And the day has come when we say goodbye to France!
We came to Europe to enjoy and these two weeks had been absolutely amazing. These two weeks will forever etched in minds as a trip of a lifetime.
We had heard that French weren't too friendly from a visitor's perspective and that Paris as a city isn't too safe. And we had heard great things about Switzerland.
But our experiences were exactly opposite. France was very friendly. Right from the hotel at Gare de Lyon, where we were, in a sense, welcomed with open arms, to the common man on the street in Paris or in Fontainebleau who helped with directions or translations. It was absolutely astounding. We felt at home here. We feel in love, allover again with each other and with Paris. And we learnt the essential phrase - Je t'aime Paris!
Switzerland on the hand made us feel a bit uncomfortable. Some people were a bit unfriendly and some did show a touch of racism. But then there were good people there as well.
These thoughts were racing in our minds as we headed to the airport....
Once at the airport, we encountered a very friendly staff from Turkish Airlines who checked us in. The Turkish Airlines counters were full - there are 11 daily flights between Paris CDG and the two airports in Istanbul of which 6 are of Turkish Airlines. Turkish Airlines, off-late, has emerged as a formidable carrier much like the trio of the Gulf - Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad. And the growth of Turkish Airlines has helped Istanbul's Atatürk Airport develop as an intercontinental hub for those traveling between Europe and Asia and Africa. We had quite a few passengers with us who were traveling onward to Cameroon, Uganda, Israel and countries of the CIS.
My inflight entertainment - I chose a Turkish newspaper as well to get a feel of the mahoul of Turkey...
We boarded the Turkish Airlines Airbus A330...
The IFE comes on...
We are on our way now to Istanbul...
And there we are, Up In The Air...
The view of the lovely French countryside, as we fly over Melun, and head towards Fontainebleau, a place that will have a special place in my heart, our hearts, always...
We carry back home a little bit of France with us - all those lovely experiences, anecdotes and sights that form a part of the rich mosaic called life... And we definitely aren't complaining about the empty pockets, because these experiences have enriched us immensely...
Au Revoir, France! Et Prochain Arrêt Istanbul...!
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