Patrick and I took the overnight flight from Montreal to Paris and arrived in Paris around 10:30am today (Monday 5/20). We took the train and metro to our group hotel in Montmartre, which is lovely! It's an easy walk from the Porte de Clignancourt metro station, and the staff are very friendly and welcoming. They're excited to have the rest of our group arriving tomorrow!
What we did
We spent a good portion of the afternoon working on a few logistical things (train tickets, metro passes, etc.), to make sure we have everything in place for the official start tomorrow. Then we were lucky enough to share a rainy picnic dinner with my brother Joe and our friend Jaume, at the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, in the 19th arrondissement.
As exciting as it is to spend time in a new place, there are always some challenges in navigating unfamiliar norms and systems. We've encountered the joys of French bureaucracy in figuring out to how to get our group train tickets sorted out, and we've made wrong turns along the way in figuring out bus passes and metro exits. But we've also reminded ourselves of the importance of being flexible and patient, and we've pushed ourselves to visit some new spots and try new things. There are interesting things around every corner in Paris, so we're trying to soak it all in and be open to unexpected finds.
We've enjoyed hearing from everyone that they're making their way to airports and boarding planes, so that we can all begin our exciting time in France together tomorrow morning! The first arrivals will get to Charles de Gaulle airport around 6am, and we'll be there to meet people when they arrive! Here's a great photo of Elizabeth, Molly, and Hally, on their way to the Montreal airport.
Can't wait to see everyone in Paris tomorrow morning! Bon voyage, et à demain!
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