Macleod and Jerry Bellune are often asked about their favorite places. Here are 3 they love and would revisit again once we are safe from the covid-19 threat.

M acLeod’s travels as an Air Force brat took her all over the US, to an education in France and living in England.

It’s amazing that she married a southern boy with wanderlust.

London

We were on our way home from a 2nd visit to Ukraine where we worked with a newspaper publisher to help him improve his service to his community.

MacLeod had arranged with the airlines for a week’ stopover in London. She had been here as a school girl. This was a 1st visit for our son Mark and me.

We had fun doing the touristy things, visiting Westminster Cathedral where Ben Jonson is buried standing up, the Tower of London where we saw the splendid crown jewels and heard about the bloody history of the place, Buckingham Palace where the queen hangs out when she’s in town and the awesome British Museum where my grandfather’s young brother Bill spent 3 months. We could see why it had attracted him. And we spent hours in Harrod’s department store that covers 2 city blocks and sells Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

Rome

We fell in love with Rome the moment we left our flight at Leonardo da Vinci Airport and took the train 16 miles into the heart of the city. It was a sunny day and even occasional graffiti on the sides of buildings along the tracks did not distract us. It was a photographer’s paradise. Everywhere you turn there is a picture. We must have shot a hundred photos just wandering around Rome.

We could see why so many movies are made here. Every street is a backdrop.

MacLeod had found a great deal on a hotel room in the middle of everything.

The Coliseum, the Spanish Steps, the romantic Trev Fountain were all within walking distance.

The only day we took public transportation was to reach Vatican City. This was just after the cardinals had elected Pope Benedict and the Sistine Chapel was closed for cleaning. The cardinals must have left a mess.

Paris

We always seem to be on our way to or from somewhere else when we have a chance to stop in spectacular cities. In my humble opinion, London, Rome and Paris are truly great cities.

We were coming from Verdun in the east of France where MacLeod had a reunion with her classmates and headed for the Loire Valley with her old boarding school roommate and her husband when we stopped for a week in Paris.

Aside from pickpockets in the Metro, it was a wonderful experience.

This was in September 2002, a year after the 9-11 bombings and Americans were welcome everywhere,

We attended a 9-11 memorial service at the American Cathedral, marveled at the Rodin Museum and the Louvre where we saw Leonardo’s famous Mona Lisa, watched a film crew making a French movie in the streets, enjoyed coffee and croissants in sidewalk cafes and toured Notre Dame.

I’m glad we had that chance. Since the fire, the cathedral may not be accessible again in our life time.

On our last night, we had dinner in a magnificent old cafe on the Left Bank that looked like something out of “The 3 Musketeers.”

Next: More armchair travel