That Convenient and Wonderful Direct Flight from Pittsburgh to Paris
Craig Davis |
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
My guide book is called "Paris Day by Day – 22 Smart Ways to See the City." But with less than a day for sightseeing, my business trip would more aptly be titled "Paris Hour by Hour – One Semi-Frenzied Way to See the City."
Why Paris? The occasion for my trip from the City of Bridges to the City of Light is to help promote Pittsburgh. More specifically, I'm there to assist with the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance's and Pittsburgh International Airport's pursuit of an expanded relationship with the Charles De Gaulle Airport. The hook: the Pittsburgh Symphony's European tour, a seven-nation tour that takes our world-renowned symphony to 10 cities in two short weeks. How thrilled am I to be part of the contingency that serves as ambassadors for the region, promoting Pittsburgh to the world? Tres, tres thrilled.
So I'm off to Paris aboard Delta's non-stop Pittsburgh to Paris flight. I'm prepared, having checked in online for Flight 188 before leaving my house. This makes it quick and easy when I get to the Pittsburgh International Airport. There, I check my bags and within 10 minutes I'm in the security line, passport in hand, ready for my 6:15 p.m. flight. Boarding the plane, I find nice big comfy seats with plenty of leg room for my 5' 11" frame in economy class. The Delta flight crew is fabulous. "Bonjour," they smile as we Paris-bound passengers enter the Boeing 757.
On this flight, the Oscar-winning film, "The Hurt Locker," is playing on the individual seatback screens, so I am entertained in style as we wing our way across the Atlantic. Two episodes of "The Big Bang Theory" later and I'm asleep. Sound asleep, thanks to the glass of wine I drank earlier while eating my lasagna. I awake – rested – in the wee hours, to an oh-so-nice fruit and cheese plate before arriving at Roissy-Charles De Gaulle International Airport.
Life is Great. Here's Why.
It's 8:30 a.m. Sunday and I'm not in Kansas anymore! My Canadian school-boy French has me thinking: "La joie de vie." Roughly translated: "Life is great. I'm in freaking Paris!"
By 10 a.m., the luggage is checked at the hotel and, I'm off! Rather, "we're" off – as my traveling companion, Randy Forister, director of development for the Pittsburgh airport, is also part of the Pittsburgh contingency. Together, we decide to make the most of the little free time we have in this world-class city. Without hesitation – but with comfortable shoes – we head out on our five-hour, cram-as-much-of-Paris-in-as-we-possibly-can adventure.
Eight miles and a tour of Cathedrale Notre-Dame, Jardin du Luxembourg (that's the Luxenbourg Garden for those without Canadian school-boy French), some Eiffel Tower gawking and a riverboat tour of The Seine later, we stop. Along the way, though, we replenish with a breakfast of fabulous strawberry crepes, traditional cheese omelets and strong Parisian coffee.
Randy and I are both astonished by this stunning, flat and utterly walkable city. One thing is better than the next. Everywhere we look I'm reminded that much of this city was built with the king's money. Such amazing architecture built not hundreds of years ago, but some buildings– like Notre Dame – nearly a thousand years ago.
And, the people! What I'm most surprised about is our encounters with locals. They are as friendly as could be. That's with the exception of one encounter with one questionable individual: "Mister, your gold ring. I have. Please. You must take." I decline, thank you very much. Not sure of the scam here, but surely there is a scam here. But I digress. (Note from editor: We ran into the same scan. They want you to pay them for the ring.)
Randy and I know that our precious free time in one of the world's most beautiful cities is limited. Even after our exhausting walking tour, we are still in desperation sightseeing mode. The pedicab ride from the Eiffel Tower back to our hotel is just the ticket. A quick nap later and then it's dinner with other members of the Pittsburgh group, followed by a long next day of business meetings and events.
In what seems like a blink of an eye, I am on the plane heading back across the pond. I sleep again and then I'm happy to catch up on e-mails once we're flying over North America. Before I know it, I'm back in Pittsburgh. It's Tuesday early afternoon and I'm not in Paris any more.
My one thought? How convenient and relatively inexpensive it would be to take my wife to Paris for a long weekend, with roughly the same travel time as it would be to go to the west coast from Pittsburgh. We're indeed fortunate to have this flight in Pittsburgh. I am hoping more Pittsburghers are inspired to take advantage of this direct flight to one of the world's great cities. And I hope more Europeans come to Pittsburgh to see this great city, too. Here's the link to Delta make it easy for you.
Note: To see the Golden-Quill winning Pop City article on a trip to Paris via the nonstop Delta flight from Pittsburgh, click here.
Craig Davis is vice president of sales & marketing for VisitPittsburgh, the official tourism promotion agency for Allegheny County.