Over the weekend Ryan and I went to Zurich to visit family. Ryan’s twin brother Aaron, his wife Katy, and their 1-year-old son Boden moved there a little over a month ago and we were excited to see them, explore the city a bit, and eat some cheese.

It was a whirlwind of a trip. We left super early on Saturday. So early in fact, that I was able to snap a lovely photo of the sunrise. And then we returned to London on Sunday evening. All in all, a fast weekend in Zurich however I’ve got 5 things about the trip I want to share with you. Four of those things you too can do in Zurich, and all of them are kid friendly. Here we go.

1. Go on a walking tour of Free Walk Zurich

Free Walk Zurich offers a number of walking tours around the city each with different content. You meet the guide at a designated spot, walk and learn for about 90 minutes, and then tip your guide (if you want to) what you think is fair. So, if can be free but tipping is a nice thing to do.

I think we did the Downtown Zurich Tour. There were about 25 people on the tour and we walked up and down the lovely cobbled streets of Zurich. We saw the Fraumünster Church, which has some gorgeous frescoes. We also saw many fountains. The guide told us that there are over 1200 fountains and all of them give out clean drinkable water. Awesome right? I’ll admit, I wasn’t always so good at listening during the tour because the city is really beautiful. The trees were bright autumn colors, the water is gorgeous, and the building architecture was fun to look at.

What I really love about walking tours is that they make me look up. It’s easy to walk around a city and focus on where you’re going without looking at the details around you. On so many buildings there were beautiful statues, faces and animals carved into tiny ornamental flourishes, and lovely paintings like those you see below. The painting on the left is a painting of the old city of Zurich. The one on the right is of the three patrons of Zurich. Apparently two of the patrons, Felix and Regula are often remembered and depicted but the third one, Exuperantius is usually forgotten. Poor Exuperantius.

Now, Aaron and Katy might have a more informed opinion about whether or not this was a kid friendly activity – but I would say it was pretty good. There were some stairs during the tour but only one long staircase and a nice guy from the tour offered to help Aaron carry their stroller. The other participants were mainly young 20-30 something adults and all seemed to smile nicely at Boden (I thought). No one seemed too concerned with serious contemplative focus – I mean we were out in a noisy city for goodness sake, so a little baby noise wasn’t going to be bothersome.  Also we were outside so it was easy to walk apart a bit if need. Most importantly look how cute Boden is? Who could possibly mind him? 

Afterward we got delicious sausages from a nearby street vendor. Then Katy and I ditched the boys and wandered around, looked a flea market, bought cheese, and enjoyed the view of the boats on the lake. All in all pretty great. I recommend it.

2. Eat delicious Raclette

I was really excited about going to Switzerland so I could eat some delicious cheese. The only cheese dish I knew about was fondue, but wonderfully Aaron and Katy introduced me to something new – a different cheesy Swiss dish. They served us delicious, warm, and comforting raclette.

Raclette is a semi-firm cheese that’s used for melting. The machine above is also called Raclette. It’s awesome. Here’s how it works. You put a slice of the cheese into the tiny pans. Top the cheese with onions and bacon and then put it in the bottom layer of the apparatus. Leave it there until the cheese is bubbling all over and is temptingly gooey looking. The top shelf is like a grill and we used it for sausages and vegetables.

Once the cheese is melted and bubbling take your pan out of the machine and quickly pour the cheese over a boiled potato. Then you eat and repeat. Better yet, get another slice of cheese melting while you’re working on your first potato. Then you can have non-stop cheesy goodness. We had four different kinds of cheese: regular, garlic, chili paprika, and pepper. All tasty, a little bit stinky, and so satisfyingly good. This meal was hearty and filling without being too heavy. Also clean up was super easy. A really great dish and if you’re in Zurich find a restaurant, or a local, who will serve you this dish!

3. Take a cable car from Adilswil to Felsenegg Lookout

On Sunday we decided to take in some views and do some walking. We went over to Adilswil and took the cable car to the Felsenegg Lookout.

