In the spring of 1999 a gal pal called me with the idea to meet her brother in London then go to Paris. It was still off-season, tickets inexpensive and the romance of April in Paris irresistible. In a week I had a flight booked and I had my passport on an express request. Two weeks later, the three of us emerged from the metro on a warm spring night. As we oriented ourselves, a couple ran across the cobblestone street to greet each other with kisses. My more experienced traveling friends were  focused on the map. I was wide-eyed at the scene before me. This was Paris. It was just as it looked in the...

What comes first: the travel or the collection? After the experiences and excitement of a trip, there are the memories. Photos can bring these back, but so can souvenirs. Intentionally or not, over time, these reminders of places I’ve been start to fall into categories. This became glaringly apparent as I finally unpacked from my three months in Italy. After living out of a suitcase for so long, it was hard for me to move more than the essentials back into my Arizona home. My shelves were empty, my closet had a few shoes and summer clothes. Even my pantry was at a minimum. In a wave of “cost...

Photo of the Day Another summer is in the books in Arizona and that means two of my favorite things are back on the regular schedule: Scooters and rocks.  But unfortunately, not at the same time. In Finale, my first Italian scooter ride couldn’t have been better as I jumped on the back of my roommate’s moto with a visiting friend and we sped off toward the rocks. The helmet case was converted into a rope box and we had our gear in one pack. We took the back road out of town careful to avoid the carabinieri – my friend did not have a helmet which is now a big no-no in Italy. On a spring afternoon...

A few years ago I noticed a pole in Finale with some padlocks on it. I thought it was strange but was too focused on getting to the rocks to ask anyone about it. Leave it to the cutest couple in Italy to enlighten me on a part of my beloved Italian city I was only barely aware. Apparently posts and fences in some of Europe’s most romantic cities have become new symbols of love. While no one knows exactly where or how it started, most attribute it to an Italian book and movie “I Want You.” But there are also similar rituals in Serbia and Greece. Whatever the source, it is as timeless a tradition...