Eurotrip

       London and Prague, in my opinion, are two of Europe's most amazing cities, and this month I was lucky enough to visit both!!! What I instantly loved about London, I'll admit, is that I could speak English with no inhibitions and felt completely okay doing so. Although I've had little to no problems with speaking French, it was a nice and welcome break. Besides that, London is so unbelievably beautiful in its own quaint English way. The first night, I went to see a performance of Julius Caesar at the Shakespeare Globe Theatre! It was a wonderful experience, standing in the center like they used to do, and watching a classic Shakespearean play. We walked around the city, stopping by all the well-known attractions, and finished the day by touring London's East End. We went to the insanely cool Spitalfield Market and had dinner at Tayyabs, London's best and most popular Indian restaurant. The food was out of this world and a meal that I've dreamt of many times since!!! On our last day, we indulged in a classic full English breakfast, complete with sausages, eggs, baked beans, and, of course, English breakfast tea! We went to Camden street for the infamous Camden market, spent a couple hours walking around, before heading back to the airport. I loved everything about my time in London and can't wait for the day I get to go back!!
      The following weekend I was jet-setting yet again, this time to Praha!! Some friends I made my first month here in Paris were spending their second month in Prague, so a couple of us went to visit them there for a few days! Besides Paris (naturally) Prague quickly became my favorite place in the world. It's beauty is underrated but without a doubt unrivaled compared to anywhere else I've been. The metro runs on an "honor code" system (meaning we never bought a single ticket) yet they somehow remain clean and uncrowded and, best of all, air-conditioned! The food was heartier than that of France and everything was incredibly cheap. We went on paddle boats on the river by Charles Bridge, visited the Lennon wall, went to Old Town to see the clock tower and the square, and went on a nighttime boat tour to see the city all lit up. They definitely know how to party in Prague, we didn't come home before 6am the whole time I was there, each night making our way back as the sun was rising. Needless to say, I was exhausted when I got back, but boy was it worth it!! Enjoy some photos from both of the trips! I've been back in Paris a week now and will be posting about my recent activities soon, until then, cheers to you and cheers to the Eurotrip of a lifetime! xoxobb

A Few of My Favorite Things III

Good food, good music, good drinks, good views, you'll find all of these on my third list of favorite things...

1. Le Petit Cambodge
    I had to put this place first because, honest to God, they served me one of the best meals of my life. This little cambodian place is located in the 10eme arrondissement and is always hoppin. It's a fairly small place, but no worries! If you arrive and there's a wait, you can give them your phone number, go get a drink at a bar nearby, and they'll call you when a table is ready. A more normal, old-fashioned version of the electronic light-up buzzer. Menu-wise, the Bobuns are the thing to order if you ask around. I, in my naiveté, did not know that the first time I went and ordered the Ban Hoy. Nonetheless, it ended up being the greatest thing I've ever eaten so I was pretty happy. Le Petit Cambodge, how I love you so...

2. Festival Soirs d'Été
    At the beginning of the month, from the 7th to the 11th of July, the city of Paris put on a festival of music in la Place de la République. Fittingly called "Summer Nights," each evening four or so bands or artists would play a set...for free!!! After dinner we would wander over to République to watch the performances and, granted most of the artists I had never heard of, it was always good music and a good time. One of my favorite bands, John Butler Trio, who I've seen live in Atlanta, performed on Tuesday night!

3. Candelaria
    I know so many people back home who would fall in love with this place (as I did, obviously)! Candelaria is a whole in the wall taqueria and bar that is home to some of the BEST tacos I've ever eaten. The tiny place only seats 12 in the front dining area (although there is a back room for the bar) and there is forever a line out the door. Each day the owners decide which tacos they want to make that day and those are the options you have to choose from. So far, I've tried the fried fish and beet, the papas salsa verde, and the pork and pineapple. All were amazing. Even more amazing, and I can say this because I'm a connoisseur in this field, is their guacamole. Un. Real. Lastly, (I'm looking at you Cait and Mel), comes the infamous Candelaria margarita. Either frozen or on the rocks, this margarita comes with chili flakes and pink salt on the rim, none of that sea salt crap from Chilis. This is the reallll dealll.

4. Le Salon by Thé des Ecrivains
    In the 3eme arrondissement, this little shop sells wonderful trinkets, treasures, and lots of teas! Mostly a book store and papery, the boutique has its own brand of handmade journals, papers, stationary...it's wonderful. Many have cute little french sayings on them which make them all the more covetable for a francophile such as myself. If you're done shopping you can also sit and enjoy one of the salons own teas! These are also for sale and you can bring home flavors such as Oscar Wilde, my favorite!

5. Le Jardin du Luxembourg
    The Luxembourg gardens might be my new favorite place in Paris. I went on a sunny Saturday afternoon when the weather was just too perfect to do anything other than sit in a park and read. However, I didn't get much reading done because I couldn't keep my eyes from wandering on all the wonderful things around me! The gardens are unbelievably beautiful as are the Luxembourg Palace and the iconic Medici Fountain. Close your eyes, dream of Paris, and this is what you'll see. I'll be doing a post on Luxembourg soon enough!

Bissous to all!! xoxobb

The Great Parisian Meltingpot

America isn't the only melting pot in the world, sure it may be the biggest, but not the only. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Paris is made up of people, cultures, and traditions from all around the world. The best place to get a full understanding of the city's historically multicultural background is the Cité Nationale d'Histoire de l'Immigration (Paris' Immigration Museum). The building itself was built for the World Fair in 1937 along with many other buildings in Paris that mimicked  the architecture of the countries for which they stood. Unfortunately, the Cité de l'Immigration is one of only two remaining buildings from the exhibition. But what a beautiful building it is! The entire outside is covered in stone carvings, depicting images from around the globe. Inside there are vibrant mosaic floors and painted murals, along with galleries that contain immigrant artifacts. Here are some photos of the museum, along with some photos of Paris' Chinatown! Another great experience to be had while exploring the city's multiculturalism! Enjoy! xoxobb

Bon Appétit!

 For all you worker bees and busy interns out there, I know Monday's can be hard. What better way to cheer yourself up than to feast your eyes (pun intended) on photos of some of Europe's best grub? I've been to many cities in many countries over here and if I've learned one thing it's that europeans live to eat. And boy do they know what they're doing in the kitchen. From roast duck in Bordeaux to tapas in Barca, or fish and chips in London to fallafel in the Marais, everything I've eaten has been a gift from the culinary gods. Here are some photos of just a few of my favorites. You'll notice that there are no desserts....that's a whole nother story....
Enjoy!! Xoxobb