Ok, let me be honest. Before we could do any walking we needed caffeine. We sat in the restaurant right at the top and had the creamiest cappuccinos I’ve ever tasted. Finally ready to go, we hit the trails. There were a number of different walking paths of varying difficulties. We choose a 3km one with little incline. Katy had done it before so we knew we’d be able to make it with the stroller. There were one or two small, yet tiring, hills but the five of us made it.

This walk was my favorite thing we did in Zurich. We got lucky to be there while the trees were bright with autumn colors. Everything was gorgeous. Honestly though, I found this short walk breathtakingly beautiful. I totally recommend doing this. It’s a perfect half day activity. 

We walked up and down the hills and slowly the fog burned off and the sun came out. It was so amazing to be in a place so scenic only a short trip (about 20 minutes) outside the city. In addition to gorgeous countryside, we saw cows, charming Swiss homes, barns, and a mound of decorative gourds. I love a good knobbly decorative gourd. It really shouts autumn to me.

Mostly, I liked being outside and having the opportunity to just chat with my family. During the holidays I think we can get caught up with doing something and being busy. I like getting the chance to just relax and talk. It was perfection. When they come to London I’ll have to find some outdoor walking for us to do. (Any suggestions anyone?)

4. Have brunch at Fork & Bottle

Aaron and Katy had been to the Fork & Bottle lots of times before, but never for brunch. It has a large outdoor seating area with a playground so it’s perfect for families. Also, Katy said there is a playground inside too. The outdoor area is lovely. There are big gnarled trees in the center of the outdoor space which are beautiful and a little bit spooky. The tables are long picnic tables arranged in rows. Just outside the restaurant was a pen with tiny horses and mules (I think, but maybe they were donkeys?) 

Boden played nicely with the toys in the play area while we ate our meals and took in the sun. Seriously, I think Ryan and I may even have gotten a little color. As for the food, it was really yummy with fairly generous portions (by European standards, I know American breakfast burritos are as big as newborn babies). I had the breakfast burrito which was protein packed! It was filled with eggs, beans, and chorizo and topped with guacamole and salsa.

But the best part was the hot chocolate which was topped with a fluffy pillow of a marshmallow. That was the best part. It made me want to try to make giant marshmallows at home. I also really enjoyed the long shadows cast by the sun in the photo above.

5. Play with your cute nephew Boden. Oh wait, this one is just for me. 

Ok, so this is the part that you the blog reader can’t do. But, who doesn’t love photos of cute babies? Hopefully you don’t mind me being a proud and gushy aunt. The last time I saw Boden was last Christmas when they were still living in Colorado. Then he was a tiny wiggly peanut. Now he is a boy with a personality. He is smiley, shy at first then very warm, and he is so active. So active. 

This boy can crawl fast. Really fast. He’s everywhere and always getting into a new activity. He is curious, playful, and likes to look out the window. He played peak-a-boo with me in my scarf. He giggled at Ryan when Ryan pretended to be the tickle monster. And he let us cuddle up to him as we read him a bed time story. 

It was nice to spend time with him (and Aaron and Katy too – I feel a little bad I didn’t take any pictures of them). It was nice to get to feel like a real aunt and be a part of his life. I can’t wait to see him again. I think he might feel the same. Look how excited he is in that photo above!

Anyway, to end this post let me say that Zurich is a small city with beautiful architecture, scenery and food. There’s lots more to do there than what I did, but I think this list could you set you up for a nice weekend away. I for one look forward to going back.

The post Tourist Tuesday: Weekend in Zurich appeared first on Cooking is Messy.

I’m so excited about this post because this hike was the best thing my friend Anna and I did while in Iceland. Before we left for our trip, Anna was doing some research and read about the Midnight Mountain Bath Hike tour with Iceland Activities from a blog (whose name we can’t remember and for that I’m sorry). