Kristina's Big Fat Fortieth in France 2008 -A week in Paris and the Dordogne Trip Report
Nov 17th, 2008, 11:07 AM
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<b>Paris Day 9
October 12, 2008</b>
Our flight back to the US is not until 12:30 and because we do not have to check luggage, we leave the hotel at 9 and go over to the RER stop at Les Halles. We manage to buy our tickets and take the train out to CDG with little drama.
Unfortunately, when we get to the check in lines at United all hell breaks loose. The United computer terminals are all down. It takes us almost 45 min waiting in the First/ Business line just to reach the ticket counter and when we do, we get shuffled from one computer to another because they continue to have problems. In addition, they tell us they want to check our luggage even though what we have is well within United's carry-on rules. We say, "no thank you" and take our chances.
Finally, after some sort of miracle we have our boarding passes in hand and head to passport control. When we get there the line is enormous, snaking back and forth. There are only 3 or 4 windows open for about 500 people. Oh, and can someone tell me why there are no bathrooms up here? I would have had to go back downstairs, through another security check, to find one.
I wait. Impatiently.
After about 30 min we are through the line to the other side and we head for the Red Carpet Room where we are told we should not stay and should rush to our gate which is boarding. We make a quick pit stop and walk/run to the gate where there is another security checkpoint.
I take off my shoes, coat, scarf. I pull out my liquids and my laptop. I put everything with my bags on the belt and push it though the x-ray machine. I walk though the metal detector no problem. I start to reassemble all my stuff and they ask to open my bag.
"No problem", I say.
The TSA agent pulls out my can of Foie Gras and says, "You cannot have this".
"Why not"?
"Because it is not allowed"
"Why not?"
"Because it is in a can."
She then tries to tell me "cans" are not allowed on the plane because they could be dangerous and sharp if they are opened.
I want to say, "if you are doing your job right, no one will have anything on the plane to open a can" but I keep that to myself. I also want to say that the foie gras is dangerous only to my arteries but I don't think she'd get the joke.
Then she tries to tell me the foie gras is a "'liquid". Please, since when? Finally her supervisor comes over and tells me I cannot have it because the can says it is 200 grams and nothing over 100 grams is allowed. That would be fine, if it was a liquid, but it is not. Still, into the bin goes my luscious Foie Gras.
Finally, we get on the plane (no problems with our bags by the way) and we are in the last row of business class. The flight attendants are very sweet and commiserate with me on my loss of Foie and bring me a champagne. The flight is delayed because of the computer problems and we keep seeing people get on the plane just as we think they are going to close the doors. Because we are in the last row, they run out of everything before they get to us; newspapers, customs forms in English, our choices for food. I watch Hancock and try to sleep. No luck.
Arrival in DC is a bit more of the same chaos; there is a huge line to go through immigration and we are concerned we might miss our connecting flight. But, we make it through in about 40 min and have a quick stop in the RCC for a snack as the food on the plane was inedible.
On the flight back to LA my video screen was broken so they gave me a voucher for a one segment upgrade on a future flight (within 1 year, unlikely to happen). I am thrilled to see my husband waiting for us when we come down the escalator at LAX. As much as I love to travel, it's always good to be home.
Thanks for being patient and coming along for the ride everyone.
I'll post a link once the photos for this day are done.
October 12, 2008</b>
Our flight back to the US is not until 12:30 and because we do not have to check luggage, we leave the hotel at 9 and go over to the RER stop at Les Halles. We manage to buy our tickets and take the train out to CDG with little drama.
Unfortunately, when we get to the check in lines at United all hell breaks loose. The United computer terminals are all down. It takes us almost 45 min waiting in the First/ Business line just to reach the ticket counter and when we do, we get shuffled from one computer to another because they continue to have problems. In addition, they tell us they want to check our luggage even though what we have is well within United's carry-on rules. We say, "no thank you" and take our chances.
Finally, after some sort of miracle we have our boarding passes in hand and head to passport control. When we get there the line is enormous, snaking back and forth. There are only 3 or 4 windows open for about 500 people. Oh, and can someone tell me why there are no bathrooms up here? I would have had to go back downstairs, through another security check, to find one.
I wait. Impatiently.
After about 30 min we are through the line to the other side and we head for the Red Carpet Room where we are told we should not stay and should rush to our gate which is boarding. We make a quick pit stop and walk/run to the gate where there is another security checkpoint.
I take off my shoes, coat, scarf. I pull out my liquids and my laptop. I put everything with my bags on the belt and push it though the x-ray machine. I walk though the metal detector no problem. I start to reassemble all my stuff and they ask to open my bag.
"No problem", I say.
The TSA agent pulls out my can of Foie Gras and says, "You cannot have this".
