Greetings again from JFK airport in New York City! Safely back from London, with a day that I have found to be one of the best travel experiences. I’d like to think that it all was by chance but I do believe in Pay It Forward . The past 24 hours have been a day where things aligned in a way that have made me feel even more appreciative for the life I have been able to live.

Departing my London Family at the Indigo Paddington  for the Heathrow Express out of Paddington. I left slightly later then I anticipated which I was confident, knowing LHR, this would result in additional frustration towards myself for being 15 minutes behind.

The Heathrow Express departed at 08:25, which is remains still the best way to get to London Heathrow. The manager covering rotations today was assisting in ticket scanning. After a short introduction, we spent the remainder of the trip talking about trains, London etc. Philip escorted me from the train to the connector, and waited till I was on my way. I have his card to keep in touch.

Arriving in London, I had done the e-boarding pass but was afraid that it was not going to be recognized. After a failed attempt to reprint my boarding pass, I was down to an hour before departure. I was delighted to hear that they do accept the mobile and no challenges with it. Quickly went through the premium security lane, and was at the gate just as they began boarding. My connecting flight to ATL from JFK was already delayed from an update, unfortunately the non stops to ATL were both oversold in both classes in the cabin.

Simone and Florette on DL004 were friendly and efficient. They seemed to genuinely care about people and also provided for some great laughs. I slept most of the flight, still was not acquaninted with the shorter flight time to JFK. After 4 of sleep, enjoyed the lunch just before our early arrival into JFK. I shared Damn You Auto Correct with Florette who was laughing at many of them, and Simone made me laugh as she passed through the cabin looking for a person who ordered water, but could not remember who.

Delta Airlines Keep Climbing

Arriving into JFK, I expected similar to ATL, customs, security a few times…. lather rinse repeat. To my surprise, Delta implemented a greeter program for Diamond Medallion members arriving internationally. I am not sure if it is just Business Elite, but I would hope that it is across all aspects. I was met by Jacqueline before customs, just as I departed the jetway. She had a sign with my name on it, and a Delta Logo. Now that I think about it, I wish I had kept it for my office. She took me and one other passenger over to Customs, used GOES (which is excellent), and then directed me to my connecting flight. While we walked, she interacted, explained our flight was delayed to ATL, and she was very apologetic. She knew if we had luggage or not, connecting flight info, arrival, departure. Not sure how to navigate through JFK, this was a very welcomed surprise. Unfortunately she did not have a card on her, but I must commend Delta on a job well done. How about we bring this to the airport where you are the Home Town Airline?

TSA – same old, same old— Amusing was the 35 year old in A&F shorts having to do the full body scanner. His selection of sizes should have been reconsidered, as he had to stand bow legged to keep the shorts from falling down below his hips.

Sky Club at JFK at Terminal 3 by gate 2 is much better then the other one I was at when I flew out on Tuesday. The colors are bright and it feels like I am in a Delta commercial/ad campaign. The windows looking out over the active departing runway, a 767 (N171DN) parked just outside. Watching the 744 depart, to either Tel Aviv for Tokyo was an added bonus. Craig who was working the Sky Club exemplified what interaction should be. Welcoming and genuinely humble, available to ask random questions about the flights from JFK. He apologized for my flight delay and any inconvenience it may have caused and appreciated my loyalty as a Diamond Medallion. Best part is… he, like many others today, cared.

Today’s plane was N844MH, the 767-400 painted in the Sky Team color scheme.

My time in London for the past few days is coming to a close. I must admit, that I am quite fond of hotels and locations that offer free wifi. I am sitting in the Indigo’s restaurant and catching up on email, facebook, yelp, flight memory, booking flights, all on the iPad with the Logitech keyboard.

The trip was uneventful but productive. I feel a much stronger sense of alignment with the objectives and even greater support in our initiatives going forward.

The weather in London was fantastic today, in the 70′s and sunny. I left the Indigo Paddington and ventured all over the city, to many tourist traps I had not seen in 4 years. Big Ben, Westminster Abby, The Eye, Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens and Oxford St.

I love walking around the parks in London, you find one person reading in a suit, another couple asleep against each other, sports, and people enjoying the sun. One might say it is because the horrible weather they are accustomed to in London, and it’s almost a reason to celebrate. I believe that with many foreign countries, they work hard but enjoy the quiet moment. I saw this in Glasgow, Paris and London. One person was in a suit, changed down to soccer shorts, enjoyed sitting in the sun for 30 minutes, put the layers back on and returned to the office, I presume.

