A Few More Thoughts

We did so much on this tour and have so many great memories!

We saw some things that I have nursed a longtime desire to see, and they all lived up to long-held expectations.
We also saw some NEW things that we would never have had the ability to include in our itinerary if we were doing it on our own. Hurray for this well-planned out trip. Thanks, Rick!
We made it through no fewer than 23 different churches or cathedrals! Wow! Did I mention that we love to explore churches? We only put our favorites in this scrapbook, but they all had interesting and beautiful sights. We had a great time exploring all of them.
We saw some fantastic Impressionist art, and the place where Monet created most of his paintings! Did I mention that I love Impressionist art?
I got to practice my French! That was fun.

As we stated earlier, this tour lived up to all of the things that Rick Steves promises on his tours:

Great guides - Christine was fantastic. Amusing, helpful, educational, fun to be around ... I could go on forever.
The voice box devices were a wonderful addition. We could hear Christine and the local guides perfectly, despite the occasional background noise. We learned so much about the history and the culture of the areas we visited, and it was presented in a fun way ... not like a history class.
Wonderful bus drivers - Matt and Annie were truly an asset to our tour. They were interesting to talk to and they took really good care of us.
Great local guides - they were all wonderful. Their enthusiasm came through loud and clear and they were experts in their fields.
Centrally located hotels, staffed by friendly people - every single one of our hotels was super! They were all conveniently located within each town and they were scrupulously clean. The rooms varied in size, but were all big enough that we were completely comfortable. Most had elevators which, I must admit, we used especially when moving in with our bags. Every single one of them had a blow-dryer in the bathroom - I'm guessing they know how many tourists use these on a daily basis. They all had scrumptious breakfast buffets which we enjoyed immensely. I honestly don't know if any of them had air-conditioning. We were comfortable with the temperature and didn't even think to look!
Small groups of fun people - we were just the right size. Small enough to fit into smaller restaurants, and big enough that we got to know lots of different types of folks. And there wasn't a single "grump" in the group!
Ample free time to "do our own thing" - We thoroughly enjoyed the formal tours, but it was great fun to strike out on our own as well. We had enough background information from Christine that we were confident in our ability to get around safely.
Memorable meals - we literally ate our way through France, and never had a bad meal. When we were "on our own" for a meal, guidance was provided by either Rick's guidebook or by Christine, and they never steered us wrong.
This was an active tour - I love to walk and I wear a pedometer all day. We averaged 6 to 7 miles per day. Strangely enough, our day hiking Mont St. Michel was our lowest distance (3.5 miles), but that "climb to heaven" was definitely the most strenuous activity.

Reunion in Edmonds - One of the benefits of going on a Rick Steves tour is the annual reunion in Edmonds. It's something to look forward to after your tour is over. You can meet up with members of your group if they can make it, and it provides the perfect opportunity to scope out possible future trips. There are "alums" there from all of the different tours, and you can even meet a variety of tour guides from all over Europe.

Rick gave a brief welcome and introduced a few of his guides, who gave some entertaining insights into their countries.

Again, this was our first Rick Steves tour, but it definitely won't be our last. I think I hear Ireland calling!

Au revoir!