Ahhh, I love those two words. I love them because they usually mean I’ve strapped on my safety belt in Row 3A and am sitting poised in my chair, my stack of magazines in my lap, waiting to hear the flight instructions. I love them because I’m about to embark on another adventure. I love them because they are associated with travel. And for me, that is always a good thing! And now, I’d like to indulge in a little fantasy if you don’t mind. If I had two weeks, and a (very) large spending account, what would I do?
I’ve toyed with this daydream while toiling away in the office this week. It’s Spring Break for most schools around the area, which means the office has been cleared out of all moms, dads, and any single people who are trying to use up their leftover vacation days from 2010. That leaves me. Lonely old me. Struggling to contain her thoughts from driving her crazy in this quiet, massive building. Struggling to not think about the fact that at this time last year, she was slugging sangria and strolling the streets of Madrid, Spain with her family. Struggling to not just hop in the car and make the fifteen-minute trek to DFW airport and hop on the next flight over the Atlantic.
(If, however, I do cave in, will someone please water my plants for me? I’ll bring you back a souvenir! Thankyouverymuch.)
So, if I were to go on a vacation for two weeks, and if I did have a very generous per diem, where would I go and what would I do? Now, as you might know, or will soon come to find out, I take my travel seriously. I’m not the kind of girl that flies somewhere and then spends her vacation lounging at the hotel pool. Uh uh ... I’m all about walking until my back aches, eating local, shopping the hidden boutiques. I want to spend so much time out in the sights that I come back to the hotel five pounds heavier from the amount of dust on my clothes, food in my belly, and shopping bags on my arms. Therefore, I’ve created a little itinerary for you of my fantasy two-week vacay ... feel free to come along for the adventure! (I call the aisle seat on the plane though!)
Day One, Two and Three: Fly from DFW to London Heathrow. Spend days two and three scouring the outdoor markets, paying tribute to the Queen, and getting my drink on at the local pubs.
Day Four and Five: Fly from London to Paris. Say bonjour to Chanel, channel my inner Audrey while eating bon bons and macarons, sip cafe au laits, and people-watch by the Eiffel Tower. Buy something fantastic at one of the zillions of shops on the Champs Elysees. Search for (and find) the best pain au chocolat. Wear a beret and a striped boatnecked sweater just for kicks.
Day Six and Seven: Say adieu to Paris and board a scenic train to Switzerland. Spend the next two days pretending to be a long lost Von Trapp family member while enjoying the picturesque views of the Alps. I’d go shooshing down a ski run in Interlaken, buy a Swiss Army knife because, well, it’s Swiss, and enjoy some of the finest chocolate in the world. I’d wear braids in my hair, eat cheese at every meal, and walk it off on the beautiful hiking trails.
Day Eight and Nine: Fly from Switzerland to Austria. Enjoy an opera in the classical music center of the world. Revisit Schonnbrunn and take a stroll in the magnificent gardens. I’d indulge my love of animals by visiting the world’s oldest zoo, Tiergarten, but not before enjoying a heaping plate of schnitzel with noodles!
Day Ten and Eleven: Fly to Italy. Spend the next two days frantically absorbing every ounce of Italian culture I can fit in my chic leather bag (bought at a street market in Florence, of course). Tour a winery and satiate my love for all things that end (and start) with “wine.” Eat pesto and spaghetti alla marinara. Say “Ciao!” to Michelangelo and the statue of David. Take photographs of the sunflowers in Cortona. Enjoy la bella vita while spooning decadent gelato into my mouth all the while strolling arm in arm with my companion.
