Paris to Pittsburgh Direct: Part Deux

That inaugural direct flight to Paris we wrote about last week?

Smooth as can be and arrived on time at Charles de Gaulle. No line at customs. No line at the baggage carousel where our luggage was waiting. On the plane my husband and I sat in aisle seats, the middle seat vacant (sheer luck; there were only 15 or so empty seats on the flight). I read for a few hours, slept for a few, watched a movie of my own selection on my personal screen, and arrived refreshed. It was an easy train ride into the city where we transferred to a taxi which took us to our hotel, arriving by 10:30 am. And the room was ready hours early.

It was that kind of trip.

And now, after a flawless visit to that most wondrous City of Light, we are headed back—somewhere over Ireland at the moment—and this time I have three seats to myself with only 70 people onboard. (What does one do with three pillows and three blankets besides build a fort?) And good news: we're scheduled to arrive nearly an hour ahead of time, closer to 1 p.m. than 2.

As Kent McElhattan, CEO of Industrial Scientific said about the flight as  we were boarding last Wednesday, "It's a godsend." And that was before it all went off without a hitch.

If I told you there was no better time to fly to Paris, this is why. Ticket prices have dropped and if you book a trip in September, on September 10th according to my random search,  you can go for $400 round trip. A steal! There's room to stretch out on the plane. And Paris is drop-dead gorgeous in what they call "the beautiful season" with azure skies and mild temps that make walking for miles a dream. Showers are welcome. They make it easier to spend time indoors in museums where the buildings are as much works of art as the priceless art they feature. And the French people? They were lovely. Really.

Café. Musée. Repeat.
Highlights of the trip? It's a long list. The Louvre was more fabulous than I remembered, and we scored a windowside table at the Café Richelieu overlooking I.M. Pei's pyramid and the lively plaza. The flight magazine's 30 Must See Museums article steered us to the new (2006) Musée quai Branly (#1 on the list), Jean Nouvel's striking modern building near the Eiffel Tower on the Left Bank. From the "living" walls thick with plantings, to the 30 colorful boxes on the exterior that serve as cubbyhole exhibits inside, it's gorgeous with eye-popping art and rare artifacts from Africa, Asia and Oceana.

It was exciting to see a long line and big crowds at the Grand Palais for the Warhol Exhibit  (And as Tom Sokolowski points out, our Warhol Museum gets a cut of the action.)  Except for those silver balloons which were tethered high above--set them free!--the exhibit was impressive, the crowd was enthralled and we saw many pieces we had never seen.

Each day in Paris was joyful as we walked miles, venturing from café to museum to shopping (Bon Marche) with a gelato stop or two along the way. Notre Dame. Boat ride on the Seine. Climbing the Eiffel Tower. Exploring different neighborhoods. It was all exceptional.

How much did we love Paris?

Somewhere between the sunny rooftop terrace of the Musée d'Orsay overlooking the Left Bank, and the Pont Alexandre, the majestic bridge with those dazzling gold sculptures and tall ornate street lamps,  I decided to change my name to Colette.

If that gives you any idea.

Paris is magic. It's the majesty of Monet's room-size water lillies displayed on curved walls at the Musée L'Orangerie –six Monets, two long, stunning rooms—It's the strong beating pulse of the many streetside cafés or the Eiffel Tower making a surprise appearances as you round a bend. It's a single puff pastry with raspberries and Chantilly cream at the opulent and charming Ladurée on the Champs d'Elysees. It's the double scoop of gelato you order, with the coconut arranged like flower petals around the chocolate center.

Think about it. We could have gotten a direct flight to Leeds. Not that there's anything wrong with that, and we will gladly take it. But Paris! What better city to visit?

Go Anyway
Yes, there's a recession. And yes, the dollar is as weak as I am passing a gelato store but the consequences of not supporting this flight are grave. Use it or lose it. Pittsburgh needs this flight for reasons we discussed last issue. (Click here to read the article.)
After years of no direct flights to Europe, it's a kick to read the airport departures board at Charles de Gaulle: 
To Pittsburgh. And this: On time.

In case there's any speculation, I am not shilling for Delta. I've never talked to anyone there except the friendly woman at the counter in Pittsburgh wearing the Eiffel Tower pin that lights up. I did get one of those, but had to ask. I just know it matters, a lot, to the growth and vitality of Pittsburgh to sustain this flight and more direct ones like it--to become more global, more connected and to encourage visitors to come to Pittsburgh.

With that in mind, please help fill these empty seats around me. Do something good for your city and  enjoy a dream of a trip while you're at it. No pressure but here's the link to book your tickets.

You can tell them Colette sent you.

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Tracy Certo is publisher and editor of Pop City. Contact her here.
Photographs copyright Tracy Certo.
View from the terrace of the Musee d'Orsay, Eiffel Tower, interior of Bon Marche, detail from Pont Alexandre