a tiny triumph..
so....
this week i went to paris..on a plane..for those of you that know me, you will understand that this was a pretty big deal for me. i don't like planes. not one bit. i don't trust the fact that something that big and heavy and metal with so many people inside it should stay in the air. it's not right. also, i don't much like being in enclosed spaces, especially not ones from which there is no chance of escape, like a london undergound carriage in between stations, a moving train, a lift in between floors, a boat, and, of course, a plane. but on monday i got on a plane. the reasons for this were twofold. firstly, because it meant i got to go to paris with owlhead, and secondly, because owlhead was paying for the trip, and while the eurostar itself (my preferred mode of to-paris transportation) was not too expensive, the train journeys to and from london and newcastle were extortionate (i will not go into just how angry i am about the ridiculous amounts of money train companies charge in this country, considering that we are supposed to be trying to avoid carbon emissions and all that..).
so, i got on a plane. the journey there..well, i was fine at the airport..probably because 2 hours of sleep and trying to stay upright distracted me from the fact that i was about to face one of my biggest fears. however, as soon as i got on the plane and sat down, things took a turn for the worse. taking off was horrid..like a nasty fairground ride..and then the ensuing ascent was even worse..it made me feel super dizzy and sick (although, after having watched an old episode of 'qi' this evening, i'm beginning to suspect that this might have had more to do with the lack of clean air, and the high amount of co2 in the cabin..but that's beside the point)..anyway, suffice to say i was very glad to be off the plane.
interlude: paris itself was, of course, awesome. we arrived at our hotel only to be told that we couldn't check in until 2pm, which was slightly annoying since all i wanted to do was have a nice lie down..however, it meant that we got to have some lunch and then wander round montmartre..we watched some firemen putting out a fire in someone's apartment - very exciting. once we checked in and had a little sleep, we went and had dinner in a lovely restaurant, and then went to an even lovelier bar called au rendesvous des amis, which i first went to with jonny, dawn and axl when i went to paris with them a few years ago..here is a picture of owlhead and myself outside said bar:
it was very nice..tuesday was mostly spent walking around in the sun..i found the bestest gold eyeshadow in the world..it's super shiny and awesome, and makes my eyelids look like they are made of solid gold, which can only be a good thing i think. i also bought some bright red tights. on wednesday we went to the louvre, but my stomach had a bit of a tantrum, and i had to go outside..we did see the mona lisa, though..and the venus de milo..or, as owlhead called it, 'the fallen madonna with the big boobies'..not quite sure where he got that from, but i like it..thursday was time to come home, but unfortunately there was a rail strike across the whole of france, which meant that we had to get a taxi with a driver who was more than slightly insane at seven o'clock in the morning..i think the taxi ride was so nerve-racking that, by the time i got on the plane to come back, i was no longer scared..i don't know if this means i've totally overcome my fear of flying, but i did look out the window pretty much the whole way back (something i refused to do even once on the way over), and i didn't really get freaked out at all..which was weird, but nice..
[note for pc, if you're reading this, this does not mean that i will be getting in a swimming pool any time soon..]
this week i went to paris..on a plane..for those of you that know me, you will understand that this was a pretty big deal for me. i don't like planes. not one bit. i don't trust the fact that something that big and heavy and metal with so many people inside it should stay in the air. it's not right. also, i don't much like being in enclosed spaces, especially not ones from which there is no chance of escape, like a london undergound carriage in between stations, a moving train, a lift in between floors, a boat, and, of course, a plane. but on monday i got on a plane. the reasons for this were twofold. firstly, because it meant i got to go to paris with owlhead, and secondly, because owlhead was paying for the trip, and while the eurostar itself (my preferred mode of to-paris transportation) was not too expensive, the train journeys to and from london and newcastle were extortionate (i will not go into just how angry i am about the ridiculous amounts of money train companies charge in this country, considering that we are supposed to be trying to avoid carbon emissions and all that..).
so, i got on a plane. the journey there..well, i was fine at the airport..probably because 2 hours of sleep and trying to stay upright distracted me from the fact that i was about to face one of my biggest fears. however, as soon as i got on the plane and sat down, things took a turn for the worse. taking off was horrid..like a nasty fairground ride..and then the ensuing ascent was even worse..it made me feel super dizzy and sick (although, after having watched an old episode of 'qi' this evening, i'm beginning to suspect that this might have had more to do with the lack of clean air, and the high amount of co2 in the cabin..but that's beside the point)..anyway, suffice to say i was very glad to be off the plane.
interlude: paris itself was, of course, awesome. we arrived at our hotel only to be told that we couldn't check in until 2pm, which was slightly annoying since all i wanted to do was have a nice lie down..however, it meant that we got to have some lunch and then wander round montmartre..we watched some firemen putting out a fire in someone's apartment - very exciting. once we checked in and had a little sleep, we went and had dinner in a lovely restaurant, and then went to an even lovelier bar called au rendesvous des amis, which i first went to with jonny, dawn and axl when i went to paris with them a few years ago..here is a picture of owlhead and myself outside said bar:
it was very nice..tuesday was mostly spent walking around in the sun..i found the bestest gold eyeshadow in the world..it's super shiny and awesome, and makes my eyelids look like they are made of solid gold, which can only be a good thing i think. i also bought some bright red tights. on wednesday we went to the louvre, but my stomach had a bit of a tantrum, and i had to go outside..we did see the mona lisa, though..and the venus de milo..or, as owlhead called it, 'the fallen madonna with the big boobies'..not quite sure where he got that from, but i like it..thursday was time to come home, but unfortunately there was a rail strike across the whole of france, which meant that we had to get a taxi with a driver who was more than slightly insane at seven o'clock in the morning..i think the taxi ride was so nerve-racking that, by the time i got on the plane to come back, i was no longer scared..i don't know if this means i've totally overcome my fear of flying, but i did look out the window pretty much the whole way back (something i refused to do even once on the way over), and i didn't really get freaked out at all..which was weird, but nice..
[note for pc, if you're reading this, this does not mean that i will be getting in a swimming pool any time soon..]
posted by schmemma at 4:29 PM
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