5 Things That Worked For Me on My Trip to France

Number One:   I packed some scarves

Don’t forget to pack some scarves. They don’t take up any room in your luggage and they can add some pizazz to your outfits. The best tip I can give you is to wet a scarf and wrap it around your neck, and you will cool off immediately! Scarves are so easy to find in resale/donation stores.

Scarves are so versatile and can dress up a plain black dress like the one I wore at the pre-wedding party at a museum restaurant by the Eiffel Tower.

This is the day I waited in a long line to go into the Monet Museum – so glad I wore a scarf that I could wet with cool water and wrap around my neck! It was a hot and muggy day and the cool scarf kept me comfortable and cool!

The same scarf as the first photo, just worn differently – Turning a scarf into a shawl can help with cold air conditioning in restaurants!

Out on a morning tour of Paris – it was a bit chilly and this black scarf with white fringe not only added some flair to the black outfit but added some needed warmth as well!

 

Number Two:  I ate like a peasant

When traveling, eat like a peasant, not like royalty – avoid the rich, sugary foods – your body will thank you for it. And you will stay healthy during your trip and after!

It just isn’t worth it. I am not hyper-focused on food so my mindset was already geared to eat healthy before I got on the plane for France. I love food, don’t get me wrong, but I love the kind of food that loves me back! Decide to have one or two treats on one day or two days and then leave them alone on the rest of the trip. I did enjoy one tiny piece of chocolate in Amboise and some rice pudding for a couple of breakfasts. It was so very flavorful. I enjoyed it immensely. On the tour there just wasn’t time for a sit-down lunch.

As for alcohol, I am not a fan.

So I ate like a peasant on most days and felt very good about it. So many other things to enjoy while traveling – I did not miss the rich goodies.

Big bonus: I came back lighter!

 

Avoid these kinds of goodies or just have one on one day! So pretty and tempting – but remember the pleasure will last only a moment, put the pounds may stay on for weeks!

 

Choose these kinds of goodies instead! Lots of farmer’s markets display healthy foods to buy!

Choose healthy items off the menu – Your body will thank you!

Number Three:  I got some daily stretching in

On airplane days, I did many stretching exercises before and after the flights. I think it to be of utmost importance.

On the touring days, I did lots of stretching at the hotel before boarding the bus and then again before bed so I would sleep better and I would not have sore muscles.

I did my pilates exercises on some mornings when I had the time. I taped my 45-minute class onto my phone before the trip, so I could use the mat in the hotel gym for an exercise session.  It helped!

 

Prepare those muscles before your day begins as well as before bed! You never know how much walking and stair climbing the day will bring!

 

Number Four:  I bought tiny wearable souvenirs

I find jewelry,  scarves, or shopping bags to be not only practical and packable, but something that I can make use of not just sit there on a shelf and need dusting.  Think small when buying souvenirs and know that your camera will be holding the most memories of your trip.

I was glad I bought a shopping bag because I used it on the tour bus to leave things on the bus that I did not want to be toting around when we did a lot of walking.

I found the perfect wearable souvenir at a lovely shop in Amboise and was able to wear them with the outfit I wore at the wedding. I needed some statement earrings – after all, it isn’t every day I will be at the famous Ritz Hotel in Paris!

 

Number Five:  I saved fact-gathering for when I got home

It is impossible to take notes on what the tour guide is telling you about all the sights you were seeing. Also, there wasn’t time to read the brochures or the signs posted by the exhibits. I found it best to wait until I got home to research facts about a certain place. In the age of information, it is easy to google the information you want about a certain place or person. I want to eventually put what I learned about the places I saw into a book along with photos to go with them.

This amazing place is Mont Saint-Michel – I certainly want to research some more things about it!