First of all, let’s talk about traveling in January. Yes, it was cold. But it was unusually cold this year.    Temps were around freezing the entire time and only once did they approach a comfortable “normal” in the high 40’s during the day.   I thought the eight members from Southern California would be affected most. However, they took it all in stride and I NEVER heard a complaint from them.    Traveling in January has its big advantages: it’s cheaper, no lines or big crowds, no problem in finding a place to eat.   Paris can be really jammed during high season. It was a pleasure to be there in January.

The first evening, we all met at a welcome dinner close to the hotel. It was a great way for everyone to connect (especially the single travelers).   As I expected, people broke into “sub-groups” for the remainder of the trip. When you have a group as large as we did, there are people with separate interests.   Everyone found their niche.   I planned itineraries for people who wanted to go out on their own, but every day, 4-6 people traveled with me.   By one or two days into the trip, everyone knew how to get around in Paris.

The Parisians were EXTREMELY courteous, gracious, and pleasant with us.   I am going to take some credit for this one.   I fully explained to everyone on the customs and protocols in dealing with our Parisian friends – it’s no wonder we had nothing but positive interactions with them.

I would have been lost without Andy Herbach’s book, “Eating and Drinking in Paris”. His restaurant recommendations are good but his French menu reader was invaluable in helping us interpret what was on the restaurant menus.   Don’t go to Paris without this book.

Some things surprised me about our group – they loved Versailles more than I thought they would. No one wanted to go to the Princess Diana Memorial.   And not that they disliked the Louvre or Orsay, I just thought they would like it more. However, they loved l’Orangerie.   They were overjoyed at the view from atop the Arc de Triomphe.   These people had tons of ENERGY.   This was one ambitious group.   The more things they did, the more they wanted to do.   One night I picked Restaurant Polidor because we needed a place very close to the hotel.   I was also surprised about how much they liked it and how lousy I thought the food was. Oh, c’est la vie!

Dinners were the most fun.   We all ate together the first night.   Every subsequent night about 6-9 of us dined together.   Restaurant Chartier was the most fun although I think the diners were kind of disappointed the waiters weren’t rude to us – LOL! The moules (mussels) and beer of Leon of Brussels hit the spot after a long night at the Orsay.   Bouillon Racine was our most expensive meal at about 40 euros or so each but it was very, very good.    Our group members were enchanted by our Parisian guest, Veronique, at Restaurant Polidor.

I used Skype to call back to the U.S. and within Paris.  It was wildy successful.

Having the Patisserie Viennoise a couple of doors down from the hotel was a big advantage.   Nothing, and I mean nothing (including that over-rated place, Angelina) beats their hot chocolate and pastries.  And we had two choices within 150  yards of the hotel of where to buy our $7.50 Starbuck lattes

Being near the Odeon metro was a big plus too.   The #4 and #10 metro lines are right there making it easy to get around the city.    We did use the busses a few times, but I really need to get to know the routes better.

I was most nervous about how our guests would react to the hotel.   The rooms are typical for Parisian hotels  That means they are about the same size as a small cruise-ship room.   And let’s face it, it is not the Ritz. But they were clean, comfortable, and quiet.  Not one person complained about the rooms and the hotel staff was a dream.    However, the overwhelming advantage to the hotel was the location. I’ve tried, but I cannot find a better-located hotel in all of Paris - at any price. It was close to EVERYTHING.

It can be tedious traveling with a group because a group can only travel as fast as its slowest person. However, I put a lot of pre-planning in before we arrived in Paris to overcome those issues. For instance, I spoke with them on the phone or by e-mail to answer any questions they had about traveling and to prepare them for the trip.   I had their travel passes and Museum Passes in their hands when they arrived.   They had maps and itineraries to study before they left.   I recommended restaurants for their tastes and budgets.   They met each other through my website and Facebook page.     After the first day or two, people broke into smaller groups according to their likes and interests.   I would either accompany them on their daily touring expeditions or give them detailed instructions and tips for getting around that day.   There really weren’t any “problems” on the trip because I like to think I did a good job of anticipating those problems, therefore, they never really arose.

All in all, the best thing about the trip was not the monuments and museums that we saw, not the places and things that we did, but it was about the friendships that we made.   I am grateful for the opportunity to meet the people I met on this trip.  It is what keeps me going back to Paris.