Wow! It has been forever since I last posted, and my life has totally changed. I honestly feel like I have not had a second to sit back and breathe. After arriving back in Atlanta, I decided to get my life in order. My summer in Europe made me realize a few things. One being that I really want to teach kids. So I thought... I am going to go out there, and I am going to teach kids!! No longer than 24 hours after my arrival back on US soil, I applied to every elementary teaching job in the city of Orlando. Yes, I wanted to pick up my life, move to a place where I did not know many people, and fulfill my dream of teaching. I was determined to get a job in this field, and no one could stop me!
After applying to every job on the website....daily.... I then discovered how truly blessed I was. God placed an old friend back into my life that opened up a world of connections. I went on three interviews, and ended up getting a job with her old principal. I cannot thank her enough for this connection! All within two days, I received a job in the place that I wanted to be (and at a really good school), and I had to hunt for a place to live.
My best friend from college decided to move in with me, which was another blessing in disguise! She found this really great place on this really great street and it was meant to be! The place even reminds me of some of the cities in Europe.....which you know I was ecstatic about. It was a done deal that I was going to live there.
I drove back to Atlanta for the weekend, and then the adventure began. I loaded up my car in less than 48 hours, had to pack my life away, and had to decide what in the world I was going to need for my classroom! Between driving back to Orlando, going to orientation, a friends wedding, the rest is a blur.
My life is changing right before my eyes. It is exciting, yet extremely overwhelming. At this point in time, I am truly happy. I am doing what I want to be doing and I am at a really good place in my life. Going to Europe was probably the best thing that has ever happened to me. Besides experiencing amazing things, I got to learn a lot about myself. Europe did exactly what I wanted it to! I got to decide what I really wanted to do with my life and where I really wanted to be and who I really wanted to be with. I wouldn't change the experience for anything in the world!
That being said, I now have to get my room together (almost complete), and figure out what I am actually supposed to teach the little rug-rats. Another adventure has begun...
Follow me on my journey through second grade! (The theme of my class! How cool!! Around the world!!...my favorite topic!) Look for funny stories, venting by me... the person in charge of 18 little 7/8 year olds (yikes)... and some great recipes that help me de-stress myself.
Ciao!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Monday, July 5, 2010
In the middle of nowhere.....in Italia!
So basically I am living in the boonies! In the middle of nowhere in Italy! I wanted this experience to live on a farm and have fresh vegetables and to pick fruits off of the trees but I think that it has changed my mind about wanting to live on a farm!
Yesterday we arrived at Milan centrale station. We took the green line to famagosta stop on the metro to meet our new camp director. She was nice an spoke English, so we were satisfied! However, after we got out of the station, we thought we were in the ghetto of Milan. Not so happy and unsure of what we were getting ourselves into... She told us we were taking a 20 minute drive to where I would be staying. I was hoping that it was out of the ghetto and into a nice English speaking family. Well out of the ghetto we went and arrived in basically the middle of nowhere! We started laughing when we pulled up trying to hide the nervous energy! A nice Italian woman came to the gate, made it official that there were no cats and offered all of us a beer. A good sign we thought! She took us into our home, her and her husband were delightful as can be! They spoke a little English and we sighed in relief that everythig was going to be allright!
She showed us our little apartment for the weekend. I would be staying with the other tutor from England and Ron was just staying here for the weekend because his new host family was at the sea and the other tutor was in Venice for the weekend. The mini apartment looked nice it had it's own kitchen and everything equipped with 2 large beds a bathroom and washer! We finally felt ok and began to laugh at our day.
After our camp director left, we awkwardly sat in our mini apartment, not sure what to do next. We found some biscuits and crackers lying out for us, but decided that we needed to eat a real meal, so we got the courage to ask for some real food!
To our surprise, we had freshly picked eggs straight from their backyard and fresh apricots and cheeries picked from the neighbors trees. It was absolutely delicious and was something that my body was craving the whole time I had been residing in Italy! This is what I though Italy was all about, fresh food and good wine! The yolks in the eggs were unbelievable and hard to truely describe! And I have never tasted an apricot so flavorful! I am hoping to find these when I get back to the states because fresh apricots are something that I will truely miss!! After our delicious meal, she showed us the bikes and we decided to get some exercise! We headed to the smallest town I had ever seen in my life through the corn and rice fields. Yes... Rice fields! They grow rice here and it is everywhere!! With growing rice, also brings bugs because it is grown in water! So we were glad to have put on the off bug spray!!
After our nice bike ride through the country, we took our showers and headed into the nice home of our host family. We could smell the food and it smelled amazing! For dinner you ask?? Fresh vegetables from their garden, pasta and homemade tomato sauce! Don't worry, we asked how they made it and I will be making this when I return! My body was so satisfied with the meal and thanked me for finally putting some vegetable nutrients into it! This was the first meal in Italy that I had presummed to be stereotypical of Italy! We also had white wine, fresh from the neighbors backyard! We finished dinner around 10:30. Yes very late but that's Italy for you!!
We headed to our little flat as they warned us about the Mosquitos! Oh great we thought! They turned on a little gadget that kills the Mosquitos. We closed all of the windows and put towels under the doors. Then, we proceeded to kill hundreds of Mosquitos before trying to go to bed. We spent an hour doing this and we were so desperate for sleep that we took 2 benedryls each to try to take or minds off of the bugs and put us to sleep! Incredibably hot and covered in covers so that the Mosquitos could not reach me, I slept. (Well, I think that I slept a little....)
I was surprised when I woke up, no mosquitos in sight and not a bite on my body! However, I probably lost a few pounds from sweating last night! And to think that I will have to do this for the next 6 nights and hoping that my family next week does not have this same issue!!
That being said, I don't think I could live on a farm equipped with Mosquitos but would love to have fresh fruits and vegetables everyday from a garden. I guess you have to give up one thing to have another. However, I am ready to get back to some civilization and am hoping that our trip to the big city of Milan will do the trick!!
Happy fourth of July!! And, hope you are making a flag cake in my honor! I will try to eat some red white and blue pasta or something I am sure!!
Yesterday we arrived at Milan centrale station. We took the green line to famagosta stop on the metro to meet our new camp director. She was nice an spoke English, so we were satisfied! However, after we got out of the station, we thought we were in the ghetto of Milan. Not so happy and unsure of what we were getting ourselves into... She told us we were taking a 20 minute drive to where I would be staying. I was hoping that it was out of the ghetto and into a nice English speaking family. Well out of the ghetto we went and arrived in basically the middle of nowhere! We started laughing when we pulled up trying to hide the nervous energy! A nice Italian woman came to the gate, made it official that there were no cats and offered all of us a beer. A good sign we thought! She took us into our home, her and her husband were delightful as can be! They spoke a little English and we sighed in relief that everythig was going to be allright!
She showed us our little apartment for the weekend. I would be staying with the other tutor from England and Ron was just staying here for the weekend because his new host family was at the sea and the other tutor was in Venice for the weekend. The mini apartment looked nice it had it's own kitchen and everything equipped with 2 large beds a bathroom and washer! We finally felt ok and began to laugh at our day.
After our camp director left, we awkwardly sat in our mini apartment, not sure what to do next. We found some biscuits and crackers lying out for us, but decided that we needed to eat a real meal, so we got the courage to ask for some real food!
To our surprise, we had freshly picked eggs straight from their backyard and fresh apricots and cheeries picked from the neighbors trees. It was absolutely delicious and was something that my body was craving the whole time I had been residing in Italy! This is what I though Italy was all about, fresh food and good wine! The yolks in the eggs were unbelievable and hard to truely describe! And I have never tasted an apricot so flavorful! I am hoping to find these when I get back to the states because fresh apricots are something that I will truely miss!! After our delicious meal, she showed us the bikes and we decided to get some exercise! We headed to the smallest town I had ever seen in my life through the corn and rice fields. Yes... Rice fields! They grow rice here and it is everywhere!! With growing rice, also brings bugs because it is grown in water! So we were glad to have put on the off bug spray!!
After our nice bike ride through the country, we took our showers and headed into the nice home of our host family. We could smell the food and it smelled amazing! For dinner you ask?? Fresh vegetables from their garden, pasta and homemade tomato sauce! Don't worry, we asked how they made it and I will be making this when I return! My body was so satisfied with the meal and thanked me for finally putting some vegetable nutrients into it! This was the first meal in Italy that I had presummed to be stereotypical of Italy! We also had white wine, fresh from the neighbors backyard! We finished dinner around 10:30. Yes very late but that's Italy for you!!
We headed to our little flat as they warned us about the Mosquitos! Oh great we thought! They turned on a little gadget that kills the Mosquitos. We closed all of the windows and put towels under the doors. Then, we proceeded to kill hundreds of Mosquitos before trying to go to bed. We spent an hour doing this and we were so desperate for sleep that we took 2 benedryls each to try to take or minds off of the bugs and put us to sleep! Incredibably hot and covered in covers so that the Mosquitos could not reach me, I slept. (Well, I think that I slept a little....)
