The included dinners were not good. Most of them were dark meat chicken, thighs and/or legs. They were bland & dry. Some of the local specialists were not good. was the specialist for Versailles Palace. She seemed overwhelmed by the crowds. As a result, she would take our group into a corner in each room and talk to us. She did not explore the rooms with us or encourage us to explore the rooms. For instance, in the magnificent Hall of Mirrors, she took us just inside this long room and spoke to us about it. Then, she led us into the next room. She never actually walked far into the room. Fortunately, I chose to walk ahead and walk down the Hall of Mirrors, otherwise I would have missed this experience. At the Louvre, our specialist was . She spoke to us often while walking through rooms without stopping. She warned us that the room that had the Mona Lisa would be very crowded and recommended we follow her as she walks down the side of the room. She told us we would have 10-15 seconds to see the Mona Lisa through our peripheral vision as we walked by!! I’m sorry, I don’t feel 10-15 seconds is acceptable. She didn’t even give us the opportunity to stop on our own if we wanted to for a few minutes. I asked if we could go back for another “10 seconds” with the Mona Lisa & she said it “wasn’t possible”!?!? Also, at the Louvre, we never got to see the famous and iconic pyramid outside the museum! I was so disappointed. Our time in the Marais district was poorly planned and I did not feel like I actually got to see the area. We went to Copains for pastries, which were very dry, plain & all tasted the same. The shop was quite small which made it difficult for the group to go inside. This visit was a waste of time that could have been totally skipped. The cookery experience where we made our own lunch, was also a total waste of time. We were shown how to make a grilled chicken breast! Really? Chicken breast? Nothing French about it. In fact, the chef doing the demonstration, told us she was using spices and herbs from Canada! And, I know how to grill a chicken breast. The meal was boring and bland. I would have much rather spent that time exploring the Marais district. The hotel we stayed out included a breakfast buffet. The dining room was packed every morning. It was often hard to find a table. There was one chef at one omelette station for the huge room. So, there was always a line. This was disappointing. On a positive note, our travel director, was excellent, and so was our driver. They were amazing.
