In May 2008 a group of 21 Villa students, faculty and friends participated in an educational tour of three fabulous European cities, Paris, Florence and Rome. This exciting trip included all the highlights. Our first stop was Paris where the whirlwind started with our first evening spent at the Eiffel Tower and then continued with our visit to Versailles and the Musee du Louvre. Our Interior Design lecture at the Paris American Academy with Professor Christophe Salade was a wonderful confirmation that design is a universal language committed to common principles and goals. From the Champs-Elysees to Jim Morrison's gravesiteParis was a thrill from start to finish. Our Florence experience was brief but insightful and to see the original Statue of David by Michelangelo and the famous Duomowas well worth our visit, not to mention the fabulous shopping. Rome was an incredible blend of old and new. Our first night culminated with an incredible dining experience next to the Colosseum. With Rome traffic, the city was easier to navigate by foot, but all the sights were in close proximity from the Vatican museums and St. Peter's Basilica to the TreviFountain and the Pantheon. The sculptures, art and antiquities were breathtaking...and the gelato was amazing. As the trip wound down the question being asked was, '"where are we going next and when"...and that will be Paris and Barcelona in May 2011.