Day 1

Paris?

You might be wondering about the question mark I put after "Paris" today. You'll then read the itinerary for our tour as published on ricksteves.com. But at 5pm on day 1 of our tour, I wasn't meeting at our hotel...I was just barely boarding my plane in Seattle! Our tour started on a Tuesday, but it was impossible for me to get out of work on Monday. Big frown. And while there's a part of me that wants to explain everything, my commitment to work is very un-French, so let's move on.

My adventure actually began about 5 weeks ago, when I got days off work approved, requested a spot on this tour through ricksteves.com, then got a phone call confirming my spot. From there I book my plane tickets, confirm my tour kit order, rewatch all the Rick Steves TV episodes about France, and get ridiculously excited.

After I receive our final itinerary, I make the dreaded phone call to the Rick Steves office to tell them that I will be arriving late. They promise to contact my guide and put everything in order, then wish me Bon Voyage.

And before I know it, it's time to pack! I don't even have time to study my French!

As the daughter of a Girl Scout, I've been packing light since infancy. A few years ago I switched from a small rolling suitcase to a backpack because it's more cobblestone-friendly, and more comfy on your lap in a crowded bus or train. I like my particular backpack because it loads like a suitcase, rather than from the top like most backpacks.

For a 10-day trip, I can fit a clean top for every day, and clean bottoms for every other day. Sometimes I use a space-saving bag I got from Ikea. It has a special channel so you can squeeze the air out, saving a couple inches. It also comes in handy as the journey continues, providing a barrier between clean clothes and dirty clothes. On day 1, everything in the plastic bag is clean, and about halfway through (once dirty outnumbers clean), the bag condenses the dirty laundry.

Other bonus items in my backpack are a couple pairs of shoes (I recommend at least one alternate pair when there's lots of time on your feet ahead, rotating to prevent hot spots and blisters), various chargers and adapters, compression socks and noise-cancelling headphones for the long flight, packable raincoat and a clip to attach that raincoat to my daybag, and a sun/rain hat.

With limited time to book and an inflexible schedule, my plane ticket is pretty expensive and not very convenient. I have tight connections in both Seattle and Dallas, but they work out fine. And since the base ticket is already expensive, I throw a few more dollars on it and get to fly business class.

I spend my flight to Dallas planning my time in Paris. I'll be arriving on the second day of the tour's itinerary. The group will spend the morning together and will be free for lunch and the rest of the day. I might be able to find the group in the morning, but I want a plan for the afternoon. We'll also have free time the following afternoon.

This is my second trip to Paris. My first was in 2018 when I joined another Rick Steves tour: the Best of Paris in 7 days. I booked a tour then so I could maximize learning about Paris, and it was quite successful. I saw so much stuff! Here's a list of what I saw then, some with the group and some during my free time:

Disneyland Paris

Sainte-Chapelle

St Sulpice

Luxembourg Gardens

Army Museum

Napoleon's Tomb

Eiffel Tower

Montmartre

Rodin Museum

Picasso Museum

a Seine River cruise

the Marais

Museum of Jewish Art and History

Shoah Memorial

Pompidou

Louvre

Versailles

Orangerie

Orsay Museum

So with that list and the Rick Steves guidebook, my only must-do in Paris is the Museum of the Middle Ages. It was closed for renovations in 2018. I should have plenty of time for that on my second day. I think I'll spend my first day soaking up the water lilies at the Orangerie. I can hang out there until they kick me out. And the Louvre is open late on Wednesdays, so I can hang out there until they kick me out too.

Even with my flat-laying business class seat, I don't sleep much on the plane. That might be because of the time difference, but it's probably because I'm so excited!