Côte d'Azur

Back in December my good friend Amy who used to live in Paris came to visit for several weeks during her school break. Amy had always wanted to visit the south of France so we decided to take an impromptu weekend trip to Nice to visit a mutual friend that lives there.

We took the 10 hour night train because we really wanted to get the most out of the experience and I'm pretty sure that I got so much out of it that there really is no good reason for me to take the night train again. Upon arriving in Nice our host met us up at the train station and brought us to her place. Being the wonderful host that she was, she immediately whipped up some crepes, fresh fruit and coffee for us. And after catching up for a bit we were off to the marché at the Cours Saleya. After that Amy and I walked around a bit, took in a few sights and then headed back to the apartment.

On our second day we woke up relatively early and made our way to the Matisse Museum (good), saw some ancient Roman ruins (good) and then checked out the Chagall Museum (can I have my money back please). We stopped briefly for a coffee, chatted with two old men who were impressed with Amy's hair and then boarded a train and were off to Monaco for a few hours. While there we visited the jardin exotique, the casino (of course) and the palace before heading back to Nice. On our last day in the region we visited the Russian Orthodox Cathedral (gorgeous) before boarding a train to Cannes. I really wasn't blown away by Cannes which is probably why I have no recollection of what we actually did while there. What I do remember is that my knee was killing me after walking around so much that I had to stop by a pharmacy to get some medication to alleviate the situation.

Dubai, Oh My!

One of my unofficial New Year's resolutions is "do more, think less". This may not sound like the best motto to live by for some but for me it's a truly useful reminder to not get all caught up in the constant analysis, processing and what if scenarios that tend to cloud my judgment and paralyze my decision making when it comes to experiencing certain things in life.

So do more, think less is exactly what I did when an opportunity presented itself for me to travel to Dubai. The old me upon considering the situation; alone, to an unfamiliar region, to visit a guy that I had only met once, would have never even considered it a possibility let alone been able to board an airplane. The new me however, looked up ticket prices, run a quick cost benefit analysis and was on my way. Life is all about experiences is what I keep reminding myself.

As for my trip, it couldn't have been better and all of the fears of the old me were for naught. My host was absolutely amazing, kind and generous and I can't possibly thank him enough for welcoming me into his lovely home. Dubai doesn't have the charm that old European cities like Paris and Rome have and I was initially put off by the somewhat its Vegas-esque, faux feel. Even though there were quite a few things that I didn't like about Dubai I have to admit that it is quite impressive what they were able to build and accomplish there in the middle of a desert. Whether or not it's sustainable is yet to be seen.

Mykonos in Photos

Click to enlarge collage

Click to enlarge collage

Santorini in Photos

They Got Me Covered

My trip to Greece is in exactly two weeks and it feels like I've been planning the adventure for ages. With the maternal unite in tow we will explore mainland Greece and the islands of Santorini for 10 days. Hopefully we don't kill each other.

However, just in case I fall ill or suffer some freakish accident I took a precaution and applied for the European Health Insurance Card or the carte européenne d’assurance maladie as it's called in France. According to the European Commission website:

The card ensures that you will get the same access to public sector health care (e.g. a doctor, a pharmacy, a hospital or a health care centre) as nationals of the country you are visiting. If you have to receive medical attention in a country that charges for health care, you will be reimbursed either immediately, or after you go home to your own country. The idea is that you are given the care you need to allow you to continue with your stay.

That good news for a hypocondriac like myself. I easily applied for the card by submitting a request on the Assurance Maladie website and two weeks later I found the little blue card in my mailbox. The card is valid for one year and will cover me during any visits (personal or business) to any EU countries and a few others. So paying the pied piper isn't so bad afterall and actually has some benefits.

Aix and Marseille in Photos

First Aix-en-Provence (click to enlarge)


Then Marseille (click to enlarge)

Aix-en-Provence and Marseille Visit

I have a friend in town from NYC that was also an assistant in Paris last year. Since it was another long weekend we decided to pack our bags and head south to Aix-en-Provence and Marseille for a short getaway. Aix-en-Provence was a deliriously quaint city with bright colors, friendly people and perfect weather.

My only complaint about Aix are the allergy causing cypress trees that could be found everywhere. My Flonase (Flixonase as it's called here) was no defense against those trees but like a good sport I modeled through it. Despite the allergies I would love to return and even take some time out to visit the countryside in the area.

Marseille on the other hand was a completely different experience with my friend almost being mugged within minutes of arriving in the city. Needless to say the experience made us feel a little uneasy about the city and we kept our guard up at all times. Marseille has its charms such as the Calanques, easy access to the Mediterranean, and the amazing neo-Byzantine architecture of its main cathedrals, but I wouldn't necessarily call it a charming city.

I would probably go back but only on the condition that I visited with someone from the area or that knows the city very well.

Being gone from Paris for two weekends in a row was just too much for me so I plan to stay put for while.

