I just got back from Paris. It was my first trip without my green backpack in 13 years. My purple one filled in just fine, providing appropriate storage for my carry-on junk (I'm a heavy packer!), my laptop, and other trinkets I carried to and from Paris.
Paris was fantastic. It was chilly, but not cold (around 45-50 degrees), and without the crowds of even shoulder season (Fall, when I was there last). January is the best time to come to Paris. The government mandated sales mean slashed priced at almost every store, from the high end boutiques to "les grands magasins"/department stores, to even smaller local specialty shops. The lines at attractions, if there were any, moved quickly.
I was very relieved that my French held up well in the city. Since we stayed in Montparnasse, an area in the 14th on the left bank, removed from many tourist areas, it gave me the chance to speak in French, not only for convenience, but for functioning. Three times I was complimented on my French, and the look of surprise on the peoples' faces was priceless when I said American.
The next trip I take to Paris, I hope to delve deeper into the less "touristy" spots of the city, since I've now covered all the "must sees" twice. Going back as an adult allowed me to explore all of the places that I missed during my last visit 10 years ago, when I was a naive 19/20 year old backpacker.
When I arrived at home, my green LL Bean backpack was waiting for me. It had been repaired in Maine, and sent back to me. New zippers, new zipper tabs. Same old backpack. It's been to Paris once, maybe its next trip will be somewhere new.