"Why not"?
"Because it is not allowed"
"Why not?"
"Because it is in a can."
She then tries to tell me "cans" are not allowed on the plane because they could be dangerous and sharp if they are opened.
I want to say, "if you are doing your job right, no one will have anything on the plane to open a can" but I keep that to myself. I also want to say that the foie gras is dangerous only to my arteries but I don't think she'd get the joke.
Then she tries to tell me the foie gras is a "'liquid". Please, since when? Finally her supervisor comes over and tells me I cannot have it because the can says it is 200 grams and nothing over 100 grams is allowed. That would be fine, if it was a liquid, but it is not. Still, into the bin goes my luscious Foie Gras.
Finally, we get on the plane (no problems with our bags by the way) and we are in the last row of business class. The flight attendants are very sweet and commiserate with me on my loss of Foie and bring me a champagne. The flight is delayed because of the computer problems and we keep seeing people get on the plane just as we think they are going to close the doors. Because we are in the last row, they run out of everything before they get to us; newspapers, customs forms in English, our choices for food. I watch Hancock and try to sleep. No luck.
Arrival in DC is a bit more of the same chaos; there is a huge line to go through immigration and we are concerned we might miss our connecting flight. But, we make it through in about 40 min and have a quick stop in the RCC for a snack as the food on the plane was inedible.
On the flight back to LA my video screen was broken so they gave me a voucher for a one segment upgrade on a future flight (within 1 year, unlikely to happen). I am thrilled to see my husband waiting for us when we come down the escalator at LAX. As much as I love to travel, it's always good to be home.
Thanks for being patient and coming along for the ride everyone.
I'll post a link once the photos for this day are done.
Nov 17th, 2008, 11:54 AM
#184
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Kristina...
Thanks for a fabulous trip report...it felt like I was traveling right along with you and your mom...well, we almost were!
Another coincidence...when we were going through security at the Nice airport on our way home and the agent pulled out the 6 cans of foie gras my mom had (all different types). He eyed them up and down (they were all neatly stacked together in netting)and he was ready to confiscate them until he held them up to his supervisor and she OK'd it...guess she didn't want to deprive us of the coveted foie! When we got to NYC to spend the night before going back home we promptly moved the cans to a larger suitcase and checked it through! 
We'll be enjoying the foie with friends at Thanksgiving (if mom relents to sharing!)if you want to hop on a plane and fly across the country you are welcome to share our foie!
Thanks for a fabulous trip report...it felt like I was traveling right along with you and your mom...well, we almost were!
Another coincidence...when we were going through security at the Nice airport on our way home and the agent pulled out the 6 cans of foie gras my mom had (all different types). He eyed them up and down (they were all neatly stacked together in netting)and he was ready to confiscate them until he held them up to his supervisor and she OK'd it...guess she didn't want to deprive us of the coveted foie!
When we got to NYC to spend the night before going back home we promptly moved the cans to a larger suitcase and checked it through! We'll be enjoying the foie with friends at Thanksgiving (if mom relents to sharing!)if you want to hop on a plane and fly across the country you are welcome to share our foie!
Nov 17th, 2008, 04:53 PM
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LCI-I just don't get it. There seems to be no standard for things like Foie Gras. I'm sure you had more than what would fit in a quart bag if it being "liquid" was the issue. Honestly, I think it was just random. Had I known, I would have (probably) checked my bag, though given all the chaos of checking in I was afraid the bag would not make it home.
In addition, I could find no definitive answer as to if it was legal to bring it back into the US. Had I made it onto the plane, I was prepared to declare it as "food" but I would have risked the same randomness as to if I'd be allowed to bring it in.
Did you declare yours upon arrival to the US?
In addition, I could find no definitive answer as to if it was legal to bring it back into the US. Had I made it onto the plane, I was prepared to declare it as "food" but I would have risked the same randomness as to if I'd be allowed to bring it in.
Did you declare yours upon arrival to the US?
Nov 17th, 2008, 05:40 PM
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Kristina,
Thanks so much for finishing your trip report, although it's sad to see it end. I think it's wonderful that you were able to share the trip with your mom.
Thanks for posting about Grom Gelato - do you remember what district it was in?
Thanks so much for finishing your trip report, although it's sad to see it end. I think it's wonderful that you were able to share the trip with your mom.
Thanks for posting about Grom Gelato - do you remember what district it was in?
Nov 17th, 2008, 07:36 PM
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Kristina,
We did not declare food items. We just assumed (maybe wrongly) since it was in a can and we didn't spend over the $700 or $800 (I can't remember the exact number) allowance we didn't have to declare it. We may have just been very lucky this time around.
