Day 5. I'm not going to sugar coat things for anyone. Today was tough. Probably my most stressful day traveling ever. The short story is Riley and I are now on 2 different planes. She is flying home to Toronto and starting Gr 11. I am on a plane to Bordeaux to start my long walk along the coast of France and Spain.
I woke up before the sun after a fabulous sleep. I was clever enough to pack last night so really, all I had to do was stumble to the shower and find coffee.
Of all the tickets I prepurchased, the only one wasted was the observation deck on 59th floor of the Montparnasse Tower.
I grew up with the CN Tower so I'm not overly disappointed. I was looking forward to the sunset view of the Eiffel Tower but the past couple of days have been overcast anyway. We gave the tickets to a nice lady that worked at our hotel and she was surprisingly very grateful. That made everything better.
She called a taxi for us which cost 60€ compared to 22€ if we took the commuter train at rush hour. Ya... no thanks. We agreed on a taxi. Aside from the fact that the drivers deadly cologne was making us both gag, it was so much less stressful to pay for a taxi.
I had planned ahead and booked Riley a Rapid PCR Covid Test offered at the airport for ticketed passengers only for an offensive 70€. Required by Canada to enter the country. They guarantee a result in 2 hours or less but more likely 30 to 40 mins.
Her appointment was for 1030.... her flight leaves at 1300. Check in closes at noon. Already tight. This plan has to go perfectly or she is not making it home today.
We arrived at 10am but immediately stressed over finding the testing clinic. If you haven't been, know that Paris Airport is huge. Nobody seemed to know anything and our stress and anxiety was escalating. We were were advised by an employee to head for the trains, covid center is there. As it turned out the trains were at the other end of the airport.
We sped through the crowd and made it to the entrance at 1018. The young man standing there screening for appointments was not very friendly or helpful and of course the language barrier made it worse. Some nice Canadians helped translate. We had to register in addition to the appointment and needed internet to do so. Time was passing and Riley and I were both operating on caffeine and adrenaline. We were both racing to get an internet connection... of course , she is 16, and she won.
She found the website and started filling out the registration forms needed to get a code which was required to have the test. Are you stressed yet? Now it won't accept her Canadian postal code and she had to restart the form. I'm pretty sure we made some shit up to get the code. Then it wouldn't take her phone number because she didn't put +1. I was in hardcore panic mode at this point and I'm pretty sure it was obvious. Luckily she has more patience then me and persevered. Next was 'select all the traffic lights and prove you are not a robot' 🙄
If I was a fucking robot I wouldn't need a fucking covid test 🤣🤣🤣
Pardon my French haha.
Finally we get the code and in we go. Fill out another form please (not joking), this time on paper. Now go line up again over there and pay the 70€... keep in mind this is all in French (or very broken English). Now, follow this long hall and wait. We waited, time still passing us by, stress still increasing. Finally... Riley is called in, sits down, 'please put your head back'.... in goes the giant swab for a good, brain tickle.... in French.
She was a trooper. Done.
I asked if we have to wait there or can we go line up for check in? He said we will text you the result. I asked if they could kindly send it via email. The answer.... No. If you don't have service or a cell phone, then you have to wait for a paper copy. So what's another $15?? I'll just turn my data on. So we went to check in.... Terminal 2B like her ticket indicated only to find out... "oh sorry Air Canada is now at Terminal 2A"... yet another direction altogether. We weren't notified of any changes so again my thermometer was on the rise.
At this point we are moving at high speed, I'm aggravated, still stressed and still don't have cell service. We make it to the line and it's 11:15. Check in closes in 45 mins.... line up is huge and still no test results. We explain our plight and are asked to step out of line until we have the results 😳
I sat Riley in a lounge chair, left her with all the luggage and basically said do not leave this spot. I ran, full speed (in hiking boots) across the airport, back to the covid center, sweating profusely, begged for quick assistance, explained the situation and sure enough they did help, they looked her up in their database, printed off the results.... negative (so very happy) but had to run all the way back to check in to meet her. It's now 1145. I have at this point lost 15lbs, I'm sweating and struggling to breathe (probably not a good look during covid)
I found Riley, right where I left her and she said, "hey, did you get my message? I'm negative. They emailed my results"
There are no words for how I felt at that moment.
So she is now at the end of a long line and no chance of making her flight at this rate. So I put on my best worried Mom face and went directly to the counter to ask them to expedite her. They did.
I could only take her a far as security. We hugged and cried. And hug and cried but I had to let go and send her off. She messaged me from the gate and had just barely made it in time.
I found a McDonald's in the terminal and had loads of fun trying to navigate their electronic system... not to mention I haven't been inside one for a million years. I purchased a drink and used up all their wifi.
Riley and I have been apart now for 9 hours and I miss her like crazy.
My day continued to be stressful. But honestly I don't think I can relive it...in short, my bag was 2kg too heavy and they made me check it in for my little flight out of Paris. So they made another 40€.
I did have time to squeeze in a glass of wine before boarding 🍷😉
It was a quick and painless flight other....
I'm relieved that they didn't lose my bag. Arriving in Bordeaux was like flying into a little Caribbean Airport. Cute and simple. Bought a city bus ticket for 1.70€ and rode all the way into town. I didn't have wifi and the directions I received from my hotel were lame. I asked a stranger to Google map it for me and I took a picture of his screen. He said it's next to the church just go that way and walk towards the steeple.
You'll find it. In the end, I did find it... and it's cute but the rancid stench of urine on the city streets is beyond offensive. Many homeless and sketchy people lurking about. I dropped my things and went to find a place to eat... but nothing appealed to me. Every patio, packed with loud people, smoking and looking glam... then there's me, looking like I had a rough day, in my hikers, no glam and no dazzle. I really just want to decompress and be alone for awhile. Still needed to eat and still needed to have another glass of wine. My place is one street over from a mini grocer so I bought ham, French cheese, grape tomatoes, a bag of chips and a bottle of Graves. For 14€ I have a meal, a private, clean, quiet place to eat and as many glasses of wine as I want! And as an added bonus, 2 bananas and and apple for the morning too!
Now I have to plan my escape for tomorrow before I fall asleep. A re-pack is in order... I've got too much stuff...
Tomorrow I switch gears and start walking.... also I will start a new blog for the walk but will post the link.
Get some rest my friends... tomorrow we walk 28kms... if we can
Bon nuit!
