After our two-hour flight, we landed at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. As I mentioned, we had more than 90kg of luggage packed into 7-8 bags. Needless to say, our bags came out last.
We loaded them onto a trolley and headed towards customs. When officials saw us, they started smiling, which we reciprocated, thinking, “This might be a long day.” Soon, 4-5 more policemen showed up and began inspecting our bags, asking questions like “Where are you going?”, “Why?”, and “How?”. We explained that we were on our way to pick up our boat, not just any boat, but the Daedalus Adventure, and that we were embarking on a sailing adventure around the world. Some of them chuckled, but eventually, with smiles, they let us go.
We had booked a rental car, a Renault Clio, for the 5-hour, 500km drive to Les Sables d’Olonne. However, we ended up with a Opel Corsa. Now, the challenge: How to fit 7-8-9 bags into the Corsa and drive for 5 hours?
After spending over half an hour strategically Tetris-ing our luggage into the car, we were finally on our way!
Our journey began at Charles de Gaulle airport, where we embarked on a thrilling adventure through vibrant Paris and historic Le Mans. Finally, we arrived in the charming seaside town of Les Sables d’Olonne, greeted by the grey afternoon clouds. Our hotel served as our temporary haven until the exciting moment when we could reunite with our beloved Daedalus Adventure.
As we wandered through the picturesque streets, anticipation tingled in the air. And there she was, not just any boat, but the Daedalus Adventure, gleaming white and pristine on the dock. However, a minor hurdle awaited us – the dock remained firmly locked, we were late. But hey, tomorrow is a new day!
We seized the rest of the day to delve into the local charm and formulating exciting plans for the next few days.
