Rome is one of my favorite cities. Let Paris Soul & Beyond show you how it could become your favorite city too. If not for the fashion or the food in Rome, you have TONS of history! When it comes to history in Rome, there is an African proverb: How do you eat an elephant? Bite by bite. Where do you begin? Why not take bus a tour and get a quick glance of every ancient site? Start at the Colosseum or Forum? Or both? Let’s say that you land on/in the Colosseum, why not take a tour just on the Colosseum? You can walk on the floor of the Colosseum where the gladiator fought lions. If you have more bandwidth for Ancient Rome , take another tour all about the Forum. Once you think you had enough of antiquities, you can move onto something else. How about fashion? The Dolce Vita known as “The Sweet Life” will find you! You can stroll down the most expensive shopping street, Via dei Condotti, and pop into Gucci, Prada, Bottega Veneta, and Fendi. And then end your day with a glass of wine and a bite to eat in a nearby restaurant. But don’t just eat anywhere! Where do you go? First, research the best restaurants in Rome, read the reviews, and then make reservations on The Fork app. A Roman holiday can be customized around your meals. In other words, you can choose or shoehorn activities between meals. Another suggestion would be to go on a walking food tour, perhaps in Travestere -- a cool, offbeat neighborhood and less touristy than Central Rome. In fact, Romans have even inquired how I found a particular restaurant. I told them I went on a walking eating tour, and the guide suggested that I try the pasta carbonara at the very spot we were dining. Then, they would be kind enough to recommend their other favorite eateries around Rome. Of course, I would go to those places, but if you are in a pinch to find a good restaurant, I would recommend that you go where there are a lot of people eating, drinking, and speaking Italian. If there is a huge Italian party, usually a large family with a priest, eating outside on a beautiful evening, I would consider that a good sign to stop, read the menu, and ask for a table. If I get turned away, I ask what nearby restaurant is good and then go there. But don’t start looking for a restaurant when you are hungry, you could make a hasty decision and may not wind up at the best one. Just remember hunger can impair judgment, so plan ahead. That may mean, you might opt for some pre-dinner gelato …

Why Africa? Africa was on the horizon after a successful trip to Egypt in February 2020. Plans were made for an once-in-a-lifetime safari in early March, but who knew that the pandemic was going to halt most things from moving forward. Now four years later, even though it is impossible to make up for that lost time, why not bags your bags and go somewhere SPECIAL! AND that place would be Tanzania. Tanzania, unlike Kenya, is not colonial orientated but based on a socialist philosophy called ujamaa – “fraternity” in Swahili. Despite Tanzania and Kenya’s philosophical differences, both countries have unimaginable amounts of wildlife. And these animals migrate between the contiguous ecosystems of Serengeti in Tanzania and Maasai Mara in Kenya. There is nothing like going on safari on either side of the Mara River. There is nothing as majestic giraffes strutting or an illusive leopard perched in tree in the Serengeti. In the Maasai Mara, you will see the most beautiful savannahs with prides of lions and perhaps a sole, humongous elephants. You will see a cheetah run. However, during this trip you will witness the Great Migration from the Tanzania side. Hordes of animals will leave Kenya and cross the Mara River into Tanzania. Tons of wildebeest, zebras and gazelle will surround you. After leaving the Serengeti, we will go to a magical place. Hopefully, the Maasai people will greet you, as we enter the Ngorongoro Crater – a natural wonder created by a collapsed volcano. Unlike the Serengeti where green rolling plans go on and on as far as the eye can see, the Crater goes down thousands of feet. The fauna on the rim of Crater will either be elephants, giraffes, or zebra, but you may wonder where they are at the bottom of the Crater. As you descend the Crater, you will feel the temperature change and see flora that you have may bought in plant nurseries. I remember seeing my Mother’s favorite plant, an African violet, growing out of the Crater’s wall. You will also observe how the wildlife has adapted to this green subterranean ecosystem. Not to give all the surprises away, ultimately, you will see animals in one of the most beautiful places in the world.