon we were at metrorail, and I was enjoying a quick ~25 minute ride to my place. Can't really complain about 40 minutes door to door on public transit from Dulles!
Emerging from metro, looking a bit scruffy, bags already forming under the eyes, but none the worse for wear:
So, I had exactly 10 hours in DC, one of which was eaten up getting home. .So, first order of business was a load of laundry. Then packing a weekend bag for Andorra. See, I'd left my luggage in Honolulu, to be picked up on the way to Vegas, so I had only my laptop bag with me. Packed a weekend bag, and by 10am I met some friends at a local restaurant for a quick brunch and catching up on this crazy trip. One of the friends did a 48 hour Johannesburg mileage run with me about a year ago, so the insanity was easily related to.
Now 11:30 and still 6 hours before my flight....so I unwisely went and played an hour of hockey. Why not, right? .It'll make me tired for the flight! .Had a great time, more than a little amused at my own insanity, and by 2p was home, showered, and right back on Metrorail to take me to Dulles.
I'd checked in online, so it was straight to security where there was almost no wait at pre-check, and less than 15 minutes after arriving at Dulles I was already in the D-gates Red Carpet Club, which I don't think I'd been to in years. It was time for some delicious Tilamook cheese and a few glasses of Château le Jeff. Despite a huge brunch of french toast and two sides of bacon, I was starving from hockey, so I went to town:
The Dubai flight was also leaving from the D gates shortly, and the people watching was nothing short of fascinating. Several younger military looking types getting absolutely tanked on Bud Light (their lack of tolerance made me ashamed to be American) and perhaps the scariest part...a middle aged portly Texan guy who ordered "6 shots of Jack Daniels on the rocks." Yes, he paid like $70 for it and didn't seem phased. I'm gonna guess he has a fear of flying...more surprisingly the bartender didn't seem surprised at all.
After catching up on e-mail, it was time to join the crowd at the gate to board the absolutely packed flight.
United Airlines flight 915
Washington, DC, Dulles (IAD) to Paris, Charles de Gaulle (CDG)
Depart 17:15, Arrive 6:55 next morning, Flight Time 7:40
Boeing 767-300, Registration N673UA, Manufactured 1999, Seat 1D
Welcome aboard...1D again. .I was becoming very familiar with this seat. .I actually like it a bit better on the 767-300 than the 400, because on the 300 you're closer to the lavatory, and on the 400 everyone comes up there expecting a lavatory, and not finding it. I don't know, maybe I'm reading too much into it.
Welcome aboard, here's your bubbly...in a cracked glass...which I didn't discover until I gripped the class and it dribbled all over me:
Of course, that just made me be more careful....wine abuse is a serious crime and I wasn't about to waste it! The crew was absolutely great as well, and I was impressed with the level of French spoken by the crew. I don't know if this is a legacy from the Pan Am days, but it was a nice surprise.
So, what's for teh nomz today?
Service was quick after takeoff, and the crew was actually able to make a good recommendation on the wine. First time in a long time the crew knew anything about the wines, and actually had a recommendation. Unfortunately, I've forgotten which it was.
The "sesame coated tuna" ummmm.....
The salad was above-average, but seriously...packaged croutons out of a hub? Come on United you can do better!
The beef? .Well as is the norm out of Dulles it was harder than a hockey puck, and only slightly tastier. At least the veg as reasonably good.
Another bonus from this crew, they did the cheese service before the sundaes. It was a small thing, but a nice touch.
I'd so enjoyed the caramel-hot fudge combo the night before that I decided to go with it again...just to be sure. .It's part of the scientific process you know. I only got two cherries, so felt mildly cheated...but there was amaretto, so that helped. This brings the sundae count so far up to three for the trip. We weren't even 60 hours into the trip yet, and over 10,000 miles already covered.
The great things about flying so many miles, and crossing so many time zones in so little time is...the body does what the body needs. No silly "it's a 5pm flight...no way will I sleep." This was my second redeye flight in a row, and I was tired...so I crashed. For six hours. .I only woke up 15 minutes out of Paris.
