Bienvenue à Cassis This small fishing village is tucked between the tall, rocky calanques (“coves”), and hasn’t been tainted by tourists- even though its a popular spot in summertime. Hardly a fishing port these days, Cassis’ narrow streets are full of jovial bistros, bars and beach chic boutiques. It’s an easy side trip from Marseille, it’s 40 minutes by…
Bordeaux is a city near and dear to my heart. The tourist office’s slogan is Bordeaux ma ville (“Bordeaux, my city”), and after all this time- it still is MY city in France. I studied there for a semester my senior year of university and keep returning for it’s charm and elegance. “Sleeping Beauty” In…
Nestled in the Pyrénées mountain range between France and Spain is the lovely little enigma, Andorre. Andorra (“Andorre” in French) is one of the handful of small independent nations in Europe. Key Points: -They use the EURO – Most people speak SPANISH (Catalan), but French and Portuguese is spoken. -Andorra la Vella is the capital -6th…
This year (Happy 2018!) marks my 3rd Christmas in Geneva, Switzerland. And I thought it was about time I started talking about what to do in Geneva. Normally, we’re outdoors. Here is a hiking day with day with the whole family at Le Môle, French Alps GPS Coordinates : 46.099143, 6.438364 The Môle is…
Happy Fall! & Happy (Belated) Thanksgiving! I’m trying to enjoy the last of the good weather before it gets too cold and rainy, here in Toulouse. So why not bundle up and head out for a day in nature? A while back I got my boyfriend a crashpad for his birthday so we could enjoy…
Canelés are from Bordeaux, in the southwest of France. Canelés are small, almost mini bundt cakes with a rich, custardy interior enclosed by a thin caramelized shell. Bordeaux is the city I studied at university in for 5 months, where I met my boyfriend, and his hometown. (I took the above photo while grabbing an…
Surf’s Up, Brah The Côte Basque is famous for it’s waves and wide beaches. The medium grain sand feels so good under your feet and in the summer the warm sun shines down to kiss your buns. It’s prime real estate on the southern Atlantic coast, with a laid back vibe, perfect for lácher prise (“letting…
Le Pays Basque, “Basque Country,” is a triangular 2,000 square mile area along the French-Spanish border. One of the three sides stretches along the Atlantic Coast. So it’s a mix of France and Spain? French & Spanish? Nah. Le Pays Basque is considered its own country by the 2.4 million people that live there. They have their…
France, a culinary wonderland. Croissants, macarons, BAGUETTES, coq au vin, ratatouille, vin rouge, ROSÉ. Whenever I come back from some time abroad, 5 months, 3 months, 2 months, this fall I will be there for 7 my American girls will somehow work into the convo, “How did you not get fat?!” Like Is butter…
What is French apéro? L’apéro is the short name for l’apéritif . L’apéro is a pre-dinner drink with small plates. It’s normally between 6pm (18h00) and 9pm (21h00) and it can sometimes turn into your meal for the night. If it’s a full meal, it’s called “Un apéro dînatoire”. It’s very laid back and casual, there’s no fixed length for an apéro….