Finally!! Trip Report 8/31-9/28/22 London, Paris, RS tour, Venice

PART 1: PLANNING
I started planning this trip when I returned from Italy in 2019. But we all know what happened next. After Europe and the RS tours opened up, I wasn’t going to let another year go by. My husband refuses to travel. My sister-in-law doesn’t want to travel again. A dear friend probably would travel but I know I can’t travel with her. A couple friends can’t travel for health and other reasons. So my decision was “Be Brave, Travel Solo”.

Here’s my planning process: I started by deciding where I wanted to go. I knew that the middle of my trip would be on the RS South of France tour Sept 11-26. It was then a matter of deciding where else I wanted to visit and for how long.

For my first solo trip I knew I wanted to start in London because they speak English. I know that it takes me three days to work through jetlag. In other words, I’d feel safe and comfortable with my surroundings. It really boosted my confidence when a friend of mine, who now lives in Dublin, offered to join me in London for a few days.

Since the RS tour starts in Chartres, Paris was a must do for my next stop. 53 years have flown by since I last there. I have fleeting memories of that People-to-People tour visit, just the Louvre and Versailles. The thought of Paris by myself terrified me. I planned an overly busy itinerary and decided I needed to stay above ground, i.e. no subways. The above ground decision eased much of my anxiety.

At the end of the RS tour in Nice, I knew my last city visit would be Venice. Sister-in-law and I were there in 2019. We loved Venice but had problems: I was sick, she lost her passport. I really, really wanted to see places we skipped and day trip to Lipica to see the Lipizzan horses.

I bought and read the Rick Steves’ London, France and Venice guide books. I searched the internet a lot for more information and to seek other opinions. I asked lots and lots of questions on the forum. Using Google Maps, I zealously tagged everything – hotels, restaurants, sights, transportation, shopping. I made internet folders for all the information I found from city sights, hotels, tours to shopping and restaurants. I made email files for everything too. Yes, I over planned, but during three years of wishful thinking I’d change my mind or forget what I planned. I knew I couldn’t see everything so I focused on smaller museums instead of the usual tourist sights.

I can’t put a spread sheet together, so I wrote an itinerary in Word. It included everything: a day-by-day plan and sometimes an hour-by-hour schedule and included where I’m going, staying, seeing and how to get there. My itinerary also included a to-do list with notes, check lists for hotels, tickets, transportation and tours, plus approximate costs. The exchange rate when I started planning was €1.22 to $1 but before I left the euro fell to below parity.

I did not have an unlimited budget. I stayed in inexpensive hotels that were clean and friendly, not unlike Rick Steves’ tour hotels. Although two are listed in his guidebooks, the forum was very helpful guiding me. I decided which areas I wanted to stay in so it was easy to match those with recommendations and suggestions.

I’m not a foody so I didn’t care where I ate; whatever looked good when I was hungry. I didn’t eat at any of the restaurants I bookmarked. I did take out several times and ate in my room. I took several food tours in Paris so I wouldn’t eat alone. They were worth every penny spent. By trip’s end, I was more comfortable eating alone in a café or restaurant but it was always a challenge. One advantage of a RS tour is that you have dining companions.

I found it very helpful to put my itinerary in my iPhone calendar. That helped schedule enough time for intra- and inter-city travel, meals and to just relax to enjoy the experience. Google Maps helped me focus on locations so I didn’t make plans that crisscrossed all over town, wasting precious time or playing into my fear of getting lost. If I was tired, sore or didn’t want to go out at night, I gave myself permission to change my mind, throw away a pre-paid venue ticket or take a taxi. More hints are scattered throughout my trip report.

Trip insurance was a must this year. I looked for an annual policy so it would cover this trip and June’s. I bought Nationwide because I think their Covid coverage for trip interruption is more than adequate. The added medical to my Medicare Supplement Part F gave me plenty of coverage. I also bought an annual MedJet evacuation plan since it gets me home if something serious happens. Fortunately nothing happened; I didn’t use either insurance so I can’t report on their claims processes.

At home I use Verizon for cell service. I used their $10/day international plan. To save money, I turned off cell service except on travel days or days I needed real-time maps. I set up a Google Voice account so every night I could call my hubby (to a landline) using the hotel’s WiFi. Some hotels had weak WiFi which interrupted the call but overall it worked fine. Google Voice enabled me to text pictures to friends.

The best pre-trip preparation I did was walk and exercise. Considering I had great horse stall cleaning muscles but not walking stamina, the best thing I did was walk every other day, starting with a mile and working up to three miles. My route took me to one of the mountain preserve parks and there I could walk up and down stairs leading to the picnic areas. With practice, I averaged 150 to 200 stairs during my hour walk. On my non-walking days, I did exercises I learned in physical therapy a few years ago to strength my back. The combination of walking and exercising made the average six mile a day easy.

PART 2: PACKING
I stressed way too much about packing. I worked so hard to get my RS Rolling Carryon down to United’s 9-inch depth. I test packed at least three times in the two weeks before I left, after test packing two times before that. I fought with weight I can easily lift and meeting the airline’s measurements. I cut clothes to less than I took in 2019. Why couldn’t I make it all fit in my space and weight goals? Answer: I have a lot more age-related OTC drugs and personal supplies plus Covid supplies. They took room and added weight. In the end, I ended up with a stuffed-full 9½ inches deep, 22 pound suitcase. As I boarded my flight to Heathrow, I realized there was no need for my angst. Most people had carryon suitcases larger than mine.

I decided to try a RuMe cFold tote as a personal item instead of my PacSafe tote. I had bought a few on closeout when RuMe shut down. The cFold is very light weight, saved 1½ pounds. It held a lot but, because it’s not structured, it fit under the airline seat. I wasn’t sure how durable it would be since it’s made from lightweight nylon, but that was not a problem. My only minor complaint would be that because it’s unstructured, the trolley sleeve wanted to slide to one side. I solved that by holding the straps and suitcase handle together. I used four RuMe Baggies, which are quart ziplock-size three zipper bags, to organize my 311 bag, drugs and supplies. I put the 311 bottles and jars in a quart ziplock bag before adding them to the Baggie just in case anything leaked or I had to pull it out going through TSA. I used a small Travelon mesh bag for electronic chargers and cords. Except for a full 311 bag, the bags didn’t take much room and added little weight.

