After a month of researching, planning, enquiring and making reservations, the itinerary is close to being finalised and the trip is pretty much organised. Stress level is much lower now. Just awaiting a couple of confirmations, and printing out copies of bookings and my itinerary. Then all there is left to do is to read about what and where to eat, where to shop, the markets in Paris, the architecture styles such as Gothic, Baroque and etc., and the most important of all, learning the survival phrases. Parlez vous anglais. I guess that is what makes us travelers, not tourists. We don’t participate in tour groups with tour guides, unless absolutely necessary. And it’s usually for day trips to DIY-impossible areas. Not from the home country to the destination and back.
The last time I had to create a full-on itinerary like this one was our China trip and our Japan trip. Both the trips went smoothly, mainly as a result of the amount of pre-travel preparation but also partly due to luck. One fortunate example I can think of, is our visit to Mt Fuji. The skies were blue and clear and Mt Fuji was clearly visible on the day we chose to travel from Tokyo to Kawaguchi to see this icon of Japan. This time is going to be a little different though. In China and Japan, we blend in and could pass for locals. But it is Europe this time and we will stand out.
Ordered the Paris Museum Pass last week. Got back home from work today, to find it left on the doorstep. That was quick, DHL. From my research, if planning to visit several museums, it is more economical to get the pass than purchasing the individual tickets at each museum. And bypass the queue at the ticket counter too.
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