restaurant review: la cave gourmande (aka our favorite french bistro in the montmartre area in paris)

(Paris, France).  As a lactose intolerant person, I find fancy French cuisine difficult to enjoy continuously due to the heavy, creamy sauces.  However, I do enjoy simple French bistro fare such as steak frites, cassoulet, duck confit, escargot, etc.  It's rustic, simple and straightforward - and when done well, such as at La Cave Gourmande - it becomes a lovely, memorable experience.

I didn't make any reservations for our last few days in the Montmartre area in Paris.  I figured we could stroll around and pick places to eat spontaneously.  At least that was my initial idea, but when one is tired with sore feet, the thought of traipsing about looking for a meal can be rather daunting.  Thank goodness for the yelp app.  I was able to search "restaurants nearby" and select possible restaurants based on the reviews.  On our first night in Montmartre, I picked La Cave Gourmande, which was literally around the corner from our airbnb apartment, and we were not disappointed!

kyoto eats

Kyoto usually evokes visions of old Japan. It seems that beautiful temples and gardens are around every corner, and seeing geishas around town is fairly common place. Certainly, Kyoto is well worth the visit just for those. But, Kyoto is also a great eating town. Below are my recommendations:

travel zen on friday: eiffel tower

It is shockingly touristy but still impressive to see.  The best place to get a nice full view of the Eiffel Tower is from the Trocadero.

global entry is awesome!!! (must have for frequent travelers)

I finally used my Global Entry recently and it was absolutely fantastic and worth it!  (For those who don't know, Global Entry is an expedited clearance program for pre-approved, low-risk travelers who are citizens or permanent residents.)

Here is a description of my experience on September 19, 2015.  Upon landing in LAX after a 10 hour flight from Tokyo, we slowly dragged our tired sore bodies towards the Customs/Immigration lines.  We looked to our right and saw a large mass of equally tired looking travelers in a line that was reminiscent of a Disneyland queue for one of its more popular rides.  But then we looked a little to the left and saw a sign for Global Entry.  No lines at all!  There were about 4 rows of kiosks and most of them were empty.  I walked right up to a kiosk and scanned my passport.  I was prompted to answer a few questions on the screen, had my fingerprints scanned and looked into a camera.  The kiosk issued a receipt with my photo on it (yikes!) and then I was on my way to the Baggage Claim area.  

After getting our bags we looked for the exit.  Again, on the right was a massive line of people getting out of customs.  On the left was barely a line for Global Entry.  I handed my receipt to the customer officer who asked me where I was traveling from and then I was off on a taxi and headed home!

I think the Global Entry access probably saved me an hour of waiting in lines!  AWESOME!

So, how do you get Global Entry?

museum of modern art (musee d'art moderne de la ville de paris) - wonderful and free

(Paris, France).  One of the most enjoyable free things we encountered in Paris was a visit to the Museum of Modern Art (Musee d'Art Moderne de La Ville de Paris) which is located in the eastern wing of the Palais de Tokyo.  

We took the metro and exited at Iena, and took a quick walk over to the museum.  There was some construction at the front so we entered through the side near the gift shop.  My husband had read that admission to the general museum was free so they simply let us in.  (Note - for the special exhibitions, there is an entrance fee.)  I had expected a small museum with a handful of artworks, but the museum was quite large and the collection of 20th century art was very impressive.  I particularly enjoyed the Giorgio de Chirico, Amedeo Modigliani, Delauney and Picasso pieces.  (Note: even if the museum is free, they do accept donations.  For most tourists, there's no point in carrying all that foreign change so this would be a great place to unburden yourselves, and do something for the community at the same time.  bonus!)

riga eats: chocolates at emils gustavs and laima

Chocolate Truffles at Emils Gustavs.

Who knew that Riga has two big chocolatiers? I certainly did not. 

travel zen on friday: chinchero, peru

Despite having last visited Peru in 2002, I still think back fondly on that trip and the beauty of the Sacred Valley. I took this picture in the town of Chinchero. Happy Friday, everyone!

Peru.

restaurant review: spring in paris (favorite high-end meal)

(Paris, France).  There are a myriad of high-end restaurants in Paris but after a lot of research I decided to try Spring - a small prix-fixe only restaurant opened by American chef Daniel Rose, which meticulously focuses on seasonal ingredients.  It is located very close to the Louvre and reservations are required several weeks in advance which can easily be done online or via email.

So how was the meal?

restaurant review: crow's nest in anchorage

Sunset from the Crow's Nest with the Sleeping Lady in the distance.

If there is one thing the Crow's Nest restaurant is known for, it is the spectacular views. It is located at the top of the Captain Hook Hotel (where President Obama stayed during his visit to Anchorage). It has a fantastic view of the intersection where Cook Inlet, Turnagain Arm and Knik Arm meet. On a clear day, diners can see Mt. Denali loom in the distance. Nearer to town, and no less impressive, is a view of The Sleeping Lady (or officially, Mt. Susitna, which looks like a sleeping lady). In my experience, the fantastic views usually do not bode well as far as dining experiences go. But, I thought, perhaps this place is different?

travel zen on friday: jardin des tuilleries

A lovely (and free) thing to do in Paris.  Take your time to enjoy this sanctuary and peaceful garden.  But remember - don't step on the grass!!

paris museum pass - is it worth it? (louvre, musee d'orsay, etc.)

(Paris, France).  The Paris Museum Pass gives entry (and preferred access) to the main museums and monuments in Paris and is sold in 2-day, 4-day or 6-day increments.  On the first day of use, sign your name and date on the back and your pass is "activated" and can be used for consecutive days of the duration of your pass.

Is it worth it?

restaurant review: forma in santa monica

A new restaurant recently opened in Santa Monica and a business colleague Mr. Sazy Rock met at a conference a while back invited us to check it out. I was very pleased with the invitation and to have eaten at Forma. Forma has received some press when it opened. But, it seems like it really should have received more as I will explain below.

The Scene

Located on Santa Monica's fancy shopping street - Montana Avenue - the restaurant was very busy on a Friday evening. Okay, it was packed. Inevitably, it was very buzzy. Diners were dressed nicely but jeans were completely acceptable. If you can, try and get a table close to the back of the restaurant. That's where staff finish the pasta and risotto in cheese wheels. I would have loved to just watch (and eat that) all day. 

Finishing a pasta order.

travel zen on friday: tuna auction at tsukiji market

Does a frenetic tuna auction give you travel zen?

The tuna auction.

pierre herme macarons

(Paris, France).  There are macarons everywhere in Paris.  Everywhere you turn, someone is trying to sell you the pretty pastel treats.  And yet, there are two places that are consistently touted as the best in the world - Pierre Herme and Laduree.  To be honest, I love them both and I tend to lean towards Laduree (since it was the very first French macaron I ever head so I feel rather nostalgic about them), and yet, as a Parisian friend definitively stated to me "Laduree is for tourists.  My favorite is Pierre Herme."