October 30 – Paris, France It is an unusually warm fall morning as I walk the quiet streets of Paris on my way to mass at Notre Dame. The streets are damp from rain the night before but this morning the sky is blue and cloudless. Paris mornings are typically slow, but this Sunday is even more tranquil as I navigate metro closures and join the stream of tourists crowding buses towards the cathedral. I worry I have missed the early mass until someone tells me Europe has “fallen back.” Suddenly I have a full hour to grab a coffee and croissant and look at souvenir stands. Soon the bells announce the...

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...

Or How to Take the Train from Nice to Finale Traveling for me has always been a balance of letting go of my Type A tendencies to over plan and opening myself up to the unexpected things that happen when you move on the fly. While I’ve gotten better about arriving in towns without a place to stay, know the basics of city planning to find my way around without a map, and have ridden enough trains and busses to have a feel for schedules, every now and then I’m reminded that these are things I’ve learned over time. One quiet Sunday in Finale, it was by chance that I logged onto the social networks...

Cinque Maggio I’ve been craving Mexican food, maybe in anticipation of Cinco de Mayo. The spices and peppers of the Southwest are almost impossible to find in this small, Slow Food village. While it’s probably not a surprise that this Mexican / American celebration isn’t really a big deal over here, it turns out I can get a Mexican fix just across the border in France. There churros are giving crepes a run for their money. I guess if you can dip it Nutella, it can’t be that bad. Related Posts:Balancing Act5 Weeks, 4 Sunglasses, 3 Countries, 2 Tired Feet, 1 BirthdaySleeping in...

The adventure is almost over. I get on a plane tomorrow, travel through five cities in 24 hours and if all goes according to plan, arrive back in the desert by midnight. As I look at the Baie de Ange one last time I am excited to come back to my friends and sad to leave the many I have here. I haven’t posted in a while because I’ve been busy seeing Provence and climbing. First I took a day pack and tried bus travel in France. I went to Aix-en-Provence, an adorable town with a beautiful cathedral, buzzing market and amazing spices. Then I jumped over to Arles where Van Gough spent some time...