Paris, May 2012

Paris with the family was fun & busy!  

Day 1 – we arrive in Paris & before we even leave the airport, we buy a museum pass. (note - this will save you lots of time – as you will skip the long lines).  We head to our hotel, The Renaissance Arc de Triomphe. It is a great location, only 2 streets from the Champs Elysee & just a couple blocks from the Arch de Triomphe.  We drop our bags & do what everyone does – head to the Eiffel tower!  We get there & there has to be a 2 hour wait for the elevator, maybe longer.   Then my wonderful husband remembers something from the last time we visited.  You can walk up the 1^st two levels & then catch the elevator to the top.  The only catch – it’s 670 steps to the 2^nd floor.   My husband & 2 kids don’t think twice & we start our hike to the top.  At each landing we stop to take photo’s (aka catch my breath).  When we get to the top, we were rewarded with a beautiful view!  Next on our agenda was a boat ride down the Seine – it’s a fun way to see a lot of sights (Notre Dame Cathedral, Eiffel Tower, Musee du Louvre ,Musee d'Orsay, Assemblée Nationale, Hotel des Invalides, Pont Neuf (Paris' oldest bridge, dating to the 16th century, Pont Alexandre III (Art Nouveau bridge dating to 1896) & the  Grand Palais).  I think you see about 23 bridges during the ride – all very unique).   After the tour – we head to Makassar for dinner.  It’s a French-Indonesian fusion restaurant.  The food was good. The kids ordered bubble gum mojito’s – these were very tasty & by gaging the amount of energy coming from the kids, I would say have tons & tons of sugar!  Thankfully, there was some music – so the kids danced a little before we went up to the room for the night.

Day 2 - We head to the Arc de Triomphe (stopping at Starbucks for breakfast). We get to the Arch and there is a very long wait but we used our museum pass & went to the front of the line (note - kids are free but still need a ticket, cut to the front – show your pass & tell them how many kids tickets you need).  We started our hike to the top – only 284 steps, considering how many we did the day before – this was a breeze!  Great views from the top – the Arc is in the middle of a roundabout the 12 streets feed into (one of them being the Champs Elysee).  Next we head down the Champs Elysee, stopping for water & ice cream. There are lots of high end watch stores, of course we have to stop into a few to see what they have & try them on). Eventually we end up at the Louvre – again skipping the long line with our pass.  We spend hours here – the kids love it!  We would hit one section, then come out to Starbucks & get a snack. Hit another section, then come back to Starbucks etc..  The 2^nd time we were at Starbucks Ratatouille came out to hang with us.  It would have been cute except he was looking a little green – I don’t think he had much time left.  We closed down the Louvre (Mona Lisa being a highlight) & hung out in the park outside the Louvre, it’s beautiful!  We decide to take a tuk tuk back to the hotel.  Which we thought would be fun – until we headed into the roundabout by the Arc – talk about taking a knife to a gun fight.  We get back to the hotel, order room service & we are about to call it a night – when my husband announces the Eiffel tower lights up on the hour, starting at 10:00 pm. So we head back to the Arc (you can go as many times as you want on the pass) – hike back up the 284 steps & wait for the lights.  It was worth it – great view, very pretty!  Finally, around 11:00 pm be head back to the hotel, stopping at Hagen Das but there was 2 hour wait!  We don’t like ice cream that much – so skipped that & went to bed.

Day 3 – We sleep in, get breakfast at Starbucks again (we love Starbucks – it reminds us of Seattle & it has free WIFI).   Walk around town, site seeing & looking for souvenirs – we grab lunch at Pizza Pino’s.  There is a really long line but we wait & it was worth it – pizza was amazing! The kids grab one last Gelato & we head to the airport.

Paris is…well Paris – everyone has to go!

Bologna & Modena, Itlay - June 2012

Bologna in June is hot!  100 degrees hot & for kids born in Seattle & living in London – it was seriously hot.  So I did what any Mom would do - I promised to buy lots of Gelato!

Bologna is a neat place – lots of old buildings & tons of beautiful arches.  It’s small enough to walk around but big enough to keep you busy.

