A dream of a lifetime to stand under the Eiffel Tower
My earliest travel dreams were of France. At a young age, I remember watching travel programs on TV in the afternoons with my mother about Mont Saint-Michel, the Loire Valley and, naturellement, Paris. My earliest interests in Art History also pulled me back to France, through Matisse, Bonnard, Vuillard and the great photographers Henri Cartier-Bresson, Brassaï and André Kertész. With my passion for French art and studying French in high school and college, I knew I’d make it to France one day.
And, so, Italy?
Life is full of delicious oddities. While I had always dreamed of visiting Italy and spending time discovering its landscape, it was the work of Frank Lloyd Wright that first brought my passions to Italy. An Art History class on architecture in the upper midwest in graduate school gave me the chance to learn more about one of America’s great architects. I became curious about his travels in Italy and influence on modern architecture in Italy. During this time, my mother had planned to take a trip to the Amalfi Coast in southern Italy, and I felt that I just had to join her. Introduce the Tour Guide, now my husband, and suddenly my life upset like a basket of lemons tumbling down the stone stairs on the Amalfi Coast. I fell in love with him … and very shortly after the fascinating 19th-century facade of the Duomo of Amalfi.
Thanks, Frank!
Amalfi's beautiful Cathedral of Sant' Andrea
After finishing my Masters in Art History, very appropriately writing my thesis about the Duomo of Amalfi, I sold my car, my desk (a sad day), packed up my few remaining belongings and drove across the midwest in a blizzard (a scary day) and headed off to Italy (a very happy day). And, who would have thought that moving to Italy would have brought me the chance to finally visit France?
Not me.
As I began to make my way into the world of travel writing, I had the honor to come into contact with Paris Perfect, a boutique rental company that specializes in the most fabulous apartments in Paris. Since 2009, I have had the honor to work as a part of the Paris Perfect team as a copywriter and contributor to the Paris Perfect Blog and at their sister company’s website London Perfect. As Paris is only a two hour direct flight from Naples, Italy, I’ve been fortunate enough to visit Paris many times over the recent years. The twists and turns that life throws at us sometimes end up bringing with them unexpected joys. Not only have I been able to fulfill my dream of traveling in France through my work with Paris Perfect, but I’ve been able to share that dream with many others through the written word.
I don’t think even Frank would have seen that one coming!
Readers will find my passion and love of Paris occasionally finding its way into the pages of Ciao Amalfi. If you love France as much as I do, I invite you to visit the Paris Perfect Blog for news, recipes, stories, photos and more. And, if you’re planning a trip to Paris or London soon, let me know and I’ll be happy to share with you my favorite Paris Perfect apartments and London Perfect vacation homes!
Paris Perfect view of the Eiffel Tower
