brussels!

loved brussels!
the pace is slower than in paris - lots of little pubs everywhere in case you want to take a little beer/cider break.  somehow such breaks seemed more welcoming here. it's smaller, and more compact, but has the most amazing city square! i could spend a good chunk of time sitting outside studying the deets on those buildings (and staring at the people!). anyway,

according to wikipedia, food-wise it's known for it's waffles, beer, french fries, and chocolate.  i tried three of these.

their waffles are seriously the tastiest i've ever had in my life.  i'm sure they're filled with tons of butter/sugar, but they're perfectly crispy outside and soft inside and i now want to make some here.  if possible a healthier version of them, but mimic the taste EXACTLY.

also had lindmans pecheresse (peach cider) - a new fav! i'm on the lookout to get some for myself at home

had just a small taste of the chocolate in one of the shops, but didn't take it too much farther.  somehow there were chocolate shops everywhere, it was kind of turning me off from caring about it much.  sounds crazy - but i think the waffles were a good enough distraction.


alla and i just about passed out when we found a healthy restaurant option after passing up nothing but pub food, waffle and sausage options.  it was such a relief to see fresh salads and fruits, hot soup, beet sandwich?

























this park had tons of chestnut trees so i gathered some  to bring home in hopes of "roasting chestnuts on an open fire"


outside the city center.  more of a "real" neighborhood.




that's brussels.  btw, this was all in two(ish) days.  kind of a first world problem, but you can't see much variation in my outfits - i packed light, but i did switch things up.  good thing that i happen to love my trench coat/fur hood/booties, they totally saved the trip for me weather-wise.  like i said, fwp ;)

ok - next up is budapest!

and we're back! i'm sure it's old news by now since we've been back for a week and a half, but i got a little bit of europe under my belt and have so much to share not sure where/how to start.  i was hoping to update periodically there, but internet was a bit spotty.  plus every wifi opportunity i'd spend my time updating my instagram (ps did anyone else know that wifi stands for wireless fidelity?)

so

paris!

was my absolute favorite. everything from the language, to the locals' innate classiness, to the all natural way the women wear their hair. it was a huge city so full of history and culture and truly full of romance. and you get into it. we stayed with mike's cousin and her husband - they took us in with such unreserved hospitality it blew my mind though i know to them it was nothing. their place was a little farther out of paris than i thought, but i loved the feel of a true parisian suburb. and the metro rides gave me more opportunity to observe the people - because at the end of the day that's what i was most interested in (and food!)

estee and cipri's (pronounced chipree) lovely home.  they have a fig tree growing right outside, it was such a delight - everytime we left for the train station i'd pick off like five of them.  times the five days we were there, that makes 25 less ripe figs on that tree.  dang.

a forced walk through the park on the first day to keep us awake - i was dozing off by 5pm paris time. 

at the louvre (ps a "must see" but we did not last very long.  i think i have determined i'm more interested in the modern arts)

mona lisa (the blurry tiny painting behind me ;)

i think i remember seeing this one in textbooks somewhere

a preserved original piece of the louvre.  it used to be a giant castle.  that's pretty fascinating.  i always think of game of thrones when i see castles - noblemen, ladies, barbarians, etc. lots of bad things too.

nothing like a texture break

notre dam

lovers bridge - alla and mike had an extra lock for us so we were able to contribute and leave our mark. i wonder how often people are able to come back and see their locks.  there were some old ones.

hotel de ville

used french books - i wanted to buy a bunch just to have. especially children's books, in case we decide to teach our kids french

the eiffel tower by night is quite breathtaking - it's just nuts how iconic this simple tower has become

this is me probably trying to figure out where we should eat

this is us looking for a restaurant.  a very common occurrence. 

and finally, with our lovely hostess with the mostess.

 way way more paris here.

anywho - thanks for reading. next up is brussels!