We did not declare food items. We just assumed (maybe wrongly) since it was in a can and we didn't spend over the $700 or $800 (I can't remember the exact number) allowance we didn't have to declare it. We may have just been very lucky this time around.
Nov 17th, 2008, 09:18 PM
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Anna-Grom is in the 6th, at 81 Rue de Seine.
After I got home I discovered (thanks to ekscrunchy I think) that Grom is a small chain, mostly in Italy and they have two stores in NYC.
http://www.grom.it/eng/index.htm
LCI- Technically, you did have to declare it because it is food, nothing to do with value. You could have been fined if they'd found it. I always get nervous about that stuff, figuring it would be "just my luck" to be caught if I didn't declare it. I've never declared food coming back from Europe, but now for some reason, I'm more nervous.
Michael-I think you might be right. What I had was just the liver so they might have let me in with it. OTOH, it seems like there is no clear answer, even on the US Customs website which I checked before we flew home. It seems to be up to the whim or interpretation of the customs agent. I asked our passport agent on arrival in DC if I would have been let in with it and he said "probably not", so who knows?
After I got home I discovered (thanks to ekscrunchy I think) that Grom is a small chain, mostly in Italy and they have two stores in NYC.
http://www.grom.it/eng/index.htm
LCI- Technically, you did have to declare it because it is food, nothing to do with value. You could have been fined if they'd found it. I always get nervous about that stuff, figuring it would be "just my luck" to be caught if I didn't declare it. I've never declared food coming back from Europe, but now for some reason, I'm more nervous.
Michael-I think you might be right. What I had was just the liver so they might have let me in with it. OTOH, it seems like there is no clear answer, even on the US Customs website which I checked before we flew home. It seems to be up to the whim or interpretation of the customs agent. I asked our passport agent on arrival in DC if I would have been let in with it and he said "probably not", so who knows?
Nov 19th, 2008, 07:27 PM
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kerouac--couldn't you have put that in the 4 oz or less ziploc?
And when he asked, opened it and put some on your wrists?
I recently spent some time trying to figure out what I could bring on the plane or not as well--my brother wanted some foods from home. I found the Homeland Security website rather ambiguous.
And when he asked, opened it and put some on your wrists?
I recently spent some time trying to figure out what I could bring on the plane or not as well--my brother wanted some foods from home. I found the Homeland Security website rather ambiguous.
Nov 19th, 2008, 10:30 PM
#192
<i>kerouac--couldn't you have put that in the 4 oz or less ziploc?
And when he asked, opened it and put some on your wrists?</i>
It was so small, I hadn't even noticed it in the bottom of my toiletry bag. Anyway, next time I buy something at Sephora, they'll just dump another handful of those things in the bag.
And when he asked, opened it and put some on your wrists?</i>
It was so small, I hadn't even noticed it in the bottom of my toiletry bag. Anyway, next time I buy something at Sephora, they'll just dump another handful of those things in the bag.
Nov 23rd, 2008, 01:13 PM
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Finally.
I am done.
The last of the photos are now on my website:
http://www.wired2theworld.com/PARIS2008Day8.html
and
http://www.wired2theworld.com/PARIS2008flighthome.html
Don't know why that last bit of work is always the hardest to finish.
Thanks to everyone for following along with me.
I am done.
The last of the photos are now on my website:
http://www.wired2theworld.com/PARIS2008Day8.html
and
http://www.wired2theworld.com/PARIS2008flighthome.html
Don't know why that last bit of work is always the hardest to finish.
Thanks to everyone for following along with me.
Nov 23rd, 2008, 04:01 PM
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Kristina,
The amount of work you have put into your website is amazing. I have had a great time looking at the photos from your trips, especially Paris and Rome.
Thanks again,
Johanna (who will be celebrating my own big fat fortieth in May!)
The amount of work you have put into your website is amazing. I have had a great time looking at the photos from your trips, especially Paris and Rome.
Thanks again,
Johanna (who will be celebrating my own big fat fortieth in May!)
Nov 23rd, 2008, 05:10 PM
#195
Looks like a great time. I noticed your mom is wearing a very mischievous smile the last day or two. France must agree with her.
Now I must go review your Rome trip because I'll be heading out the day after Christmas. Thanks for all the work you put into your website--I for one am making use of it.
Now I must go review your Rome trip because I'll be heading out the day after Christmas. Thanks for all the work you put into your website--I for one am making use of it.
Nov 24th, 2008, 07:35 AM
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Johanna-Thanks! It really is a labor of love for me. Hope you get to do something fun for your 40th!
Leely- I'll have to tell my mom about your comment. Have a fantastic time in Rome!
Leely- I'll have to tell my mom about your comment. Have a fantastic time in Rome!