We stayed at a B & B (Bologna Nel Cuore) right off the Piazza Maggoire square.  The owner – Maria was nice & the breakfast was very good.  Meat, cheese, homemade preserves, tarts – a great way to start off the day.

Day  1 – we arrive about 12:00 pm & decide to explore the town.  Oh - I love the colors of Bologna (reds, oranges, muted yellows, browns).   There are flowers everywhere & little alley ways with outdoor cafés, Italian men playing the accordion.  The women are all dressed really nice & the shoes are fabulous!  We ate at an outdoor café, had Gelato in the Piazza & took the open bus tour.     

Day 2 – we did a food tour around Modena (with Alessandro - Italian Food experiences).  Our 1^st stop was the Parmigiano-Reggiano factory.  We saw the entire operation, met the “Big Cheese” & then got to taste everything. What did I learn? They have 2 grades – 1^st grade & 2^nd grade – everything else is just cheese.  You should buy Parm that has DOP stamped on the outside of it (dop are the officials that say if the cheese is good enough to be called Parmigiano-Reggiano).  The outside of the Parm (hard crust) – can be cut off & thrown on the grill with a little oil & eaten like a steak.  I really want to try that.  Our 2^nd stop was a private farm that produces Balsamic Vinegar.  We tasted a 6 year Balsamic condiment (on gelato) – loved that!  We tasted a 12 year Balsamic Vinegar (on Ricotta) – that was good too (the Ricotta was amazing!).  We tasted a 25 year Balsamic Vinegar – that I didn’t love.  It was seriously thick.  I imagine in the winter when it’s cold – you would have a hard time even getting it out of the bottle.  It tasted a little like molasses. Our 3^rd stop was a Prosciutto factory – this was a little disturbing.  Huge Pig legs hanging around – I love meat truly I do but even for me this was a tad nasty. I did try it & it was good but I didn’t bring any home.  Our last stop of the day was a farm called Corte D’Aibo – where we were stopped for lunch.  It’s in the hills of Monteveglio – it’s quaint & beautiful - it’s everything you imagine Italy would be.  They served a fresh onion focaccia that makes my mouth water just talking about it.   We were there for hours – I lost count but there were at least 7 courses.  They kept bringing out food & saying “manga, manga” (eat, eat)!  Oh my word – it was good but I was definitely heading towards a food coma. 

Day 3 – we slept in, had a late breakfast & then went to find San Francesco (a French Gothic church started in 1236).  It was cool – we tried to go inside but the priest didn’t speak English. My Italian is terrible & the best I could figure was that we were trying to enter the cloister! From there we decided to go shopping.  We found a fabulous tea shop, in some little alley way.  The smells were amazing – we lost track of time but had so much fun!  I think our favorite was a peach chai. We hit a couple of souvenir shops (for the kids) & then a clothing store (can’t remember the name) but we all found something in there (clothes, scarves, headbands).    Arms filled with Italian goods we decided to find La Brace – a pizza/pasta restaurant that was recommended to us.  The waiters were standing in front of the doors – when I asked if we could come in, he said “are you British?”  I said “do you want me to be British” & he said “NO! We don’t serve Brits!” – I said “oh good, were American” and he let us in (evidently, Italy & England were scheduled to play against each other in football (soccer) that weekend). I’d like to think he was kidding but I’m not sure J.  Anyway – they brought pizza to the table (instead of bread), the kids thought that was fun!  The menu was in Italian – again I know only a little so I asked what he thought was good, hmmm maybe I shouldn’t have because I had no idea what he was saying.  Instead of embarrassing myself – I said “great, I’ll have that”.  Thankfully – it was an amazing pasta dish! We ended with a Gelato & then headed back to the airport.

Only 2 other things of note:  
1^st they have a McDonalds in the center of town.  They people speak English; they give you lots of ice with your diet coke (cheapest you’ll find in town), its air conditioned & the bathrooms are clean.  We stopped in here about twice a day J 

2^nd a lot of the ATM’s are inside the banks – so if you need cash, get it before Sunday (when most banks are closed). After going to multiple banks that were closed - I was starting to get nervous until I noticed a lady go inside one of the closed banks (evidently you needed a code to get in).  I waited until she left & went in before the door closed ;)    As I was getting my cash - I was feeling really proud of myself - then I thought “OH MY WORD - please tell me I don’t need a code to get out!!”    Thankfully – I didn’t need a code but I didn’t have to hit quite a few different buttons until I found one that opened the door.

