Thierry Puzelat, 2010 Update
So this is how it goes. The alarm goes off early, somewhere between 3:45am and 4am. The exact time depends on the flight, which itself depends on the airline; whether we actually take off on time depends on other things of course, from volcanic ash to cabin crew strikes, both of which have blighted my wine-related travel during 2010. The drive to the airport is trouble-free; it might take 45 minutes at other times of the day, but the sky is pitch-black and the roads are still empty, and I make it there comfortably within 30 minutes. I come to a halt in a secure parking area (an exorbitant daily fee) and then take the bus down to the airport terminal. I’m staying for a few days, so I have a bag to check in; I diligently queue in order to do so before making my way to security upstairs.
There I revel in the spectacle of the security check, and observe a middle-aged gentleman in front of me mourn the loss of a full 70cl bottle of Johnnie Walker that he has just had confiscated; it is surprising how many people still seem unaware of the restrictions on taking fluids on board flights departing the UK. Other people seem amazed that the security checks might require them to remove coats, or belts, or shoes, despite the eternally-looping instruction video that plays on a dozen screens overhead, an audio-visual manual on How to Get Through Security that a child of five could understand.
Once I am deemed sufficiently risk-free to board the aircraft I get dressed for the second time this morning – shoes, belt, jacket and a repack of the bag – and pick up a coffee and maybe a pastry to munch while I work, typing up notes from previous tastings on the laptop, until I can board the aircraft. Once on board you might think I should sleep, but I find that once I have woken up that is it for the day, so I might as well make the most of it (hence that coffee) and continue working. A couple of hours later I land at Paris Charles de Gaulle; then there is a lurching bus ride from aircraft to terminal that feels almost as long as the flight itself, followed by passport security and then the hunt for my bag from more than 40 different luggage carousels.