I was surprised when I woke up, no mosquitos in sight and not a bite on my body! However, I probably lost a few pounds from sweating last night! And to think that I will have to do this for the next 6 nights and hoping that my family next week does not have this same issue!!
That being said, I don't think I could live on a farm equipped with Mosquitos but would love to have fresh fruits and vegetables everyday from a garden. I guess you have to give up one thing to have another. However, I am ready to get back to some civilization and am hoping that our trip to the big city of Milan will do the trick!!
Happy fourth of July!! And, hope you are making a flag cake in my honor! I will try to eat some red white and blue pasta or something I am sure!!
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Under the Tuscan Sun!
Well, boy did I get lucky!! After being close to Venice and Verona for a week, we got shipped off to the heart of Tuscany! I am talking about right in the center of my favorite place in the world. It is so relaxing here and the scerery in amazing. I never want to leave!! Well, I miss many things about America, but I would love to have a villa to come back to whenever I wanted! I can totally see how Frances Mayes, who wrote Under the Tuscan Sun, bought a villa and decided to move here. I would love to follow in her footsteps!!
On Sunday, all of the tutors and me decided to take a trip into Florence. Since it is always awkward with your host family on the first day, it was a good way to get out of there, and head to a wonderful destination. Having already been to Florence, I showed them around, and it was great to know where I was going! I love going back to places where I have already been....especially Florence!! There were more tourists in Florence than there was last February, but we still had a wonderful time!! It was nice to see the city in the sun and we were glad it wasn't raining for one of our many excursions!!
My brother happened to be arriving in Florence on the same day, so I met him and his friend Trey at the train station. It seemed that they had been out late in Rome, so I helped them to their hostel. It was interesting to see a hostel for the first time, but it made me less hesitant to stay in one. I walked them though the streets of Florence, as we took many pictures and made sure to get some of Eric and I for mom and dad!! After a short lunch, we all met up and decided to take the short hike up to Piazza Michaelangelo to see the incredible and famous view of Florence. Staring in awe, we plopped down to rest and enjoyed the atmosphere. The duomo is amazing, as it is so enormous. The hills in the background look fake and just like a postcard. Florence is definitely a place to see!!
Monday came, and camp started. It was exciting to meet the kids and see who was going to be in my class. This week, my class is at a lower level than last week, so I am teaching them the basics. It is very difficult at times when they completely do not understand a word that I am saying, but in a way it is kind of good. We are trying our hardest to wear them out and get them excited with mini-olympics and other competitions. It seems to be working, yet we are only on day2!!
When I got home from camp, I decided to take a run through the town. Well, more like a stroll or brisk walk.... I kept thinking about how lucky I am to be in Italy. I still have to pinch myself when I walk around and there are thousands of grape vineyards in the scenery. This has been an amazing experience and I have fallen in love with Italy all over again!
The internet here is hard to find. We get to get on the internet at camp for a while at lunch, so who knows when the next update will occur. Hope all is well and keep following me as I travel through this gorgeous country!!
Ciao!
On Sunday, all of the tutors and me decided to take a trip into Florence. Since it is always awkward with your host family on the first day, it was a good way to get out of there, and head to a wonderful destination. Having already been to Florence, I showed them around, and it was great to know where I was going! I love going back to places where I have already been....especially Florence!! There were more tourists in Florence than there was last February, but we still had a wonderful time!! It was nice to see the city in the sun and we were glad it wasn't raining for one of our many excursions!!
My brother happened to be arriving in Florence on the same day, so I met him and his friend Trey at the train station. It seemed that they had been out late in Rome, so I helped them to their hostel. It was interesting to see a hostel for the first time, but it made me less hesitant to stay in one. I walked them though the streets of Florence, as we took many pictures and made sure to get some of Eric and I for mom and dad!! After a short lunch, we all met up and decided to take the short hike up to Piazza Michaelangelo to see the incredible and famous view of Florence. Staring in awe, we plopped down to rest and enjoyed the atmosphere. The duomo is amazing, as it is so enormous. The hills in the background look fake and just like a postcard. Florence is definitely a place to see!!
Monday came, and camp started. It was exciting to meet the kids and see who was going to be in my class. This week, my class is at a lower level than last week, so I am teaching them the basics. It is very difficult at times when they completely do not understand a word that I am saying, but in a way it is kind of good. We are trying our hardest to wear them out and get them excited with mini-olympics and other competitions. It seems to be working, yet we are only on day2!!
When I got home from camp, I decided to take a run through the town. Well, more like a stroll or brisk walk.... I kept thinking about how lucky I am to be in Italy. I still have to pinch myself when I walk around and there are thousands of grape vineyards in the scenery. This has been an amazing experience and I have fallen in love with Italy all over again!
The internet here is hard to find. We get to get on the internet at camp for a while at lunch, so who knows when the next update will occur. Hope all is well and keep following me as I travel through this gorgeous country!!
Ciao!
Friday, June 25, 2010
Internet Connection at Last!!
Well, A LOT has gone on since my last blog post!! My mom and I finished up our wonderful trip in Monte Carlo, Monaco and BEAUTIFUL Cinque Terre Italy!! Probably two of the most beautiful places in the world! Monaco was so clean and you can tell that a lot of money is put into the small country. The views were incerdible and the Mediterranean is definitely an amazing place to visit! After a few days in Monaco, we left our stuff there for the night, and ventured three hours by train to Cinque Terre. There are no words that can describe the beautiful atmosphere! Everyone should have to take a trip to Cinque Terre in their lifetime! When I post pictures, you will know what I am talking about!
Sunday arrived and I had to take the train to San Remo for my orientation. To be honest, I was a little nervous, and I was sad to leave my mom alone in Monaco, but I was ultimately excited about my future adventure that was about to begin!
On the train, I met a girl from Canada. I think that it was a blessing in disguise! We immediately hit it off and ended up hanging out the whole week. The orientation went well! It was exhausting, but I learned so many important things!! Not only things that I would use in the Summer Camps, but useful things that I will definitely bring back to the states. It was also amazing to meet all of the other tutors from around the world. England, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland, and Scotland to name a few. We had a wonderful time together and I learned so many interesting things about the other cultures! Did you know, that in England and Ireland, it is a tradition to receive a Chocolate Chest on Christmas morning? A box full of chocolate, sign me up! I think that I am going to have to copy that tradition in the United States!
After our week long orientation and anticipation as to where I was going to go next, the news arrived! I was headed to Padova, Italy. Finding out a few seconds later that it was only 30 minutes to Venice and an hour to Verona! I could not be happier! The group of other tutors that I was sent with were awesome! The next step was to get on the train and meet our host families and camp director.
After butterflies in our stomach, we arrived in Padova, anxious to meet our new families. I just have to say that my host family was absolutely incredible! They were warm and welcoming from the very beginning! My host mom is around 35 and her daughter is 10. They live in a cute little house in Albignasego with their delightful grandmother. I felt like the experience was too good to be true! They cooked me Italian meals, they took me to amazing places; Venice, Verona, Bassano del Grappa, and Cittadella just to mention a few. I cannot say kinder words about them! They have been nothing but hospitable, and I am very sad to be leaving tomorrow. She even took me to water aerobics a few times. I was extremely happy to work off a few pastas and pizzas, but try learning water aerobics in Italian when you do not really understand anything that they are saying!! It was a great experience to say the least!!
The school that I spent my first two weeks in was great! The classrooms were huge, the outdoor garden was nice, and the children were delightful....at first. I joke because this past week has been a bit stressful. At first, I had the 9 and 10 year olds. They were absolutely amazing, so enthuased to learn English, and so entertained by me and the other tutors. Do not fear, I took a lot of pictures of the cute little Italian kids in my class!! The second week however, was a little bit of a nightmare. I was stuck with the 13 year olds. Back in the states, teaching 13 year olds would not be classified under my idea of fun. So, try teaching 13 year olds, who do not speak English, who have been sent to camp with a bunch of little kids, and who ultimately do not want to be there. Well, when you add up that equation, you get....a disaster!! To be brutely honest, it was not as bad as I am making it seem, but my class the week before were angels!! It made leaving a little easier, but I am still sad to be leaving the town and my family.
The hardest thing in this whole adventure has been the food! I really do not think that I can stuff another carbohydrate into my body, but that is all that is really available. They love their pastas, pizzas, sweets, and anything else that falls under the carbohydrate area around here. Hopefully I am not gaining a million pounds like I think I am....
Anyways, I leave for my next destination tomorrow!.......wait for it.....TUSCANY!! I am beyond excited!! However, I am a little nervous to meet my new family after my wonderful experience with this one!! My amazing camp director has already written me an Italian note saying that I cannot eat Pork, Citrus, or Peanuts, so I am ready to go!!
Tuscany here I come!! And hopefully, the internet connection will be better so I can update sooner!!
Thanks for reading and stay tuned!! CIAO!!
Sunday arrived and I had to take the train to San Remo for my orientation. To be honest, I was a little nervous, and I was sad to leave my mom alone in Monaco, but I was ultimately excited about my future adventure that was about to begin!