My flight is at 10am tomorrow out of LHR to JFK and then down to ATL. I will catch up on some sleep and look for reasons of comedy. Hopefully the extra pre planning I put into this trip will prove successful on the last legs of my journey.

A night out in Shanghai would not be impressive without live entertainment, but when you toss in some Lady Gaga, it’s a win win for the entire audience. Enjoy!

Aboard AirFrance (A321) from CDG to Rome, with an ontime departure, landing in 1 hour and 45 minutes. The room keys timed out at 12:00, with us returning at 12:02. Papa seemed a bit bothered by the timing out of the key, then remembered that Marsha was in their room still.

The Opera Metro station was as busy as the previous days, only no “Information” help, which was needed today. The Metro pass that was fixed yesterday no longer worked today. In frustration of the long line for the one Metro employee to make sales, I was able to fit through the luggage area of the entrance into the station. After 5 sets of stairs, one elevator ride, and one escalator ride, we arrived at the Metro Line, for a quick trip to the next stop to connect to the RER B to the airport.

Our luck slightly improved when we boarded out train to the airport and realized it was an express with only 5 stops instead of the normal 11. A trip on a metro would not be complete without some type of street performer. Today was no difference, after the deaf person passing out the pens for a donation of 2,00, a family affair began their performance. This trio including a child of no more then 5 years old playing the tambourine, a portable sound system, and an accordion player. After 3 French Songs, they departed to the next car. Our entertainment about the RER B ended as quickly as it began.

CDG was as busy as always, with long queues to maneuver through the airport. We arrived at the check in of Terminal 2F, to find a SkyTeam Elite checkin line, with no one in the queue. Bags checked, boarding pass in hand, and directions to the lounge in less then 3 minutes. Way to go Air France!! Security at CDG was a bit more strict, in a different way. Shoes are allowed, but belts are not allowed, and iPads are laptops (or treated as such). After 2 failed attempts through security, I was given clearance to move forward. One interesting thing I did notice was that when my wallet was put through the machine, it was placed in between two trays to not allow the employees easy access to it as it passed through. While my inability to travel was apparent, we cleared the security queue in five minutes.

The AirFrance Business Lounge is now the Carb Lounge, full of potato chips, cookies, wine, crackers, yogurt, soda, alcohol, and Happy Snacks. The peach Schweppes was refreshing and when added to white wine, it made for a great spritzer. One hour in the lounge, off to gate F29 to board for the flight, on time push back, and enroute now.

Farewell Paris, it was an inspiring adventure in the city of lights, it feels as though Barcelona was a whim, and a long time ago. Hopefully we will be able to locate somewhere with wifi in Rome, without a high price tag.

We have changed altitudes looking for smooth air, no such luck yet!

Farewell Paris, this morning was the last morning in Paris, it was also the only day that I woke up before 10am. When traveling, days of flight, I tend to wake up around 06:00 regardless of when I began my slumber the night prior. With a departure planned for the hotel at noon, and a plane ride included in the day (Air Francei, A321), the day is unstoppable. Packed and ready to explore, we departed at 08:30, 30 minutes before our alarm was scheduled.

With the mission given by Papa to find a Cream Puff, we found a patisserie called LaDuree, located 10 minutes from the InterContinental Paris – Opera. The patisserie and restaurant offered one of the best varieties of sweets to savor. We departed with 2 chocolate eclairs, 1 cream puff, a raspberry shortcake, and two other baked goods. While the prices were higher then a street vendor, the quality and effort in the products was incredible.

The return back to the hotel involved a stop for Postcards (10 for 2,50), Starbucks Coffee, and a pursuit for Wifi. Wifi in France is pronounced Wee-Fi, and all of the Starbucks connection that provides the password for the rate of 2 for 30 minutes were not functioning. After visiting two Starbucks, the final location offered a beautiful area to savor food, coffee, with outdoor seating and a very classic Parisian feel inside. Starbucks in the US seem so small, yet in Europe, they have been more spacious and inviting. Waking up early revealed so many businesses that appeared closed throughout our visit, the late starts gave the perception that many were closed permanently.

Quick stop by the Apple Store in the pursuit of the iPad camera kit, no luck, and purchased a few souvenirs. Apple Store was busier then that of those in the US, and offered up free Wifi for the few minutes we ventured in. Off to CDG now for 15:25 departure to Rome.

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After our adventure to the pharmacy in the early morning hours, we found ourself walking back go find wifi to post, on unsecured networks. Unfortunately we failed miserably at our attempt to wake up early. Around 05:30 I began having labor pains, or what I would equate to labor pains, which lasted a few hours. I napped a bit longer while the parents and Daniel entertained each other. They enjoyed conversation while I slept, learning about Marsha’s job, discussing holidays, and laughing a bit.

