Last week was the perfect time to be in Paris. The weather was neither too hot, nor too cold, and the hoards of tourists had yet to show up. I always think of Paris as a city I know fairly well, but I learn new things about it each time I go. Take, for example, the following round up of boutiques and restaurants: Nose, Le Chambre aux Confitures, Breizh Cafe, Beef Club. All new finds, and all on my Parisian future-visit list. It was also nice to visit the city with family. I’ve gone the last few times with friends

I was looking through archived photos, and I found a few picture from my trip to the Loire Valley in France this past summer.  It was a great weekend getaway from Paris. The Loire Valley is an exceptional region of France, where things run a little slower than Paris. I realize the irony of that, and perhaps you do, too, if you’ve been to Paris before. In comparison to New York, London or Tokyo, Paris already runs at a slower pace. However, you don’t truly understand a leisurely stroll until you’ve walked the chateaus of the Loire Valley between wine

Everyone knows that London is synonymous with rain, but no one ever mentions the silver lining of a sudden rain storm. Only minutes after leaving the doorsteps of my hotel during my visit this past summer did I find myself in sandals, without an umbrella, in the middle of a downpour. I made the conscious effort to keep going and not turn back. One block after the next I stumbled upon cafes and hole in the wall shops I could have easily stopped at for a drink or small bite, but I continued down the road until I reached the blush pink