On the train, I met a girl from Canada. I think that it was a blessing in disguise! We immediately hit it off and ended up hanging out the whole week. The orientation went well! It was exhausting, but I learned so many important things!! Not only things that I would use in the Summer Camps, but useful things that I will definitely bring back to the states. It was also amazing to meet all of the other tutors from around the world. England, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland, and Scotland to name a few. We had a wonderful time together and I learned so many interesting things about the other cultures! Did you know, that in England and Ireland, it is a tradition to receive a Chocolate Chest on Christmas morning? A box full of chocolate, sign me up! I think that I am going to have to copy that tradition in the United States!
After our week long orientation and anticipation as to where I was going to go next, the news arrived! I was headed to Padova, Italy. Finding out a few seconds later that it was only 30 minutes to Venice and an hour to Verona! I could not be happier! The group of other tutors that I was sent with were awesome! The next step was to get on the train and meet our host families and camp director.
After butterflies in our stomach, we arrived in Padova, anxious to meet our new families. I just have to say that my host family was absolutely incredible! They were warm and welcoming from the very beginning! My host mom is around 35 and her daughter is 10. They live in a cute little house in Albignasego with their delightful grandmother. I felt like the experience was too good to be true! They cooked me Italian meals, they took me to amazing places; Venice, Verona, Bassano del Grappa, and Cittadella just to mention a few. I cannot say kinder words about them! They have been nothing but hospitable, and I am very sad to be leaving tomorrow. She even took me to water aerobics a few times. I was extremely happy to work off a few pastas and pizzas, but try learning water aerobics in Italian when you do not really understand anything that they are saying!! It was a great experience to say the least!!
The school that I spent my first two weeks in was great! The classrooms were huge, the outdoor garden was nice, and the children were delightful....at first. I joke because this past week has been a bit stressful. At first, I had the 9 and 10 year olds. They were absolutely amazing, so enthuased to learn English, and so entertained by me and the other tutors. Do not fear, I took a lot of pictures of the cute little Italian kids in my class!! The second week however, was a little bit of a nightmare. I was stuck with the 13 year olds. Back in the states, teaching 13 year olds would not be classified under my idea of fun. So, try teaching 13 year olds, who do not speak English, who have been sent to camp with a bunch of little kids, and who ultimately do not want to be there. Well, when you add up that equation, you get....a disaster!! To be brutely honest, it was not as bad as I am making it seem, but my class the week before were angels!! It made leaving a little easier, but I am still sad to be leaving the town and my family.
The hardest thing in this whole adventure has been the food! I really do not think that I can stuff another carbohydrate into my body, but that is all that is really available. They love their pastas, pizzas, sweets, and anything else that falls under the carbohydrate area around here. Hopefully I am not gaining a million pounds like I think I am....
Anyways, I leave for my next destination tomorrow!.......wait for it.....TUSCANY!! I am beyond excited!! However, I am a little nervous to meet my new family after my wonderful experience with this one!! My amazing camp director has already written me an Italian note saying that I cannot eat Pork, Citrus, or Peanuts, so I am ready to go!!
Tuscany here I come!! And hopefully, the internet connection will be better so I can update sooner!!
Thanks for reading and stay tuned!! CIAO!!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Paris....coming to an end....
It may be a little surprising, but we have not taken the opportunity to shop in this fashionable city. Though, we have realized that we have many of the same things at home. However, it was fun to see different boutiques, even though they may be out of our price range. We walked around the Marais area, window shopped, bought a famous Parisian stripped shirt, and enjoyed a stress-free day.
Noticing that there were many tea shops in the area, we decided to stop in for some afternoon tea at Mariage Freres. Since we did not do this in London, it seemed like a perfect thing to do to check it off of our list. It so happened that we were seated next to some English women, who directed us in the right direction out of the 600+ teas to choose from. I ended up have some delicious tea called, Marco Polo, and bought some for myself to bring home. We topped off the afternoon tea with some English scones and some marvelous jams. It was perfect.
Later that night, we met up with one of my brother's friends from college. She is studying abroad in Paris, so she invited us to a night on the town with her and her friends. We started out at a cute little fondue restraunt and had meat and cheese fondue. Then, they invited us to go to their favorite bar called, The Moose. It is a Canadian bar with a bartender from Texas. They feel very comfortable here since everyone speaks their language, so they continue to come back night after night. It was fun to get out of our apartment and see some of the nightlife.
We stayed out late that night and decided that the next day was going to be lazy and relaxing. We started the day at the laundry mat to do a quick wash of some dirty clothes. We planned to spend the rest of the day walking around the city, but the rain ruined our plans. However, we did have a little fun in the famous cookware shop, E. Dehilerin. It was so overwhelming, so many things to see! I ended up buying a little copper sauce pot. Julia Child once said that a copper pot from Paris is the best thing to have in the kitchen, so I thought, why not, I have to have one! I also bought some steak knives with the E. Dehilerin logo on them. It was worth the money, and I can't wait to have them in my kitchen at home, wherever that shall be when I return to reality.
On our way back, we decided to buy some fresh food from the markets. On the menu; seared scallops with a basalmic shallot reduction, fresh peas, mushrooms, and shallots, sauteed in butter, salt, and pepper, and some fresh strawberries and cantelope. We bought some other things for our lunch tomorrow on our 6 hour train ride to Nice.
It is sad that Paris has come to an end. It has definitely been an interesting experience. I am not sure if I actually fell in love with this city, but I had a great time! I am excited to get to Nice and Cinque Terre, and to hopefully get out of the rain! We are more than likely not going to have the internet while we are there, so this may be my last post for a while. I am not sure what my internet situation will be like when I am in Italy, so it may be hard to keep in touch.
I am looking forward to teaching this summer, but I must admit that I am slightly nervous of the unknowns. However, I have overcome all of the unknowns of the foreign cities that I have been in, and am more confident in myself. I am blessed to have experienced all of this, and am excited to see what the future holds! Hopefully I will write soon, so keep checking back!!
Noticing that there were many tea shops in the area, we decided to stop in for some afternoon tea at Mariage Freres. Since we did not do this in London, it seemed like a perfect thing to do to check it off of our list. It so happened that we were seated next to some English women, who directed us in the right direction out of the 600+ teas to choose from. I ended up have some delicious tea called, Marco Polo, and bought some for myself to bring home. We topped off the afternoon tea with some English scones and some marvelous jams. It was perfect.
Later that night, we met up with one of my brother's friends from college. She is studying abroad in Paris, so she invited us to a night on the town with her and her friends. We started out at a cute little fondue restraunt and had meat and cheese fondue. Then, they invited us to go to their favorite bar called, The Moose. It is a Canadian bar with a bartender from Texas. They feel very comfortable here since everyone speaks their language, so they continue to come back night after night. It was fun to get out of our apartment and see some of the nightlife.
We stayed out late that night and decided that the next day was going to be lazy and relaxing. We started the day at the laundry mat to do a quick wash of some dirty clothes. We planned to spend the rest of the day walking around the city, but the rain ruined our plans. However, we did have a little fun in the famous cookware shop, E. Dehilerin. It was so overwhelming, so many things to see! I ended up buying a little copper sauce pot. Julia Child once said that a copper pot from Paris is the best thing to have in the kitchen, so I thought, why not, I have to have one! I also bought some steak knives with the E. Dehilerin logo on them. It was worth the money, and I can't wait to have them in my kitchen at home, wherever that shall be when I return to reality.
On our way back, we decided to buy some fresh food from the markets. On the menu; seared scallops with a basalmic shallot reduction, fresh peas, mushrooms, and shallots, sauteed in butter, salt, and pepper, and some fresh strawberries and cantelope. We bought some other things for our lunch tomorrow on our 6 hour train ride to Nice.
It is sad that Paris has come to an end. It has definitely been an interesting experience. I am not sure if I actually fell in love with this city, but I had a great time! I am excited to get to Nice and Cinque Terre, and to hopefully get out of the rain! We are more than likely not going to have the internet while we are there, so this may be my last post for a while. I am not sure what my internet situation will be like when I am in Italy, so it may be hard to keep in touch.
I am looking forward to teaching this summer, but I must admit that I am slightly nervous of the unknowns. However, I have overcome all of the unknowns of the foreign cities that I have been in, and am more confident in myself. I am blessed to have experienced all of this, and am excited to see what the future holds! Hopefully I will write soon, so keep checking back!!
Versailles
After an exhausting full day in another country, we planned to make another trip outside of Paris. The city of Versailles is only about 30 minutes away, so we decided to get up early and head out to see the famous city of Marie Antoinette. When we got there, the line to get into the Palace was outrageously long, so we skipped that and decided to head straight to Marie Antoinette's cottage and gardens. Of course it was raining, so it was nice to get out of the cold, wet atmosphere. I am glad that I saw the Marie Antoinette movie before going there because it brought her cottage to life. Her cottage is situated on acres and acres of beautiful land, equipped with an awesome farm, and flowers everywhere. We spent quite a few hours walking around her land, and decided to head back to Paris, in the rain.
