* * * * * Flag of France. In the 1860’s Paris streets and monuments were illuminated by 56,000 gas lamps, giving it the nick-name "The City of Light." In addition it has its own flag, coat of arms and Latin motto: “ Fluctuat nec mergitur .” Flag of Paris. Coat of Arms. Which, oddly enough, I think its translation sums up my career as an Air Whore: “Tossed but not sunk.” Remember, dear reader, at this juncture SIA was the seventh airline I flew for. And speaking of flying, I have to go on record that Charles de Gaulle Airport ( Aéroport de Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle) was a nightmare to get into or out of even with its parallel, eleven thousand foot, runways. Both the Chinese and French – when it comes to aviation – ...