Category Archives: Europe

Favorite Paris Cafes and their Fabulous Foods

by Wendy
Sunday passed in a jet lag fog, with the Roissy bus from the airport, sleepy walk around the neighborhood, settling in our hotel, slightly dazed dinner and early bedtime. Monday we woke a little more alert and very hungry. We wandered a few blocks to a place we spotted the evening before, Cafe Dalayrac, to order petit dejeuner, or breakfast.

It was a gorgeous day around 11am, and we sat on the border of outside/inside seating so we could watch the street scene and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. The basic petit dejeuner a la francaise is about 7 euros: boisson chaude (hot drink like coffee, tea or hot chocolate), une viennoiserie ou tartine (either a croissant pastry or bread with butter and jam), and jus d’orange (orange juice). For another 7 euros, you have petit dejeuner anglais, with an added dish of 2 oeufs au choix (eggs of your choice): au plat (fried sunny side up), brouilles (scrambled), or omelette. We opted for the anglais, which was delicious, and thus began our fond friendship with Cafe Dalayrac. Continue reading →

Go to Paris

by Wendy
Paris and I go back about twenty years. The inaugural visit was with my sister April right after I graduated from college. The second and third connections were with my husband Jack – a long weekend in January, a summer trip in August. When I learned my sister Sunny was planning a first-time journey to Paris with her husband and daughter, I asked if I could tag along. Sunny said Oui, and we spent a week there earlier this month. Continue reading →

Three Cheers for Train Travel

by Wendy
Train travel can be nostalgic, modern, adventurous, efficient, rustic, glamorous, educational – provoking many combinations of potentially contradictory impressions. I love planes (and hanging out in airports), and I love road trips. But trains are also cool. And the European high-speed train network is super-cool. Continue reading →

An Afternoon at Parliament

by Wendy
Next time you’re in London, consider booking a guided tour of Parliament followed by afternoon tea. That’s right, you can actually drink tea in a House of Commons dining room! This is a cool activity for anyone interested in England, history, politics, the Queen, or a fine afternoon tea. Continue reading →

A Salute to English Breakfasts

by Wendy
There are so many things I love about London. One thing I don’t think I’ve mentioned before is the full English breakfast.

As far as I can tell, there are variations of the full English, but a plate often consists of fried or poached eggs, beans, toast or fried bread, sausage or bacon (or vegetarian option), mushrooms, and tomatoes. Sometimes kippers, or maybe bubble and squeak. Continue reading →

Post-trip Packing Post: Iceland/England

by Wendy
Packing for this recent trip was a challenge, as we traveled to two very different destinations.

Iceland: mostly outdoor activities. Even though we were going in summer, nearly everything we read cautioned us to be prepared for any type of weather. Basic hiking gear was a necessity.

England: we would be in London most of the time, with a day trip to Dover that included quite a bit of walking. Always good to be prepared for rain in England. Though London is a style capital, anything other than comfortable shoes would be pointless. We weren’t planning any formal activities but wanted to dress appropriately for tour and tea in Parliament.

Right. Here is my list and a few notes on how I organized everything. Continue reading →

Back from Incredible Iceland

by Wendy
I am just back from visiting Iceland with Jack and my parents. It was amazing and we look forward to sharing many stories on the blog. Right now, I think we’re all still in the midst of jet lag, unpacking, organizing, and getting back into the work routine – but I keep stopping to look at photos, jot down a few notes and feel grateful for such an epic vacation.
Continue reading →