When we arrived back in Paris, we stumbled upon Les Deux Maggots and Cafe de Flour, two famous restraunts, and both places that Julia Child and Ina Garten frequented. We sat down at Les Deux Maggots and had some Champagne. After sparking a conversation with a guy sitting next to us, we ordered some French cheeses and some more Champagne. The guy sitting at the table next to us happened to be working in Paris for the last three months as a lawyer, and was leaving to go back to LA on Wednesday. He was fluent in French, and it was nice to have someone order for us in French, without the waiter looking at us wierd. Our new friend offered to take us to a part of Paris that is hard to spot unless you live in Paris and speak the language. Knowing that he was harmless, we took him up on his offer and were excited to see another part of the city.
He took us to a quaint little area with tons of cafes, lots of french people, and new scenery. The food was great! I had onion soup, salmon with a butter sauce and rice, and creme brulee for dessert. After we left, we decided to go to another cafe and have a glass of wine. It ended up being the place where Hemingway lived. We met an older English man that was there for the French Open. He decided to have some drinks with us before we headed back home. It was great to meet new people and actually have a conversation in English. It is hard to communicate to the outside world when you don't speak the language, so it was nice to have others to converse with in the same language.
Tomorrow we are planning on settling down and just walking around the city. We have been going going going since we have been here, and we need to relax ourselves. It is definitely tiresome traveling to new places. But, we are having an awesome time doing it!
When we arrived back in Paris, we stumbled upon Les Deux Maggots and Cafe de Flour, two famous restraunts, and both places that Julia Child and Ina Garten frequented. We sat down at Les Deux Maggots and had some Champagne. After sparking a conversation with a guy sitting next to us, we ordered some French cheeses and some more Champagne. The guy sitting at the table next to us happened to be working in Paris for the last three months as a lawyer, and was leaving to go back to LA on Wednesday. He was fluent in French, and it was nice to have someone order for us in French, without the waiter looking at us wierd. Our new friend offered to take us to a part of Paris that is hard to spot unless you live in Paris and speak the language. Knowing that he was harmless, we took him up on his offer and were excited to see another part of the city.
He took us to a quaint little area with tons of cafes, lots of french people, and new scenery. The food was great! I had onion soup, salmon with a butter sauce and rice, and creme brulee for dessert. After we left, we decided to go to another cafe and have a glass of wine. It ended up being the place where Hemingway lived. We met an older English man that was there for the French Open. He decided to have some drinks with us before we headed back home. It was great to meet new people and actually have a conversation in English. It is hard to communicate to the outside world when you don't speak the language, so it was nice to have others to converse with in the same language.
Tomorrow we are planning on settling down and just walking around the city. We have been going going going since we have been here, and we need to relax ourselves. It is definitely tiresome traveling to new places. But, we are having an awesome time doing it!
Belgium
Yummy, gooey deliciousness....Not to mention beautiful unique scenery....these are just a few words that describe the incredible cities in Belgium. After last minute planning, we decided to take the train to Brugges, Belgium. Not only were we tired from our wonderful day of cooking, we randomly decided to take this trip, so we had not prepared. These two factors did not seem to matter though, as everything we experienced was new, exciting, and wonderful.
While riding in the first class section of the train, we met a woman from Canada. She was 45 years old and spending 5 weeks 'backpacking' through Europe, hostels and all! Never having been to Europe, she decided to take 5 weeks of vacation and travel to places that she may never see. Sounds great to me, and it was nice to meet a new friend along the way who likes to travel as much as we do! We invited her to tag along with us and she was greatful to have some company.
Anyways, with new friend in tow, we arrived in one of the few preserved cities in the world. We were fortunate enough to get there when the sun was shining. One thing I have noticed about Northern Europe is that there is always a chance of rain. So, that being said, we were fortunate for the beautiful weather.... at first. After getting out of the train station, we were amazed to see the beautiful town in front of us. We signed up to take a canal cruise through the city so that we could see an overview before we began to wonder. It was very educational, informative, and we saw some neat houses and bridges. Every corner that we turned, there was an opportunity to take a photo, and we sure took a lot of photos!
After our 30 minute cruise, we headed towards a cute little cafe in one of the town squares. A mussel special was on the menu, and I was ready to dive in. I had to complete my Belgium experience with the known famous foods; mussels, beer, chocolate, and waffles. Every bite was delicious, and every calorie was worth it. My meal of mussels, french fries and mayo, and beer was over and we headed to... of course... a chocolate shop. We tested a few shops before we choose the right one to buy some gifts for people back at home. If I could have brought home chocolate for everyone, believe me, I would have, it is wonderful. Not too sweet, but not bitter, just right.
We spent the afternoon wandering around the ancient midevil city. Taking pictures of beautiful churches, bridges, houses, and chocolate shops. It was obvious that it was going to eventually rain, so we went into a few churches to take a break from the cold, rainy day. We stumbled upon the statue of "Madonna and Child" by Michaelangelo in one of the beautiful churches. I bought a postcard and sent it to myself, something I have done in each city that I have been to. When I get home at the end of the summer, I will be presented with postcards from all over the world!
We decided at the last minute to make a quick stop in Brussels before heading back to Paris. Literally, we were only there an hour, but we were only there for two reasons. First, to see the famous Grand Palace Square, and second and most importantly, to have a Belgium Waffle. Oh the waffle, now I wish that I could bring back one of these for everyone! On the outside, it was crunchy, but on the inside, it was gooey and delicious. I had chocolate and strawberries on mine, and ate every bite. We quickly took some pictures of the square, and our waffles, and headed back to the train station to continue on to Paris. We are thinking that we are going to Versailles tomorrow, so now we must go research about that!
While riding in the first class section of the train, we met a woman from Canada. She was 45 years old and spending 5 weeks 'backpacking' through Europe, hostels and all! Never having been to Europe, she decided to take 5 weeks of vacation and travel to places that she may never see. Sounds great to me, and it was nice to meet a new friend along the way who likes to travel as much as we do! We invited her to tag along with us and she was greatful to have some company.
Anyways, with new friend in tow, we arrived in one of the few preserved cities in the world. We were fortunate enough to get there when the sun was shining. One thing I have noticed about Northern Europe is that there is always a chance of rain. So, that being said, we were fortunate for the beautiful weather.... at first. After getting out of the train station, we were amazed to see the beautiful town in front of us. We signed up to take a canal cruise through the city so that we could see an overview before we began to wonder. It was very educational, informative, and we saw some neat houses and bridges. Every corner that we turned, there was an opportunity to take a photo, and we sure took a lot of photos!
After our 30 minute cruise, we headed towards a cute little cafe in one of the town squares. A mussel special was on the menu, and I was ready to dive in. I had to complete my Belgium experience with the known famous foods; mussels, beer, chocolate, and waffles. Every bite was delicious, and every calorie was worth it. My meal of mussels, french fries and mayo, and beer was over and we headed to... of course... a chocolate shop. We tested a few shops before we choose the right one to buy some gifts for people back at home. If I could have brought home chocolate for everyone, believe me, I would have, it is wonderful. Not too sweet, but not bitter, just right.
We spent the afternoon wandering around the ancient midevil city. Taking pictures of beautiful churches, bridges, houses, and chocolate shops. It was obvious that it was going to eventually rain, so we went into a few churches to take a break from the cold, rainy day. We stumbled upon the statue of "Madonna and Child" by Michaelangelo in one of the beautiful churches. I bought a postcard and sent it to myself, something I have done in each city that I have been to. When I get home at the end of the summer, I will be presented with postcards from all over the world!
We decided at the last minute to make a quick stop in Brussels before heading back to Paris. Literally, we were only there an hour, but we were only there for two reasons. First, to see the famous Grand Palace Square, and second and most importantly, to have a Belgium Waffle. Oh the waffle, now I wish that I could bring back one of these for everyone! On the outside, it was crunchy, but on the inside, it was gooey and delicious. I had chocolate and strawberries on mine, and ate every bite. We quickly took some pictures of the square, and our waffles, and headed back to the train station to continue on to Paris. We are thinking that we are going to Versailles tomorrow, so now we must go research about that!
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Culinary Delights
Our amazing day started off with a trip to Barefoot Contessa's favorite bakery, Poilane. If you look it up online, you can even order things over the internet. A restraunt in New York gets freshly made bread from here once a week. I decided to get a little breakfast tart before we started our incredible cooking class with La Cuisine Paris. This was probably one of the best decisions that I have ever made, and if it weren't so expensive, I would have loved to do it everyday!
We met our chefs of La Cuisine at the famous market on Boulevard Raspail. She pointed out unique ingredients, purple garlic, and explained different ways that they use them. Not only was it educational, it was super entertaining to watch the little old French women come to the market with their baskets for their groceries. As we walked along the market, we picked out ingredients for our menu. It was so cool to see our chef, Julie, walk along, making up a menu in her head as she strided along. Strawberries, cherries, asparagus, turnips, cod, many different cheeses, snap peas, rubarb, lettuce, olives, and baguettes were some of the things that we purchased. While walking along the market, she also gave us a little lesson on different types of goat cheeses. She bought enough for us to have a tasting when we returned to the kitchen.
