Oh la la! Paris on crutches
So after a bit of humming and haaing about the wisdom of a trip to Paris in hard cast I did decide to go and I’m so glad I did because it was great!
We flew from Luton airport and when we booked the flights we ticked the box for special assistance. This was the best thing ever because we were so well looked after. A whole army was mobilised to get me onto the plane with no problems whatsoever. I felt like a one woman employment creation scheme! I might not be able to walk, but by golly I can jump, queue jump that is!
Wheelchair was waiting for me at Charles de Gaulle and they pushed me past all the immigration queues etc to the train station. After that we were on our own and I was slightly nervous the first time I jumped onto an escalator (!) but I soon got the hang of it and all was well. We did cars/planes/train/underground train/bus/luggage trolley!
We had the most awesome lunch which I wouldn’t have missed for the world - 10 course ‘degustation’ menu (ie. hit us with everything you’ve got, monsieur le chef) which took 4 hours!!!! Then hubby and I strolled/crutched around in the evening before collapsing into hotel for the night.
Next day we went to some of the sights, including some more outrageous queue-jumping at the Louvre. I was totally knackered by the time we got home and two days later my shoulders are stiil aching like mad, but it was really worth it.
So if you are planning to travel while recovering, just call for help (even if you think you can probably cope) because there are loads of people employed to provide help and if we don’t use them then they’ll be taken away. And why just cope when you can smile and wave and glide past all the other poor tourists who have to queue for hours!
Amazed to see the explosion of new people on the site after just a few days away. Have ATRs suddenly got trendy or something?!
Smoley
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I am so glad for you that you had a great trip.
You are absolutely right, why suffer when you can enjoy these services and yes, keep some people employed!
It brings to mind my other memorable mishap (one of many)… When my son was 5 months old we went to visit my family overseas for xmas holidays. We spent New Years eve at an old guest house at the countryside, that had a spiral staircase. I was descending these bit crooked stairs with baby in arms when I mis-stepped the stair. Fortunately I did not drop the baby, but ended up spraining my ankle and fracturing a bone in my foot. Was not the best New years eve I ever had… (and I was not even drinking as I was still nursing) However the flight home and the speed with which we cleared customs (in wheelchair baby on lap and leg in cast) was something quite special!
Hi Smoley,
So pleased you went and glad you had a great time.
Hope your shoulders have now stopped aching!
When we visited the Louvre could not believe how small the Mona Lisa is.
Thanks highflyer.
The Louvre is a total labyrinth and not very wheel-chair friendly (although the facilities for lending the chairs are great). Only the French could have designed the lift arrangement, for example, a lift that takes you to a landing from which there are only stairs going in various different directions!!. Did have to do a bit of bum-shuffling down a marble staircase to avoid an enormous detour, got some strange looks, but it was all good fun!
I’m pretty disgusted with myself for ever contemplating not going. How wimpy would that have been?
Shoulders feeling fine now, but went to a party last night and did some fairly ill-advised one-legged dancing, so good leg killing me today!
Smoley
Sounds like you had a blast Smoley! I’m very happy for you! I’m off to a concert tomorrow so here’s hoping for similar attention my way!