Next week we leave on our long-awaited vacation. Julian started planning this trip back in February. (Who, us, obsessive-compulsive?) We’ll be in Hannibal for a few days to visit my family, then we’ll fly to France. To avoid being a magnet for every scammer and pickpocket in Lyon, Colmar, and Paris, my goal is simple: …
Category: Travel
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2017/11/25/getting-my-french-on/
Jul 04
More Canada Day Weekend
Sunday we walked over to Gastown and Chinatown. Both are older sections of town, similar to Pioneer Square and the Chinatown/International District in Seattle. The Vancouver neighborhoods are rapidly becoming gentrified. For example, we saw a “Vegan Supply Store” in the midst of Chinatown. It was down the street from the infamous “lizard on a stick” …
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2017/07/04/more-canada-day-weekend/
Jul 04
Vancouver vs. Seattle Smackdown!
You’ll recall I did something similar last year with Paris and Lyon. Today we’re comparing and contrasting closer to home. Demographics. Vancouver has more Asians than Seattle, and more Caucasians as well. Markets. Vancouver has Granville Island, Seattle has Pike Place. Both can be mobbed with tourists, especially on summer and holiday weekends. Restaurant scene. …
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2017/07/04/vancouver-vs-seattle-smackdown/
May 29
Olympic Feats
We went to the Olympic Peninsula for the day on Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend. For you readers Back East, the standard elementary school map depiction of Washington state resembles a hitchhiker’s fist. The “thumb” is the Olympic Peninsula. There are a few small cities, but most of the peninsula is occupied by Olympic National …
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2017/05/29/olympic-feats/
Sep 27
Five Things Americans Can Teach the French
In the last post I listed five things Americans can learn from the French. This post lists five things Americans can teach the French. Integrate your immigrants into society. These people have much to offer an aging workforce. Shuffling them into ugly suburbs called banlieues with little opportunity is counterproductive, given the violence that’s occurred …
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2016/09/27/five-things-americans-can-teach-the-french/
Sep 25
Five Things the French Can Teach Americans
Although I’m All-American, I have a soft spot for France. There are many things that it does well, just as there are many things America does well. Here are five things that we Yanks can learn from our French counterparts: Les plaîsirs de la table (the pleasures of the table). The French do not wolf …
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2016/09/25/five-things-the-french-can-teach-americans/
Sep 22
And What Have We Learned?
This trip, as with our previous travels, supplied us with memories of beautiful scenery and great food. It also taught us valuable lessons for future trips. Here are a few: Traveling light means constantly searching for laundromats or paying hotels to do laundry for you. Cut yourself some slack and pack extra socks and undies. …
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2016/09/22/and-what-have-we-learned/
Sep 21
Bonjour, Riviera
The homestretch of the French pilgrimage was on the Riviera. On Wednesday we landed in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin. The view from our room at the Hotel Deux Frères was stunning. We saw the crescent-shaped harbor with Monaco in the distance. We also saw a flotilla of megayachts moored in the harbor, poor souls. Dinner at the hotel …
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2016/09/21/bonjour-riviera/
Sep 18
Riviera Motor Sports
Everyone has heard about the Grand Prix of Monaco. However, there’s a more popular motor sport here on the French Riviera: Parking Derby. We were told that there were plenty of parking spaces near our hotel in Viillefranche-sur-Mer. There were, but they were all occupied. Finally we found a space about three blocks away. That’s …
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2016/09/18/riviera-motor-sports/
Sep 15
If Heaven isn’t in Provence…
I’m not going. This is the most amazing scenery. The combination of the hills, sea, sky, and vegetation is unlike anywhere else I’ve been. Throw in the history of the region and the cuisine, and you have the whole package.
Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2016/09/15/if-heaven-isnt-in-provence/
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