Just a quick walk through the Gardens of Luxenburg, we arrived at the cooking class location. It was located in a cute little area, and the kitchen was quite fancy! We sat down, had some tea and coffee, and allowed the chefs to prepare our working stations. It was great to get to know the other participants, people from all over the world, but mostly the United States. We had instruction on how to chop things, how to make dough, different ingredients to use together, and Julie made it easy for everyone to feel comfortable in the kitchen. Here is a menu of what we made. Some of the things might seem a little wierd, but it was all absolutely delicious. When I get back, maybe I will invite some people over to have a little taste of Paris!
Menu:
Bibb Lettuce Salad with a French Vinagarette
Asparagus, onions, snap peas with garlic, sauteed
Turnips and Hazelnuts, sauteed
Baked cod with thyme and a cream sauce
All of the goat cheeses with fresh cherry chutney that we made
Strawberries and mint
Rubarb pie
It was so amazing that she put this whole menu together, no recipes, and no measuring. So much fun, and such a great experience. I am planning on posting pictures tomorrow, as we finally have some time to rest. I have pictures of all of the food, and I am going to write down some of the recipes that she actually did give us.
Oh, and by the way, while at the cooking class, some guys told us that they had spotted Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten, and her husband, Jeffery, at one of the cafe's for breakfast. She is here! How exciting! Now, I just have to see her and tell her that she is one of the reasons that I came to Paris. And maybe, just maybe, she will invite us up for a fabulous dinner in her fabulous Paris apartment, but of course that is just a stretch.
Full and satisfied, we tried to walk off some of the amazing food that we had eaten. Since we were close to the Notre Dame, we walked there and saw some cute shops along the way. We saw some amazing views of the Siene River that runs throughout Paris, and of course, took lots of pictures. Discovering a huge department store, was also a highlight of our day. BHV, was the place that Julia Child would go to get her house supplies when needed. Now, it is kind of like a target, ikea, home depot, macy's, and nordstroms all in one. It is huge, and you could spend hours in there. However, we had a quick look around at all of the amazing kitchen supplies, cute clothes, and headed back to our arrondissement. Another great day in Paris! Next stop, Brugges and Brussels for a day trip!
We met our chefs of La Cuisine at the famous market on Boulevard Raspail. She pointed out unique ingredients, purple garlic, and explained different ways that they use them. Not only was it educational, it was super entertaining to watch the little old French women come to the market with their baskets for their groceries. As we walked along the market, we picked out ingredients for our menu. It was so cool to see our chef, Julie, walk along, making up a menu in her head as she strided along. Strawberries, cherries, asparagus, turnips, cod, many different cheeses, snap peas, rubarb, lettuce, olives, and baguettes were some of the things that we purchased. While walking along the market, she also gave us a little lesson on different types of goat cheeses. She bought enough for us to have a tasting when we returned to the kitchen.
Just a quick walk through the Gardens of Luxenburg, we arrived at the cooking class location. It was located in a cute little area, and the kitchen was quite fancy! We sat down, had some tea and coffee, and allowed the chefs to prepare our working stations. It was great to get to know the other participants, people from all over the world, but mostly the United States. We had instruction on how to chop things, how to make dough, different ingredients to use together, and Julie made it easy for everyone to feel comfortable in the kitchen. Here is a menu of what we made. Some of the things might seem a little wierd, but it was all absolutely delicious. When I get back, maybe I will invite some people over to have a little taste of Paris!
Menu:
Bibb Lettuce Salad with a French Vinagarette
Asparagus, onions, snap peas with garlic, sauteed
Turnips and Hazelnuts, sauteed
Baked cod with thyme and a cream sauce
All of the goat cheeses with fresh cherry chutney that we made
Strawberries and mint
Rubarb pie
It was so amazing that she put this whole menu together, no recipes, and no measuring. So much fun, and such a great experience. I am planning on posting pictures tomorrow, as we finally have some time to rest. I have pictures of all of the food, and I am going to write down some of the recipes that she actually did give us.
Oh, and by the way, while at the cooking class, some guys told us that they had spotted Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten, and her husband, Jeffery, at one of the cafe's for breakfast. She is here! How exciting! Now, I just have to see her and tell her that she is one of the reasons that I came to Paris. And maybe, just maybe, she will invite us up for a fabulous dinner in her fabulous Paris apartment, but of course that is just a stretch.
Full and satisfied, we tried to walk off some of the amazing food that we had eaten. Since we were close to the Notre Dame, we walked there and saw some cute shops along the way. We saw some amazing views of the Siene River that runs throughout Paris, and of course, took lots of pictures. Discovering a huge department store, was also a highlight of our day. BHV, was the place that Julia Child would go to get her house supplies when needed. Now, it is kind of like a target, ikea, home depot, macy's, and nordstroms all in one. It is huge, and you could spend hours in there. However, we had a quick look around at all of the amazing kitchen supplies, cute clothes, and headed back to our arrondissement. Another great day in Paris! Next stop, Brugges and Brussels for a day trip!
Rain
They say the weather in Paris is strange, and we definitely experienced that today! Despite the interesting weather, we completed all of the famous Paris sights, with little crowds in sight. Instead of our 1 million friends following us, maybe 500,000 were in sight. Needless to say, things were still crowded, but not on the huge scale that we had been experiencing. We started the morning with a trip to see where Lady Diana had her accident. It is pretty sad that France has a bigger monument for her than England does, a flame of fire. People had written on the wall where she died; which was a neat sight to see.
From a distance, we noticed that we were very close to the eiffel tower, so we took a nice stroll in the rain to see it. There are many interesting characters at the large monuments. Women who ask you if you speak English, only to really ask for money. And, people from Africa, who are selling cheesy eiffel tower statues. Though the lines weren't long, we decided not to go up the eiffel tower because of the nasty day outside. The eiffel tower is a pretty amazing metal establishment. It is so grand and entertaining. We decied to eat at a cute little cafe. White Asparagus soup was on the menu, and we instantly ordered this amazing dish. Since they are in season right now, it is the thing to have over here, and boy did we like our decision!
We then headed down rue George X towards the Champs Elysses, and made our way to the Arc de Triumph. While walking around this city, we have realized that Napoleon sure spent a lot of money. Probably money that he didn't have, the same way that leaders of countries do now. It shows how much things really do not change. Needless to say, the monuments that he built are incredible. All of the arcs, the gold, the palaces, and so much more.
We then stumbled upon Julia Child's house and decided to do a little tour of all of her favorite things! 81 rue de loo, as she called it was cute and off of a quiet street. After stumbling upon some of her favorite restraunts and post office, we came across Barefoot Contessa's favorite things. Her cheese shop, her bread store, her market, and we think that we even discovered where her Paris flat may be. It was an awesome tour of Paris, and most of all, my favorite things. Julia Child and Barefoot Contessa was a huge reason why we wanted to experience Paris, and it was awesome to see some of the things that we had been researching for a while.
After our little tour through different people's memories, we decided to head back to our little neighborhood, grab a rotisserie chicken, some amazing potatoes au gratin, and cook our freshly cut french beans on our little stove. We followed this amazing meal with some pretty incredible desserts, a chocolate eclair and a raspberry tart. Both equally delicious. Tomorrow is our cooking class and I am so excited, it may be hard to sleep!!
From a distance, we noticed that we were very close to the eiffel tower, so we took a nice stroll in the rain to see it. There are many interesting characters at the large monuments. Women who ask you if you speak English, only to really ask for money. And, people from Africa, who are selling cheesy eiffel tower statues. Though the lines weren't long, we decided not to go up the eiffel tower because of the nasty day outside. The eiffel tower is a pretty amazing metal establishment. It is so grand and entertaining. We decied to eat at a cute little cafe. White Asparagus soup was on the menu, and we instantly ordered this amazing dish. Since they are in season right now, it is the thing to have over here, and boy did we like our decision!
We then headed down rue George X towards the Champs Elysses, and made our way to the Arc de Triumph. While walking around this city, we have realized that Napoleon sure spent a lot of money. Probably money that he didn't have, the same way that leaders of countries do now. It shows how much things really do not change. Needless to say, the monuments that he built are incredible. All of the arcs, the gold, the palaces, and so much more.
We then stumbled upon Julia Child's house and decided to do a little tour of all of her favorite things! 81 rue de loo, as she called it was cute and off of a quiet street. After stumbling upon some of her favorite restraunts and post office, we came across Barefoot Contessa's favorite things. Her cheese shop, her bread store, her market, and we think that we even discovered where her Paris flat may be. It was an awesome tour of Paris, and most of all, my favorite things. Julia Child and Barefoot Contessa was a huge reason why we wanted to experience Paris, and it was awesome to see some of the things that we had been researching for a while.
After our little tour through different people's memories, we decided to head back to our little neighborhood, grab a rotisserie chicken, some amazing potatoes au gratin, and cook our freshly cut french beans on our little stove. We followed this amazing meal with some pretty incredible desserts, a chocolate eclair and a raspberry tart. Both equally delicious. Tomorrow is our cooking class and I am so excited, it may be hard to sleep!!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Paris!
