My flight from Dallas to Uganda was booked on ‘Delta’ but despite some initial difficulties checking in, I was pleasantly surprised by the experience I had on the Air France flight to Paris.  Yes its Dallas-Paris-Nairobi-Kigali-Entebbe (I leave 1635 (local) on Monday and should arrive 0210 (local) on Wednesday).  To complete the story, I then cross over to a small airfield and get another flight at 0730 (local), which should be around 2 hours (in a teeny-tiny thing) followed by a 4 hour drive to my home for the next 5 months in the Bidi Bidi refugee settlement. Phew.

Before my very pleasant flight I had a proper run around at the airport.  Signage wasn’t great on the drive in so I ended up at Terminal B.  Wrong choice, that was exclusively for American Airlines, so I was directed to Terminal E for Delta.  I get off the transit bus with my 62 kg (or 135lbs) of luggage (x2 bags at 23kg and my carry on at 16kgs… 🙄.  Sounds a lot, and maybe it is, but its 5 months and I’m taking useful stuff for the house we hope to rent, and for projects in country where it is very difficult to get supplies locally.

Back to the transit bus, I get off at Terminal E, only to be told to get back on as I want the second stop at Terminal E.  So, I Q at check-in only to be told, ahh Paris, you want Air France, Terminal D.  Back to the bus stop.  Back on the bus.  Get off at Terminal D, head to check-in.  Did I say my bags were 62kgs all up. That’s a lot to carry around…

So, I check in for the second time and then the bloke decided my carry on was too heavy, but suggested I put stuff into (my already maxed out) check bags, to keep my carry on at the 12kg limit.  I just complied.  But the airplane is still carrying the same amount of weight, right?

Anyway I get on the plane, might have been last on, as they all knew my name…

Inflight service.  So I am used to “Would you like a drink sir?” (I don’t mind if I do, and make it a double – and some wine for dinner if that’s OK), but this time it was “Would you like some Champagne?”. Err, ok why not.  “And some wine for dinner?”. Sure.  Dinner was nothing special (is it ever on a plane?).  However, when the stewardess came back it was, “Would you like a liqueur, or maybe a cognac?”.  I absolutely don’t mind if I do…

When I landed in Paris (after a little sleep for some reason) the whole French thing continued, why did I ever doubt it?  I stopped by the duty free shop before my flight to Africa.  There is ‘duty free’ and there is ‘duty free in Paris-Charles de Gaulle’.  The usual of course; electronics, over-priced gifts, perfume, Toblerone, haribo mahoosive-size, wine, liquor, cigarettes (France, right?), but also a charcuterie…