Road Trip Through France: An Overview

Matt and I just returned from France where we spent eight days of adventures! This was definitely one of my favorite trips so far, and it was way more relaxing than I thought it would be. Driving in France is fairly straightforward and we simply had a wonderful time.

Oh- and the weather was pretty amazing, too.

Here's a breakdown of what we did and where we went:

Lyon (overlooking the Rhone river)
-Private wine tasting & French wine overview

-Visited Roman ruins

Avignon (more history than we thought)

-Toured the Pope's Palace

-Drove through vineyards

-Ate tons of chocolate croissants

-Wine tasting at a French winery
-Stopped in to sample Valrhona chocolates
-Toured Pont du Gard

-Was wowed at Carrières de Lumières

Montpellier (close to the Mediterranean coast)
-Saw the Millau Aqueduct up close

-Visited the Roquefort Cheese Caves in Roquefort

Beaune (the capital of Burgundy, a short distance from Dijon)
-Sampled all the mustards

-Stayed overnight in an old abbey

-Stopped at a huge Carrefour (French grocery store) to stock up on tons of goodies

I'll provide more detail on all the fun (and lots more pictures!) in subsequent posts. Needless to say, we came, we saw, we ate, we drank.

On a trip. Be back tomorrow...

... and a full re-cap on Wednesday!

Ten ways Europe is preparing me for work.

I'm not just sitting around planning trips, you know. I'm learning valuable lessons that I can apply to the next job I have when I get back to the U.S.

10. I already have my company Halloween costume ready.

And an alternate:

9. I instinctively know what time it is in several time zones.

8. I'm experimenting with recipes so when that company potluck or contest comes around, watch out. I can also taste the difference between mediocre and amazing olive oil. (How do you do it, Italy?!)

(I'm also planning to experiment with a cinnamon chipotle chicken chili. Watch out future co-workers.)

7. My office is going to be the coolest. With pictures of castles, cities, mini Eiffel Towers and candies. Heck, there might be a mini fridge where I keep my work beer... I really hope that's cool in my next job.

6. Focusing on my M.S. degree means I will retain the information much better (than trying to do it while working at the same time). I'm not the fastest reader in the world, so having the time to actually sit down and retain information is pretty awesome.

5. I'm learning to be more flexible. Some things are just out of your control. Sometimes you have to get creative when you don't know the language or quirky cultural things. So yeah, not gonna get upset when something wacky happens at work.

4. Greater cultural awareness. Not just for Germans, but people from all over. My German language class only had two people from the U.S., and one of them was me! And you know what? Everyone is really smart in their own way, so it's pointless to be judgey if someone doesn't fit into the box of "correct" human being that you have in your head. I'm going to give people the benefit of the doubt more often.

3. I don't take things as personally. It used to make me feel like slime when a German corrected my German, but they just want to help. Even if they didn't, I'm trying not to react like they're out to get me - they have issues of their own to deal with.

2. Nothing scares me. Except driving in small cities or anywhere in Italy. I also still don't like pulling out of our parking spot, but I'll do it if I need to.

1. I know that work isn't the most important thing. People aren't crazy workaholics here. They do plenty of work, don't get me wrong, and they are efficient and polite as they complete their tasks. But they know how to enjoy life - they sit outside, they relax, they do outdoorsy things. If I asked anyone here to tell me something about them, I don't think they would immediately state their profession because it doesn't define them. I definitely want to take that mentality back to the U.S. where everything seems to be about getting ahead of the next guy, and always looking toward the future good instead of taking time to look at the current good.

Instead, you've got to stop and enjoy your surroundings. Like Matt.

Cafe Review: dicke lilli, gutes kind

The ladies and I decided to check out this adorable cafe, called dicke lilli, gutes kind last week for some coffee and cake, something Germans love to pair together in the afternoon. We got there around 3pm on a Friday and the place was packed so we had to wait a little while before a few people left.

