Travelling without Moving

Travelling travails. Don't read on if this kind of thing bores you.

Today started with a delayed flight, so I arrived in Amsterdam mid-afternoon a little tense and was redirected to Paris for a work problem.

The car I had booked wouldn't let me change the drop-off so back to the terminal for a train. Inevitably delayed I arrived at Charles de Gaulle airport about 10pm a bit flustered and looking for the Novotel.

There are three Novotels at CDG. I know this having now visited all of them. At the second Novotel, about 11pm, exasperated, I was offered a lift to the 3rd Novotel. The driver was an amenable guy who also worked in travel from the Dominican Republic. Only when we were en route did it occur to me that he wasn't an employee of the hotel helping me out. He was in the same boat, looking for the same hotel to meet his aunt and he didn't have a clue either where we were or how to get where we were going.

The police stopped us and I suggested they took us to our hotel. They gave us bad directions instead.

We ended up back at the second Novotel via a Hyatt. The Dominican guy (I regret not asking his name) was convinced the Hyatt was the third Novotel. I explained it wasn't and was very sure of this.

This none the less culminated in us driving into the Hyatt car park and calling the hotel to let us out. This was now 11.30 but happily right next to the second Novotel, so I took my bags and legged it back to reception.

I took a taxi (who was more than a bit pissed off at having a 5 minute fare for this kind of thing) and felt guilty about getting stressed in front of this guy just trying to help me. But as I enjoyed a well deserved beer, he turned up so I could pass on my apologies now that I had calmed down a bit.

The photo was at Bruxelles Midi!