My morning in Paris (PICS ADDED!)

So here starts my random blog posts about my adventures and mis-adventures in Europe. I took an overnight flight from JFK to Charles de Gaulle on February 9th and as I am about to take my tranquilizer (I hate flying!)up pops a note on my blackberry from none other than Robert Kamen who is a dear friend and who makes California wines that I have carried at Crush and Chambers Street Wines. The wines are from Sonoma and are definetely more restrained than your typical CA crapola and Robert is a mensch, wine lover and has done a few interesting non wine related things also. Always a hoot to be around. So he asks me in this blackberry communication about some Tollot-Beaut Chorey les Beaune and I say it's ok. He says he is in Paris and I say I am on a plane bound to Paris. He says call me when I get in. He was staying at the Plaza Athénée. The tranquilizer kicked in and before I knew anything I landed. I was a groggy to say the least. Called Kamen and woke him up and got to the hotel after a very expensive cab ride where the meter just never stopped running. It was so nice to have someone I knew in Paris because Paris was not my final destination, Deauville where the Dive Bouteille was. So I had to get to a train station originally from the airport and then get on a train, x-fer to a another train and finally get to Deauville. I also had four hours to kill so it was nice to know someone with a suite at the Plaza Athénée which is right near all the cheesy tourist stuff I have never seen. Champs Elysses, Arc de Triomphe, Louvre, etc. Nice stuff and it was a lovely morning so I got to see all that on a great Sunday morning in Paris. So get to the Athénée, shower and then Kamen takes me to breakfast at this place right next to his hotel. Best croisssant ever! I am not kidding and two other pastries that were so divine it was almost absurd. Followed by a wonderful omelette and some kick ass orange juice I was ready to be an American tourist to the max. Wandered around for some hours, took in the sights, got back to the hotel, hopped in a cab and was on my way to the train station. Thanks Robert for the hookup.