Like any Frenchman worth his sel, my French host dad loves wine. On any given night we might be uncorking a 1997 Côtes du Rhône or pulling an award-winning Rioja out of the cave à vin. And as someone who once felt that yellow tail was a splurge, I’m not sure I deserve all of this well-aged goodness.
Destinations
Dear Paris: A Love Letter to the City I Finally Adore
Dear Paris, I have a confession. I didn’t love you at first. And I’m not really sure why. Maybe it’s because I associated you with loneliness, as I spent my first three Parisian summers wandering the cobblestone streets by myself. Or maybe it’s because I thought you were cold and uptight, that your citizens were too … Read more
My Southeast Asia Bucket List
As my time in Paris comes to a close, I can’t help but fantacize about my upcoming trip to Southeast Asia. And in order to hold myself accountable to having an amazing trip, I wanted to share my Southeast Asia bucket list. Considering I have fewer objectives on my Southeast Asia bucket list than I … Read more
Moments from a Weekend in the French Countryside
Last weekend, I escaped Paris to visit my friend Laura’s horse farm in the south of France. It was a weekend of muddy wellies, Earl Grey, good friends and big laughs. Laura, who hails from the north of England, has an English mother and French father who run a horse-riding school near Limoges. And even … Read more
The French Open for Beginners
While I may not be the sportiest/most adventurous of bloggers, I am really into tennis and used to play varsity in high school. So when a family friend visiting Paris asked me, “Do you like tennis? How would you like my extra ticket to the French Open quarterfinals?” I actually had tears in my eyes.
An Hour from Paris: the Beautiful and Tragic Château de Vaux le Vicomte
I headed to Vaux le Vicomte on a rainy Monday with my French host family, and if I were a Lonely Planet guide I would proclaim it to be, “The perfect day trip for those who tire of the crowds at Versailles and Giverny.” (Ahem, me.) And while the château is opulently beautiful, its most … Read more
The Most Parisian Park in Paris, the Jardin du Luxembourg
Spring is an undeniably beautiful phenomenon, especially when you live in Paris. After the long, overcast winter the sun finally shines, the flowers burst open in color and the city-dwellers stroll Paris’ many parks feeling a little… lighter. As I learned this spring, there’s nothing like feeling sun on your face after enduring months of living under eternally overcast skies.
A Mini Blogger Meet-up in Karlsruhe, Germany
So while spending a few days in Strasbourg, Julika and I decided to pop over and visit Alex from Ifs, Ands & Butts in her adopted hometown of Karlsruhe, Germany. Alex, by the way, is one of my favorite bloggers, who I have met up with before here in Paris.
After a zippy forty-minute train ride, we made our way to Germany, a country I always enjoy visiting. The combination of stay-out-til-dawn nightlife, hearty food and 6′ 2” gentlemen just gets me every time, and I have a not-so-secret love for the German language.
Colmar: France’s Fairytale City
Colmar- the little Alsatian town that truly made me feel like I had stumbled into a storybook. Or maybe a film set. Because where else can you find princess turrets, rainbow-colored half-timber houses and romantic canals all in a few square miles?
Strasbourg: France’s Little Piece of Germany
Strasbourg can best be summed up by an argument I had with my German friend Julika while walking the street. Me: This town seriously looks just like Germany! Julika: No way, it’s totally French. Me: But look at the half-timbered houses! Julika: Have you seen the balconies? In fact, Strasbourg is kind of half and half- which … Read more