...where for the first time ever, the immigration officer actually bothered to ask me why I was coming to Paris, where was I staying, for how long, etc. Maybe he just wanted English practice (which I refused to let him have, despite his repeatedly trying), or maybe I'm finally in some international database of suspicious people who go to Somalia on vacation, and go DC to Andorra via Hawaii, who knows...but eventually he let me into France:
Wandered the terminal a bit, where I finally found the holy grail: .Starbucks! .It was dead at this hour, and had a nice chat with the Moroccan guys who worked there while I refueled with another iced triple espresso and a chocolate muffin....and paid nearly 8 euro for the honour. Ugh! Then it was time to find my way over to Terminal 3 for my connecting flight to Barcelona with...eek...Vueling!
Sep 17, 2014, 5:48 pm
#26
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: SYD
Programs: OZ*G, VA Plat, NZ*G (Elite), QF Gold and PC+, Hyatt Explorist, HH Gold, Bonvoyed ("Gold")
Posts: 5,350
Great stuff. I'm not sure which is more insane - your crazy itinerary or your dedication to Starbucks, even when no longer in the US and hostage to what passes for coffee in that otherwise great country...
Sep 17, 2014, 7:12 pm
#27
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: anywhere and everywhere
Programs: UA GS, AS MVP 100K, DL Diamond, Marriot Lifetime Titanium, AmEx Centurion
Posts: 5,518
Starbucks is a reliable source of said substance, even if there are tastier alternatives around.
However, in this case, at CDG, there weren't many better options. Pretty sure Brioche Dorée wouldn't have been too much better....
Sep 17, 2014, 8:13 pm
#28
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: anywhere and everywhere
Programs: UA GS, AS MVP 100K, DL Diamond, Marriot Lifetime Titanium, AmEx Centurion
Posts: 5,518
4) Paris to Barcelona, and driving to Andorra in a little Smart Car
After fueling up at Starbucks...
...it was time to find terminal 3 at CDG. I made my way to the CDGVal train, which was pretty self explanatory, and then there was the maybe 200 meter walk to T3. It seemed kind of silly, but I'm used to the C-terminal train at Dulles which also involves a long walk to the terminal, so I'm used to strangely planned train systems.
What I'm not used to is airport terminals that feel like a warehouse. Or bus terminal. Some place that not only doesn't have first class facilities, but no lounges whatsoever. It was a terrifying place. I started to break out in a cold sweat. What's this...a line...and there's no way to cut to the front of it. What's worse, after 20 minutes standing in it, I was still stuck in the line! Dear God, I take back every thing I've said about how being elite on United no longer is what it used to be...it was traumatizing. 30 minutes later, I was at the front of the line...and based how slowly the line moved I expected the Spanish Inquisition (see what I did there?) before I could check in.
"J'ai déja enregistré et j'ai besoin seulement de mon carte d'embarquement...." (looks at passport, tap tap tap, clunk clunk clunk) and out comes my boarding pass. That's it. 15 seconds. I waited in line for 30 minutes for a 15 second transaction. Dear Vueling: YOU NEED KIOSKS. KTHXBYE LOVE YOU.
I still had about an hour until my flight, so find a little store selling bottled water...it was reasonably priced and I decided to head for security. Took all of 5 minutes to get through, and the waiting area on the other side was just a large collection of seats for 5 or 6 "gates" which were really just doors to busses since T3 has no jetbridges.
Bus to the plane at departure time, and we finally left about 20 minutes late. I'd paid an extra 10 euro to sit in the exit row, which at 6'3 is more than worth it. I shared the row with two very lovely ladies from Kansas who were going on a Mediterranean cruise. .They spent the next 90 minutes telling me all the fascinating things they'd discovered in their few days in Paris. I did lots of smiling and nodding and pretending to be fascinated
Vueling flight 8243
Paris, Charles de Gaulle (CDG) to Barcelona, Spain (BCN)
Depart 9:50, Arrive 11:35, Flight Time 1:45
Airbus A320, Registration EC-JSY, Manufactured 2006, Seat 14D
So, what was it like to fly a low cost carrier? .Well, not that bad.