A Weekend in Bourgogne (translation: Burgundy)

Last weekend I parted fake France took off to "Real France" with Sam, Sarah and her husband. First stop on the roadtrip was to visit Justin in Chalon-sur-saône. He was the most hospitable host and I'm glad I had to see his charming town before his move to Paris. (Thanks again Justin).

I had every intention to go running along the river but life got in the way.


And by life I of course mean wine tastings, dining, sleeping and things like that. We visited several caves in the region and two of my faves were the Jean-Claude and Anna Breliere and the Paul Chollet domaines. The former is run by the cutest and most friendly couple imaginable offers all types of burgundy wine. The latter only produces crémants which are French sparkling wines not made in the Champagne region. Go figure.


While I did have a lot of fun on my trip I did manage to learn a thing or two about wine. In Burgundy there are two primary grape varieties grown the Chardonnay grape and the Pinot Noir grape and very little blending if any and little flexibility compared to the five primary varieties produced in Bordeaux and much more blending. Hence, if there is a bad harvest one year in Burgundy chances are you aren't going to have any good wine from that region and the producers are SOL whereas in Bordeaux producers have a lot more leeway to create their wines which is why they say that you can never really go wrong with a Bordeaux wine.

In addition to visiting caves and wine tasting we also visited the Hospices de Beaune and spent a day touring Dijon.

Comfy looking hospital beds

Medicine Anyone?

How 'bout some surgery?

Thanks to the Frenchies I have another long weekend coming up and I'll be heading down south to visit Aix-en-Provence and Marseille.

Outgrowing Paris?

When I first moved to Paris I used to revel in the idea of running into someone I know par hazard within the city limits. It felt like a sign that I had arrived and was building a network of people I knew, experiencing the city and making new friends along the way.

After almost two years here there are of course some people that you would rather forget or prefer not to see randomly by chance in the city such as your former fling when you most definitely didn't bring you A game, or the shock of seeing your friend's boyfriend with someone other than his girlfriend, or random people that you've met at parties that you'd much prefer to forget. These encounters, which all occurred to me over the past four days have me reflecting on just how freaking small this city actually is.

I guess that's a sure sign that it's time to get outta dodge for a few days and visit An American in Bourgoogne when this short 3-day work week is over.

Bordeaux in Photos

By Day

By Night

Bordeaux in Detail

*Warning: this is an unusually long post.

Prior to heading to Bordeaux I had some pre-birthday cocktails at my favorite bar in Paris. Somehow thanks to my girls Juliet, YM and Sarah we ended up getting a private tour of the hotel by to one of the owners. And if that wasn't enough there were complimentary rounds of piscines thanks to the owner's kindness and generoristy. Getting home late and full of champagne (I'm not one to turn down a free cocktail especially when they're going for 12€ a pop) I was afraid I would miss my 7AM train the following morning. Fortunately, that wasn't a problem and I made it right on time.

The 3 hour train ride was uneventful and passed fairly quickly as I used it as an opportunity to catch up on some much needed sleep. Upon arriving in Bordeaux a friend picked us up at the gare and gave us a short guided tour of the city by car. After lunch, while my friend KD worked for a bit Kiki and I decided to take a free rickshaw ride. The driver told that his sole destination would be a mutuelle office on the other side of town and if we stayed for the sales pitch we would be offered a free gift. Not one to turn down a free gift and having nothing else better to do for the afternoon we hopped in. The driver must have found us charmer or possibly realized that he wouldn't have many other riders during the afternoon and offered to give us a tour of the city as well.

On Saturday we drove to check out Saint-Émillion which was absolutely gorgeous and picturesque despite the rainy and gray weather. Unfortunately, because we got a late start we didn't get to do any wine tastings altough we did have an enjoyable lunch. After and afternoon spent in Saint-Émillion we headed back to the hotel to prepare for the evening which included a Felipecha concert. It was my first time listening them and I must say that really enjoyed their live performance and I'd highly encourage you all to check them out. We all hung out after the concert and had an amazing time. At midnight my friends and the band started singing happy birthday to me which was quite embarassing. However, one of the bartenders heard the singing and offered each of us a yummy cannelets as a little gift.

On Sunday, after a late night we managed to get ourselves together and head to a vineyard in Barsac for a wine tasting. The region's specialty is a sweeter tasting Sauternes wine which, at first, I wasn't sure I would like. Turns out I really enjoyed the younger less sweet option that I tasted and ended up buying a few bottles. After our visit to the vineyard we headed back to Bordeaux to do some shopping at the outlet stores along the Quai des Marques and I scored some desperately needed new jeans. Sunday evening we took it easy and enjoyed a nice, relaxing dinner.

