air france

I'm finally home, after a mind-numbing line at customs and a much-delayed, over-crowded train from Newark. 

Again, musings and pictures from the trip to come all week. Right now, I'm off to happy hour (it's still vacation, I think, officially).

For now, my five reasons why we should all fly Air France as much as possible:

1. Sweet old French women at the window seat next to you who make sure the stewardess brings your red wine and baguette.

2. Free booze. And they don't judge when you ask for another round.

3. Movie choices that include past Cannes Film Festival favorites (meaning today I got to watch My Blueberry Nights, which is in theaters now, and The Piano, an all-time fave).

4. A camera on the nose of the plane that shows you take-off and landing from a cockpit POV. More of a gimmick, really, and actually pretty scary when facing the runway. OK. Maybe this isn't such a good reason. Next!

5. They let you board when you want. None of this "rows 34 and above" nonsense. You get on when you want to get on. How civilized.

charles de gaulle

It's a transit day and I'm sitting in Charles De Gaulle, waiting for my flight back to New York. I'm listening to Thurston Moore, and just bought an English-language paperback of Joshua Ferris' And Then We Came to the End, which a friend had lent to me, but, alas, I left it at home. With any luck I'll blow through it, as I did with Jonathan Lethem's You Don't Love Me Yet on the way over. It's a breezy look at hipster band members in LA's Echo Park. It's sweet, inviting and has killer dialogue, so highly recommended.

It was a great trip, and in the days to come I'll surely post a number of pictures. Let's just say I've had my annual quota of duck, nuttela, wine, brie, baguettes and Ann's creme and chive mushroom dip. I haven't eaten today, but I'm full ... you must know how that feels at the end of a trip.

i'm outtie

The day after tomorrow I'm leaving New York for Paris. No, not for good. It's a vacation, to visit friends. I plan to drink too much wine, eat too much cheese, and smoke too many French cigarettes. It will be lovely, even if the weather forecast - which currently calls for mostly cloudy skies and rain for a day or so - holds true. When I asked my friend Ann what clothes to wear, she said my standard uniform of jeans and t-shirts would do, but also to bring a scarf. A scarf? That sounds like Euro-affectation to me, but it could be practical. I'll let you know.