Learning French

We're coming down to the final months before I should stop traveling by plane, and we've decided that our final big trip will be to Europe next month. Besides sitting under the Cancun sun like a beached whale, it seems Europe will be gentle on the body. And, oh the chocolate!

Part of our trip will include driving through northern France, like around the region of Nord Pas de Calais on the France/Belgium border. And, for someone that enjoys learning new languages, it's kind of embarrassing for me to admit how little knowledge of French I possess. Seems like one of those languages you might pick up from pop culture, gastronomy, and travel, but I can't even tell you how to conjugate the most basic verb to be.

To avoid assuming everyone in the world speaks English by speaking loudly and slowly with big gestures, I am going to brave a crash course in French. In this next month leading up to our trip, I'm going to immerse myself in French and hope that Spanish helps me out a little (I'm always impressed by how easily the French learn Spanish and vice versa!).

One of the new podcasts I downloaded to my iPod is called 'Coffee Break French'. Cheap (free) and cheerful! My goal is to learn basic grammar, basic nouns, verbs, and adjectives, learn how to ask for directions, and be able to order off a menu. And I'm going to work on a lovely French accent, too.

Las Brisas Acapulco: A Second Honeymoon

Although Acapulco is just a short road trip away from Mexico City, we never hear very good things about it and stayed away. I was imagining the dingy -- gray and muddy water -- beaches of Galveston, Texas. And, for someone who loves just about any beach, Galveston is not one of them.

But, alas, with a few extra days to our weekend last week, we booked a last minute beach stay at Las Brisas Acapulco. Here are just a few of the unbelievable perks that made this stay like a second honeymoon:

• private casita
• private pool
• view of the Pacific Ocean
• breakfast brought to your doorstep via a "magic box" (imagine the old-timey milk doors)

Everything inside and out is tastefully pink and white, and short of Don and Betty Draper, you feel as though you've been dropped onto the set of Mad Men. Even the attendants walk around in white bermuda shorts and pink havana shirts.

While there was a lot of beautiful coastline and excellent restaurants to be taken in, I can't say we got further than our pool. One restaurant we did make it to was, as I call it, a weigh-and-slay where we picked our fish and had it grilled. It's called Beto Godoy, in the sleepy beach town of Barra Vieja, east of Acapulco. A must-go for the outdoor beach ambiance, though be prepared for slight price gouging.

Acapulco is definitely the most developed beach town we've visited here. And the development just seems to be beginning. There are brightly-lit, jumbo-sized supers, streets, highways, malls and condominiums developing in the east. Casa Palacio has even moved into town. But, whatever you might be looking for -- sleepy beaches, all-night parties, or private pools -- you can find something to your liking in Acapulco.