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You never know what the weather will bring you, so always be prepared.

- Always travel with an umbrella
- Plan your packing for all kinds of weather
- Waterproof your shoes/boots before travel

This was supposed to be a "sunny spring break getaway" in Barcelona, Spain, where normal temperatures are in the 70's or possibly 80's in late April. Clearly my wardrobe and choice of accessories are not suggesting this climate.

Even if you think there is no chance of rain in the forecast, do yourself a favor and bring the umbrella. If it means you “lugging” around an extra 2 lbs in your bag, at least you will be ready when those water droplets commence their decent to the earth. Also – umbrellas are destructible. They will break on you if there is too much wind. Spend the $10 or 10euro and get another one. There’s no point in being cheap if it means keeping you dry.

When a city’s weather channel says, “we haven’t been hit by snow in years!” Murphy’s Law states that you will get pummeled with snow when visiting that city. Not bringing enough layers of clothing or enough pairs of warm socks will only leave you smelly and cold. Very cold. If you’re worried about your backpack being too heavy to be considered carry-on, bite the bullet and wear layers through the security checkpoint. You can always take them off later.  Spandex also adds a layer of warmth and it fits just fine under your jeans or shirts.

When going from Dublin to Edinburgh during the Christmas holiday last year, I had to buy a new pair of boots for the journey. The boots I had worn into Dublin would be considered “fashion boots” and didn’t cut the 3 ft of snow, the icy sidewalks or freezing temperatures. For 29.99euro, I found a good, sturdy pair of boots from Dunnes in the Stephen’s Green Shopping Center, right at the base of Grafton St. and slathered them with 5.99euro waterproof goop I found at Footlocker; ya do whatcha gotta do. As these new boots were structured more than the last pair, I wasn’t able to bring them back home to Auxerre but I got terrific use out of them and was able to walk confidently through any puddle or snowbank; hopefully the chaps at the Art Roch Hostel donated them like I asked them to.

 
If you aren’t pressed for time, find a curious-looking café and order yourself a coffee; a REAL coffee. To us Americans, we’re used to Tim Hortons, Dunkin’ Donuts …the new Keurig brand, or worse yet, McDonald’s. Beurk. This is not real coffee. There’s no body, no existence to the flavor. This is brown water. ::Shrugg:: Apologies to my fast-food tycoon friends. Starbucks, you’re a bit better, but still…something is different. If you want to taste something that is made fresh each time it’s ordered, give you a zing both in energy and in spirit, find a brasserie or café and order up. “Un café” (uh(n) cah-fay) will be served to you, neatly on a saucer with an accompanying biscuit, usually a little gingerbread cookie. Enjoy this. Please don’t gulp it down. Find the richness in what it is.

If you’d like that black “American-style” coffee, order a café allongé (ah-lohn-zjay)…or “elongated coffee." If you think about it, it makes perfect sense. A café, or espresso, with added water thins out the coffee thus making it weaker, thus elongated.  

If un café is too strong for you, like it is for me most times, and you’d prefer a bit of softness to your coffee, take a café crème – that’s your usual coffee with cream; only you don’t dictate 1, 2 or 3 creams or sugars. Instead, your coffee cup will come out to your half full with the base of a café and a baby pitcher of milk will follow up. Add however much sugar you want.

Whatever it is you order, be it something I mentioned or something else, take the time to enjoy the flavor and experience being in a café. Watch the people that go by. Immerse yourself in a book. Write down what you did the previous day in a journal. You may only be visiting for a couple days, but everyone will believe you’re a native.

The words I used are specific to France, but the equivalencies are in each country…you just need to figure out the distinctions.
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A café and a croissant (kwah-SAHN): typically 2€ at a café in France