Trains...Planes...Automobiles...and plenty of Stairs...

Monday...

I said good-bye to my beloved Brooklyn...per usual, you were so GOOD to me. I also need to offer a sincere apology to all my peeps that did not even know that I was in town until after I left.  Remember, I was only there for two days...I did a lot, but there was no way I could squeeze in the additional 20 plus folks that felt they should have been on my "must see" list.  Besides, I'll be back in the big Apple soon enough!  Like in twenty-nine days to be exact.

It rained all day in NY, which was cool.  I was dog tired,

and  I needed to repack.  Ayana also needed to pack for her upcoming move to Fort Greene.  Courtney picked me up and we made it to JFK in no time at all.  I wasn't sad to go...but I was already looking forward to touching back down in New York next month.  Not sure if I'll stay in Fort Greene with Ayana or if perhaps I'll give the Bronx a try...time will tell.

Courtney dropped me off at the Air France terminal...because I was flying on Air France.  Made sense to him.  Made sense to me.  Air France doesn't fly to Barcelona from JFK.  They use Delta (part of that whole Air France/Delta/KLM/Alitalia merger thingamajig http://www.joc.com/air-expedited/alitalia-joins-air-france-klm-delta-alliance), which was in a whole other terminal.  No sweat.  We arrived at the airport two and a half hours early, for just this type of emergency.  I rolled my suitcases to the Air Tram and made it to Delta with plenty of time to spare.   I got in line to weigh my bag...Courtney swore that it weighed a THOUSAND pounds.  I assured him that the bag only weighed 50.  It just seemed heavy because his arms are so skinny.  He's 6'6 but he's definitely on the slim side.  I was in line at Delta...the line a Delta agent personally directed me too...only to be told that I needed to have my passport scanned first and then I could get in line to check my bag.  No problem.  I still had a good 1:45 before my plane took off.  I scanned the passport...always secretly afraid that there is some "no fly" chip hidden in it based on my wannabe militant black/power to the people ways...but the passport was cleared and I was issued a ticket and now directed to the correct check baggage line.

It was all good.  I still had a good hour before I was scheduled to fly out. I was finally at the right counter with the right papers in hand.  I heard other agents telling people that they needed to take out a pair of jeans, socks, a jacket, whatever- because of their luggage being 53 or 54 pounds.  Dang!  Here goes...I placed my bag on the scale...coolly smiled at the nice little Indian agent lady and watched the numbers roll like a Vegas slot machine.  It stopped on 51.5 pounds.  I said, "I'm a pound and a half over.  Do I need to take things out?"  The agent and I both looked at all the people to my left and right unpacking and repacking trying to reach the desired weight, and we both came to the same conclusion at the exact same time.  That was some bullsh*t.  She said, "Nope." and checked my bag in without further discussion.

My flight to Barcelona was pretty nondescript.  I was sandwiched between two people...To my left sat a Spanish gentleman that was very caring. (Not that I needed to be cared for, but I think I bring that out of men naturally.  I'm not sure if it's the baby face, high voice or mischievous demeanor...but it all kind of works together for the greater good.)  To my right sat a black woman from Grenada on her way to see her man for her birthday. She was looking forward to staying in the house with him and making passionate love for at least the first two days.  I hope it all worked out.  It's amazing what people share when sitting next to you on a flight.  I slept most of the eight hour flight.  I wasn't feeling that well.  I think I caught a cold in NY.  I was tired and I had a slight fever.  My body ached all over.  I slept through dinner and breakfast on the plane. Not sure what they served but I didn't miss it.  When I woke up, they brought me plenty of orange juice and hot tea, which was great.

Outdoor Sculpture at Barcelona (BCN) Airport - Terminal C

Tuesday...

When we landed in Barcelona I was in no mood to do anything but sleep.  The airport was completely empty and QUIET.  The Spanish do not get up early to travel.  It was already 8:00 AM local time, but the airport was practically deserted.  Even when we went through customs, they were so quiet and barely looked at my passport.  Once we cleared customs and were released into the general population...it was a bit more occupied.  I had to get a boarding pass for my flight to France and confirm that I had luggage traveling from JFK.  In addition, I changed my flight to the next available flight to Paris.  I decided not to spend the day in Spain.  I was feeling pretty sick and wanted to get settled as soon as possible.  I ended up spending maybe 2 hours in Spain before I was able to jump on an Air France commuter flight.  I'm stopping in Madrid when I leave Paris, so I'll see a little of Spain then.

The moment I got to Paris, I instantly felt better. I think I was just ready to be someplace where I could settle down for more than a second.  I arrived at ORLY airport and caught the Air France shuttle to Charles de Gaulle Etoile and then I had only one Metro stop to go before I would reach the apartment.  If you've never been to Paris...it's best to travel light.  I managed to have only two bags, but they were not light. They were on wheels which was great when walking on flat surfaces.  But the subways have plenty of stairs and NO elevators.  Which leads to my next adventure....

Imagine dragging your luggage up here...

When I arrived on my block I was pleasantly surprised.  It's a cool area in the 8th /17th  arrondissement  (district) referred to as Place des Ternes.  Lots of restaurants, shops, and historic sites are all within walking distance.  It's considered a premiere location in Paris.  The apartment building was built in the early 1800's.  The hallways look like the building is falling apart, but I don't think they've been painted since the were originally painted 200 years ago...for real.  Oh yeah...no elevators.  I'm staying in a maid's quarter on the sixth floor.  The apartment consists of a living area, a kitchenette and a tiny bathroom with a shower.  But get this...there is a washing machine in the apartment.  It's very modern and well maintained on the inside.  I like it a lot...the only problem...it's on the sixth floor!!!  No elevators.  Thank GOD that I've been working out.  It's the only way I was able to get both suitcases up six flights of stairs by myself.

My block

View from my window

Once I got settled in the apartment, it was all I could do not to pass out.  I don't think I ate.  I fell asleep and woke up around 3AM Parisian time.  It took a day or two for my body to adjust.  Plus, I was still fighting a cold.