Europe's Always Been Real Good To Me

Nothing like oatmeal and a large latte at Milk & Honey to get me going after an unexpectedly rowdy night out. For real- it's been awhile since I could claim that level of friendly debauchery, many thanks to The Whigs and The Broken West. It's a stunningly clear fall day in Chicago, Abby and I even ate outside at the cafe, a treat for November!

After I took my nap and was catching up on the people I like to read (see sidebar), one of Midwest Jess' pics from Brighton, England got me thinking. I have a similar shot from a random street in Provence but over there they keep the holiday decor up all year to prevent the unnecessary stress of putting it up and the requisite depression at taking it down.
And when you drive under these garlands you can't help but wonder if at any time the townspeople voted and said, "Look, it's been a rough week. The economy is slow, the crops are late and it's been rainy. Let's make our own holiday." And they just turned on the lights. All of a sudden the potential energy of celebration turned kinetic. I like driving through those towns and thinking that maybe today's the day. With that in mind...I'm going to think about adventures on winding roads and wine at La Palette for the whole drive up to Wilmette tonight. These should help:

Journaling at Domaine du Bois Vert

The Plaza at Vernazza in Cinque Terre (Photos by Molly McG)