Paris

It took me twenty years, but I finally made it back to Paris, the city of light. My lazy photographs don't capture how truly beautiful the city is and how wonderful it was for me to explore, with absolutely no agenda, the many sights, sounds and tastes of this city.

My favorite things about Paris:

The beauty: So much attention is paid to the presentation of things in Paris.  From the carefully packaged and presented chocolates (yes, I sampled a few), to the men in impeccably tailored suits (all ages of men in suits!), to the rose gardens that were in bloom all over the city, there is an attention to visceral beauty which is rare.
The baguettes: Seriously, the bread is unlike any other.  Every day I got myself a baguette sandwich for lunch, ate half and saved the other half for dinner.  Because the bread was SO PERFECT I truly felt like I was getting a gourmet meal.
The kindness of strangers: I don't know why France gets such a bad rap for treating guests unkindly.  I was struck, again and again, by how helpful everyone was and how patient they were with my rusty French.  Several times people stopped to ask me if I needed directions when they saw me on a street corner with my map.  It was a lovely surprise.

Vancouver

Back to Iain's favorite city in the world! Vancouver was all abloom in mid-April and as always, the snowy mountain backdrop was stunning.

Puerto Rico

We've gone to a special spot in Puerto Rico several times... it is so special, I don't like to identify it because I fear that too many people will find it.

Dominican Republic

In the summer of 2011 I went to the Dominican Republic to volunteer with the Fundacion Mahatma Gandhi at their library in Las Terrenas.  It was an amazing experience and I loved having the opportunity to meet kids and families at the library.

Barcelona

Finally!  Barcelona was on our dream list for a long time and it did not disappoint.

Ghana

In July, 2007 I traveled to Ghana, where I spent several weeks volunteering at the Grace and Mercy School in Accra.  I truly loved Ghana - it was, perhaps, the kindest place I've ever been - and I hope to go back some day.