Trip to France (#15)

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  We made it back to New York last night. I wonder what time my body thinks it is?
  
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  I teared up a little when we left Astrid and Gino's.  Teddy came by at 8am to say good-bye (How many people do you know would get up early and drive over to say good-bye?  Most call.) and we gave him a cute little baby gift for the boy he and Aurelie are expecting the first week of December.  The adorable little baby outfit has a picture of an airplane on it and the store we bought it from is called Le Petit Bateau (the little boat).  It's a little bit of a joke because Aurelie told us the night before that she hates flying and boats.  Cute.
  
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  Astrid & Gino gave us a bottle of James' favorite French wine (Chateau Neuf de Pape).  I packed it deep inside one of the carry-ons, so it wouldn't break, of course.  It was confiscated going through the security check point in France.  No liquids allowed.  The security guy said they throw everything away that is confiscated.  I don't believe it.  THAT would be too much of a travesty.
  
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  The last time we were here (see? I still think I'm in France), we visited the rest of James' family and they came over and we had a party.  This time, we didn't.  He did speak to his other aunt (Denise) on the telephone.  Sometimes it's nice not to have to run all over the place.
  
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  James dropped me off at Charles de Gaulle airport in France, took the rental car back to Gare de Lyon (30 minutes away), and caught the bus back to the airport because we had too much luggage to deal with.  It's fun people watching.  I never considered this before, but what do you think the flight attendants on Saudia Arabia Airlines wear?  (I discretely took a few pictures on my camera phone and posted to Facebook.)  They cover their heads! 
  
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  The flight from France to Iceland was uneventful (except for the Italian man that WOULD NOT be still and the turbulence at the end of the flight).  The winds were so bad (there was a storm) that you could physically feel the plane rocking when it was sitting on the tarmac. 
  
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  The flight from Iceland to France was WAY smoother than I expected considering the storm.  Thank goodness we were flying away from the storm.  Again, turbulence is no friend of mine.
  
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  So here I am in my hotel room in New York tip-typing away while my husband lounges on the bed mastering his BlackBerry.  We're considering taking the train in to Manhattan, but we're moving slowly.  It's 10:30am here and we woke up at 4:30am.  Ooooo, I'm so confused.
  
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  It is bittersweet to be back on U.S. soil.  I always experience a mild case of post-vacation depression after I return from Europe and the tropics.  :::Shrugging my shoulders::::  This too shall pass.  At least I have Hawaii to look forward to next month...