So did the wine, medieval village, and ocean convince you that a trip to Bordeaux is a good idea? If it did, here's what I recommend to pull the vacation together.
Make the city of Bordeaux your home-base during your stay. It is the largest city in the area and offers plenty of choices for accommodations, restaurants, and night life.
Read moreYou know that sound of the pop of the cork, followed by gurgling and a splash hitting the glass? I thought planning a trip to Bordeaux would be that easy, as simple as opening a bottle of wine and making the first pour. Wine flows freely in France so I assumed it would not be hard to figure out where to do some tastings in perhaps the most well-known wine region in the country, Bordeaux.
The decision to select Bordeaux as a destination for some of the wine enthusiasts coming to visit me was the easy part. I planned a long weekend with friends there last March, and then a quick overnight stop-off on en route to Dordogne with my parents. Beyond that though, figuring out where exactly to go took much more time.
Read moreI shared about two great side-trips to go on from Bordeaux, to St. Émilion and Arcachon. Now it's time to make our way to those famous vineyards of Bordeaux. Join me this week to see some beautiful vineyards and châteaus, with a look at how those grapes become wine!
Wine tasting after a tour of Château Prieuré-Lichine
Celebrating my two-year anniversary of living in France has made me reflect on the ways this country has changed me. So this post is a personal look at how my view on food has been impacted:
March 15 is popularly known as “the Ides of March” but to me it will always signify the day I boarded a plane with a one-way ticket to Paris. As I celebrate my two year “Paris-versary” of living here, I can’t help but reflect on who I was two years ago and barely recognize the girl at the boarding gate that evening in Newark, NJ.
I can list off many ways I've changed. I arrived two years ago without a job, without speaking a word of French, without a notion of what living abroad really meant. An identity crisis later and constant lessons in patience and humility bear marks on who I am today. There is a badge of confidence and independence that I think all expats wear as the scars of fumbling through a different culture and making a fool of themselves fade (or just start to feel less severe).
That’s just the tip of the iceberg, and there is way too much to share on how I've grown during the past two years. So today I’ll leave you with one aspect of life that French culture has pressed upon me, one I will take away with me whenever my time to leave this country comes.
Food. Eating. And the art of the meal.
Read more"We're still here," Michael said to me a month after landing in Paris. And on the first morning we woke up in our apartment. Again months later under the awning of a café watching the rain fall on a Saturday afternoon. And those words were certainly uttered that time we walked past the Louvre en route to a New Year's Eve party.
This Saturday we celebrated our two-year Paris-versary. And the one thing I kept thinking is, "We're still here." It's been our phrase to express the wonderment and amazement that we in fact call this city home. But it really hit me at our party, because we weren't supposed to still be here.
Part of the party spread...minus the late appearance of stuffed mushrooms and macarons
The plan was to move back to the US at the end of Michael's 21-month assignment. To make Paris a home base to travel throughout Europe as much as possible. Not to find a way to extend our stay, to fall deeply in love with this city.
Yet here we are, still here. And there was no better way to celebrate than with an apartment full of friends who have made this place home. I'm a firm believer that people make a place, and without all the incredible friends we have made throughout our time here, friends who have become family, Paris would never have become home to me.
So here's to still being here! Hope you will stick around to follow all that's to come :-)
Homemade macarons with Almond, Nocino (walnut-flavored liqueur), and Limoncello fillings
Bordeaux is known for its land. That special terroir, the earth that makes a prestigious Bordeaux wine what it is. Land that is very valuable and comes with quite a price tag.
The land of the region should be explored for its famous vineyards. Yet it's easy to focus just on the land and not realize that the sea is so close.
That's where an excursion to Arcachon comes into play.
Read morePromises of medieval quaintness and beauty led me to Saint-Émilion the first time. The small family-run vineyards that surround the town will keep me coming back.
About a 40-minute drive east of Bordeaux lies the town of St. Émilion, covered in cobblestones and surrounded by miles of vineyards. The city of Bordeaux is perfect to make a home base for its central location and for more happenings going on, but it is essential to make a trip east to its little sister, the small town of Saint-Émilion.
Read moreBon lundi!
One year ago, one car, two couples, four friends, five vineyards, five hours from Paris, undisclosed number of bottles. That is the short story of my wonderful long weekend in Bordeaux last March.
The longer story is to come. Follow along for details on Bordeaux and Saint-Émilion soon!
Vineyards in Saint-Émilion
In the "Park it in Paris" series, I write about the city's parks - some of the best spots to relax, people-watch, and mingle with the locals.
It's only the second post of this series and already the title is a slight misnomer. Today's featured park is located just over the border in the suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt. But I say close enough - after all, you can still get to the park via the metro (line 10).
A friend mentioned that he read about a park in Paris that featured an abandoned Rothschild mansion on its grounds (check out the article on blog Messy Nessy Chic.) A ghost of the presence of the Rothschild family intrigued me and I had to head out to explore last weekend.
Read moreBon lundi!
Today I wanted to share a photo of "Les Deux Plateaux", or more commonly known as "Colonnes de Buren" after its artist, Daniel Buren. Like many modern artistic expressions in Paris, this art installation was a scandal when it was installed in 1986 within the courtyard of the Palais Royal.
I personally like the columns and what they add to the space. Maybe it's partially due to positive associations made with passing through this courtyard and into the nearby garden of Palais Royal. Or on an even better afternoon, on my way through the gardens to get to Verjus for an incredible sandwich.
Either way, it is another of those unexpected spaces you come across when exploring this beautiful city.
What are your thoughts on this courtyard?
Anyone can travel. But to travel shrewdly takes time. If you do it wisely, you can avoid hassles, save money, and savor fresh pizza.
Here's how you can avoid my top five travel blunders along the way.
Read moreWhen the weather breaks in the winter with some sunshine, I grab my coat and walk. And walk and walk. (I'm not kidding - this walk ended up being close to three hours long by the time I was done.)
This past Sunday was one such day. I decided to switch it up and instead of walking near the Seine through the center of the city, I opted to walk up the often overlooked Canal St. Martin.
Read moreBon lundi!
Hope you all had a wonderful weekend! Sunday was a beautiful sunny, spring-like day, and Saturday didn't rain so I was still able to walk around a bit. This picture was taken from the top of the stairs of L'église de la Madeleine (the Madeleine church) in the 8ème arrondissement of Paris. It's been one of those minor things on my bucket list, and I finally made it a point to go inside. The building was originally built with Napoleon's intention to honor his army, but after his fall it was re-purposed as a church.
More on my weekend adventures soon!