Photo: Natalie di Paola
We all have those travel moments where something inevitably goes wrong—despite our best planning. I was sure it wouldn’t happen to me on my Contiki European Vistas trip as I had planned everything to a tee. Spoiler alert: it did.
Things were smooth sailing until our first free-time day in Amsterdam. My friends checked for Anne Frank House tour tickets. It was sold out, and horror hit me like a ton of bricks. I had booked all the Contiki add-ons but forgot to plan anything for the free-time days.
I had two options:
- Blame my brother (who came on the trip with me), or
- Accept the situation and go with the flow.
Being a good sister, I chose option two. And honestly? It worked. I still saw so much, but my favorite day by far was in Paris.
We arrived in the city of Love full of anticipation. That first night, we sat in front of the Eiffel Tower, eating crepes and soaking in the view. The next morning, my friends planned to visit the catacombs. I checked for tickets, but again, it was sold out.
Image source:Natalie di Paola
Image source:Natalie di Paola
Image source:Natalie di Paola
Image source:Natalie di Paola
So, I moved onto Plan B: The Louvre. I snagged a Mona Lisa tour ticket and went to bed buzzing with anticipation. Expecting a solo outing, I was thrilled to find four other Contiki girls on the same tour. We teamed up and explored the gallery, gasping our way through masterpieces until we reached her—the Mona Lisa. Roped off, swarmed by people, she looked surprisingly tiny. Still, we managed to squeeze in, snap some pics, and soak it all in.
Afterward, we inhaled delicious macarons (my brother was lucky to get one), then grabbed baguettes at a nearby café— a picturesque experience only marred by me getting smacked (lightly!) with a menu for butchering a French word.
The day was warm, dreamy, and full of promise. We strolled through the streets, admiring the stunning architecture and browsing boutiques with the latest Parisian fashion. The bustling city was alive, teeming with history, culture and life. Still hungry for adventure, we made our way to the iconic Notre Dame. Though it was still closed for repairs, we joined the crowd of tourists, quietly admiring its charm and grandeur.
It was the perfect day—better than anything I could’ve planned. I suppose that’s the magic of travel: sometimes the best experiences happen when you stop planning and just go with the flow.
