Paris from 37,000 feet

I thought that if I got to the airport early enough I could something other than a middle seat this time. No such luck.

I was also hoping that I might be able to avoid the "flying nursery" section of the aircraft this time as well. Again, no such luck. The number of families with small children that fly Emirates between Houston and Dubai is such that there is no part of the airplane where one can be free of screaming infants or whiny toddlers.

Making good on a promise I made to myself the last time I flew past the city, I did manage to take some pictures of Paris. They're a bit hazy, but you can clearly see landmarks such as La Defense and the Bois de Boulougne on the left edge of the first picture, and the Arc de Triomphe and, below it, the Eiffel Tower in the second picture.

The arrivals hall at DXB's new Terminal 3 is very impressive. The elevators used to move passengers from the concourse to the arrivals hall are the biggest I've ever seen, and I was amazed at just how quicky I was able to clear passport control, collect my bags and get a taxi to my hotel.

Thus begins Rotation Seven.