After taking the Eurostar and not even noticing the chunnel, we finally arrived in Paris! It was easy getting to and from the Eurostar in London, but figuring out the metro in Paris was a bit more confusing. We stood in line for tickets, only to find out that our credit card did not work there. They have this new thing in Europe where all of their credit cards have a chip and the chip has a pin number, even if it is a credit card. Awesome safety precaution, but not awesome when our card doesn't work in their system. You would think that because the world wants to become more international and more global, that we would all have the same cell phone systems and same credit cards. Oh well, we delt with it and got through the hassle of buying metro tickets. After some difficulty, we finally found our hotel. We put our stuff away, and decided to head towards a grocery store. To be honest, it was a little scary at night. A foreign town, a foreign language, and foreign people. We headed to bed with some precautions.
Waking up in Paris proved to be better than the night before. We got ready, and headed out to get a crossiant and cappuccino. Well, I actually had a hot tea and organic carrot soup with a homemade crossiant, but who's counting. For tomorrow, I have already scoped out the place where I want to buy my pain au chocolat (chocolate crossiant), and I am really excited. After our breakfast/lunch at 12, we walked around to get our bearings straight. We are definitely in a French neighborhood with many French people.... now only if we spoke the the language... we are trying our best! Bonjour, Merci, l'addition se vious play, Bonsouir....however you spell those, but it is the best we can do. I often think about how awesome it would be to study over here for a few months and really learn the language. However, I wish I could do that for every language, and that would take forever! Also, I would love to do it with someone else...any takers?
Having to get one touristy thing out of the way, we made our way to the Louvre. The magnificant building is incredible just by looking at it. When you go in, you realize that there are so many things to see and do, and that if you really wanted to stay in there for a day, you definitely could. We only stayed for about an hour, saw the famous but small Mona Lisa, the crown jewels, Nepoleon's furniture, and headed to one of Julia Child's favorite restraunts! Au Pied Du Cochen. She said that it was as famous then as it is now, so of course, it was a must! We each had the onion soup. Cheese melted over the sides, broth so smooth, and onions so little. I also ordered the stuffed mussels au provancale, my mom had a few bites. I thought it was awesome, it reminded me of escargots, yet it had a tomato broth and bread crumbs and butter. I ate the whole thing! After finishing the two dishes, we of course moved to dessert. Profiteroles was on the menu, so that is what we ordered. The overflowing chocolate was rich and delicious and the ice cream divine. Full and tired, we walked back to our flat, comfortably lounged, watched Lost, did some journal entries, and planned a few things for the upcomming days. After a few hours of relaxing, we headed out on the streets in search of cheese and wine. Of course, we found it, and it was delicious. Off to bed we go, awaiting another fabulous day in Paris!
Waking up in Paris proved to be better than the night before. We got ready, and headed out to get a crossiant and cappuccino. Well, I actually had a hot tea and organic carrot soup with a homemade crossiant, but who's counting. For tomorrow, I have already scoped out the place where I want to buy my pain au chocolat (chocolate crossiant), and I am really excited. After our breakfast/lunch at 12, we walked around to get our bearings straight. We are definitely in a French neighborhood with many French people.... now only if we spoke the the language... we are trying our best! Bonjour, Merci, l'addition se vious play, Bonsouir....however you spell those, but it is the best we can do. I often think about how awesome it would be to study over here for a few months and really learn the language. However, I wish I could do that for every language, and that would take forever! Also, I would love to do it with someone else...any takers?
Having to get one touristy thing out of the way, we made our way to the Louvre. The magnificant building is incredible just by looking at it. When you go in, you realize that there are so many things to see and do, and that if you really wanted to stay in there for a day, you definitely could. We only stayed for about an hour, saw the famous but small Mona Lisa, the crown jewels, Nepoleon's furniture, and headed to one of Julia Child's favorite restraunts! Au Pied Du Cochen. She said that it was as famous then as it is now, so of course, it was a must! We each had the onion soup. Cheese melted over the sides, broth so smooth, and onions so little. I also ordered the stuffed mussels au provancale, my mom had a few bites. I thought it was awesome, it reminded me of escargots, yet it had a tomato broth and bread crumbs and butter. I ate the whole thing! After finishing the two dishes, we of course moved to dessert. Profiteroles was on the menu, so that is what we ordered. The overflowing chocolate was rich and delicious and the ice cream divine. Full and tired, we walked back to our flat, comfortably lounged, watched Lost, did some journal entries, and planned a few things for the upcomming days. After a few hours of relaxing, we headed out on the streets in search of cheese and wine. Of course, we found it, and it was delicious. Off to bed we go, awaiting another fabulous day in Paris!
Monday, May 24, 2010
Finally a new post!!
As I sit here, drinking a cup of tea at my hotel in London, I recap on the last 5 days of travel. I feel like I have been 'going, going, going,' ever since I have arrived to Europe. It has been very hard to find free internet in this country, and buying the internet is quite expensive. Therefore, I have been journaling as much as I can in an awesome journal that my fiance, Tom, gave to me. It has been hard to talk to the outside world of the United States, and taking everything in has been somewhat hectic. I am planning on typing up some of my journal entries to explain more details of my trip, however, those entries may have to wait until Wednesday, as we have yet another travel day ahead of us tomorrow. So, here is a small recap of my trip. To say the least, it has been wonderful! I am so blessed to have been able to go on such an awesome trip and to experience such great things!
Amsterdam was definitely more than I expected! I was expecting 'coffee shops' on every street corner, thousands of girls in the windows, and bitterballen everywhere. The things listed were not things that I experienced often. I had the privlidge of meeting my friend Erika in the Amsterdam airport! She and the people she was traveling with gave my mom and I helpful suggestions and fun places to go and visit while in Amsterdam. However, we never found the amazing white asparagus soup that they were highly talking about! After some confusion on how to get to our hotel, we finally arrived! Check- in was smooth, and our hotel was extremely nice and in a great location! We started our day with a stop at a typical European cafe, people watching, cappuccinos, and all. Next, we walked around the city for a little while. We hopped on a canal cruise of Amsterdam and saw some pretty amazing buildings and sights. After only about 2 hours of sleep on the plane, we decided it was a good idea to take a short little nap before we saw anymore sights. Rested and energized, we headed to the infamous red light district. It took us a little while to find it, but when we found it, we knew we had arrived. It is crazy that this people in Amsterdam do this for a living. We watched girls, that looked as if they could be some of my sorority sisters, get ready for the night. They were laughing, drinking some drinks, and trying to look seducing in the windows. I am sure that they were waiting till much later to get some business, as it was still a little light outside when we saw all of this. On our way back from the 'district,' we saw more 'coffee shops,' and started to smell a little more marajuana. I thought that I would see this everywhere, but it wasn't as obvious as it would seem. After our small adventure to an unknown territory, we headed to a corner pub in a really awesome square. (I will get the name later.) There, we decided to try some typical dutch food, some of which was good, and some of which was not so good. Our meal; bitterballen, young dutch cheese, and tomato basil soup. I would put the bitterballen in the not so good category. However, the young dutch cheese and the tomato basil soup were absolutely amazing! We also had beer to top it off! We ended up sitting next to some relaly nice Danish people. Well, one was Danish and one was Dutch, they gave us a lot of great suggestions, and it was nice talking to someone from a different culture! At 2 in the morning, we finally decided to go to bed.
Day 2 started off a little late. Not thinking about the time change, alarms were set, but did not go off at the time we had expected! At 1:30, we finally woke up and were out the door in 15 minutes. We decided to head straight to the Rijks Museum. The fact that we are not really museum people, helped us out. We were in and out of there in a little under 2 hours. We saw some amazing pictures and dutch heritage, but we were more excited about walking around the city, seeing the market, and especially... the Anne Frank House at 5:15! After the musuem, we went to the Albery Cryptmarkt (I will double check spelling a little later in my notes.). It was a cute little market. Well, I should really say large market. It had everything from fruits and vegetables to purses and glasses. I really enjoy spending time in these places and taking in the atmosphere. We walked around for a while, grabbed some chicken drumsticks and some absolutely amazing pears, and headed on our walk to the famous Anne Frank House. I also bought some spice from a cute little spice and tea shop. The lady working there said that it was a popular dutch spice, and I should use it in Christmas cookies. So, whoever is lucky enough to try my cookies near Christmas will get to experience the dutch spice that I bought! The Anne Frank House is a whole other journal entry in itself. To say the least, it was absolutely amazing. So many thoughts go through your head when you experience such an amazing museum. The courage and strength it took for all of the people in hiding is something that I admire so much, and pray that no one ever has to experience that in their lives! The Anne Frank House brings together so many people from around the world. It also makes you realize how lucky we really are. We choose to walk around a little more afterwards, visiting shops, and watching the town. We ended our night with a lovely brasserie near the opera house. Knowing that we had another early day ahead of us, we decided to go back to the hotel and prepare for the journey ahead.
