The inner and outer Frequent Lunatic Flyer in me keeps getting drawn back this thread for some reason...

Here are some of my favorites, in no other order than they appear in my messy mind -

1. Paris - I know, sounds trite, but I'm in love and just can't help it (maybe I read too much Remark when I was younger) ! I visited Paris in the fall, the sun was out most of the time, the leaves were all shades of yellow, red and green, the sky was blue, cloudy and sometimes gray, the people were much friendlier than anticipated, the service was endearingly horribly Parisian, the Opera House shocked me, museum d'Orsay surprised me back into life. The day I visited the Versailles Palace it was raining and dark outside, but my heart sang and I fell hopelessly in love... I have an oil painting of Paris on the wall in my apartment, underneath it is a wine bottle holder in a shape of a cello, some of the wines there are French. Do I really need to say anything else, other than the fact that I'm going to visit this secret love of mine at the end of September, and I just happen to have a very dear friend living there (in a 5th floor apartment of a building with no lifts ), who has French and Aussie citizenship and is waiting to welcome me back to my love with open arms... I'm dreaming now...

I'll try to stop novel writing ramblings and make all the others shorter -
Barcelona - reflects my devilish side, what else can I say but Gaudi, Gaudi, Gaidi (my other secret love)
Venice - 3 visits, 2 floods, gondola rides, coffee at Piaza St Marco - cant resist it...
Florence - For the love of Michelangelo and David! and so much more...
Roma - do I really need to say anything about the sheer magesty those 4 letters represent (and no, I'm not referring to tomatos )? even despite the Spanish Steps and my fear of those, the Vatican, St Peters, Colosseum (could always visit Ceasar's Palace in the interim ), but the food, the leather, the shoes, and the Women-Loving Men, of course...
St Petersburg - the only contender of Rome in the majestically beautiful stakes, so much dignity, the Hermitage, the bridges, and so, so much more...
Queenstown, New Zealand - Simply Remarkably Irresistible, no other words... (even despite the hormonal weather - she is a naturally beautiful woman and very feminine at that )
Sydney, Austalia - do I even need to explain? I live here by choice, not birthright
Barossa Valley, Australia - paying homage to my partially German roots, but mainly for the amazing wines, which make me feel all the more romantic
Prague - Breathtakingly beautiful and full of character. Spent 5 days walking non-stop, did not lose a pound (food and wine stops, of course )
London - despite the fog and lack of seafood, there is something about the place I can't describe, it simply calls for me to go back!
Manhattan - don't know why - it's made of stone, I don't relate to the lifestyle at all, but I feel drawn back, might be the cultural aspect and horsedrawn carriages in Central Park...
San Francisco - the crabmeat chowder served in a sourdough bun, of course , the bay, the sheer stunning vistas, the bridge, the trams, the architecture, my 2 closest friends in the world in close proximity, and probably much more - this amazing city almost has my heart, even despite the ridiculously hilly streets that do not go well with my love of high heeled shoes and dislike of inclines...

I say almost because there are still so many new wonderful places to discover and some old favorites to revisit and re-feel. I'll report back here as I progress through my travels, if you don't mind