"All our bags are packed, we're ready to go . . . We're leaving on a jet plane, we don't know when we'll be back again . . . ."

Actually, we do know when we'll be back again -- in one month . One month in Ireland and France -- ooh la la! Neither of us has been to Ireland and it has been 18 years since Amy and I traveled to Paris for a week. I am soooo excited for this adventure!  

Sixteen hours and counting until our daughter, Amy, picks us up to take us to the airport. Our cute house sitters, Sophie and Manny, will move in tomorrow to care for our house, dog, and cat. Yeager, our three year-old English Springer Spaniel, knows something is up and he is being extra cuddly. Spike, our 12 year-old cat, couldn't care less that we will be leaving him for a month. He, too, has been extra cuddly, but I think that is because we put Kitty Paws on his claws so he can't claw the carpet. No more outdoor walkabouts for Spike!  

A few days ago, Tom and I had a Skype conversation with my French friend, Ziggy. We met his wife, Karima, who does not speak very much English, and his two younger children, Yannis and Melissa . Amy and I met Ziggy when we were in Paris in 1996 and we have stayed in touch all these years. His English is so impeccable, he barely has an accent. Tom and I are going to visit with Ziggy when we reach Paris. Unfortunately for us, Karima will be visiting her father in Algeria so we will not be meeting her. It was so much fun to visit with a friend in another country!  

We are also hoping to meet up with my niece, Abigail, who works for an Irish airline but lives in Liverpool, England. We need to figure out the logistics, but I would love to spend a day or two with her while we sightsee in the land of our Millay ancestor. A Skype date is in the plans for when we are in Dublin and can better determine where Tom and I will be when Abigail has a few days off.  

So, stay tuned for daily updates about our European adventure -- driving on the wrong side of the road in Ireland, praying we don't forget which direction the roundabouts go, and seeing some of the countryside of France before we head into Paris for a couple of nights . . . . :)