Hi friends,

I have some exciting news to share with you all and it’s one of the reasons I haven’t been around that much.

In addition to work, volunteering, and training for the Broad Street Run, I am in the midst of planning a trip to Italy and Paris!  Jeff and I have been wanting to do this for quite some time and it’s finally happening this summer! Flights have been purchased and I am in the middle of figuring out all the logistics and would love to hear your recommendations – whether it’s a small restaurant that has the best pasta or a piece of artwork that moved you, that we shouldn’t miss out on…or anything at all, I would love to hear.  We are flying into Rome and traveling all over to Florence, Tuscany, Cinque Terre, Milan and then finishing the trip in Paris.  I am so excited, I get teary eyed just thinking about it.

I signed up for French lessons at Alliance Francaise de Philadelphie and will be starting next week, so in addition to all that I’m already juggling – I added one more thing. But I’m really excited.

I am reading David Lebovitz’s book The Sweet Life in Paris and loving the little nuggets of information he shares about life in Paris!  I feel like it’s the real deal guide for Americans, sprinkled with recipes throughout, and I’m really grateful that I picked it up.  There are so many cultural differences that have me intrigued – so far, I loved reading about dressing like a Parisian (men don’t really wear shorts) and dining like a Parisian (eating bananas AND hamburgers with a fork and knife) and I was shocked to read about the coffee situation. David said that it’s rumored that some cafes reuse the grounds (GASP!) so he breaks down the cafe menu with descriptions such as “Cafe leger – a cafe express with hot water added after it’s extracted. Not recommended. At all.” So perhaps we’ll just take his word for it – that the coffee is generally bad – and drink tea instead (and focus all our energy on the pastries!). All I have to say is that it’s going to be very interesting going from Italy to Paris and can’t wait to share with you my experience.

OK, I’m off for the day and let me know your travel tips and favorite sights!