Lists are essential for packing. I have a master packing list, then make a trip specific packing list, updating as needed. I break my detailed packing list down by category, i.e. shirts, drugs, electronics, so I don’t forget anything. It also includes a packing schematic and a shopping list.

My travel wardrobe colors are black, gray and red with a bit of white. Without going into too much detail, here’s what I took:
• 3 pair leggings – they pack light, fit into a small packing cube, are comfortable and hand wash easily.
• 4 long sleeve, tunic length shirts – one was a fail (snagged on everything) and will go to Goodwill. Its replacement is set aside for the next trip.
• 3 short sleeve shirts – all shirts fit in the large RS packing cube, along with sleepwear and braces.
• 5 changes of underwear and socks – all fit in a small packing cube.
• Sleepwear which is shorts and tank top.
• Knee and ankle braces which I didn’t need this trip but did last trip.
• 2 pair shoes, 1 pair sandals. My trusty, cute Alegria butterfly shoes failed me, giving me a shoe bruise. Thank goodness for the FitFlop sandals while my toe healed. I almost decided to leave them home and was so glad I didn’t. Next trip the Ryka sports shoes and the FitFlop sandals will be going with me but not the Alegria.
• Outerwear consisted of cashmere cardigan sweater, light-weight jacket, hooded lightweight poncho, rain poncho and sun hat. (Remember that I was leaving months of hot 105°+ weather for cooler 75° days.)

Odds and ends added to suitcase and/or tote, in addition to drugs and personal supplies mentioned above:
• Spare reading glasses.
• Umbrella
• 5 Covid self-tests (I used all), 25 masks (I’ll take less next trip since I used each mask two days), thermometer
• Camera in camera bag
• Packable backpack for day use
• Hand laundry supplies including foldable hangers
• Although most tickets are on my phone, I still take a paperwork folder.
• RS alarm clock is a winner, as is the RS classic toiletries bag.
• Lots of Kleenex travel packs
• Guidebook pages, saved over 2 pounds instead of carrying the whole book. I’m thinking of leaving those home next trip, since most information is online. As mentioned I bookmarked hotels, restaurants, sights in web folders, plus added them to Google Maps.

I took an extra-small Travelon purse. My neck didn’t cramp but it was almost too small for daily carry needs. The packable backpack came in very handy. I took a medium-size non-Travelon purse to Italy in 2019, but my neck cramped horridly from the too-heavy purse. Although I missed the room of the larger purse, the tiny purse and backpack combination worked good when I needed to carry just a little more, like a camera and jacket.

Things I will leave home next trip:
• Knitting -- I thought I’d knit at night since I was solo but didn’t. Although it’s small and lightweight, it’s not worth the room.
• Inflatable pillow – didn’t use on the plane outbound or inbound.
• Half of the tooth supplies. I got my braces off three weeks before I left so didn’t have a feel for what I really needed. I’ll also take half of the OTC drugs. For my bruised toe and cold, I became very comfortable shopping in French and Italian pharmacies.
• Purse liner – I used it in the bottom of the backpack for stability but it provided no additional storage; a Travelon mesh bag will prevent supplies from getting lost in the bottom of the bag and weigh less.

My goal for next trip is for the carry-on to be below 20 pounds and the tote/personal item to be close to or below 6 pounds outbound. On the flight home I checked the expanded suitcase and carried on the tote and packable backpack filled with gifts and souvenirs.

PART 3: SOLO TRAVEL
August 31. On my way to London. Don’t take this wrong but Thank You Queen. She died the following week so mourning and funeral did not interrupt any of my plans. I flew overnight from Phoenix to Heathrow via a connection in Denver. I don’t mind long connection times. I can’t run to catch a plane or anything anymore. My flight out of Phoenix left an hour late due to crew change but that was not a worry.

September 1. Immigration at Heathrow’s e-gate was a breeze. I took the National Express bus to Victoria Station. Being an hour early for my bus reservation was not an issue; I boarded the bus that was waiting. I stayed five nights at Cherry Court Hotel. It is close to the tourist areas, either walking or by tube. It’s about a 5 minute walk from Victoria Bus Station.

Cherry Court Hotel rooms are tiny, painted hot pink, clean and inexpensive. Breakfast is a fruit basket every day. The Patel’s are the nicest people in the world. Neha was very responsive to all my email inquiries. They easily dealt with my food allergies and fussiness. The hotel has no elevator. I reserved a double for me on the first floor (£75/night). Dublin Friend had a single on the third floor (£65/night) for the three nights she was there. She’s 30 so stairs are not an issue for her. I paid for Friend’s room as a thank-you for joining me. She reimbursed me for pre-paid expenses in Euro so I didn’t have to withdraw € for an ATM.

I knew I needed to get out and walk. I signed up for London Walk’s Old Westminster tour. The guide was informative and entertaining, well worth the minimal cost and tip. We walked through areas I would have never found on my own. I find history and building details fascinating. Do you know that a Royal motorcade takes precedence over an ambulance? They say it’s for security but I’d hate to be delayed if I had a life threatened incident. I walked 6 miles that afternoon which was my daily average for the trip.

September 2. I scheduled a 9am horseback ride through Hyde Park. Since I hadn’t figured out public transportation, I walked through Belgravia and Hyde Park to reach the mews stables not far from Lancaster Gate. We had a very relaxing walk/trot ride on Rotten Row. It was the perfect morning for me although I’m really out of riding condition.

