I arrived in Paris today. The entire flying experience was delightfully smooth. Bless the French for their extraordinarily reasonable pet travel accommodations. (Thank you, Air France.) Clyde and Millie arrived in good shape. They were a little flabbergasted by the airport scene, but otherwise unscathed. It’s amazing what the French will do for some cute furry beasts. Nearly every person who passed me (with my carrier precariously perched atop two large luggage bags) seemed compelled to stop and coo at my kitties. When I asked where I could purchase water, the airport personnel immediately scattered in search of suitable hydration for my cats. (This in contrast to the Air France employee who ripped the self-serve bottle of water out of my hands on the plane and told me I couldn’t have water until they had time to help me, and then proceeded to take the Emergen-C I was planning to mix with it and threw it in the trash.)

I’m staying at the company apartment for about a month as I look for a new place. It’s a tiny little place where the beds fall out of the wall. Just for a taste of the amusing differences, the tub has no shower curtain (not even a rod), so you just stand in the bathtub and wash yourself, sans privacy or protection.