I had legroom. Chatty, but nice row-mates. I got a Coke Light...it cost me like 3 euro, but I got one. We were only 30 minutes late, so all in all, I can't really complain too much. The best part was the exit row briefing...you had to speak and understand either Catalan or English to be allowed to sit there. I got briefed in Spanish, which I was super proud of being able to pass well enough in, and the nice ladies from Kansas got briefed in English. All went well.
Then...it was off through Barcelona to find my car. I have a confession here. I can't drive a manual transmission. About 100 countries ago I said I'd learn. I still haven't.
My options? A Mercedes E Class at 199 Euro a day (for two days...ouch!) or a Smart Car for about 50 Euro a day. You can guess what I chose. The rental agent spoke basic english, and combined with my basic Spanish we got the song and dance done...including the "are you SURE you don't want extra insurance?" Yes. "Oh, and one last thing...se llama Pépé." Yes, my car had a name according to the rental agent.
Introducing...Pépé:
Now, it's important to remember. I'm not a small guy. I'm 6'3 and north of 200 pounds. There was enough room in this car for me and my one tiny bag, but that's about all. I was welcomed with this hangtag in the car:
She's winking at me...there's something she knows I don't. Oh, wait, it's how to drive this thing! Wait, I have to shift even though it's an automatic? Yes, there's no clutch, but still the shift from 1st to 2nd up to 5th etc was a manual shift. Once I kinda got the hang of that...I was off. Fortunately it took a long time to get out of the car park, which gave me lots of practice. Programmed Google Maps on my iPhone to read me directions to Andorra...and I was off to brave the highways of Spain!
The first hour was a bit of a hot mess. I made several wrong turns, forgot to shift, got stuck doing 80 kph on the highway, it was a wreck. But eventually after 90 minutes or so I was getting the hang of it. Just in time to pull into a rest stop and refuel. I needed caffeine and calories. See, isn't Pépé gorgeous in the sunlight? It was about 85F and a gorgeous day.
So what did I find? .That's right...Red Bull and ham flavoured potato chips...lol. They did the trick, however. I was ready to continue on.
Another hour or so later, I reached the Andorra border. Pull up to the agent, hand him my passport, and attempt to tell him in Spanish...and then in French, that I would like a stamp in my passport. He responded in rapid-fire Catalan. I tried again...."Pourriez-vous le tamponer svp?" (accompanied by a stamping motion.) NO! Hands my passport back, and waves me through. Sigh.
At least there was a welcome to Andorra sign. In Catalan of course:
Made it no problem to Andorra la Vella maybe 20-30 minutes later, and got lost trying to find my hotel. I mainly got lost because there are pedestrian streets in the centre of town, which are ok to drive on IF you are going somewhere on them...like my hotel. I think I went around the blocks a few times until I saw someone else do it (and this was after getting lost in a random parking garage) and finally found my hotel and parked.
Checked into the Hotel a Casa Canut (recommended by a friend), and the doorman took my car away, and parked it in a garage somewhere for me. Room was decent ,and I sent out to wander before the sun set. Walked to the old city, and first sight was a church:
Square in the old town:
View of the mountains from old town:
Another view of the church:
The mountains:
Selfie in front of the mountains...didn't realize how rough I was working after a night on the plane...or from flying a low cost carrier...not sure which...
Sun was starting to set, which I took as the cue that it was tapas-o-clock.
Some "white sangria" along with octopus and some fritters. Delicious.
