Travel Log France Part 1

Some of you may know that I have just spent 6 weeks in Southern France due to work commitment. It had been awhile since I was away from home for such a long period of time. Being me, I know most of the time I tend to over-packed my luggage, so this time I took in extra effort to bring only things I really really needs. Which still bring my check in luggage to 27kg. Mmm…

Think mostly due to the food I am bring up there. No I am not lugging rice and can food, I am not those "die die must eat rice every meal" people.

The journey was long and I ended up in economical class for the 12.5 hours journey. Goss I am getting too old to travel that far in economical. I was put on stand-by till the 30min before boarding. So had to do a 300m dashed to the DFS shop, do a 30sec transaction and another 200meter quick march to the boarding gate. Flight was terrible. End up in a window seat next to a French couple. It was indeed a bladder busting journey.

Finally reached Paris Charles De Gaude Terminal 1 at 7am local time. As I checked through my luggage to Toulouse, I don’t have to cleared immigration and went through the Apron to terminal 2F. I must comment Paris Charles De Gaude was one of the most confusing and user unfriendly airport I have even been to. Luckily I did my researched before I come so I board the transit bus from under the aero-bridge for 10min ride to Terminal 2F. Just as I was worrying about whether will they send me luggage to the correct terminal, I saw this luggage cart overtaking the shuttel with my luggage on it and I also saw my luggage strap was broken and it was dragging on the tarmac. %$@$#@!#@^%#@$#

Anyway at Terminal 2F after clearing immigration, I went to the transit counter and boy, there were at least 30 people in the queue. Luckily an Air France guy ask a few of us at the back to go the VIP check in queue and I got my transit boarding pass rather quickly.

Got 2 hours to kill and then was bored to death in CDG.

Reached Toulouse Blagnac airport at about 12noon. My pick up was surprisingly there waiting for me. Got to give it to the French. The driver which picked me up was a women and the way she dress was stylo milo man! Leather trench coat, sunglasses and all that. Gosh can pass of as any top management. Went to collect my luggage and found my luggage strap gone (which I know already) and there are quite a few scratch marks on my luggage. Think the luggage handling people should go for anger management classes.

Met up with my colleagues who were there already for dinner 7pm.
Weather in Toulouse at this time of the year is great! In between cool and cold. It was a good change from the hot and humid weather in Singapore. Went back to my room and fell asleep not without waking up a couple of time in the middle of the night. Most probably due to jet lag I guess.