Next Adventure: France

Hello Friends!

Welcome to my blog.  I started this blog back during quarantine to help me deal with some of the loneliness caused by being stuck at home all day.  It was a way to connect with the outside world in a way that sparked my creativity and allowed me to try new things like creating a website.  I have to admit that I abandoned my pursuit of becoming a blogger a while back.  However, I decided to use this blog as a way to connect with friends and family during my upcoming solo trip to France.  I think this will be a fun way to share my experiences as I go along.  Feel free to comment, post questions, and make suggestions.  🙂

What are my plans while I’m in France?

I plan to do some wine tastings in Champagne and Alsace.  In Paris I will visit museums and attend the opera.  Honestly, I just want to walk down the Grand Boulevards and admire the Eiffel Tower while it does its nightly light show.  In Lyon, I hope to connect with old friends and enjoy wonderful food and wine.  I want to get lost in the winding streets of Vieux Lyon, a place so dear to my heart.

What is my itinerary?

I will land in Paris and then take a train to Reims, the capital of Champagne, where I already have a wine tour scheduled.  I will stay there for a day, then travel back to Paris where I will stay for about 3 days.  There will be a visit to the Louvre, of course, and the opera Rigoletto!  After Paris I will travel to Colmar in the Alsace region where I will do a wine tour.  After two days in Colmar, I will take the train to Lyon where I will stay for a few days.  Then back to Paris so I can take the flight home.

Where will I post pictures?

I’ll do my best to post pictures in this blog, but I make no promises!  I will however be posting to my Instagram.  I created a page just for this blog @theafterfivetraveler . 

How are the preparations for the trip going?

Other than packing my bags and reserving hotels, preparations for this trip are very different and complex thanks to the pandemic.  I applied for a French Health pass (which I’m sure will not be processed in time), I’m scheduling COVID Tests (which are hard to get due to an influx in cases), and I’m researching the best ways to keep my vaccination card safe during my trip (I wish I could just duck tape it to my body).  My to do list now includes items like filling out health forms and uploading them to United’s Travel Center prior to departure.

And yet, even with all these additional items, I am thankful that I can go back to France after its borders were closed for so long.