No Call, No Show

So I haven't gotten that all important phone call about my suitcase. It's now been 17 days...

I have been to the airport 5 times in the past 2 weeks looking through mountains of luggage for my baggage. The guardien of the baggage room knows me now and lets me in without the series of questions and the mandatory tour around the luggage outside of the room. Last time he even said goodbye to me by name. At the airport they insist that my suitcase is still in Paris.

I have also made 2 trips to the Air France agency downtown. My acquaintance with the man who takes care of the lost baggage claims began on a good note as I told him how I had always had very positive experiences with Air France in the past. It's true - they have the best food in the air (with the possible exception of Swiss Air who served me champagne and Swiss chocolate on a little puddle jump from Bordeaux to Basil). Anyway, before my trip to see the lost-baggage-man last night I decided that I would suggest that the best possible solution would be to send me on one of their not-quite-full flights to Paris to check out the lost luggage department at Charles de Gaulle. My theory is that it is stuck there without its tags and nobody knows what to do with it. Mr. Lost-Luggage-Man stopped and actually considered that suggestion. I was expecting for that suggestion to be shot down with an "absolutely not!" There was nobody else there waiting as they were about to close for the evening and I really think he almost said yes. But then he told me that we would have to go through sending the official report to Paris and asking them to look for my lost bag. He explained how they really were having a lot of trouble with bags getting stuck in Paris and so it would take some time to get an answer, but after three weeks we could start the process of reimbursement. I am going to try to go back in a week and see if I can talk him into that flight! It can't hurt. He didn't tell me no, so I think I have a good chance - if no one is around to hear him agree!

I miss you all (even more than my suitcase)!