Yes, that's what happens - even during normal business hours, people are out enjoying things - we still haven't figured out how everyone can do this and afford things, but I digress.

The place was so cute. We had a window seat and there was something to look at wherever you turned your head.

Even the lights had patterns!

Each of us opted for a cappuccino but we diverged in our cake selection. Susan got the raspberry cheesecake, Joyce went for the carrot cake, and I diverged so much I went for pie! Apple pie! Something I haven't really seen over here. Definitely a little different tasting, but still very good. I think they don't know cinnamon is a main ingredient, because I think I missed the spicy-ness a bit. But what a flaky crust- almost like a marriage between apple strudel and pie.

Quite tasty all around. We ended up having a pleasant afternoon for something like three hours before we headed out. Hopefully we can sample some more places soon - I'd love to share my cake and coffee knowledge with my readers, :-)

What a strange yet hilarious thing: Fasching

What is Fasching? 
Think of Halloween and Mardi Gras rolled into one extended weekend. Carnival German-style!

When is Fasching?
This year it's February 28 - March 5.

What happens during Fasching?
Anything and everything, we've been told. The Thursday (so last Thursday) kicked off with an election of the carnival prince and/or princess, and women stormed town hall. Women are also allowed to cut off the ties of any guy they see. And kiss whatever guy they want.

Throughout the weekend, there are parties setup in restaurants, bars, and even in tents they break out and setup. It's one big dance party, plus all the festival food stands and drinks come out!

The big event though, is Monday (Rosenmontag) with a huge parade. Some of the floats have a political bent to them, too.

Is this everywhere in Germany?
Nope, we're in a special city. It's only really big in Kolin (Cologne for you newbies) and in Mainz.

Oh, I almost forgot the best part! Everyone dresses up.

Dresses up!? In what?
All kinds of costumes, especially polar fleece animal costumes.

That sounds weird. Do many people participate?
Just about everyone. Looking at pictures from last year, I thought to myself "there's no way I'm doing THAT" but it's totally not weird.

So... what are you wearing?
I'm a bright lime green dragon/dinosaur. Rrraww!

Matt WAS a penguin on Saturday, but with our cheapo costumes, the zipper broke before we got to wear it again. So for Monday, thanks to our friends who had a spare, he was a giraffe.

It's hard to see the penguin awesomeness here, but trust me, it was going on.

 Emo giraffe pose.

 Cutie.

What happened during the parade?
So the parade is still going on as I type this. We just came back for a quick rest before heading back out in the evening and getting our dance and dinner on! Here are some photos!

This is the calm before the storm. We got invited to a pre-game party for someone who had a super sweet apartment right over this square:

They even somehow fit this deadly ride into the square.

Here's everyone getting ready for the parade!

And then it begins!

 As I said, lots of political floats. Like this, one of at least two NSA/Anti-American floats. Here is Angela Merkel with her cell phone, and behind her is the Statue of Liberty.

 Sweet car.

Lotsa fun. There were lots of bands playing too, so Matt was happy to see that. A lot of the floats also threw candy and other random stuff, so we got some goodies.

Okay - time for a quick nap, then we'll be meeting back up with our friends for dinner!

One year in!

On this Friday last year (March 1st of last year), Matt and I landed in Frankfurt. He hasn't been back to the U.S. since (though I made two trips). We are 1/3 of the way through this stint. Even though we've been so busy and seen so much, there's still plenty more to see while we're over here.

In the past year we've hit...

• Germany
• Czech Republic
• Belgium
• France
• Switzerland
• Italy
• Drove through Austria
• Drove through Lichtenstein
• United Kingdom
• Monaco
• Spain
• Gibraltar
• Morocco

I've lost count of all the schnitzel and fries I've consumed (got in another round last night!), in addition to the numerous beers and bottles of wine we drank. All totally worth the calories. 

