I talked to my friend, Tony, a classical concert pianist, before our trip to Paris — he’s been there countless times for his performances. While there’s a train from the airport to Paris, he said not to take it. He’s done so and regretted it. The train goes through rough neighborhoods north of the city.

Instead, he suggested taking a taxi. They have fixed rates to Paris, so there’s less concern about “being taken for a ride.” I was hoping for a vehicle unique to France, like a Peugeot, but I think I got a KIA. The driver didn’t speak much English, but I showed him our hotel address, and off we went.

Just outside Charles de Gaulle Airport, I spotted a Concorde transformed into a giant sculpture. The Concord is the only — so far — successful supersonic airplane that flies faster than sound speed. Developed jointly between France and UK, Air France and British Air flew them worldwide to selected airports. I saw them once in a while in New York’s JFK Airport.

While a technical tour-de-force, they were a commercial failure, and the two airlines discontinued service in 2003. Even so, the Concorde maintained 27 years of commercial service. You can read the details about the plane and its long history on this page.

The visual interest dropped precipitously from there. Nearly impenetrable concrete walls on both sides of the highway made it challenging to assess the neighborhood. Occasionally, a taller apartment building peered its head above the wall — they didn’t look like luxury models.

For nearly the entire length of the highway, graffiti-covered walls offered the only interest. It was impossible to assess the neighborhood behind these walls. However, what was visible didn’t give a positive impression. Airports are often located in poorer areas or far outside the city, so this dismal appearance wasn’t shocking. Still, the initial encounter with France wasn’t one of beauty, unlike my experience with the Netherlands.

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