Paris, France

Having been to the “city of lights” several times before, I was glad that I could walk around neighborhoods this visit and live life. Some of my favorite neighborhoods include the 4th, 5th, 6th and 16th arrondissements.

The 4th arrondissement contains the Marais, one of Paris’ oldest neighborhoods with Medieval and Renaissance architecture. The area contains many hoteles particulares (pardon my spelling), gorgeous mansions that are now museums or government buildings. And of course, no visit to this quarter would be complete without going to the Place des Vosges, a square with beautiful Renaissance buildings that now house many art galleries.

The 5th arrondissement, on the other hand, is popularly known as the Latin Quarter as it contains the Sorbonne, one of France’s oldest universities. It has a lively student population with lots of cafes and restaurants. One of my favorite streets there is Rue Mouffetard, with its eclectic range of eateries.

Both the 6th and 16th arrondissements don’t have a lot going on, but I like each neighborhood for one certain characteristic. For the 6th, known as St-Germain-des-Pres, I enjoyed the numerous tiny art galleries. For the 16th, I enjoyed the viewing the grand mansions.

My Adventures in Southern Africa

As some of you know, what had originally slated to be a one-year round-the-world experience is now up in the air as I was not able to find someone to sublet my room in San Diego.

However, my six-week trip to Southern Africa will proceed as I make my way from South Africa to Namibia, Botswana and Victoria Falls with a one-day stopover in Paris en route back to San Diego.