There are so many places that we want to travel to and discover throughout our lifetime. For us, one of those places is Italy. Not just the big cities, like Florence and Rome, but the coastline of the Cinque Terra and the serenity of little hill towns in Tuscany. This will be Rich's first time in Europe, and it will be Naomi's first time in Italy. We are so excited about spending this time relaxing, eating, and exploring together!

Our trip will begin in Paris, where we're hoping to spend three days visiting the Louvre, people-watching from sidewalk cafes, and pretending to speak French. We'll then continue to Nice, where Naomi will attend a conference for work (tough life, I know!) while Rich relaxes for a few days. After the conference, we will continue down the western coast of Italy for two weeks!

We'll be heading to Cinque Terra, where (weather permitting) we will spend a couple of days hiking and taking in the scenery. Next, we head to Florence to visit historic sites, take in some art, and find our way through more "non-touristy" areas: open air food markets, small family run restaurants, and other hidden gems. We will continue by train to Siena, our base for discovering the vineyards and hill towns of Tuscany. Finally, we will conclude our once-in-a-lifetime trip in Rome, where we'll spend a few days trying to go where the locals go and do as the Romans do!

Then, it's back home to the Bay Area and the dogs!