If someone had said to me: “You’re going to Paris for a week, but the only thing you get to wear is what you wear on the plane” I would NOT have picked the following: a bra, heavy opaque tights, black polartec pants (almost sweat pants, but snug), gray cashmere turtleneck, off-white polartec pullover, a red-striped neck scarf, my “chic” gray and white striped swing coat, black beret and gloves, heavy wool socks, pearls and gore-tex hiking boots.

But that’s what I’ve got. Tomorrow will be day four, Christmas Eve and I haven’t changed my clothes since Monday. So chic! So elegant! So Parisienne! (Not even a pair of underwear to worry about changing.)

My flight left a half hour late on Monday because of the weather. Patches of snow remained on the runway, and the sky was that “looks like snow” kinda sky.

After arriving in Paris at about 12:30, all of us passengers went to baggage claim and waited. And waited. And waited. I don’t know how in the world it was possible, but NONE of the passengers’ bags had been loaded onto the plane in Milan. So, a planeload of people piled around the baggage service desk and waited to talk to the ONE person that was there to hand out forms and then add names to the claims list. I was finally walking away after two and a half hours. There was no use getting upset. I had my wallet, computer and camera. I was here for a week. I had enough clothes to stay warm. I felt badly for the people that were transferring and flying on to another country! The woman at the counter said the bags would fly out of Milan that night and be delivered Tuesday.

Yesterday I talked to a girlfriend in Milan and she said they got a half foot of snow on Monday and the airport was closed. I guess I made it out of town just in time! Needless to say, the bags didn’t make it onto the next flight.

I had been sure to have clothes both warm (for anticipated snow and cold here) and chic enough befitting of Paris. Here I am, however, in hiking boots and sweat pants. Sigh. But I DID get here before they closed the airport in Milan and didn’t miss my time in Paris. I might have to go out and buy some clothes though. It’d be nice to wear something fresh!