Since both Friend and I are interested in castles, palaces and history, we joined Historic Royal Palaces. Membership for the two of us was cheaper than individual entrance fees. I spent the afternoon at Kensington Palace, seeped in history of Queen Victoria’s childhood and the Queen Anne and Georgian eras. Who would have imagined there would be Princess Diana wallpaper in the loo corridor?

Friend’s flight from Dublin was delayed. By the time she reached the hotel, we were both hungry and ready to relax and catch up. St. George’s Tavern is a block away from the hotel. It is part of a chain but the food is good.

September 3. We braved the tube to go to the Tower of London. With Friend’s help reading schedules and helping me with Apple Wallet, I learned to maneuver through technology. The day before, I talked to the ticket booth at Lancaster Station about buying an Oyster Card. He recommended using my contactless credit card or Apple Wallet to save the £5 Oyster Card fee. He was right, it worked great. One thing I did that worked good for my peace of mind was put my phone on a lanyard. I could either hang it around my neck or tether it inside my purse.

We both enjoyed the history of the Tower of London, especially the armory. There is more to see than I remembered from 50+ years ago. Without a guided tour we were not rushed. We had tickets for the play SIX that evening. The Vaudeville Theater is next to Covent Gardens. Waiting for the play, we wandered through the markets. The street performers entertained us. Friend is a huge Harry Potter fan so she wanted to drink butter beer at the cavernous Harry Potter bar. SIX is a very entertaining musical about Henry VIII’s wives: all woman cast, high energy, rock music. “Divorced, beheaded, died. Divorced’ beheaded, survived.” (repeated chorus line)

September 4. Our plan was to take the train to Hampton Court but being Sunday, the train schedule was not workable for us. So we took a cab. We enjoyed the history of the palace, especially after seeing SIX the night before. We both like taking our time looking at exhibits, reading the information. Afterward we were ready for a break, so we walked across the street to Mitre Hotel to enjoy drinks and dessert on the Thames water-edge deck. We then killed time wandering through second hand stores while we decided if we were staying for dinner or heading back to London. We ended up munching on snacks and drinking wine before taking a taxi back to our hotel.

September 5 was our last day together. We enjoyed the Eating London East End tour starting at Spitalfields Market. Lots of variety and great food through a part of the city we had not explored. Afterwards we took the tube to the Churchill War Museum. More history which we love, but unfortunately we ran out of time. Friend had to pick up her luggage from the hotel and get to LHR for her flight home. I called my hubby to wish him Happy 52nd Anniversary.

September 6. I took the early morning Eurostar to Paris, taking a taxi from the hotel to St. Pancras and another from Gare du Nord to Hôtel le Clément in Saint-Germain. The hotel is a couple blocks from Saint-Sulpice Church which became my landmark for buses and to find the hotel. I found a walking tour on the first day in a city helped me get my bearings. The Paris Walks Ile de la Cite tour was very interesting and informative but it missed the entertainment factor. Afterwards I walked around more on my own, partly to see things and partly because I was lost.

In the evening I took a 2CV Tour. Because I only signed up for an hour, the driver/guide thought a tour of Saint Germain would be best. He was right and he drove me past interesting architecture and small cozy neighborhoods. Besides being entertaining and informative, it helped me visualize where I would be during the next few days when walking around.

September 7. In the morning I braved the bus system with my Navigo Easy pass. It took a couple tries to figure out directions, but I was soon taking the bus around the city. Although Paris has a reputation for being unfriendly, I only met nice, helpful people. Maybe it was because I tried to speak my often mispronounced 30 words of French or maybe I just got lucky.

First stop was Musée Nissim de Camondo in the 8th Arr. It’s a hidden museum gem featuring 18th Century furniture and art. It is like stepping back in time to different eras. It is both an art museum and a history lesson. Moïse de Camondo built the mansion around 1912 to house his 1700’s furniture and art collections. He willed it to his son Nissim and his daughter was given their country home because she preferred horses over antiques. Nissim was killed in WWI. Moïse left the mansion to the city of Paris with the stipulation it be kept intact at his death. His daughter and her family were murdered in Auschwitz during WWII.

Because I spent more time than planned at the museum, I skipped my planned visit to the Petit Palace. I headed to the Marais District for a walk-about before an Eating Europe Le Marais evening food tour. What a fun, flamboyant group of people joined that tour, mostly members of a theatrical group from Kansas City. As with all the food tours, food was great and guides were knowledgeable. I took a taxi back to the hotel. It was dark and I wasn’t brave enough to attempt public transportation alone.

September 8. I started later than planned. First stop was the Rodin Museum and Parc. Although I’m not a huge fan of “modern” art, I really like Rodin. The museum did not disappoint, nor did the massive sculptures in the Parc. The sculpture process from plaster or clay models to small bronze to medium bronze to finished large bronze statues was intriguing.

After a short walk to a café for lunch and another short walk, I entered d’Orsay just a little before closing. It was crowded, so I made a dash to see the highlights of the Impressionists. The museum is huge and there is no way to see more than a room or two in an hour. But that didn’t matter to me; I got a glimpse of the treasurers it holds. The gift shop was open late so I bought souvenirs for friends.

September 9. My last day in Paris. It started with a walk to view Notre Dame’s reconstruction. Then to Shakespeare and Co to meet up with Eating Paris’s French Chef tour, which tracked Julia Child’s early cooking career. It was a small group, just three of us. Since I had just gotten my braces off, I needed inspiration to start cooking again. (I’d lost 20 pounds after a year of eating only soft food.) The other two were foodies who followed Julia Child’s career and recipes.

The tour lasted longer than I planned so I left as soon as I could, caught the bus and headed to the Cluny Museum. Besides de Camondo, it was the only other museum on my Paris must-see list. The old artifacts and tapestries did not disappoint. I rarely stay to closing anywhere, a leftover from my retail management days, because I know employees want to go home. But I was, apologetically, part of the last group of tourists leaving the museum. I could have easily spent another hour looking at the displays.

Although I bought a ticket for a Seine River cruise that evening, I decided I was cold from a rainy day, tired and needed to pack for an early train trip to Chartres in the morning.

