June 30-July 1: Travel & arrival day

Since 1 p.m. EDT yesterday I have traveled something like 5000 miles by car, plane, and bus. All 51 students plus 4 faculty members in the EC Paris group made it to the airport, through security, and onto the Airbus A-340 that took us from Atlanta to Frankfurt. I have to take a moment here and give a shout-out to Lufthansa, which runs the most efficient operation and, I'm pretty sure, the cleanest planes that I have ever seen. The only downside to the ATL-FRA long haul is that my seatmate Zach's video screen did not work. I felt bad because it was his first time flying EVER, but then the flight attendant gave him a compensatory €50 in in-flight shopping gift certificates and he was so tickled. After a 3-hour layover in Frankfurt, which I spent drinking coffee, eating noodles, and forgetting all my German, we flew on to Paris (very quick 50-minute hop). Everyone was very excited to be on French soil at last after so many hours of travel. 

Getting to our lodgings at Cité Universitaire via a private motor coach (un autocar en français) took another hour and then some because Parisian traffic is BANANAS. Our driver, Cyrile, obviously had ice in his veins and I am just glad I was sitting far enough back that I couldn't really see all the close calls! From CDG we had to take the peripherique (the loop of highway that defines Paris) and then try to muscle the autocar onto the streets/paths/sidewalks inside Cité. This was clearly the most perilous and least certain part of the journey! Finally we made it and our program director, Dr. Luc Guglielmi, was there to greet us and walk us through checking in. I somehow got in the front of one of the check-in lines and created total confusion with the front desk staff because I did not know what name our group's rooms were reserved under.  Sorry, but I am not actually la responsable! The rooms turned out to be quite good: bigger than I expected with big windows that open, a large desk, bookshelves on the  walls, and well-thought-out storage for clothes. I unpacked and arranged my stuff, sent some emails, talked to Daniel on Skype and then went for a walk till dinner time. On my walk I passed 3 Velib' stations. I am way too eager to try a Velib'. The street that Cité is on (Boulevard Jourdan) has bike lanes so I think I could handle a small ride to Lidl and back. Just to say I did it!

Dinner was in the cafeteria and...well...I liked it. A lot of the students did not. Ratatouille (which I always like but never think to make--mental note), fish in a sort of citrus cream sauce, roasted potatoes, and one's choice of dessert. I'm not entirely proud of choosing a pudding cup, but then I saw that Dr. Guglielmi also had one, and I felt validated.

Before dinner we had gotten our transit passes (called Navigo) so my colleague Thomas and I got on the tram that runs down Boul. Jourdan, just missed closing time at Lidl, and fetched up at a small "bazaar" shop where we bought some minimal housewares for our rooms. So now I have an electric kettle, a bowl, a mug, and some flatware but no groceries. Going to remedy that first thing tomorrow. Then we have a big day touring our neighborhood, seeing the sights of Paris, and taking a bateau-mouche cruise on the Seine. 

That reminds me: I'd better plug my camera in.

It's been such an unexpectedly great experience traveling with a big group. On my own I tend to feel like the flight separates me from everything familiar and Paris is always and forever another planet. Today for the first time I felt continuity between Georgia and France, a clearer sense that they are parts of the same world. The students have been absolute champs and troupers: many of them are not familiar with international travel and being away from home. But they all kept their excitement going, showed up where and when they were supposed to, minded their manners, and asked smart questions. Well played, Georgia. 

9:52 p.m. I'm still up. It's still light outside. People are speaking German in the courtyard. Oh brave new world...