The parents and Daniel enjoyed Mimosas next door, from champagne and orange juice we picked up the night before, strolling back home. The three mimosas that Marsha and Daniel did them both in, though Marsha slept until 19:00. I awoke at 14:30 and our day to visit the Eiffel Tower began.

The Opera station, conveniently located next to the InterContinental Le Grande allowed for easy access to virtually all of the mass transit of Paris. The information person (Aqua Man) was very friendly, assisting me through when my ticket failed to work (yet again), and when Daniel looked completely lost. The Train 8 to the Metro C brought us to the Eiffel Tower in 20 minutes. Papa, Daniel and I arrived at the Eiffel, with sprinkles in the air, and a young couple in the park enjoying each others company in a very intimate manner.

The Eiffel Tower was a buzz, with street vendors, tourists, and others out for a stroll through the Champs de Mars. The line for the Eiffel Tower was an hour, with the summit opening back up as we approached to purchase our tickets from the ticket booth. While waiting, 2 police offers arrived on motorcycles, immediately the street vendors scurried like roaches in sunlight. Amazing to see how quickly they can pack up their belongings in a towel and depart quickly out of the area, only to return moments later.

The line from the 2nd Floor was 35 minutes, to arrive at the Summit. The queue was very narrow, I would be surprised how any person of significant wait would be able to pass through the queue. One would think that the views at the Summit would surpass those on the prior two levels, but the lower levels had an unobstructed view of the city, without the fence. Even with the light sprinkles, the trip to the top of the Eiffel Tower was memorable. When I went to the Eiffel Tower in 2008, my camera LCD broke in Prague, and Scott-E’s battery died. I am looking forward to the photos that Papa took as the official photographer of our vacation overseas. Upon exiting the lift, on the ground floor, we were warmly greeted by 15+ street vendors hounding us to purchase a variety of souvenirs. Daniel eventually gave in and picked up a few souvenirs key chains, with the normal price change upon selection.

A trip to the Eiffel Tower would not be the same without children screaming (like those sitting behind my row on the flight to Rome as I type this). The streets around the Champs de Mars are of urine, with many persons utilizing the trees as urinals within 10 feet from where we sat.

Our return back was greeted by a text from Marsha, that she was awake, dressed and ready to eat. A quick freshening up, and off to grab dinner at the Cafe across the street from the InterContinental. Our waiter was similar to the character in Ratatouilie, including the blowing of air to keep his hair out of his eyes. His English was understandable, and made it very clear to Daniel, Ladies FIRST when ordering, even if he was asking a question for her in french. The steak was not available, but then was available.

A final evening in Paris would not be complete without a visit to the Carnival for another crepe. Yearning for variety, we visited a different vendor, who seemed amazed at our request for chocolate and peanut better (Skippy!). She insisted that we did not want chocolate and peanut butter. The vendors in the carnival offered up Michael Jackson dolls as prizes, they were a bit scary.

Returning to the room at 23:50 revealed a pleasant surprise, we could see 1/3 of the Eiffel Tower from our view, and it remained lit until 01:00, when the beacon, and lights went dark after one final sparkle on the hour. It was a fond way to say Au Revoirs to the city of lights.

In returning back from a walking adventure and dinner, I developed a headache which I thought a quick pharmacy trip could fix. A short 15 minute walk revealed the pharmacy, where you wait in line to tell them what you want.

Wr are one of 13 people in line, we can see the Advil, just cannot get to it. Some 30 minutes later, still waiting to accomplish this task. Tick… Tick… Tick…

Travelers note, wait until 09:00 for normal business hours when in Paris and in need of medicine.

The RER C metro splits in 2 spots, with paying close attention we noticed the name of the train to be correct. After 30 minutes of going north, we realized we were on the wrong extension. A 20 minute stop in the French hillside was an unplanned tourstop. Another group boarded the train under the wrong assumption. We just arrived at the Chateau after 2 hours of train travel.

Experiencing the Bastille Day along the park before the Eiffel Tower was absolutely amazing !

We arrived to the park at the Eiffel Tower at 18:30, allowing is to experience an incredible spot. The fireworks began at 23:00, just as the sunset behind the tower. The buzz amongst the crowd was amusing, a variety of languages , and a few singing Happy Birthday to France. The fireworks kicked off, several songs later was the conclusion. A memorable experience I will never forget in the city of Paris. Our return to the hotel took 90 minutes with very full metros along the way.