After 3 days of grey and gloomy skies, the sun reappeared on Monday in full forced. We used this opportunity to drive to Arcachon to visit la Dune de Pilat which is essentially a giant pile of sand. After laboriously trekking to the top we were rewarded with the most stunning views of the bay. After a short rest at the top to take it all in and enjoy the sun, we climbed back down, grabbed some lunch then drove back to the gare in Bordeaux.

All in all if was a fabulous weekend and I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend my birthday.

Celebrating My Birthday in Bordeaux

Enjoying a birthday cannelet

Sent from my iPhone

*Note: Updated to fix image.

In Vannes (Part 3)

In Vannes (Part 2)

In Vannes (Part 1)

1. Elevator buttons double as calculators.

2. They have huge stones aligned for miles in the neighboring commune of Carnac.



3. They use sheep to graze the area and I caught a picture of this little guy (he should probably be fired or retrained because I'm pretty sure that's not grass he's munching on).


4. There are some beautiful beaches.


5. ...and beautiful sunsets.


6. Every man (and some women) over the age of 50 can play the accordion.


...stay tuned for part 2 tomorrow.

Going to the Country

Just a quick note to say that I'm heading to Vannes in Brittany for the weekend. As pathetic as it may sound this is my first weekend trip in France outside of Paris. Yes, I am currently hanging my head in shame but not for long because I have a train to catch.

I'll post some photos when I get back.

Beer Budget, Vintage Champagne Tastes

On Saturday, in keeping with one of my New Year's promises to myself, I headed to Reims with two pals. Since I'm feeling kind of lazy (is it too late to blame it on a champagne hangover?) I'm going to spare you all the details of the trip. You can check out my travel buddies Juliet and Sarah's blogs for the full details.

The one unfortunate thing about my trip was that I discovered that I have a preference for vintage champagnes as opposed to the less expensive run of the mill variety.

Let the visits begin

The cave held about 25 million bottles of bubbly

1929 was a vintage year...go figure!

I almost knocked over all of the bottles as I knelt down to take this photo


Only two of those Mumm glasses had my name on them

Thank goodness for the bottle cleaning process

We were only rewarded after we had climbed 161 steps to exit the cave


Our handsome reward

Reward ourselves we did to the tune of about 3 glasses each

And as a parting gift we rewarded ourselves even more with 2 bottles of Pommery Wintertime Blanc de Noirs each. It would have been more but a girl's only got two hands.

London Update: Better Late Than Never

So I went to London two weekends ago and the trip was a roaring success thanks to a favorable exchange rate and cooperative weather. I didn’t have a detailed itinerary to follow and I just went with the flow. I don’t usually fare very well when trips aren’t planned down to the minute but I think I handled it fairly well this time around. I travelled with my friend YM and we stayed at a very nice Holiday Inn in Camden Lock. Booked at a rate of $50/night through Hotwire.com we really beat the price.

This particular trip consisted more of hanging out, letting loose and shopping than sightseeing. However, thanks to my lovely friend Fauzia acting as tour guide all hope wasn’t lost. She let us partake in her Saturday morning ritual of visiting Borough Market, strolling along the Thames and then visiting Tate Modern Museum.

While I appreciated being able to speak in English with any and everyone and the cute bars and restaurants there was no feeling of love at first sight. Sorry London. However, I’m not opposed to a follow up visit if the exchange rate stays at its current level.

In keeping with my New Year’s promise to myself I have three other trips planned. A day trip to Reims this month, a weekend in Vannes the end of March and a long weekend in Bordeaux for Easter. I have to start planning some Q2 trips stat.

London or Bust

I was thinking that what this blog really needs is the story of some torrid romance between me and a Frenchie. But that would be difficult I have no one to blog about in that area at least no one I'm willing to blog about at this time. There are also some French boys out there that I would like to officially put on notice via my blog but I'm going to hold off for the time being, "Mr. I have a 2 week mission in Italy" you're off the hook for now.

So instead I'm taking off to London for the weekend to change things up a bit. I don't really have a plan except how to get from the train station to my hotel. Other than that I plan to play it by ear. I plan to meet up with some friends while I'm there and no matter what I do I to expect to have a good time. Who knows maybe I'll meet a cute Brit that I can blog about when I get back.

Reflections on the Homeland

While it was great to be back on American soil and revel in all the English being spoken however I had a few thoughts and observations:

1. My family was putting on the full court press for me to come home and that made me feel all sorts of guilty. Do I quit Paris to please them or do I stay and continually be selfish and live out my dream. That experience makes me not want to return to NYC for a while.

2. I never realized how hardened New Yorkers can look. I don't know if it's the current economic crisis, the season or their nature but some of the people riding the subway with me looked downright scary. Seriously. Where are the subway riding lovebirds when you need them?

3. The vibe is the city is definitely different. When I was getting my haircut in Soho last week I noticed that the streets were damn near empty. The streets in NYC are barely empty when there's a blizzard. And even though most stores had significant markdowns prominently displayed in the windows there were hardly any shoppers in site.