After waiting in the airport for a delayed flight, we finally arrived in the city of London. Excited, yet exhausted, we attempted to figure out how to get to our hotel by using the trains. Not knowing that some of the trains had been closed, we decided to take a 20 pound taxi for the remainder of our journey. It was definitely worth it, however, we have now figured out the easy underground system. Day one in London was quite hectic. We were not expecting to see so many people, but they were everywhere! I think that this is the most crowded city that I have ever been in! We saw a few sights, but we were planning on saving the 'touristy' sights for the next day when we weren't so tired from traveling.
Day 2 was filled with sights and history. It is amazing how much history is over here! We got up early, had some tea, and headed to the train station, where we met the train station captain. He became our tour guide for our stay, to say the least, he is an awesome older man who loves his city! We first headed to see the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. That lasted a while, and we got some great video and pictures. We then headed to Westminister Pier and purchased tickets to take a river cruise on the Thames River. Knowing that we had to wait an hour for the next ferry, we headed to see Westminister Abby, Big Ben, Parliment, and of course, a little red telephone booth. It was cool to see Westminister Abby, the place where Princess Diana's funeral was held, and the place where the kings and queens recieve their crowns. The river cruise was awesome! We saw so many sights that we did not have to take the underground to see! Shakespeare's globe theatre, the London Bridge, the Tower of London, St. Paul's Cathedral, the place where the Mayflower was built and took off to the new world, and more things that I am probably not thinking about right now! I was amazed at the sight of the Mayflower construction sight. Supposenly, some of my ancestors came over on the Mayflower, so this was an incredible sight for me to see! The boat stopped in Greenwich, a great place to explore. A cute little market was where we found food from all over the world, and purchased some English Breakfast tea to take home. We proceeded up the hill to the Greenwich Meantime area and took all of the touristy pictures possible. The view was amazing! We then headed back to the theatre district and saw a preformance entitled, "Michael Jackson's Thriller Live." Yes, Michael Jackson. But, it was an experience to remember. Not just because the preformers did a great job at portraying this legacy, but because it was so neat to see all of the people singing his songs. They may not know English at all, but they can sure sing all of the words to Michael Jackson's greatest hits! Getting back late to the hotel, we decided to have a few snacks before bed, and put our exhausted selves to sleep!
Today, day three, was much more relaxing! Getting up early really allows you to get things done, so we got up, and headed to the Kings Cross Station to get our Eurostar tickets to Paris tomorrow (Tuesday). We did a quick stop at the British Museum to see the mummies and the Rosetta Stone, and headed to Harrods to see the famous department store and Lady Diana Memorial. It is crazy how there seems to be little to no existance of Lady Diana in this town. It is as if she never existed, which is completely devastating. When you are in London, it is hard not to think about Royalty and all of the inns and outs behind it. Actually, right after I write this, I am going to do a little research on Prince William and Kate Middelton. I am not jealous of the role that she is about to take on, talk about stressful and always in the public eye! We headed over to Kensington Palace, a total dissapointment. They are trying to redo the Palace and really need to maintain the gardens and building itself. We then walked back to the hotel, propped up our feet, and recharged for dinner......Fish and Chips. Something that everyone has to do in London, right? Well, we ate it allright. Well, I ate it. My mom did not care for it much. Now, I am sitting back in the hotel room, thinking about all of the things that I want to look up on the internet about Royalty and how absurb it really is, drinking my tea, and getting ready for another day ahead of me. We leave London at 4:55 and head to Paris. As one adventure ends, another one begins. I will post pictures soon, as we have free internet in our Paris flat. Hopefully, communication will be a little better and I can share my thoughts, feelings, and of course, pictures with the rest of you! Cheers!
Amsterdam was definitely more than I expected! I was expecting 'coffee shops' on every street corner, thousands of girls in the windows, and bitterballen everywhere. The things listed were not things that I experienced often. I had the privlidge of meeting my friend Erika in the Amsterdam airport! She and the people she was traveling with gave my mom and I helpful suggestions and fun places to go and visit while in Amsterdam. However, we never found the amazing white asparagus soup that they were highly talking about! After some confusion on how to get to our hotel, we finally arrived! Check- in was smooth, and our hotel was extremely nice and in a great location! We started our day with a stop at a typical European cafe, people watching, cappuccinos, and all. Next, we walked around the city for a little while. We hopped on a canal cruise of Amsterdam and saw some pretty amazing buildings and sights. After only about 2 hours of sleep on the plane, we decided it was a good idea to take a short little nap before we saw anymore sights. Rested and energized, we headed to the infamous red light district. It took us a little while to find it, but when we found it, we knew we had arrived. It is crazy that this people in Amsterdam do this for a living. We watched girls, that looked as if they could be some of my sorority sisters, get ready for the night. They were laughing, drinking some drinks, and trying to look seducing in the windows. I am sure that they were waiting till much later to get some business, as it was still a little light outside when we saw all of this. On our way back from the 'district,' we saw more 'coffee shops,' and started to smell a little more marajuana. I thought that I would see this everywhere, but it wasn't as obvious as it would seem. After our small adventure to an unknown territory, we headed to a corner pub in a really awesome square. (I will get the name later.) There, we decided to try some typical dutch food, some of which was good, and some of which was not so good. Our meal; bitterballen, young dutch cheese, and tomato basil soup. I would put the bitterballen in the not so good category. However, the young dutch cheese and the tomato basil soup were absolutely amazing! We also had beer to top it off! We ended up sitting next to some relaly nice Danish people. Well, one was Danish and one was Dutch, they gave us a lot of great suggestions, and it was nice talking to someone from a different culture! At 2 in the morning, we finally decided to go to bed.
Day 2 started off a little late. Not thinking about the time change, alarms were set, but did not go off at the time we had expected! At 1:30, we finally woke up and were out the door in 15 minutes. We decided to head straight to the Rijks Museum. The fact that we are not really museum people, helped us out. We were in and out of there in a little under 2 hours. We saw some amazing pictures and dutch heritage, but we were more excited about walking around the city, seeing the market, and especially... the Anne Frank House at 5:15! After the musuem, we went to the Albery Cryptmarkt (I will double check spelling a little later in my notes.). It was a cute little market. Well, I should really say large market. It had everything from fruits and vegetables to purses and glasses. I really enjoy spending time in these places and taking in the atmosphere. We walked around for a while, grabbed some chicken drumsticks and some absolutely amazing pears, and headed on our walk to the famous Anne Frank House. I also bought some spice from a cute little spice and tea shop. The lady working there said that it was a popular dutch spice, and I should use it in Christmas cookies. So, whoever is lucky enough to try my cookies near Christmas will get to experience the dutch spice that I bought! The Anne Frank House is a whole other journal entry in itself. To say the least, it was absolutely amazing. So many thoughts go through your head when you experience such an amazing museum. The courage and strength it took for all of the people in hiding is something that I admire so much, and pray that no one ever has to experience that in their lives! The Anne Frank House brings together so many people from around the world. It also makes you realize how lucky we really are. We choose to walk around a little more afterwards, visiting shops, and watching the town. We ended our night with a lovely brasserie near the opera house. Knowing that we had another early day ahead of us, we decided to go back to the hotel and prepare for the journey ahead.
After waiting in the airport for a delayed flight, we finally arrived in the city of London. Excited, yet exhausted, we attempted to figure out how to get to our hotel by using the trains. Not knowing that some of the trains had been closed, we decided to take a 20 pound taxi for the remainder of our journey. It was definitely worth it, however, we have now figured out the easy underground system. Day one in London was quite hectic. We were not expecting to see so many people, but they were everywhere! I think that this is the most crowded city that I have ever been in! We saw a few sights, but we were planning on saving the 'touristy' sights for the next day when we weren't so tired from traveling.
Day 2 was filled with sights and history. It is amazing how much history is over here! We got up early, had some tea, and headed to the train station, where we met the train station captain. He became our tour guide for our stay, to say the least, he is an awesome older man who loves his city! We first headed to see the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. That lasted a while, and we got some great video and pictures. We then headed to Westminister Pier and purchased tickets to take a river cruise on the Thames River. Knowing that we had to wait an hour for the next ferry, we headed to see Westminister Abby, Big Ben, Parliment, and of course, a little red telephone booth. It was cool to see Westminister Abby, the place where Princess Diana's funeral was held, and the place where the kings and queens recieve their crowns. The river cruise was awesome! We saw so many sights that we did not have to take the underground to see! Shakespeare's globe theatre, the London Bridge, the Tower of London, St. Paul's Cathedral, the place where the Mayflower was built and took off to the new world, and more things that I am probably not thinking about right now! I was amazed at the sight of the Mayflower construction sight. Supposenly, some of my ancestors came over on the Mayflower, so this was an incredible sight for me to see! The boat stopped in Greenwich, a great place to explore. A cute little market was where we found food from all over the world, and purchased some English Breakfast tea to take home. We proceeded up the hill to the Greenwich Meantime area and took all of the touristy pictures possible. The view was amazing! We then headed back to the theatre district and saw a preformance entitled, "Michael Jackson's Thriller Live." Yes, Michael Jackson. But, it was an experience to remember. Not just because the preformers did a great job at portraying this legacy, but because it was so neat to see all of the people singing his songs. They may not know English at all, but they can sure sing all of the words to Michael Jackson's greatest hits! Getting back late to the hotel, we decided to have a few snacks before bed, and put our exhausted selves to sleep!
