Travels in Europe
I had Croatia in my travel goals for years. A friend with Croatian heritage had once showed me pictures of his family vacation. I was floored. Crystal clear blue waters and lush greenery marked the landscape. He mentioned that it was also “dirt cheap”. I am glad to report that Croatia is just as beautiful …
I am glad to say that I’ve crossed off another culinary milestone off my list. I’ve finally dined at one of Paul Bocuse’s restaurants. This one is very very special. It is the restaurant at the Institut Paul Bocuse in Lyon. I am glad to report that it is incredibly delicious and surprisingly a value. Here’s the …
Antonio and I wanted to do something truly special for our 10th non-wedding Anniversary. We’ve seen people get married, get divorced, have children, get married again, then go through their second divorce. We work and live together and I think 10 years is a pretty good accomplishment. When our friends Barbara and Vincent messaged us …
The Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction: Taste the Tradition Read More »
I know you, whenever you arrive at your vacation spot, the first thing you do is find out where the market is. In some places it is a galeria. In others, it’s Les Halles. In Beaune it happens to be the “Marche” and it is one of my favorite things to do in Beaune. It’s …
Writing about Paris is a daunting task – didn’t know what I was getting into when I started this post. Needless to say, this is a work in Progress – check back for updates – I will complete this one (and the separate detailed arrondissement posts) soon. What can I say about Paris that other …
If you haven’t already figured it out, I’m a bit of a Francophile. But I will confess that going to Beaune was a hard decision. I went in March and the beaches of France were calling. I kept picturing myself catching some rays in Nice, having some Bouillabaisse in Marseille, or going broke in Cannes. …
You’ve been dreaming of going to Versailles. After all, it is the most beautiful Castle in the world, right? Abso-freakin-lutely. But you’ll hate it. Why, you ask? Because, just like Venice and Dubrovnik, Versailles is a place that is ridiculously overrun by idiotic tourists who don’t even know how to behave. The volumes of people are …
I needed a way to break up the 3 hour drive from Marseille to Lyon. Since Avignon is located in south central France in the French region of Provence between these two cities, I thought it would make a perfect stop. I only made two mistakes and since you’re reading my Avignon France Travel Tips there’s no …
Avignon: City of Popes…More Importantly, City of Wine Read More »
Perhaps one of the things that I found most interesting about my trip through Burgundy was just how small the vineyards of Chassagne-Montrachet are. Yet this region produces some of France’s most amazing wines, some of those are Vincent & Francois Jouard Wine. Vincent & Francois Jouard Wine Chassagne-Montrachet actually produces 60% white wine, even though …
Do you like food? Do you love food? If so, then you may want to consider Lyon as your next travel destination. Besides the food, there are wonderful museums, shops, and parks. On top of that there is the wonderful Fete des Lumieres in the winter season. It is a wonderful, working French city. The people …
I often talk about moving to Europe; specifically France. I’m a “bit” of a Francophile. This means I am constantly weighing the pros and cons of each French city I have visited and I usually end up with two cities in mind: Lyon and Nice. I’ve visited Nice twice and it is simply lovely. Here’s …
Marseille is one of my favorite cities in France. I’ve had many people, predominantly French, give me really weird looks when I say this. To be honest, I hated Marseille day 1. We took the train in from Cannes to Marseille. Our host told us that the walk from the Gare (train station) to the …
Paris has some amazing farmer’s markets, I explored Battignoles (9th Arrondisement) as well as the Raspail Market (6th arrondisement). Both were wonderful and “Bio” which is the French version of organic. When the French say organic, they mean it. Their meats have no hormones, are grass fed, and the produce is gorgeous. Head over to …
The French frozen food store chain. I’ve been aware of Picard for years, but I never really gave them much thought. That is until this trip to Lyon. The Picard right next to Les Halles piqued my interest. Think of a supermarket that sells everything, but only in frozen formats. It blew my mind. It …
There is nothing better than traversing markets and stores in other countries. I absolutely adore seeing what locals purchase and sell in all different areas. While I tend to stick to the more down to Earth galerias and les halles; once in a while, I crave a little luxury. When I was in Italy, this craving was sated …