I loved Bologna and I would definitely go back, maybe next time I’ll rent a villa in the hills & take some cooking classes J

Borough Markets

My 1st gastro tour - I wasn't sure what to expect.  Celia Brown was our tour guide.  She's been on tv & wrote her own cookbook.  She now has her own company, taking folks on tours of the markets around London.  Since the vendors know her & she brings them business - they are very kind to her.  We got private tastings, discounts & a little back story about the food we were trying.  I picked the Borough Market - it was started in the 13th century.  The London bridge was the only way to get over the Thames to get into the city of London, so that's where the traders set up shop. I had an amazing time - every 5 steps or so you were assulted with another wonderful smell.  We were there 3 hours and it was definitely not enough time - I could of easily spent a few more hours wandering around.  I held an ostrich egg, tasted sheeps cheese & ate boar jerky.  I tasted butter with sea salt (yum), pumpkin seed oil & marinated onions.  My favorites (which I bought) was white balsalmic vinegar (oh my - like a party in your mouth it's so good, oak roasted tomato's, mushroom pate & Lord London cheese.   We did a wine tasting - I liked the chardonnay-semillon (foxgrove).  We had fresh beef right off the grill  (melted in your mouth).  We had crusty bread, tons of different cheese & tried rows of olive oils.  Needless to say - I can't wait to go back! 

Meditteranean cruise - Liberty of the Seas RCCL

My husband & I have been on quite a few cruises but this the 1st one for my girls (ages 7 & 9).  They gave it two thumbs up.  Some favorite things on the ship - rock climbing wall, ice skating rink, broadway shows, swimming/water park, dream works parade and the self serve ice cream machine.  I'm not a big fan of cruise ship food but this was the best to date :)  Our 1st stop was Provence, France - we decided to take a tour to Cassis, an ancient fishing port.  The harbor was pretty & the shops quaint.  We stopped & had a croissant at an outside cafe - super yummy!  We walked down to the beach - it was rocky but beautiful. As we sat there a 3 men rose out of the sea, dressed in full wet suits, spear guns in hand, fish & a giant squid hanging from their belts.  They came out of the water & walked down to the fish market to drop off the days catch - very James Bond, very cool!  The 2nd stop was Ville Franche a very small medieval village - with quaint colorful buildings & a picturesque marina. From there we took a 20 minute train ride to Monte Carlo.  I loved Monte Carlo - everything is carved in the side of the mountain.  We got to see some of the Grand Prix course. The cars outside the casino, the yachts in the marina - everything said money, lots & lots of money.  Our 3rd stop was Livorno - basically a pit, so we only drove thru on our way to Pisa.  The Tower of Pisa is in the middle of no where but definitely worth the drive.  Then we continued on to Florence - we saw lots of statues (a naked David, Perseus holding Medusa's severed head). A few cathedrals, the doors of paradise, The Baptistery of John the Baptist, from the 11th century.  We ate lunch by the Ponte Veccio (1345 bridge). If you like red wine - I recommend you try Brunello, it was exquisite (and I don't even like red wine).  Our 4th stop was Rome, our agenda was the Coliseum, the Vatican & St Peter's Basilica. The Pope was in town & giving a blessing in the square so what should of been a 1 hour trip into town took 3. We did get to see everything but it was so crowded you couldn't walk, you had to shuffle.  Our 5th stop was Naples - we were supposed to take a boat tour to Capri, Sorrento & Pompeii but due weather they cancelled it.  We decided to spend a relaxing day on the boat. Our final stop was Barcelona, we walked up & down the streets - we found catherdrals, fun parks, buildings by Gaudi & great street performers.  It as the perfect ending to a great trip. 