September 10. Onward to Chartres. I was getting a little proud of myself at this point. I bought train tickets for my longer journeys -- Eurostar London to Paris; Trenitalia Ventimiglia to Milan; Milan to Venice; and a roundtrip day trip Venice to Trieste -- online before I left home. Instead of buying tickets at the station for Gare Montparnasse to Chartres and Nice to Ventimiglia, I bought those on my iPhone’s SNCF app when I was in Paris.

I asked Hôtel le Clément to arrange for a taxi to take me to Gare Montparnasse. When boarding the regional train, I was a little confused how to validate my ticket but the conductor came around mid-trip to scan it.

Hotel Campanile Chartres, which the RS tour used, was two blocks from the train station. Unlike a post on the RS Forum, I had no problems with the hotel. The staff was helpful and polite, although not all spoke English. That was not a big deal and forced me to try my 30 words of French. I dropped off my luggage and went out in search of lunch.

Chartres Cathedral was about a ½ mile walk and the International Stained Glass Center was only a couple blocks farther. Although the RS South of France tour would visit both, I spent time at the glass center on my own. I wanted to find glass Christmas ornaments for souvenirs but neither the center nor a stained glass shop nearby had any. I had to wait until Venice to find Christmas ornaments.

September 11. I met a couple tour mates who told me about the Sunday market in the market square. It was more like a garage sale. However I did find old illustrated newspaper supplements from the 1890s. I collect pre-WWI magazines, so it didn’t matter that these are in French, just like it didn’t matter that the ones I bought in Matera, Italy, three years ago are in Italian. I can’t read a word of them, but I can get a historical idea from the pictures.

The Rick Steves Loire Valley/South of France tour started in the late afternoon. I’m going to save that narrative for last and skip forward to rest of my solo adventure.

September 23. Fast forward to the end of the RS tour. I took an early SNCF train from Nice to Ventimiglia where I changed to TrenItalia to go to Milan for the afternoon and night. Be forewarned that the restrooms at Nice Ville do not open until 7am. This is a problem if your train starts boarding at 7am.

The Trenitalia train from Ventimiglia was scheduled to arrive in Milan at about 1pm. I bought combo tickets for Duomo di Milano interior and roof for 3:30. My planning was good, the train trip wasn’t. The train pulled into Genoa for a 10 minute stop. 3½ hours later we left Genoa for Milan Centrale. There was a dead lady on the tracks in front of our train, either suicide or murder, and the police needed to investigate.

By the time I dropped my luggage off at Hotel Berna, it was way past my Duomo entry time. I had no time to get my bearings in a strange city. I hadn’t eaten lunch after only eating a granola bar for breakfast, so I was hungry, tired and failed RS’ “no grumps” policy, plus the sun would set soon. I walked to the cathedral after asking directions several times (Google Maps was not cooperating) and through Galleria Vittorio Emmanuel. Both areas were crowded and something fashion-wise was going on. I spied a McDonalds to grab a Happy Meal. Then I wandered back to the hotel, the TV didn’t work, a fitting end to the most disappointing day of the trip.

September 24. I caught an early train to Venice, my final destination. I love Venice. It’s my favorite city on my 21st century trips. My previous visit left me wanting to see and experience more.

Following the detailed directions Grace emailed me, I easily found B&B Corte Campana. It has three large affordable ensuite bedrooms, antique furniture, a bit rustic until you learn the history of the building, quiet and comfortable. The rooms do not have TVs, but the WiFi is strong. It’s in Castello neighborhood, only a few minutes’ walk to Piazza San Marco. Owners Riccardo and Grace are friendly, helpful and very nice.

When ordering a quick lunch at Rosa Salve Pasticceria, I saw a familiar face, Antonio from Rosa Salve Hotel next door. I said hello, that I was sure he didn’t remember me, but my sister-in-law lost her passport when we stayed there three years ago. She must have made quite an impression because he did remember. I thanked him again for helping us; without him she would not had her passport returned.

I wandered through San Marco up to Rialto Bridge to relive memories from 2019. Venetian glass Christmas ornaments make great souvenirs for me and my sister-in-law. I found a couple of millifiori tree ornaments to buy.

Great start, following along! Looks like we have chosen to do the same RS tour next year. Berlin, Prague & Vienna. You go before us, so hope to see your report then too.

September 25. I awoke early to catch the train for a day trip to Trieste to visit the Lippizan horse farm in Lipica Slovenia. The farm arranged for a taxi to meet me and return me to the train depot. Good thing I packed my rain poncho and umbrella. It poured all day, windy and cold. The storm drains in Trieste were overflowing and rainwater formed a river down the hilly roads. On the train back to Venice I had to ring water out of my soggy socks. It was the only stormy, rainy day of the trip; I wish rain had waited until a day later.

Unless you’re a “horsey person” I think Lipica would not impress. There are tours of the barns that allowed visitors to get up close and personal with the horses and a small underwhelming museum. I tagged along with several groups since the barns were dry and I wasn’t. Lipica is a breeding and training facility supporting 350 horses. The afternoon highlight was horse performance. While it was fun to watch, a critical eye could see that the youngsters moved like low level dressage horses just learning their skills and the older horses needed more strength to do grand prix level dressage and haute école movements.

It was late when I returned to Venice. Taking the vaporetto at night along the Grand Canal was a treat with the lights shining from windows.

September 26. Today I cancelled the two GuruWalk tours I had scheduled. Instead I enjoyed my day walking around neighborhoods I had not ventured into. (I’m getting braver and less afraid of getting lost.) Only a couple booths at the Produce Market were open when I walked by. Meandering through the streets, I found a not-as-touristy lace shop for small lace figures suitable for framing or bookmarks for sister-in-law.

