travel zen on friday: portage lake, alaska

Portage lake was created from glacial water - Portage Glacier. Thirty years ago, there was no lake... just a massive glacier.

wine bar review: l'avant comptoir in paris

(Paris, France).  L'Avant Comptoir was a lovely wine and tapas bar in the St. German-des-pres area and was a perfect place to grab a casual lunch or refreshment after a day of shopping and/or sightseeing in the area.  The tripadvisor reviews were consistently great - see here.

Some quick tips:

traveling the baltics with ecolines

How easy is it to travel around the Baltics? Very.

A comfortable journey.

Obviously, one can fly between the main hubs (e.g., Vilnius to Tallinn). Although that is a quicker way to travel, a cheaper but still comfortable way to go is via bus. Ecolines is a company that provides seamless travel in the Baltics region. 

travel zen on friday: sacre coeur (night and day)

The views of Paris from this lovely church are gorgeous day or night.  Nearby there is a touristy area filled with restaurants, shops and street vendors and artists.  Yes, it's very touristy but super fun and worth the visit.  Just watch out for pickpockets!

restaurant review: l'as du falafel (aka the best falafel i've ever had)

Don't worry - the lines move quickly...

(Paris, France).  Before I went to Paris this summer, I asked around for food recommendations and got several enthusiastic messages about L'as du Falafel.  It was relatively close to Notre Dame and the Centre Pompidou, so we decided to check it out while we were in the area.

Was it worthy of all the glowing recommendations?

flying out of bgy? visit bergamo

Bergamo.

Many travelers who use budget airlines, such as Ryanair, fly in and out of BGY (Bergamo airport) on their way in or out of Milan. In the process, many of them skip Bergamo, a small and quaint town in its own right. 

Bergamo

travel zen on friday: alaska

Viewing this momma bear stand up was a pretty glorious sight... Scary. But, still glorious.

transportation in paris - tips and recommendations

(Paris, France).  On my recent trip to Paris, my husband and I tried different modes of transportation to get to and from the airport and around Paris generally.  Here are a few of my tips and recommendations.

fukuoka eats

The river that separates Hakata Ward from the rest of Fukuoka.

If you ever find yourself in Fukuoka, you are in luck. The cocktail scene is great and the affordable food offering is fantastic. There are at least three things that you have to try while visiting this small city.

travel zen on friday: notre dame cathedral and love lock bridge

Notre Dame Cathedral.  Very impressive but we didn't feel the need to queue up and go inside.  Instead we took some exterior pictures and then headed off to lunch at L'as du Falafel.

 While some sections have been removed due to the weight, it seems the tradition of leaving a lock and throwing away the key still remains strong amongst lovers. 

galeries lafayette: go for the view, not the shopping

(Paris, France).  Galeries Lafayette is a high-end department store with a flagship store on Haussmann in an absolutely gorgeous building with an impressive glass dome.   It is definitely worth a visit just to go onto the terrace and get rewarded with a lovely view of Paris (and the Opera House).  However, shopping here is kind of a challenge, and here is why...

osaka eats

Osaka.

Like Tokyo, Osaka is a big city. It is not quaint like Kyoto. As a someone from Kyoto once told me, Osaka is fast-paced and not pretty. It is, indeed, fast paced and not "pretty" in a traditional sense. But, it has its charms. I particularly loved the cocktail scene in Osaka. And, Osaka also has local eats that I found very tasty.

travel zen on friday: boipeba, brazil

Located south of Salvador in Bahia, the island of Boipeba is one of the most beautiful and serene places I have visited. Wishing you all a weekend full of wanderlust!

Brazil.

martinikitty's new blog

I started a new blog to focus more on local (Los Angeles) recommendations and other random loves (e.g., beauty, skincare, scifi, etc.).  Please check it out here!  The first post is about n/naka - a delicious modern Japanese restaurant in Culver City. 

But no worries - sazyrock and I will continue to post our travel blogs on travelbits&bites so nothing is changing there.  Cheers!