Some sightseeing on the way back to the hotel:
River through the centre of town:
Ferris wheel near the hotel:
Hotel a Casa Canut at sunset:
Grabbed a shower and changed. I wasn't in the mood to do anything super long or formal for dinner, so had the hotel recommend somewhere for me. They recommended an "italian restaurant popular with locals" just a few blocks away. It was authentic...to the point only Catalan was spoken, and there seemed to be only locals. Excellent! The name was Pizzeria Angelo.
At least water and wine are universal:
Had no idea what I wanted, so communicated to the waiter I want three courses...bring me what you think the best things on the menu are that "are good with this wine."
We started off with a gaspacho which was absolutely amazing:
Next was the "specialty de la casa" - the "Pizza Angelo" - a half portion:
...all followed by an amazing warm apple tart with ice cream. YUM.
I was absolutely wiped out after a long day of driving, flying, and two nights on a plane...and headed back to my hotel and passed out for nearly 10 full hours.
...it was time to find terminal 3 at CDG. I made my way to the CDGVal train, which was pretty self explanatory, and then there was the maybe 200 meter walk to T3. It seemed kind of silly, but I'm used to the C-terminal train at Dulles which also involves a long walk to the terminal, so I'm used to strangely planned train systems.
What I'm not used to is airport terminals that feel like a warehouse. Or bus terminal. Some place that not only doesn't have first class facilities, but no lounges whatsoever. It was a terrifying place. I started to break out in a cold sweat. What's this...a line...and there's no way to cut to the front of it. What's worse, after 20 minutes standing in it, I was still stuck in the line! Dear God, I take back every thing I've said about how being elite on United no longer is what it used to be...it was traumatizing. 30 minutes later, I was at the front of the line...and based how slowly the line moved I expected the Spanish Inquisition (see what I did there?) before I could check in.
"J'ai déja enregistré et j'ai besoin seulement de mon carte d'embarquement...." (looks at passport, tap tap tap, clunk clunk clunk) and out comes my boarding pass. That's it. 15 seconds. I waited in line for 30 minutes for a 15 second transaction. Dear Vueling: YOU NEED KIOSKS. KTHXBYE LOVE YOU.
I still had about an hour until my flight, so find a little store selling bottled water...it was reasonably priced and I decided to head for security. Took all of 5 minutes to get through, and the waiting area on the other side was just a large collection of seats for 5 or 6 "gates" which were really just doors to busses since T3 has no jetbridges.
Bus to the plane at departure time, and we finally left about 20 minutes late. I'd paid an extra 10 euro to sit in the exit row, which at 6'3 is more than worth it. I shared the row with two very lovely ladies from Kansas who were going on a Mediterranean cruise. .They spent the next 90 minutes telling me all the fascinating things they'd discovered in their few days in Paris. I did lots of smiling and nodding and pretending to be fascinated
Vueling flight 8243
Paris, Charles de Gaulle (CDG) to Barcelona, Spain (BCN)
Depart 9:50, Arrive 11:35, Flight Time 1:45
Airbus A320, Registration EC-JSY, Manufactured 2006, Seat 14D
So, what was it like to fly a low cost carrier? .Well, not that bad.
I had legroom. Chatty, but nice row-mates. I got a Coke Light...it cost me like 3 euro, but I got one. We were only 30 minutes late, so all in all, I can't really complain too much. The best part was the exit row briefing...you had to speak and understand either Catalan or English to be allowed to sit there. I got briefed in Spanish, which I was super proud of being able to pass well enough in, and the nice ladies from Kansas got briefed in English. All went well.
Then...it was off through Barcelona to find my car. I have a confession here. I can't drive a manual transmission. About 100 countries ago I said I'd learn. I still haven't.
My options? A Mercedes E Class at 199 Euro a day (for two days...ouch!) or a Smart Car for about 50 Euro a day. You can guess what I chose. The rental agent spoke basic english, and combined with my basic Spanish we got the song and dance done...including the "are you SURE you don't want extra insurance?" Yes. "Oh, and one last thing...se llama Pépé." Yes, my car had a name according to the rental agent.