Walking farther, I passed playwright Carlo Goldoni’s house. I had listed it on my “maybe do” list. I am so glad I went in. It’s very small, 3 rooms dedicated to the playwright. No other visitors were there. The security lady gave me a guided tour because she said it was nice to see someone appreciating the old displays. The museum houses period 18th century clothes and some furniture. It also has a marionette stage and collection of at least 20 marionettes from the 1700s.

I knew I was close to Basilica del Frari, so I wandered around until I found it. I didn’t listen to RS’s audio tour; I forgot I had downloaded it. Regardless, I enjoyed the splendor of the cathedral’s marble altars and wondered who all were buried in the floor where the names had worn off through the ages.

Afterwards I headed back to San Marco to look for more Christmas ornaments and to buy a silk scarf for a friend. Yes they are tourist shops but being selective and picky helps weed out the junk. Yesterday’s watery walk aggravated my already sore toe so I ready for wine and dinner.

September 27. My last day in Venice. I headed out to Burano and the other popular islands. I disembarked at Mazzorbo, walked through the opening in the wall, along a path that took me through a small vineyard and community vegetable garden, then over the bridge to Burano. I was glad for the peaceful introduction to the islands instead of the tourist packed Burano vaporetto stop.

The guide books are correct, Burano is colorful but touristy. One lace shop sold multi-colored lace Christmas ornaments, different patterns than the other shops. They called my name saying “buy me, buy me” so of course I had to bring a few home. After wandering through lace shops and eating sorbetto, I visited the lace museum. It’s full of old and some new lace, including an impressive 12-foot long wedding veil. Grace and Riccardo visited the museum later the same day. Grace and I had a good laugh about the hovering security guard who followed us around the exhibits as if we were going to break the glass cases to steal lace.

My plan was to go to Murano and Tortello. Instead I headed back to Venice to pack and do a little more meandering on my own. I bought the last of my Venetian glass souvenirs, ate a nice fish dinner, drank wine. Afterwards I bought my Alilaguna ticket for the next day. I made sure I could find the water bus stop from the B&B with the least amount of stairs. Then I returned to the B&B to finish packing.

September 28. I struggled a bit with too heavy luggage getting onto the Alilaguna. A nice young man from Argentina graciously helped me haul my luggage on and then off at the airport. I gave myself plenty of time at the airport to check my carryon, go through security and walk to the gate. Why would I need more than 2½ hours? Because two cruise ships dropped off passengers, only one security line was open for US passengers and the line snaked half way through the airport. Ugh! I got to the gate 15 minutes before boarding began. Since I paid for priority boarding I had no problems.

I walked into my house at 11pm, happy to be home.

PART 4: RICK STEVES LOIRE VALLEY/SOUTH OF FRANCE TOUR
As I said at the first of this long trip report, I am going to do a brief synopsis of the tour. There have been several excellent trip reports since summer and it seems redundant to say more than my impressions. However, all plans can go awry and this is longer than I thought.

September 11, Tour Day 1. The tour group met in Chartres at Hotel Campanile. Our fantastic tour guide was Linda Benoit-Bealing. As the tour progressed, she showed her competence, compassion and professionalism dealing with tour problems, but I’m getting ahead my myself.

Our tour had 24 participants plus our guide Linda and bus driver Phillip. We ranged age-wise from 40ish to 84, most being in our late 60s to late 70s. Almost all of us were retired; in previous life careers we worked in the stock market, education, law and the military.

First we had to confirm Covid vaccinations and a negative Covid test.
Afterwards, we introduced ourselves and chose our tour buddy. Then we did a short introduction walk to Chartres, ending at Café Bleu for our group’s welcome dinner. I discovered the “secret” to avoiding Covid: wear a mask everywhere even if you’re the only one wearing one and at meals sit at the end of the table so you are around less people.

After dinner many of us stood in front of Chartres Cathedral to watch the Chartres en Lunieres, an awe-inspiring light show which lit the face cathedral with changing lights depicting the history of France.

September 12, Tour Day 2. Our tour guide Linda took us on a walking tour of Chartres, along the River Eure and up and down stairs through the medieval town. Linda pointed out Malcolm Miller’s old timber framed house because Malcolm had mentioned to her that she skipped his house.

Back at the Chartres Cathedral, we met Malcolm for a history lesson about the cathedral and its famous stained glass windows. He is wealth of information, the international expert on the cathedral. Unfortunately, at 88 years old, he talks very softly and our “whisper system” microphones crackled with static. Many of us could not hear his presentation which was disappointing. It took a few days for a new whisper system to be shipped to Linda from Italy.

After lunch at Le Café Serpente, our next tour stop was the International Stained Glass Center. Since I had already seen it, I opted out to return to the hotel for a nap. I ate such a large salad for lunch that I wasn’t hungry for dinner. From the previous night’s dinner experience I knew the desserts at La Passacaille Pizzeria were huge and delicious. I have no problem eating dessert for dinner. After all, there are no calories in vacation food or Christmas cookies, right?

September 13, Tour Day 3. Today was the first of two chateau days, the reason I signed up for this tour. I wish we had more time at each of the four châteaux we visited. There was so much to see at each, a literal run through was not enough time.

We met our bus driver Phillip then headed to our first stop Amboise. I opted out of visiting Clos Luce, Leonardo da Vinci’s last home, in favor of more time at the 15th century Royal Residence of Château d’Amboise. Perched on a hill, it offered great views of the valley below. Unique to d’Amboise is a spiral horse ramp that allowed the king and cavalry to ride in and out of the château.

The afternoon was spent at Château de Chenonceau, the iconic 16th century chateau the spans the River Cher. As with all the châteaux, I loved looking at the architecture and elegant furnishings. The château was converted to a military hospital during WWI. The kitchens reflect that era and earlier with gigantic turn of the last century stoves and work tables worn almost bowl shaped from centuries of use. The royal women’s intrigues, from mistresses to wives, embellish the history.

Then it was time to drive to Chinon and Hotel Diderot, a lovely hotel surrounded by a flowery courtyard. Our group dinner was a short walk down narrow streets to the elegant and delicious restaurant Au Chapeau.