Some upcoming adventures include an Eastern Mediterranean Cruise (including Italy, Greece, and Turkey) and Road trip through Southern France. Plus stuff I haven't even thought of yet, I'm sure.

Also, my parents are coming! And my sister! They've never been to Europe and they're going to have the best time!

I'm finishing up my third grad school class this week, which means I'm 25% done!

So much punctuation!!!

These are a few of my favorite (travel) things

Infinity pocket scarf

This camel has no idea the scarf has a pocket!

I got this for our trip to Spain so I could stash things close to me and not have anyone steal them. You can fit a passport in it (which I did when I went to Morocco, also handy in the airport going through layers of security), as well as some cash or IDs. It's super soft and nice. I loved it so much I immediately ordered another one in a different color. I think everyone should have them. You can find them on Etsy by clicking this link and checking out all the solids and pretty patterns!

Travelon anti-theft mini handbag

For obvious reasons, I needed a new purse and I needed it to be awesome. I don't like carrying a lot of stuff and feeling weighed down. I totally found IT. I cannot tell you how much this purse rocks my socks, it has it all... credit card slots (that also block electronic thieves) so I don't need a separate wallet, lockable zippers, front outside pocket, back outside pocket, perfect spots inside for my phone, cash, passport, and it even comes with a little LED flashlight. It's slashproof on the straps as well as in the body and goes with everything. Totally new favorite thing to wear not just on trips but daily as well. If you click on this link it will take you to the Travelon website - in case the size I have is too big or small, they got tons of other options.

Nexus 4 phone - the camera is really good



(Though the gorgeous location certainly helps)

When Matt and I went to Lake Como for the first time, we were limited to one backpack each, which meant the nice Nikon stayed home. Not a problem for the Nexus 4 - took some really great photos and even framed them! Good quality and thanks to auto updating from Google, every time I'm logged into WiFi they automatically backup to my account. Obviously when it's time for a phone upgrade, I'll be taking into account the camera abilities pretty closely.

Makeup remover towelettes
I don't travel with liquid makeup remover, that's just a spill in my bag waiting to happen. I've tried a few brands but I keep going back to the Target store brand stuff.

Flat sunglasses
When you have a little purse, you don't want your sunglasses to break when you stuff them inside if they're too big. Luckily when I was in Cheryl and Matt's wedding last year, one of my bridesmaid gifts were these fabulous aviators, which lay super flat in my bag. And are super snazzy.

Easy Spirit e360 flats

Comfy shoes are a must, and these are not only soft and squishy, but also incredibly lightweight. I have a pair in solid black and then also blue/gray. They go with a lot of outfits, too. Way better to be in normal shoes than flip flops during the summer - there's no telling what kind of conditions you'll be walking on. Unfortunately my particular shoes appear to be discontinued, but I'll be constantly checking with their website for similar styles in their e360 line - love them!

Kimmy snacks

When I don't eat, I get angry. Hungry + angry = Hangry. When I'm hangry, everyone suffers. So I bring 1-2 granola bars, lately the Quaker Oats banana nut bread oatmeal squares. They have the most protein so it keeps me going longer.

Purell individual hand sanitizer packs

Super convenient if the bathroom doesn't have any soap, which happens. Also good if you've been taking camel rides or hanging around monkeys.

Shout wipes (not for me but for my traveling partner). Sometimes we get a little too excited about food.

Carabiner

I can hook a bag into or on my purse, a small zip bag onto the inside of my jacket, it can be an emergency securing device, it does it all.

Honorable mentions...
1. Compact Totes Umbrella - fits well inside my small bag and still expands pretty full.
2. Tissues (another handy thing if the bathroom conditions somewhere are less than optimal)
3. Chapstick
4. Slippers that lay flat - easy to pack and use in hotels where you just aren't sure about the floor...

But the #1 Travel must-have, can't live without-it is....

The right travel partner.

Long story short, don't forget to pack your Matt!