Franco-Fridays: Travel and Arrival

For the sake of time, I originally planned to only blog through our anniversary trip, but the mission trip was an important prelude to our anniversary trip, and I like to linger over every detail.  It's a good way to remember and enjoy all over again.

Here's my original first post from the trip.

~ KJ passing out our Euros ~

~ Destination:  Paris! ~

~ Patchwork quilt around Detroit ~

~ Frost as we woke up flying over the UK ~

As we waited to board our flight in Birmingham, I felt so peaceful, easy, and free.  I think any mom would understand.  You automatically compare it in your mind to what it would be like going through security and trying to check baggage without losing your small children, and you can't help but feel extreme euphoria at having nothing to do but hold your bag, people-watch, and get to speak in complete sentences without being interrupted.  

Plus, my kids were comfortably installed in the back of B.P.'s truck eating milkshakes.  All was well.  (Thank you, Dad!!)

My second time flying across the ocean felt less surreal than the first time.  I looked with fondness down over Ireland and Wales as we flew over, and the English Channel was an amazingly brilliant blue from our heighth.

I was able to sleep a little more than on our flight to England, but still had the feeling of, I'm so tired, how am I going to make it through the day??  when the lights came on in the cabin.  Thankfully, we were landing around 11:30 local time, so there wasn't as much day to make it through as when we landed at 6 a.m. in London.  I think KJ was purposeful in planning that.  

 We immediately felt we were in a classier airport than most.

"The bathrooms are beautiful," Amy said.

We were met by Parker, Pastor Norman, and two other men from the church, Todd, and Jacques.  We loaded up to travel to the Paulhiac home, experiencing our first manually-shifted mini-van.

It's probable I'll misspell her name, but we were met by Annika Paulhiac, who graciously welcomed us to her home and served a beautiful lunch.  Paris showed off on our first day with sunny skies and the low 70s.

It was good to talk and get to know the pastor of Emmanuel, as well as breathe in the fresh air; it made the jet-lag much more bearable.  The trip was off to a very pleasant start.