September 14, Tour Day 4. All the tour hotels served breakfast. The French do not eat large breakfasts, so most hotels served breads (I loved the croissants), fruit, cheese and cured meats, along with coffee, tea and juice.

After breakfast we walked to our bus where Phillip was waiting to drive us to Château de Villandry, known for its elaborate gardens. There are not only colorful formal flower gardens, but elaborate vegetable gardens with a large variety of produce and herbs. The château is privately owned and has a feeling that the owners could walk into the room any moment. Personal touches include family photographs displayed on the grand piano and in other rooms, including wedding pictures. The fountain on one wall in the pink dining room was an a unique decorative detail.

Onward to the next château, Azay-le-Rideau. Although the turreted exterior was similar to the other royal châteaux, this one felt more medieval. A moat surrounded the château. Dark wood panels covered the walls; heavy dark wood furniture was in many rooms. The floor plan seemed to go every which way (or was the self-guided tour route the problem?). We were in the attic, then a bedroom. The gardens were less decorative and more natural.

Last stop of the day was an exterior photo op of “Sleeping Beauty’s Castle”, aka Château d’Ussé. Charles Perrault, who wrote “Sleeping Beauty” in the late 1600s, based his fairy tale on d’Ussé.

Back in Chinon, I decided not to hike up the hill to the Fortresse de Chinon. Instead I walked around the back streets, looking for a restaurant for dinner. We decided my choice won’t be that good, more bar-like, so I joined a few tour mates at a pizzeria. Before dinner, the hotel owner hosted a wine tasting for the group. We sampled various regional wines and snacks.

This evening we learned that one of our tour mates tested positive for Covid. He and his travel companion left the tour.

September 15, Tour Day 5. Today was a long bus day filled with mixed emotions. Linda and Phillip prepared a picnic lunch for us in the tiny village of Mortemart. While they set up the picnic in the church social hall, Madame le Maire (Madame Mayor) led us on a walk around the village. The village church is undergoing restoration including new stained glass windows. The steeple had been struck by lightning several years ago and is also scheduled for repair. In an adjoining social room, an elderly lady sold her embroidery. I couldn’t resist and bought several pieces.

After lunch we drove to Oradour-sur-Glane, a remembrance of Nazi terrorism. Four days after D-Day, Nazis marched into town, murdered all but three residents, over unarmed 650 women, children and men, then torched the town. The three thankfully escaped by playing dead or hiding so the town’s story could be told. The burned out town has been frozen in time as a somber memorial. (As a side note, I recently watched PBS Frontline’s report on Russia’s attack on civilians in Bucha Ukraine. The haunting parallels to Oradour-sur-Glane cannot be overlooked.) I bought a bookmark in the remembrance shop that offers this lesson: “Ceux qui oublient le passé se condamnent á le revivre.” (Translates to “Those who forget the past condemn themselves to relive it.”)

Later that afternoon we arrived in Sarlat. Our hotel Montaigne was modern, comfortable and a short walk to the market area and restaurants. The group was a little smaller when we went on our walking tour of the old market town. Sadly two more tour mates tested positive for Covid. They and their travel companions left the tour. That night a few people skipped the group dinner either from concern about the spreading Covid or ?

September 16, Tour Day 6. This morning we learned that five more tour mates tested positive for Covid, four solo travelers and one married person whose wife left the tour with him. Thank goodness for Linda’s ability to keep the rest of us upbeat and positive. Several of us pulled out our test kits or bought more, worried that we would be next.

The somewhat somber tour visited today’s highlight, the 13,000 year old cave drawings at Rouffignac. Unlike the other painted caves, these are original paintings, not replicas. Only 550 people are allowed underground daily to view them. Some of the figures were etched into the rock, others were line drawings, others were multi-colored figures. The caves were not used as housing and gradually dropped 600 feet underground. The artists were nomadic and would have spent less than a year at the site. The questions remains: why did they paint this testament to their being there?

Phillip competently maneuvered the bus out of the narrow parking lot and drove to Les Eyzie for lunch. My memory is a little fuzzy here (without wine). I know I visited Musée National de Préhistoire to see the evolution of prehistoric Neanderthal and Cro Magnum people. It was a quick viewing.

A few of us decided not to do the canoe trip down the Dordogne. I don’t swim and didn’t want to get wet; a tour mate and I both had skin cancer so were leery of the sun reflecting off the water. Instead we took a covered tour boat ride up and down the river. The water was so clear; the rocky bottom looked shallower than it is. Afterwards we walked up hill to a tropic garden growing bananas. Then we caught our tour bus to meet up with the canoers.

“The Three Musketeers”, as I started calling the three of us who often ate dinner together, wandered around old town looking for a particular restaurant. Google Maps doesn’t like giving directions down narrow walkways. We enjoyed La Romane so much, we ate there the following night too. Great pizza.

When we returned to the hotel we found out that another tour mate and her travel companion were leaving the tour because of Covid. This was worrisome because I had spent the day with the companion. She tested negative while on the tour. So far 14 people out of the original 24 left the tour, nine with Covid and five companions/spouses. Linda said that she and Phillip were required to test daily.

September 17, Tour Day 7. Today is our vacation from our vacation. It’s Market Day in Sarlat. I set out early for the food market with its booths with everything from foie gras, baked goods, vegetables and fruits, meats and cheese, wines and sweets. I questioned the food safety of some things, like refrigeration for the meats. My husband had said he didn’t want anything from the trip, so I bought him a can of (goose) foie gras. Read labels if you’re shopping the markets because there is a lot of duck foie gras being sold.

By then the street faire booths were open. Before the trip a kind lady from Quebec in my Zumba class helped me learn my 30 words of French. She insisted I learn “bijou” for jewelry so I knew that was what I wanted to buy her as a thank you. I found a booth where the wife made stone bead necklaces, earrings and bracelets and the husband sold them. I bought several presents from him. I wandered around a bit, then headed back to the hotel to eat my picnic lunch and to pack for tomorrow’s move.

