I left Chicago at 18:45 on January 2 on an Icelandair flight to Reykjavik. The plane got to Iceland at 07:00 local time. I walked through passport control, getting an Iceland stamp. I caught another Icelandair flight to Paris that was supposed to leave at 07:40, but it ended up leaving late. I finally got to Paris at 12:15 local time.
I picked up my bag and then needed to get to Terminal 2G on the other end of Charles de Gaulle for an Air France flight to Biarritz. I had to take an airport train and then a shuttle bus to get to Terminal 2G. I also hit an ATM to get some Euros. The rate was $1.257 to 1 Euro, which was quite different from the going rate of $1.14! I picked up a few bills because I knew I'd need cash for the bus later in the day.
I waited a few hours in the terminal, and the Air France flight to Biarritz took off at 16:15. I fell asleep on the flight and woke up as the plane landed at the small two gate airport. I collected my bag and then bought a Coke at an airport cafe, so that I'd have small change for the bus. I walked outside to the bus platform knowing I'd need to take Route 14 or Route C to Place de Basques in Bayonne. A Basque guy gave me a 24 hour bus pass he no longer needed, so I didn't need to break a 50 Euro note by buying a bottle of Coke after all. It was very cold outside waiting for the bus.
I took the 14 bus and almost thirty minutes later got off the bus as I saw the Adour River bridge just before the Place de Basques. I walked across the bridge to the Ibis Styles Bayonne Centre Gare. I checked in at 19:00 and took a much needed shower after being on three flights.
Next, I took a walk around Bayonne looking for somewhere to get dinner. It seemed a lot of the restaurants were still closed for the holidays, and nothing I saw that was open enticed me. I then went to the train station to see what time the train departs to St. Jean Pied de Port in the morning. The lady at the desk said 07:40, 12:00, and two more in the afternoon.
I went back to the hotel and passed out almost immediately. I had been on airplanes over eleven hours and crossed seven time zones.
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| Getting on the jet at Charles de Gaulle. |
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| The two gate airport in Biarritz. |
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| The Adour River in Bayonne. |
