PARIS, 1979 and 2001

Paris is its image: fashionable, cosmopolitan, cultured and romantic.

I've been to Paris twice. Once, as a student and the other as the mother of a student.

In the ensuing years between my first and second visit, not much had changed. The same landmarks and sights which wowed me the first time, did so the second.

The Eiffel Tower: This distinct iron tower was built next to the Seine River in 1889 for the Word's Fair. Be sure to take an evening river tour to see the city of lights from the water. Back in 1979, the tower was not lit. It is now and it sparkles above all else. During the day, be sure to take a ride up to the observation deck for a panoramic view of the city.

Avenue des Champs Elysees: This is the most prestigious avenue in Paris. It is lined with cafes, fashion and luxury shops. In the summer, an open air cafe is the perfect place to relax, enjoy a cool drink and people watch. Another iconic landmark, The Arc de Triomphe is nearby.

Montmartre & the Basilique du Sacre-Coeur (Basilica of the Sacred Heart) : It's a bit of a climb, but well worth the hike. Montmartre is the artistic district of Paris. This is where Picasso and Toulouse-Laytrec lived and painted. Artists still work here and display their art. The atmosphere is wonderful and the view from the top of Montmartre is amazing.

Louvre: The national museum of France is a must see! A former palace, the Louvre is home to over 35,000 art objects including the Venus de Milo and the Mona Lisa. The works of the world's most recognized masters - Rembrandt, Vermeers, da Vinci, Michelangelo - are on display. It's simply the greatest art museum on earth.

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Notre Dame: This catholic church is breathtaking on several levels. First, the architecture - outside the flying buttresses, the facade with its stone carvings and the gargoyle rain spots. Second, inside the large rose stain glass window gleams like a jewel inside the dark interior.

BRUSSLES, BELGIUM, 1979

I traveled with a group of college students to three countries during the summer of 1979: Holland, Belgium and France. Belgium was the second country we visited.

On the road in to Brussels, our motor coach passed by the Atomium. Built in 1958, the Atomium is a giant nine-sphere replica of an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times. Back in 1979, the Atomium had its original aluminum face (in 2006 it was refinished in a glossy stainless steel). To this day, I've never seen anything quite like it.

Within the city limits, the first sight we passed was the impish Manneken Pis (pee boy) fountain. There are several stories associated with the fountain. The one we heard was of a merchant father who had lost his son while visiting the city. The father searched frantically for his son. At the end of a long search, the boy was found relieving himself in a garden. As a remembrance, the happy father had a fountain built on the very spot his son was found. Nowadays, the Manneken Pis is dressed up in costumes to mark different occasions; and sometimes, a beer keg is attached......

The place my friends and I spent most of our time exploring was The Grand Place. The Grand Place is Brussels' central market square. Most European cities have a square, but The Grand Place is by far the most beautiful. The town hall and guild houses of different architectural styles encircle the square. Each seventeenth century guild house is topped by a gilded statue or ornament. A myriad of colorful banners were displayed at equal spacings adding more drama and appeal to the house fronts. Here, in a shop by an open air cafe, I bought my first box of Godiva hazel nut cream chocolates. No small wonder I discovered the most gorgeous chocolates in the world in such an amazing place.