September 18, Tour Day 8. The drive to Carcassonne should have been scenic farm land had it not been for the sun-burned sunflowers and vineyards. The summer’s heat wave had taken its toll. What a shame.

On the way we stopped at an AutoGrill for lunch. It set on a park and house boat rental canal. We sat on park benches to eat our sandwiches. Reaching Carcassonne, we detoured to a high spot along the highway for a view of the fortressed medieval town, the largest in Europe. Then on to Hotel Montmorency. It’s decorated in garish mid-century lime green. I heard that some rooms are bright orange. I lived through that era. Only thing missing was the shag carpet. My room had double doors which opened onto a patio. Lovely looking but it made me feel unsafe since the doors were difficult to lock.

After we settled in, we walked to the fortress for a guided tour. I didn’t note the costumed guide’s name and her expressive presentation only touched on the history. Many of the medieval buildings are intact but now house tourist gift shops and restaurants. All in all the town was quite disappointing; it was my least favorite. For a one night stay, I’d suggest this one be skipped and a day added on to Nice and the French Riviera.

Linda guided us back to the fortress for a cassoulet dinner. Her son Elliot and his girlfriend joined us for dinner. They were on their way home to Brittany from a camping trip in Spain.

September 19, Tour Day 9. The next morning we headed to Arles. On the way we stopped at Domaine Guinard, a small eighth generation winery. Our tour was so much more than just tasting wine. The grapes harvesting was ending. We saw the machines that stripped the grapes from the stems, then the vats the grapes fermented in and finally the barrels in which the wine was finished. New oak wine barrels are only used for one or two years. They are then sold to distilleries. In the barrel room, we tasted three varieties of wine, red, white and rose, with an appropriate hors d’oeuvres to enhance each. I am not a wine connoisseur, but the wines were very good. I am partial to whites and rose. We then were served lunch and of course drank more wine.

Next stop was Museum of Ancient Arles and Provence. Our local guide Anne Gastinel was knowledgeable about the Roman artifacts in the museum. But her presentation during our walk through Arles seemed a little out of her comfort zone. Arles is filled Roman history. The highlight of the museum was a 100 foot Roman barge that was dredged up from the Rhône River. It was used to transport limestone and other commodities from and to the quarries to the town.

Our luggage was waiting for us at Hotel Calendal. The hotel is next door to the Roman arena and Roman theater. I knew I was lock deficit but I really had problems with the room lock in the hotel. It would act like it was locked but when I returned to the room, it was unlocked. A staff person locked the door for me, but then I couldn’t unlock it. When I asked for help, he became very grumpy. Other than his attitude, the hotel was lovely with rooms opening up on a courtyard.

September 20, Tour Day 10. Today was my decision day. My original plan was to spend my afternoon free time horseback riding in the Camargue. I found a stable that was near the bus stop. On paper and email it looked good, but in reality I could not get the timing to work.

Pont du Gard was well worth the morning’s visit so I was not disappointed. The aqueduct is a marvel of Roman engineering. The highlight of our guided tour was walking through the top tier of the aqueduct, learning the history and functionality of moving water from the mountains to Nimes, approximately 30 miles.

On the way back to Arles, there was a lot of road construction. Phillip missed the turnoff and we ended up at the edge of the Camargue. The “scenic route” let me see the beautiful white horses in the fields.

I wandered around Arles when we returned. First stop was Cryptoportiques de Arles, vaulted ceiling Roman porticos accessed through and extending below and beyond the city hall. I think local guide Anne said it had been a Roman market. Across the square is Saint-Tromphime church and cloister, with a beggar woman sitting on the entrance steps. I mention that because I did not see many beggars on the trip. A short walk away is Hôtel Dieu once a hospital where Vincent Van Gogh lived after cutting off his ear. (French pronunciation is “van gog”, not “van go” according to Linda). The courtyard garden is famous for his Garden at the Hospital painting. It is still maintained as he painted it. Of course I bought more souvenirs at the many gift shops, plus lavender soap from a nearby store.

By then it was time to go back to hotel to start packing souvenirs for our move tomorrow to Nice. Plus another good dinner at Restaurant le Plaza (I think). It was located a few turns from the hotel. After dinner Phillip walked us home so we wouldn’t get lost.

September 21, Tour Day 11. After a downhill walk from the hotel to our bus, we headed to Les Baux. First stop was Carriéres de Luminiéres. It’s an old limestone quarry that now has a light and sound show, this year featuring Venice. Lights filled the massive walls and floor with images of Venice, old and new. I found it more impressive than the Chartres en Lumieres, perhaps because it’s on the such a large scale. The best photograph I took during the trip (out of 100s) was of a couple sitting on a stone ledge watching the lights. They blended in looking like silhouettes sitting within the picture.

We then headed to Les Baux. A cold wind swept through the village. The castle ruins on top of the hill were interesting but it was too cold to want to explore. The medieval village was filled with tourist shops and restaurants that didn’t open until 11am. I note that because we just wanted to find a restaurant to warm up in and soup was not on the menu.

On the way to Nice, during our last driving break, we toasted our good-byes to Phillip. He would be leaving us in Nice. Wine was provided by several tour members.

We checked into Hotel Mercure, located across the street from the Mediterranean Sea. People think of the Nice beaches as sandy. They are not. Instead they are filled with potato sized rocks. Public beaches have no amenities while the private beaches have lounges and beach umbrellas.

Linda took us on a walking tour of the old town. The “Three Musketeers” ate our last dinner together at Fine Guelle. We did not have reservations, so they were not going to seat us. However, telling the restaurant that our Rick Steves guide recommended them, got us seated right away. Sometimes name dropping helps. It was the best dinner on my whole trip.

September 22, Tour Day 12. Before leaving the hotel this morning I ordered a taxi to take me to the train station early the next morning. First thing on today’s itinerary, our local guide Agnes Dumartin took us on a spirited tour of Nice’s old town, explaining the history, food and noting things to do. It was market day in Nice, so she guided us through some of the booths and into the narrow city streets.