Rome, Italy

My 2nd international trip with my best friend, I have to say after Belgium we were feeling a little more confident.  We arrived by plane & had the hotel send a car to pick us up.  We were staying at the Residenza Frattina - a great hotel (fab continental breakfast), great location (no elevator).  When we made the reservation, we asked for a double room. When we walked into the room - it had a huge round bed in the middle.  The guy must of seen my face because he said - it's a double room, it's just round because of the shape/size of the room.  The room was big & sqaure - so I wasn't sure what that had to do with a round bed but he seemed to think that was explanation enough & left.  We busted up laughing - welcome to Italy!  Rome is a huge city, with an overwhelming amount of people. Public transportation is the quickest way to get around, that is if you can fit on the train, bus, trolly etc... We are standing on the platform, the train comes (it's full) & you are fighting the old lady next to you to get the last spot - I felt like I was in a Seinfeld episode.  The 1st couple times the old lady beat me but after a while I caught on. I pulled out some old basketball moves - I'd post up, throw some elbows & before I knew it I was on the train :)   We saw the Coliseum (stood where the gladiators had stood), St Peters Basilica (touched the tomb of St Peter) (they had some past Pope's on display (this was disturbing), Vatican (we sat in the Sisten Chapel for a long time, just soaking it all in), Pantheon, Spanish Steps, Trevi fountain, Palatine, Arch of Titus.   I wasn't impressed by the food with the exception of the gelato at San Crispino (no cones or toppings, just yummy gelato).  Seeing all these places in person was amazing - they just don't translate in pictures & videos. With that said - I don't know that I would want to go back, like I said the amount of people is overwhelming - I guess I'm just a small town girl at heart :)

Bruges & Brussels

My 1st international trip without my husband (a world traveler). I was a little nervous but excited to explore a new country with one of my best friends.  Our plan was to spend 1 day in Bruges & 1 day in Brussels. We took the Eurostar train from London St Pancreas to Brussels Midi - it's about a 2 hour train ride, which was uneventful (with the exception of snorting myself awake & everyone having a good laugh).  When we got off the Eurostar in Brussels - we had to connect to the local train that would take us to Bruges (another hour ride away). We had a 25 minute connection time - which I thought would be fine but I didn't take into account that everything was in french and that there would be long lines for tickets. We got our tickets & found our platform with about 5 minutes to spare.  That's when it hit me - we needed to exchange money -  hmmm miss the train (and take a later one) or jump on the train & exchange our money at the train station in Bruges.  We decided we would take the train & exchange our money in Bruges.  I'm sure you can guess - they don't have an exchange desk there, the closest place was a 20 minute walk - so bags in hand we start out.  We find the bank, exchange our money & head back to the train station to store our bags. Unfortuately, we couldn't figure out how to make the lockers work (as the instructions were in french).  Eventually, we found someone who took pity on us & explained what to do in English.  Bags stored, map in hand, Euro's in pocket, camera around neck - we were ready to explore.   Bruges is one of the most pictureque places I've ever seen - it was like a movie set.  Every place you looked was more beautiful than the next.  For someone like me who loves to take pictures - it couldn't of been more perfect.  We had a 3 hour lunch at a little restaurant overlooking the main square - the flemish stew was amazing, the mint tea outstanding!  Yes - I did say a 3 hour lunch, I personally think the waiters were making bets about how long the Americans would sit there but as I would come to find out - the Europeans take their time while eating & if you want your bill or the next course you have to signal them.   We spent the rest of the day wondering around the streets, taking pictures in a magnificent setting before setting off to Brussels.  In Brussels - we stayed at the Royal Windsor hotel, a great hotel, in a great location. Brussels definitely has a city feel - it's bigger & busier than Bruges but still beautiful. The architecture was outstanding. The food - stew (Brasserie Rou d 'or), waffles, chocolate (chocolateirs on every corner), french fries (eaten with mayo) ....all amazing.  The streets are like a maze & we found ourself looking at the map quite a bite.  We must of looked lost & confused because every time we pulled the map out - someone would stop & ask us if they could help :)  They would actually go out of their way to help us - definitely some of the nicest people I've met so far.    I have to say - I love Belgium (the food, the people, the sights).  I can't wait to go back & visit again.