MADAGASCAR - getting there (24 Oct 10)
There had been strikes all over France all week so I was feeling rather nervous... The roads leading to major airports were usually blocked, etc. However, on D-day, we didn’t encounter any problems. The main itch was my mistake... I had left for St Pancras with 45mins to spare, hopped on the tube... and when I got to Euston I realised I’d left my hand-luggage at home (with my train & flight tickets, food, drinks, medication AND my ‘baby’ – my camera). Shock & horror. Thankfully I know Euston station pretty well so I quickly made a dash for the taxi rank... grabbed one that was just pulling in and we got to my place and back in 20 mins... 10 mins before they closed check-in on the EuroStar. PHEW. I’d never done this mistake before and, believe you me, I don’t intend to do it ever again... I almost caused myself a heart-attack.

Roberto & I boarded the EuroStar on time and then everything went pretty smoothly after that. Paris was fairly quiet... we went to a pharmacy to grab some more medication, then had a leisurely lunch opposite Gare du Nord and then took the RER and OrlyVal to Orly airport. We got there at 4pm and our flight wasn’t until 8.45pm. Having left home at 9am, it already felt like a long day. But flying to Madagascar from London would have cost twice as much and just wasn’t an option.
We just tried to kill time the best we could... Roberto had his laptop so he was ok