Afterward we were on our own for lunch and sightseeing. Linda was nice of enough to help me not overspend my debit card at the ATM; I would need more euros for Venice. I headed back to the market to pick up a few Nice shopping bags. Later Linda and I ran into each other on the street and ate lunch together.

Unlike others who wanted to visit the Chagall and Matisse museums, I planned to see a small, non-touristy museum, the Lascaris Palace. This museum features at large collection of 17th, 18th and 19th century musical instruments from harps and pianofortes to guitars and violins to horns and woodwinds.

Tonight was our farewell dinner. Before we walked to our restaurant, we toasted ourselves as survivors of the tour and toasted each other and Linda for making the tour a unique and fun experience.

September 23, Tour Day 13. The tour was over at breakfast but I was already on my way to Milan and Venice.

I noticed you took a lot of guided walking tours. Have you tried the audio guided RS walks? We have done quite a few and really enjoy them.

Hi Tammy. I download the RS walking tours on the app. But I felt I needed the people contact of the walking tours and food tours to help with the first solo trip jitters.

Oh, woofie, what a great report! Thank you so much. I'm going to bookmark it for some of your London, Paris, and Venice mentions.

When you used your contactless credit card in the Tube, was the price the same as it would have been had you used an Oyster card? We've made a decision (unusually spontaneous) to visit London early next year, so I need to start planning!

Hi Jane, the tube price was the same. But I saved the £5 for the Oyster card. I used Apple Pay more than my contactless card. Same card, just easier to keep track of the phone since I had tethered inside by my purse.

I bookmarked your report too. It helped refresh my memory as I wrote this. I didn't take very good notes, thinking "I'll remember that".

What a wonderful trip report! I love the way you divided it up. Too bad you had so many felled by Covid but very glad you survived the whole trip. Poo on getting Covid once you returned home! That is the pits!

I am so happy you had a successful solo trip. Yep, I still count it as solo even if you are on a tour. I love combining independent time with tour time and it sounds like you had a wonderful time.

I've got an old Oyster card that still has some money on it so I'll use it first and then start tapping. I loved using Apple Pay all over Italy. Literally for everything. I loved how it kept track of stuff and I had instant feedback. In thinking about the London tube....did you have to "tap out" with apple pay?

Thanks for taking the time to write this up.

Wonderful trip report. Just enough details to make it seem I was there with you. Thank you for sharing..

You did it! Congratulations! Right now I don’t have to travel alone, but have thought about it cause my husband has health issues. I thoroughly enjoyed your report, and the details, good and bad, of traveling alone. Good idea about the food tours because that is one area, eating alone, where I would definitely have a problem. Your sense of humor is wonderful. Thanks for the report.

@ Barbara....regarding eating alone. You can always practice this at home. Since you're in NY area you could easily go to a neat museum or garden and have a lunch or snack at the museum/garden cafe. In a venue where there are lots of visitors maybe you would feel less self-conscious. I always have a book/kindle with me but now rarely use it....just people watch, lol!!

-->Back to the TR and comments!

Horsewoofie, thanks for this wonderful report. Your trip sounds great! I am envious of your ability to deal with all the logistics and advanced planning.

I really enjoyed reading this and seeing how you "grew" into traveling by yourself. You write in an engaging way and I felt like I was along on your trip!

A wonderful report, thank you for all the detail!
I’m just back from Italy, solo, and I also tethered my phone and my wallet too, to a ring inside my day purse.
My friend had lost her phone in Madrid airport a few weeks before, so when I was in the Dollar store before I travelled, I saw the curly plastic tether/key rings and thought it would be a good idea.
And it was!

“ September 2. I scheduled a 9am horseback ride through Hyde Park.”. This was one of my favorite sentences of your trip report! I love reading how people make a trip their own with their unique interests!

I also saw that you mentioned the People-to-People program - such a wonderful experience! I did it the summer before starting college and remember bits & pieces of it, along with keeping in touch with the family I stayed with in Holland - both visiting & hosting.

I agree with your thoughts on Carcassonne and giving more time to Nice.

Bravo to you for traveling solo successfully! …and for all of your pre-planning so you would feel comfortable. And now you are hooked on its advantages, too. : )

We’re signed up for this tour next year so bless all of you that have taken the time to put trip reports together. I find that each report may cover the same territory but has an individual perspective. Your details are so thoughtful and specific. I absolutely agree that starting a tour in London is a great way to build up comfort and confidence. We used to start our tours that way, although now we’ve developed familiarity with some of the major continental airports and we start in those cities.

Some of your Venice memories struck a cord as well. We got off on the wrong foot with Burano, specifically the hoards that were there the day we visited, which kept us from falling in love with it. Also, what a great reminder about the possibility of cruise ships disgorging passengers for the airport. We tend to think of them going into Venice from the cruise port, but not the airport departure part.

It sounds like you made the whole adventure work for you and hope that your recovery continues.

Thanks horsewoofie for your helpful and detailed report! We were in the Venice airport when those cruise ship crowds arrived with their multiple large pieces of luggage. Someone “in authority” told us to move to the side to join the group. They were from the cruise line and were trying to put us in the cruise ship group. We would never go on one of those big ships. Their leader was aggressively moving the passengers around and we were not the only non cruisers he tried to corral! What a nightmare.

What a wonderful first solo trip report. Here’s to many more to come!

Thanks everyone for your kind comments!!

I really enjoyed your trip report. Glad that you have recovered from Covid - how ironic to test positive after making it through the TMSOF tour.

Great report! I know that was a lot of work. And good for you for going it alone. I totally get doing walking and food tours with other people to combat the loneliness factor. I have wondered how well I would do traveling on my own as my husband is my best friend and travel companion. I would so miss not having him there with me to share the experience. And where one of us is weak, the other is strong.