Longtime lovebirds fall in amore with the continent.

Wanderlust is defined as an intense longing to travel. Winnipeggers Sharna and Cam Lea finally satisfied theirs with a 2018 trip to Europe—an Atlantic crossing to celebrate their 35th anniversary. "We didn't know how to plan a trip like that," Sharna says. "Which is why we worked with travel consultant Novella Troia at CAA. She suggested a packaged tour, so all the details would be taken care of."

The three-week trip, hosted by Monograms, took the Leas to five cities across England, France and Italy. “In every city, a local host greeted us at the airport and delivered us to our hotel," Sharna adds. "We could almost touch the Eiffel Tower from our Parisian hotel." Local hosts also showed them around each city, offered advice and served up local restaurant tips. In Venice, the duo nibbled on fresh pasta and hand-stretched pizza, while sipping Prosecco and limoncello. In Rome, they marvelled at the Colosseum: "Touching a nearly 2,000-year-old structure and imagining what life was like so long ago—it was just incredible."

Though it took 35 years to make that first trip, the Leas returned to the continent in 2019, visiting Amsterdam, Prague, Budapest and Vienna.

What was your first?

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