One of the best ways to enhance your travels is to season it with friends. Either you can enjoy your present company, meet up with friends who are serendipitously passing through the town you’re in, or make new ones. I’ve been fortunate enough this summer to do all three.
So this blog is a photo shout-out to them. Many thanks to everyone who took time out of your schedules to have a coffee, a gelato, a crêpe, some dinner, afternoon snacks, a picnic by the river, some wine, a stroll through the city, or a combination of the above. It’s always a pleasure to be with you and to enjoy each other’s company in a new setting. Continued and prosperous travels to you all!
Click on the thumbnails to enlarge.
Thank you to my new friends Antonio and Alex for a great home-cooked meal and a night of wonderful conversation in Paris.
To my dear former Carlsbad HS colleagues — Kim Wakefield (Spanish teacher) and Michèle Kuehner (French teacher): Keep up our tradition of introducing our students to Europe. It was great to meet up with you in Paris!
Picnicking in Villedieu Les Poêles with Julie Sonveau, my darling friend and mentor.
Math and Annie (our bus drivers) treated Julie and I like dear friends, and I know my friendship with them will continue for years to come.
Cristina Duarte and I enjoy a midnight crêpe in Paris.
Kelly Ruhlig (my fellow UW alum), her husband Jeff Olsen, and I had a bella notte in Rome.
In Florence Martin and I lunched with Matteo de Gregorio, a guide from when I used to bring my students to Europe. One of the best lunches I’ve ever had in Florence.
Martin de Lewandowicz and I became fast friends on our Europe Family Friendly tour. Thanks for teaching me so much about European history, art and culture!
Serendipitously in line for Sainte Chapelle with Hélène Vilavella Collins (senior lecturer/wife of my former professor at UW) and her summer study abroad French students.
Cristina Sutton –PhD candidate at UW/one of my former T.A.s and classmates– was helping with the French study abroad summer program in Paris.
Denis, Arnaud and I watched The Dark Knight Rises at the MK2 Cinema in the 13th arrondissement of Paris.
Martin and I crossed paths once more in Paris, so we enjoyed a chichi lunch at Angelina’s.
Rick, his TV crew (Dietrich, Peter and Simon) and I enjoy a well-deserved dinner at La Terrace after a very full day of filming.
Nothing makes me happier than meeting up with Rick in Europe.
My cousin’s sister-in-law’s son Brandon Lawrence, Michelle Vuong, and their French friend Thomas came to Paris, so we went for a stroll through the city and some lunch.
Enjoying my first Starbucks drink in Paris this summer after 6-weeks of withdrawal with my fellow UW alum, David La Boon.
I bumped into one of my former dance students, Leandra Peters and her mom Francine at the Colosseum in Rome. Random and cool!
Francesca Caruso, my darling Roman friend, treats me to gelato and an evening of fabulous conversation in her home town. It is always a joy being with her.
My new Pétanque friends taught me a lot about the traditional French game, and I taught them that a girl from Seattle has got mad skillzzz!
2 thoughts on “With A Little Help From My Friends”
Or join with friends to celebrate some of the best things in life — food and travel! We did that to celebrate 20 years of gathering quarterly for our “dinner club” — what better destination to celebrate foodie friends than Italy?! Ah, what a memory! Crossing paths with friends, meeting up or traveling together — you are more likely to sit back and soak up the ambience of a place with that gelato, cup of coffee or glass of wine, because of the conversation of friendship. ~ Kat
Or join with friends to celebrate some of the best things in life — food and travel! We did that to celebrate 20 years of gathering quarterly for our “dinner club” — what better destination to celebrate foodie friends than Italy?! Ah, what a memory! Crossing paths with friends, meeting up or traveling together — you are more likely to sit back and soak up the ambience of a place with that gelato, cup of coffee or glass of wine, because of the conversation of friendship. ~ Kat
What a great thing to do with your friends! Thanks for sharing that and for following my blog. Travel on!