In October 2022, Nancy and Steve Glassmeyer joined the Rick Steves' Paris and the Heart of France Tour. We talked our friends Jason and Danielle Stamper to come along as well. Rather than bore you with a slick website with links to Google maps and 'the best shoes ever for touring', inspirational quotes from French history, and Glamour Shots pictures of famous sites, this scrapbook is the REAL DEAL! Every night of the tour, Steve would write down the important things that happened that day, and draw amazing stick figure re-enactments - some of them were even Safe for Rick Steves!
So if you dare, continue down the page!
Getting to France
Why do we go on these trips? Yes, we want to learn about other cultures and meet new and interesting people. But we work all year so that we can go on these trips and have fun! How often do I get on a plane? Stay in a hotel? One recurring theme in this scrapbook will be, 'If you are going to spend all this money for the trip, you may as well go for First Class!' So we went to the airport early to hobnob in the Delta SkyClub. Then we boarded the plane, and took our Comfort+ seats. A few hours later, we were in CDG with Museum Pass and Metro Pass in hand, and our Rick Steves brand money belts tucked safely and securely under our clothes!
Day 1: Pre-Tour Fun!
We arrived a couple days early to see and do some of the things not included with the tour. After dropping our Rick Steves brand rolling backpack carry-on luggage, including the packing cube set (which are decidedly NOT cubes), at the hotel in Montparnasse, we ventured out to get our first look at the city from the top of the Montparnasse Tour. Then we walked through Luxembourg Gardens, and saw the Lady and the Unicorn. We had just watched the Paris episode of RS Europe with the Cluny Muse before leaving home, so we knew all about what the Lady was up to!
Day 2: "The Best Night of My Life!!!"
We got up early, just like real life, and checked out Napoleon's Tomb, the Military School and the Rodin Muse. This was all very easy with my Rick Steves' Pocket Paris Guide and Map. Then off to the Eiffel Tour, and dinner reservations at Jules Verne! How many people can say they had dinner on the Eiffel Tour?? And how often does your wife say, 'This is the best night of my life!'
Day 3: The Tour Begins!
We spent the morning getting rained on in Versailles, and then in the evening met our tour guide Marie and the rest of the group at the hotel.
Day 4: Serious Tour Starts
We spent the morning on the Ile de Cite, seeing Sainte-Chapelle and Notre Dame. We used our Rick Steves brand binoculars to see the gargoyles up close and personal. After that, the group went on to the Muse D'Orsay. Nancy wanted to make sure she got to the Arc de Triumph, so we skipped the D'Orsay. Then another non-tour event, dinner on a Seine boat cruise, complete with escargots and the first champagne I had ever liked. Premiere Class!
Day 5: Paris Neighborhoods and The Louvre
Met Elizabeth the tour guide and walked through the area around The Louvre, and then went inside. Another off-tour dinner, this time at Moulin Rouge - again Premiere Class. Very 'Not Safe for Rick Steves'!
Day 6: Guedelon and Bourges
Got to see people building a castle, stopped in a field of grapes for a close look, and then on to see Notre Dame's big brother, St. Etienne! Everything in Notre Dame was done in triplicate - St. Etienne did it in pentaplicate!
Day 7: Days of Wine and Goat Cheese
We got some great early morning fog-dappled photos of St. Etienne in Bourges before boarding the bus. I got to use my one year of college French to buy food for a picnic lunch - there was a lot of pointing and smiling and 's'il vous plait'-ing. The pencils and wax paper made for a wonderful picnic, but the mittens were over-cooked. At Chateau de Selles Sur Cher, the writing on the walls left by US Service Men in WWI was very cool; the wine and goat cheese were not my cup of tea or cube of organic matter. C'est la vie. And why did they pick my time in France to cover every Chateau with scaffolding and plastic???
Day 8: Chenonceau and Amboise
Chenonceau Chateau had awesome grounds in addition to the amazing chateaux built over the Loire River. We journeyed on to Amboise, famous as the DaVinci's home in the later part of his life. We visited the house where he lived, and saw many of his ideas/inventions brought to life. And we found Leonardo's tomb! Note that we had seen the tombs of the other three Ninja Turtles on the Rick Steves Best of Venice, Florence and Rome Tour in 2019 - but that is a completely different scrap book.
Day 9: Fougere, Crepes and Mt. St. Michel!
Crepes with goat cheese - double whammy! I grew up going to St. Vivian Church and School, so imagine my surprise to find her mummified remains in a random church in Fugere. The rest of the day was travel on the bus, but that was OK because the destination was Mt. St. Michele! We arrived in late afternoon, and mostly had the place to ourselves in the evening. The hotel rooms were fantastic - truly the benefit of having professionals book your tour for you. We went out after dark and took pictures from the causeway. By complete accident, we were out looking at the stars at 5AM, before sunrise. We saw all the stars - every single one!
Day 10: Mt. St. Michel and Bayeux
Spending the night on the island definitely falls into the category of 'Once in a Lifetime'. In the morning, we took a guided tour from the front gate to the very top, finishing just as the unwashed masses arrived to spend the day. We hopped on the bus, and headed for the best history quilt ever stitched. The Bayeux Tapestry was very excellent, probably my favorite part of the tour. 1066, baby!
Day 11: D-Day
Cemeteries and battlegrounds, all quite now. Thankfully. Started the day at a German cemetery, stopped in St. Mare Eglise to see the church, ate lunch at Utah Beach (where the brownie incident occurred - we do not speak of the brownie incident), and drove on to Pont du Hoc. We ended the day at Omaha Beach, and caught the Flag Striking Ceremony that closes each day. Dinner in Arromanches, bought some cow art from a local, and then sleep by the sea.
Day 12: Sun-Dappled Giverny and Farewell Dinner in Paris
After an early morning storm, the sun came out and dappled everything that needed to be dappled. The gardens were full of flowers even in late October. They were dazzling. We were so dazzled by the dappling, that we bought a Monet knock-off from a local artist. The official tour ended with dinner back in Paris. All I remember was the rum cake, which was like a little piece of cake dropped into a flagon of rum.
Day 13: Bonus day in Paris
Early entry to Muse D'Orangerie (more sun-dappled paintings), and then went to Montmartre in the evening. Had hot chocolate with Le Goats de Louvre. Spent the evening in Montemart, saw Sacre Coure, and even bought some street paintings from some guy living the life up there. I'm sure he is the next Picaso. I can retire when he dies.
Day 14: Everything Back to Normal
Denied access to airport lounge, surly coffee shop worker, Global Access didn't work, and Arby's for dinner. Definitely back to normal.
Epilogue: We Really did See the Heart of France!
This truly was a great trip, with many once in a lifetime moments. And we have the ticket stubs, subway passes, maps, Christmas ornaments, souvenirs, and t-shirts to prove it! The Rick Steves philosophy of traveling light is the only way to go! And the tours themselves are well planned and superbly executed. And I really appreciate the effort to find out-of-the-way restaurants and hotels whenever possible. These are excellent, but I would never be confident in booking them on my own. Our big decision now is - which Rick Steves' tour to take next??
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