Introducing...Pépé:
Now, it's important to remember. I'm not a small guy. I'm 6'3 and north of 200 pounds. There was enough room in this car for me and my one tiny bag, but that's about all. I was welcomed with this hangtag in the car:
She's winking at me...there's something she knows I don't. Oh, wait, it's how to drive this thing! Wait, I have to shift even though it's an automatic? Yes, there's no clutch, but still the shift from 1st to 2nd up to 5th etc was a manual shift. Once I kinda got the hang of that...I was off. Fortunately it took a long time to get out of the car park, which gave me lots of practice. Programmed Google Maps on my iPhone to read me directions to Andorra...and I was off to brave the highways of Spain!
The first hour was a bit of a hot mess. I made several wrong turns, forgot to shift, got stuck doing 80 kph on the highway, it was a wreck. But eventually after 90 minutes or so I was getting the hang of it. Just in time to pull into a rest stop and refuel. I needed caffeine and calories. See, isn't Pépé gorgeous in the sunlight? It was about 85F and a gorgeous day.
So what did I find? .That's right...Red Bull and ham flavoured potato chips...lol. They did the trick, however. I was ready to continue on.
Another hour or so later, I reached the Andorra border. Pull up to the agent, hand him my passport, and attempt to tell him in Spanish...and then in French, that I would like a stamp in my passport. He responded in rapid-fire Catalan. I tried again...."Pourriez-vous le tamponer svp?" (accompanied by a stamping motion.) NO! Hands my passport back, and waves me through. Sigh.
At least there was a welcome to Andorra sign. In Catalan of course:
Made it no problem to Andorra la Vella maybe 20-30 minutes later, and got lost trying to find my hotel. I mainly got lost because there are pedestrian streets in the centre of town, which are ok to drive on IF you are going somewhere on them...like my hotel. I think I went around the blocks a few times until I saw someone else do it (and this was after getting lost in a random parking garage) and finally found my hotel and parked.
Checked into the Hotel a Casa Canut (recommended by a friend), and the doorman took my car away, and parked it in a garage somewhere for me. Room was decent ,and I sent out to wander before the sun set. Walked to the old city, and first sight was a church:
Square in the old town:
View of the mountains from old town:
Another view of the church:
The mountains:
Selfie in front of the mountains...didn't realize how rough I was working after a night on the plane...or from flying a low cost carrier...not sure which...
Sun was starting to set, which I took as the cue that it was tapas-o-clock.
Some "white sangria" along with octopus and some fritters. Delicious.
Some sightseeing on the way back to the hotel:
River through the centre of town:
Ferris wheel near the hotel:
Hotel a Casa Canut at sunset:
Grabbed a shower and changed. I wasn't in the mood to do anything super long or formal for dinner, so had the hotel recommend somewhere for me. They recommended an "italian restaurant popular with locals" just a few blocks away. It was authentic...to the point only Catalan was spoken, and there seemed to be only locals. Excellent! The name was Pizzeria Angelo.
At least water and wine are universal:
Had no idea what I wanted, so communicated to the waiter I want three courses...bring me what you think the best things on the menu are that "are good with this wine."
We started off with a gaspacho which was absolutely amazing:
Next was the "specialty de la casa" - the "Pizza Angelo" - a half portion:
...all followed by an amazing warm apple tart with ice cream. YUM.
I was absolutely wiped out after a long day of driving, flying, and two nights on a plane...and headed back to my hotel and passed out for nearly 10 full hours.
Sep 18, 2014, 12:50 am
#29
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Dubai
Posts: 3,301
Andorra la Vella in the mountains looks very picturesque, almost like a Iberian Liechtenstein.
The Smart car must have been fun
! Some 'Benny Hill' music might have been appropriate when trying to squeeze inside your 6'3 frame
.
Congrats on country #159 too.
The Smart car must have been fun
! Some 'Benny Hill' music might have been appropriate when trying to squeeze inside your 6'3 frame.Congrats on country #159 too.