Today, day three, was much more relaxing! Getting up early really allows you to get things done, so we got up, and headed to the Kings Cross Station to get our Eurostar tickets to Paris tomorrow (Tuesday). We did a quick stop at the British Museum to see the mummies and the Rosetta Stone, and headed to Harrods to see the famous department store and Lady Diana Memorial. It is crazy how there seems to be little to no existance of Lady Diana in this town. It is as if she never existed, which is completely devastating. When you are in London, it is hard not to think about Royalty and all of the inns and outs behind it. Actually, right after I write this, I am going to do a little research on Prince William and Kate Middelton. I am not jealous of the role that she is about to take on, talk about stressful and always in the public eye! We headed over to Kensington Palace, a total dissapointment. They are trying to redo the Palace and really need to maintain the gardens and building itself. We then walked back to the hotel, propped up our feet, and recharged for dinner......Fish and Chips. Something that everyone has to do in London, right? Well, we ate it allright. Well, I ate it. My mom did not care for it much. Now, I am sitting back in the hotel room, thinking about all of the things that I want to look up on the internet about Royalty and how absurb it really is, drinking my tea, and getting ready for another day ahead of me. We leave London at 4:55 and head to Paris. As one adventure ends, another one begins. I will post pictures soon, as we have free internet in our Paris flat. Hopefully, communication will be a little better and I can share my thoughts, feelings, and of course, pictures with the rest of you! Cheers!
Monday, May 17, 2010
Packing
Ahh.... the infamous world of packing! This is beginning to be harder than I thought it would be! First off, I am going to be in two different parts of Europe, having two different climates of weather. At the beginning of my trip, I have to pack for cooler weather. The end of my trip; swim suits, dresses, and shorts for camp. I think that I have packed everything right. I am sticking to one color.... black. I know.... boring! But, it works! I only have to bring black shoes, a black purse, and accessories that go with black. It makes it pretty easy when I have to pack my whole summer into a backpack. Well, here goes nothing. Two different climates, five pairs of shoes, toiletries, a blow dryer, and probably many more things. I have taken pictures of my success! Most of the clothes that I am taking are interchangeable with each-other. This also makes packing a little easier.... but just a little!
Here are the clothes that I am bringing to keep me warm in the Northern part of Europe (Amsterdam, London, Paris, and Brussels). These are also the accessories that I am bringing to go with the different outfits. All are interchangeable! Below are different outfits that I am going to wear from this pile of clothes.
This outfit would be great for a walk around London, Paris, or Amsterdam. To be honest, I will probably wear it multiple times!
Dark Grey Boyfriend Cardigan: JCrew
White Oxford Ruffle Shirt: Kohl's (Elle Brand)
Skinny Jeans: Target
Purse: H&M
Red Scarf: Forever 21
Pointy Flat Shoes: Nine West
This outfit could be worn when I attend a cooking school that I am anxious about taking in Paris! We first start out in one of the famous fresh markets. Then, we walk through the gardens and into the cooking school! I could also wear this outfit for just walking around any city!
Dark Grey Boyfriend Cardigan: JCrew
Black Short Sleeved Shirt: INC (Macy's)
Dark Skinny Jeans: Target
Black Purse: H&M
Black Suede Boots: Steve Madden
Black Jelly Flats: Tori Burch
This is the outfit that I am going to wear on the plane. Very COMFORTABLE!! Comfortable if I get stuck in the airoirt, or simply comfortable for an 8 hour plane flight! Also, I am preparing to be cold in Amsterdam, so layers are a must!
Light Grey Boyfriend Cardigan: H&M
Black Dress: Kohl's
Black Leggings: Target
Red Scarf: Forever 21
Black Purse: H&M
Black Jelly Flats: Tori Burch
This is something that I could wear if the weather gets warmer! I can also add layers to this and different shoes if I get chilly!
Grey and Black Dress: Target
Black Purse: H&M
Black Sandals: Target
This is my semi-touristy/cold weather outfit. I am totally not prepared for the weather, so I have to have a back-up plan! The key is layers, so that if you get hot, you can take some off!
Black Rain Jacket: Patagonia
White Thin Fleece: North Face
Black Long Sleeved Shirt: Gap
Dark Skinny Jeans: Target
Black Jelly Flats: Tori Burch
Black Purse: H&M
Cycling on a bike through the streets of Paris on my way to a market is where I am visioning this outfit.
Dark Grey Boyfriend Cardigan: JCrew
White Short Sleeved Ruffle Shirt: JCrew
Grey Skirt: JCrew
Black Pointy Flats: Nine West
Black Jelly Flats: Tori Burch
Black Sandals: Target
Black Purse: H&M
I am not sure where I see myself wearing this outfit. It could be on the streets on London, or the beaches of Nice. I can add layers to this to stay warm, and take them off as I cool down.
Pink and Black Dress: Nordstroms
Black Tights: HUE (Macy's)
Black Cardigan: Target
Black Purse: H&M
Black Pointy Flats: Nine West
Black Jelly Flats: Tori Burch
Black Sandals: Target
Black Purse: H&M
Here is the rest of the stuff that I need for the rest of the summer! The English Camps in Italy! I am not going to go into detail about where everything is from, but here is a list of other things that I am packing!
2 bathing suits
3 sports bras
1 strapless bra
18 pairs of underwear
4 graphic T-shirts
Pants for Sleeping
2 pairs of shorts for camp or going out
1 pair of work-out shorts
5 pairs of socks
1 white tank top
2 plain T-shirts
Tennis Shoes
So....Do you think that I can fit all of this into my suitcase? And pack all of my toiletries? I guess you will see tomorrow when I finally try to fit all of it in my bag! Wish me luck!!
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Planning
After two wonderful weeks in the Cayman Islands, I am home. Throughout the course of two weeks, my mom and I have been talking about, dreaming about, and slaving over the sights in Europe. The first part of our trip is planned to almost perfection. We have booked our flights, reserved our hotel rooms in each place, and even "mapquested" out each destination that we want to visit, down to the mile, and minutes in walking. Whether it be E. Dehillerin, the place where Julia Child and Barefoot Contessa went to buy their kitchen supplies, only being less than a mile away from our Paris flat! Or, the Portobello Markets in London, less than one mile, or a quick hop on the tube. We have it all down to a 'T"..... or so we thought. Sometimes, even with perfect planning, there tends to be a bump in the road. Little bumps that we do not think to plan for. The volcanic ash seems to be making an appearance in some of our travel plans. As of today, the London flight was delayed by three hours due to the volcanic ash. If this happens on Wednesday, I will miss my connecting flight to Amsterdam to meet my mom. Boy, this could lead to some interesting adventures. Not adventures that I planned to have, day one of my European summer. However, I guess you can't plan for everything that happens in life. Some people say that everything happens for a reason; I find myself trying hard to believe this in sticky situations. So, after weeks and weeks of planning for an amazing trip, I am putting my faith into God, and into Mother Nature. Hoping that the air will clear, and praying that God connects my mom and I safely in the same city. This is one adventure that could get very interesting!
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Food and Travel
I have always wanted to start a blog. I thought it would be a good way to create a scrapbook of my life. As real scrap-booking can take a long time to complete, why not write a journal; with pictures! There are many things in life that make me happy. My family for one, who is always there for me and encourages me to follow my dreams. My friends, who are always there to brighten my day, or to lend a shoulder to cry on. I am a very lucky girl! However, sometimes, I feel lost. I am not sure what career to pursue, making some situations a little unsettling at times. I do know two things, I love to travel and I love to cook and eat food. So, while I figure out my career path, I am devoting my time to doing the things that make me happy! I have signed up for a summer full of adventure! First, I start out my summer visiting my fiance in the Cayman Islands for two weeks. After just three short days back in America, my mom and I are off on a European adventure! We are traveling to Amsterdam, London, Paris, Brussels, Bruges the French Riveria, Cinque Terre, and wherever else the eurorail takes us! After what is hoped to be the most incredible journey through Europe with my mom, I am teaching English in Italy. First stop, San Remo, Italy for a week long of Orientation. Second stop, I won't find out until I get there! Right now, I am in ultimate planning mode! I want to travel Europe, with culinary delights in mind. I want to walk the streets of Julia Child and Barefoot Contessa. I want to explore the fresh markets and visit the le fromagerie (cheese shops). I want to have picnics in the parks, and under the eiffel tower. I want to share my findings with the world! This blog is about traveling the world through food. Whether it be a meal that I make at home, a fresh market that I visit in Paris, pictures and itineraries from previous travels, or just my thoughts about whatever is on my mind. Not knowing if I will have a computer while I am in Europe, I am bringing a travel journal to write about my pictures and adventures through food and travel. I want to document every step of my adventure this summer!
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