La Plus Belle Ville du Monde

Somedays, you forget just how lucky you are to live in the prettiest city on earth.

That you never have to leave the sights behind.

That you can eat fresh baguette every day...

...and unpasteurized cheese....

...and drink wine with lunch without judgment.

In this third year of Parisian living, I hope that the exploration never stops, that the fascination never fades away, and that the twinkling Eiffel Tower will always make my heart skip a beat.

Fairytale Weekend

Lord, have I ever been busy lately.  I'm putting the finishing touches on my Thanksgiving meal plans for next week.  I'm cooking for my very big Frenchy family :)  It should be a blast next weekend.  I also have been gearing up for a return to the USA for Christmas and the end of the year.  After 3 years of not celebrating Christmas with my side of the family, it's time to trade foie gras and champagne for eggnog and my momma's cookies.

Then there's that whole working thing.  And did I mention that I am learning Chinese?  Yea...我学汉语

Thankfully, November has two national holidays in it, giving me a couple of long weekends.  November can be tricky for planning trips because you are never sure how the weather will be here in France.  It has a reputation for being downright cold and rainy.  We decided to risk it and head to the Loire Valley, known for its concentration of breathtaking castles and equally amazing countryside.  They also have some delicious wines.  My friends at work remarked that Fab and I seem to be on a constant honeymoon, especially with this romantic setting.

Aw shucks y'all...

Château Azay-le-Rideau

Ich Bin Ein Berliner

Four days in Berlin.  It wasn't nearly enough.  I've been to many of the world's great cities, but none to this day have made me reflect more than Berlin.  We went expecting to see family and explore this modern, bustling metropolis.  Plus, if you regularly follow my musings, you correctly assumed that I was pretty darn excited about the beer.  We casually picked this past weekend due to its juxtaposition with a French national holiday (15 August).  What we didn't realize was that this weekend was also the 50th Anniversary of the establishment of the Berlin Wall.

Save Me from this Deadly Love