Old Friends Welcome Us in Aulnay-sous-Bois (Paris)
Getting ready for our first lunch in Aulnay-sous-Bois, France
Leica SL2-S, Voigtländer Nokton 28mm f/1.5
Our 2024 France/Italy Trip Kicks Off on the Outskirts of Paris
As we embarked on a 24-day trip around France and Italy we first touched down at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. A one-night stay with our friends Dominique and Catherine (Dom and Cat) was planned.
The Air France flight was smooth and the usual adrenaline hit us when we arrived in Paris. However, one of three minor snafus on our entire trip occurred immediately upon arrival in the shape of a two-and-a-half-hour wait at passport control.
It was no disaster but also not a great way to start our visit just as jetlag set in. We felt bad for Dom and Cat who patiently waited in arrivals. Thanks for picking us up.
It was our fourth visit with Dom and Cat and they were there for us before and during our travel project where we travelled to 50 countries in 50 months after turning 50.
Our first visit was in 2014 and this trip in many ways ignited our desire to travel more. In 2015 we sold our house and started our travel project. We visited Dom and Cat a couple of times during our fifty months of travel but were surprised we had not been in Paris since 2016.
We know Dom and Cat from our lifelong friends Dagny and Philippe. Philippe grew up and went to school with Dom in Paris back in the day. Our main goal with this France trip was to meet up with Dagny and Philippe in Normandy and later in Mimbaste in Southern France.
Lodged into our usual room we instantly felt welcome and at home again despite the eight years that had gone by since our last visit.
We were starved and Cat hurried off to the local Boulanger for fresh baguette and croissants. We caught up over coffee and baked goods and had a nice chat.
Dom took us for a walk along familiar streets in Aulnay-sous-Bois where we got a SIM card and data plan. We also paid a quick visit to the photography store where I bought my Fujifilm X-Pro2 in 2016 and was introduced to the owner.
I was snapping away as if there was no tomorrow. As a photographer, it is wonderful to find yourself in new surroundings and everything suddenly seems worthwhile a photo.
After the walk, we ran on fumes and decided on a nap which was a good idea. Cat was out for the evening but Dom prepared a five-course meal for us which was somewhat similar to a meal he created for his 70th birthday earlier this year.
Plate service for dinner. A fantastic meal prepared by Dom
Leica SL2-S, Voigtländer Nokton 28mm f/1.5
It was an early night for us as we were catching a train in the morning. Dom and Cat drove us to Gare Saint Lazare in Paris where the train departed for Coutances in Normandy.
It was a short visit but such a wonderful reunion and we were spoiled rotten by Dom and Cat. Luckily, we were to meet up a couple of weeks later in Southern France.
Keep scrolling for a few more photos from Aulnay-sous-Bois.
Dom and I share a passion for photography. Here is his old Nikon F2.
Leica SL2-S, Voigtländer Nokton 50mm f/1.2
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The photos in this article are made using a Leica SL2-S, Voigtländer Nokton Vintage Line 28mm f/1.5 and Voigtländer Nokton 50mm f/1.2 lenses (links to my camera and lens reviews).
