Monday, August 8th, 2016

We are just starting to get ourselves in gear for the next big trip.  This time we will be heading first to Paris where we will spend ten days taking in the sights and just enjoying being in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.  I can’t wait to sit at one of the cafes and watch the beautiful people stroll by.

I have only been to Paris a couple of times, but one of the things that has stayed with me over the years is just how beautiful the people seem to be and how they all seem to be dressed so well. No sweats and t-shirts for those guys. The men seem to have just stepped out of a magazine, lovely leather dress shoes, smart jackets and tailored pants and shirts. The women do their country proud with their cosmopolitan look. Each lady seems to have just stepped off of the runway with their lovely quality clothing and style.  It made such an impact on me that I am trying to put together clothing that will at least allow me to fit in a little. Generally when I travel it is more about the comfort and how much I can fit into a small carry on bag. This time, still the small bag but more thought going into the styling. I am sure I won’t be able to compete with these lovely people, but at least I can hope not to stand out as much.

While there, my two objectives will be to see how many antique fairs I can find and to try to get some decent night shots with my camera. I am excited to see if I can find any of the old linens and dishes that I have seen others come home with. I have also been trying to study up on how to take the best night shots. Last time we were there, I tried to capture the wonder of the Eiffel Tower lit up at night from the river but it turned out to be a blurry mess. Wish me luck this time.

After Paris we get on a plane and head to Venice for four days.  Those of you that have read previous posts know that I believe Venice is one of the most magical places in the world, right up there with Disneyland! We have been often enough that I feel at home when walking around the city. Of course we get lost, what would be the fun if you didn’t!! We did a pretty good job last year of correcting our direction enough to be able to get around so have high hopes for this time. We try to stay away from the tourist areas unless it is early morning or late in the evening, staying more to the locals areas. Can’t wait!

We are then heading on via train to Cortona, which is where we feel most at home when we are in Italy. We get to revisit all of the old haunts, reconnect with dear friends there and fool ourselves into believing that we belong there, at least for a short time. If dreams came true, we would own a place there and spend part of each year there. We truly have fallen in love with the area and its people. We have some very precious, lasting friendships that we have developed over the years and it is like going to visit family! While in that area, we will, of course revisit Rome, go back to Orvieto and Florence and see what else we can add to the adventure.

Our next part of the trip will take us to Germany. Here we will get to visit with our son and two granddaughters for nine days. We don’t do too much in the way of touristy things when we are in Germany because it is more about catching up with the family and doing day to day things with them.

I can’t wait to start the final stage of packing, tickets are booked, agenda in place, restaurants researched! Less than a month and we will be on our way.

I will be writing blogs and sharing photos so I hope you will enjoy them as I try to share our adventures along the way.