Stopover in Paris

I left just after a snowstorm, but the metro started up again in Rockville the day before I left [it has been closed for repairs/improvements] and managed to make it to Dulles in record time taking public transportation.  The Air France flight was fairly empty which meant I had a whole row to myself, which was very nice.

Initially, things didn't start off too well... I lost the little combination lock for my suitcase going through security at Dulles.  Refusing to pay exorbitant airport prices for a replacement I continued on without one, then when I picked up my large suitcase at CDG, discovered that one of the nice sturdy 4-way swivel wheels was completely broken off and the suitcase damaged.  I reported the damage to the AF Baggage Claim and they replaced the damaged bag with a brand new Air France/Delsey suitcase.  Apparently AF has these made for them for such occasions. It was fairly nice, was missing some of the features [like the expandability] of my old one but had a built-in combination lock feature. The advantage was, since it had a lock, I no longer needed the one I had lost!  I transferred all of my clothing, etc. to the new bag and discovered when I got home I couldn't get the thing open.  Instructions for using the lock were apparently inside. Frustrated, I called AF and explained the situation and they requested that I return to the terminal with the bag in person. So an hour of transit time later from my apartment in Paris, I made it to the AF Baggage Claim only to learn that the solution was tout bête--they could have explained it easily over the phone.  So three hours of transport time to and from the airport was spent that first day... 

When I finally returned to my apartment, everything was working--telephone/Internet/television. You have no idea what a relief this was!  I had a problem with my telephone/Internet service chez moi in the fall and it took my company, SFR, 5 weeks to fix the problem.  It didn't get resolved until after I returned to the United States, so I finally was able to experience the finished result--including a new replacement TV and telephone as well.  How la vie est belle when everything works!  And Maria, the caretaker of the building, had left up the Christmas crêche of little santons just for me to see.  She puts it up in the lobby every year and normally takes it down just after Epiphany, but had messaged me earlier this month to find out when I would be returning to France.

 

I'm glad that there are still small signs of a Christmas past in the air.  Paris can be a bit gray and gloomy in the winter with its shorter days and frequently cloudy skies.  But even now there are still pine needles on the ground and spent Christmas trees waiting to be removed, giving off that wonderful piney scent we associate with winter and pleasant childhood memories.  Small ornaments adorning the shop windows also add a bit of cheer, warmth and festivity to the city, even in the most mundane of places.

While in Paris I ordered a few books for Fina which I will bring with me in the event that I make it to Ouagadougou. Books, even the smallest paperback ones, can be quite heavy, not to mention bulky, so I will need to practice packing and see if I can stay within the weight allowance. These aren't too heavy but will add a little over 7 lbs to my weight allotment.

 

In addition to all the travel procedures complicated by Covid-19, there are changing rules and regulations regarding entry requirements to each country.  I was able to apply for my eVisa to Abidjan online without too much trouble, but had to complete the process in France as it wasn't "accepted" until I arrived here. As the document needed to be printed out, I spent an afternoon trying to get the French HP printer to speak to my American HP laptop, and had to run out and buy two new HP ink cartridges in the process... grrr.  And now a new form, the Déclaration de déplacement aerien, with a $4 fee to be paid by Visa or Mastercard, has been added.  For some reason my two American Visa cards were not accepted by the application website and I had to use my French Visa [actually a debit bank card] which worked, but only after a visit to my bank to change my phone number because the security code kept being sent to my American phone number [a landline in the US]...  What a comedy of errors!  I want to make sure I have a card that works, though, as I will need a PCR test before I leave Paris for the Côte d'Ivoire and another antigen test upon my arrival in Abidjan. At around $50 a test this stuff quickly adds up and I will need a working Visa card initially to cover these charges...

And I just received a message from Silke Sauer saying that both she and Martin are going to be in Abidjan most of the time that I will be there, so that is good news! [As you recall, they are my German walking partners at SIL!] In the photo below Silke and Martin speed ahead of me during one of our walks around the nearby Ivoire Golf Club course in Abidjan. 

Meanwhile, another Paris problem [do these ever end??] is that my clic-clac, a type of inexpensive sofa-bed, decided to stop working and I could no longer get it to recline as a bed.  As I replaced it 7 years ago and didn't want to buy a replacement just yet, I needed to repair it if possible.  I watched a French YouTube video [praise God for an Internet connection that works!] and checked a few French websites on similar problems but decided not to attempt to try to do it myself as I was afraid of making it worse.  I talked with the building caretaker and then made a phone call to one person I thought might have some technical competence.  My French friend of some 30+ years ago, Yannick Pilate, just happened to be in town.  He and his wife, Catherine, currently live in Normandy, but still have a small place in the Paris suburbs.  I had met them long ago in the US when Yannick was doing some sort of professional scientific exchange at NIH, as he worked at the CNRS [Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique] in Paris at the time, and he and his wife were living in the same apartment complex as I was. He came by, diagnosed the problem, and did a temporary fix which will allow me to operate it manually for at least awhile... Whew!  At least I wouldn't have to sleep on a mattress on the floor!

And shortly before leaving Paris for Abidjan, I introduced longtime friend Rebecca Feryance to the Coulée-Verte Réné Dumont, the Coulée Verte, or the Promenade Plantée, is an extensive greenway that follows the old Vincennes railway line, forming an elevated linear park built on top of the former railway structure. I couldn't believe she had never walked it as she has lived in Paris all of her life.  Although prettier in the spring and summer, this expanse of green in the otherwise gray of Paris in the winter is a joy to behold. It was no surprise that there were quite a number of people walking it when we went.

Rebecca [left]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Further along the way the track, which was elevated at the beginning, reaches street level or is even below street level. There are several "tunnels" where the street passes above the path.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This particular tunnel has some interesting artwork [below]

 

   

--------------------------------------  NEWS ALERT --------------------------------------------

And now, just minutes ago, I heard devastating news about the current situation in Burkina Faso from Fina [mentioned above]. She writes:

Just a quick note on the current situation in Burkina Faso.
Some of you have probably heard or read about it from the news media in your country.

Since Saturday, January 22, the situation in the capital is unstable. There were demonstrations in various cities in the morning triggered by growing frustration with the spread of jihadist violence across the country. Then early Sunday, mutinies were reported in various military camps in the capital and two other major cities. The situation in the capital worsened. A curfew was put in place and schools were closed for 48 hours, and airlines cancelled their flights.

Today, January 24, 2022, it was announced on national television that the army took power in a coup.

• The leader of the coup was installed as the new President: Lieutenant-Colonel Paul Henri Sandaogo DAMIBA.
• The constitution is dissolved
• The government is dissolved
• The National Assembly was dissolved
• Land and air borders are closed from today until further notice
• Curfew was put in place from 9pm to 5am from today until further notice.

We (me, the kids, team members, missionary friends) are doing well. Most of the actions have been around the city centers and near the presidential palace or military camps. We thank God that most of us live in the outskirts of the city. Where I live, the situation is calm and almost as if nothing has happened. I thank you for your prayers for me and the others.

We are monitoring the situation closely and will keep you informed if anything changes.
For now, please continue to pray for Burkina Faso and its people and that the transition will be smooth and for the best.

 

 Just so you know, I'm scheduled to leave for Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, on Thursday afternoon.