2nd Paris trip - The Rugby World Cup

As I was in the bus going to the employee parking lot on my way home from the previous trip, crew schedule let me know that I would be going back to Paris the next day. Fine with me. I knew I was paying back some karma from the month of September when they hardly needed me.

This time the Captain was yet another Mark T. and the FB was one of my favorite guys, Mike H. The captain was on reserve from NY since we must have been out of pilots in Boston. He had previously been based in Boston and I had flown with him a few times, as I recall.

We agreed to meet up for dinner later that night. I met one of the flight attendants who would be coming to dinner with us in the lobby of the hotel in the early afternoon. We agreed to tour around together. Nancy helped me find a great shirt that my daughter needed for her school's travel theme day on Monday. We stopped in The Mazet pub (the same pub seen in this video) where we had a beer. Both on the way in and on the way out, Nancy caught the eye of two of the more wild English rugby fans. They gave her a very warm welcome, in fact.


We continued to walk around the 'Latin Quarter' checking out the shops (got the shirt!) and sights. It never fails in Paris that you'll find a couple making out in the middle of the street, and this trip was no exception. Of course I had to get a picture to share with you...


The copilot who was supposed to have flown this trip was 'reassigned' to one of the early morning two day Caribbean trips. He had reservations at Le Volant where we've eaten before and he let Mike know that we could go in his place. It turned out to be a great thing, since most everything in Paris was full on the night of the huge Rugby match between France and England. We enjoyed our seats, even though the TV was behind a huge pillar from where we were sitting. I guess this is good as any place to sit the americans who don't actually know anything about rugby. We enjoyed the atmosphere, though.




Le Volant had people spilling out into the street as they had a TV outside for everyone to watch. It was a popular place that night. But we were ready to beat the rush for the metro to get back to the hotel, so we left before the end of the game.


We passed a few other pubs on the way back to our hotel that were equally full.


By the time we arrived at the hotel we found out that #2 ranked France lost to #6 ranked England in what was quite an exciting upset. Of course, we were pulling for France. Hey, when in France, route for the French team. If we had been in Manchester, well, we would have certainly pulled for England. But if I somehow find myself in Dallas, well, the same can't be said.

The only good picture from the flight home was of this dessert that Nancy brought to the cockpit: