Vacations: Best (and second best)

Who can say a vacation is bad? So I hereby round out my best and worst list of 2006 with vacations...the best--and the second best. Anything not mentioned can hardly be considered "the worst" (just not as memorable).

To recap: Vacations this year included London (in March), Hong Kong (in May), Vancouver (in September), Paris and the south of France (in October), and St. Martin (in November). I was truly blessed to be able to experience each of these places and had a wonderful time in each destination.

By process of elimination...

I have been to London often enough and though I always adore the time I spend there, this year's vacation in this fare city didn't bring anything new and/or exciting.

Hong Kong is one of my favorite places, and I adored the time I spent there...but I didn't do anything there in '06 that I didn't do in '05.

Vancouver was beautiful and I have this renewed affinity towards the Pacific Northwest.

But the best?

St. Martin. How can an island full of Frenchies and island natives, fabulous food and copious drinks, and the friendliest people I've met all year not be considered "the best"? Plus, the weather was gorgeous and I got an awesome tan and those are bonus points to which I cannot turn a blind eye.

If you're paying attention, that means the second best vacation...

...was Paris and the south of France. (Well, more the south of France than Paris, if only for the same reason as London (above)). I have experienced nothing more glamorous or breathtaking, and the company was pretty unbeatable, too. I am still saving for my home-away-from-home in Cannes or somewhere along the coast headed west towards St. Tropez.