Long Journey away from home

Today's story starts with a journey.  A very long journey.

We left home at about 7 pm, just as the rain started to pour down.  Turnaround at the airport was fast as Don said goodbye at the kerb, and before I knew it we were on the plane.  First time for us flying QATAR, and first time on an A350-900 and then later the A380 beast.  The seats on both are great, and for the first time in a long time Tony had knee room.  Soon after takeoff  we had a meal and began the sequence of snooze, eat, snooze, eat on both of our flights.

We quickly lost track of time so I cant report on the times we did things – we left in darkness, arrived in Doha as the sun was coming up, even though it was a 14 hr flight, and arrived in Paris at around lunchtime.  It was pretty much a full 24 hours to get here.

first breaky

sweet breaky

Sun coming up over Doha

Reef?

about to touchdown in Doha

starting the last leg to Paris

Charles De Gaulle airport was quite like the one in Hawaii, although much bigger.  Lots of stucco on the walls, and perhaps the longest travelators ever.  Took us a little while to clear immigration as the queues were mad, but weirdly there was no customs to speak of.  We caught our shuttle to the car pick up and got our brand new silver Grand Citroen C4.  Tony is so brave with the driving - even as a passenger I found it weird to have to look to the left to give way rather than the right.

We checked in at the Suites Novotel after having to make a quick trip to the service station for fuel. We unpacked a little and then wandered over to the little restaurant in the middle of the hotel area here for some delicious burgers.  Were all sooo smashed so it was then bathtime for me and bed for us all.  

free salad face

burger face

"fromage"

hotel at CDG