France

Paris. What else is there to say about Paris that hasn't been said by better writers than me? I will say this: We woke each morning and exercised for a couple of hours under the Eiffel Tower. Then we would eat a light breakfast of incomparable French pastry, and then wander the city the rest of the day, eating lunch in whatever wonderful cafe happened to be near. In the evenings, we would hang out with Meghan and Rick, and my sister Nora, who was vacationing in Paris and Morocco. It's a pretty great life.

Italy

After leaving Berlin, we hooked up with my sister Meghan and her husband Rick, who live in Paris. We rented a car and drove down to Rome. Along the way, we spent a few days in Cinque Terra along the Italian coast, just south of Genoa. It was amazing, the pictures don't do it justice. Walking along the coast, drinking hot chocolate in cafes during the day and good wine at night are really as fantastic as you might think it would be.

Rome was amazing as well. We spent a bunch of time with my mom's cousins, Alvaro Mino and his sister Pierra. They are awesome. The stories were great, as was the food and the wine and the little tours that Pierra would give spontaneously. If you have any relatives at all in Italy, I suggest you visit them.