Warning: you may be at your computer for quite a while if you click on all the links here! I’ve used the excellent site called Planetware to show you what I’ll be seeing.

Soon I’ll be heading to Michigan for Christmas with my family.  My son’s two youngest children are seven years old and almost five. This will be a perfect time for a grandmother to share the holiday with them.  Then I’ll fly away to Europe.  Here, in no particular order, are the places I’ll be visiting during my planned six-month journey.

At the end of this month I’m flying to Paris, my favorite city on earth. I’ve seen all the famous sites many times so this trip is going to be about discovering the neighborhoods where ordinary people live.  I’m hoping for sunny weather though that’s unlikely in January. Some people have asked why I’m going to Europe in winter instead of summer. There are many reasons but two of the best are that the cost is lower and the hordes of tourists aren’t there. I look forward to experiencing Europe as Europeans do.

I’m going to Malta for its history (and because it’s a warm island in winter.)  Home to the ancient “Knights of St. John” (and perhaps better known for the Maltese Falcon) Malta is a small island nation located between southern Europe and northern Africa.

I’m returning to Ireland in the springtime where I’ll enjoy its gardens once again.  The weather in Ireland is nearly always mild so the gardens are fine all year. A friend will be joining me here and we’ll travel to Northern Ireland too.

I’ll be in Nice France for Mardi Gras (called Carnival there).  Nice was part of Italy until 1860 and its old quarter is a pleasant combination of its French and Italian history. While there I’ll be day tripping to famous places on the French Riviera and perhaps for a day to Monaco.

I’m going to Sicily for Easter. This has been on my list for several years and I’m excited to be visiting chaotic Palermo, the Greek temples in the Valley of Temples near Agrigento, and a number of other places including Modica where I’ll be during Holy Week.

I’m going to Antwerp, Belgium for the art and will use my rental apartment there as a base for returning to Amsterdam, den Haag and Bruges, and for discovering new places such as Ghent and Rotterdam. The smaller cities in Belgium seem to be very appealing too.

I’ll make my first trip to Portugal with a stay in Lisbon’s Alfama district (an old town section overlooking the port).  In addition to exploring the city I plan to take day trips by rail to other interesting old cities.

I’m taking a food tour of Morocco that will include (among other places) Marrakech, Casablanca, Fez and Essaouira.  This is going to be fascinating! Read about it here.

I’ll return to Madrid for the Prado (one of the world’s greatest art museums) and to Barcelona to see the changes in the Sagrada Familia since we visited it 15 years ago.  The nave is complete now and building the central tower has begun.

I plan to be in Croatia in early summer to explore the ancient island villages, traveling from one to the next via ferry.

I plan to return to England for the charm of the countryside and the excitement of London.

Follow me by reading this blog.  I plan to write about my experiences here frequently and to share photos of the places I’m visiting.

If you would like to come along, please just send me an email at

in.my.suitcase.too@gmail.com

I’ll send you a short note each time I post a new page.  Couldn’t be easier. Your email address is safe with me – never shared and never shown online.  Thanks!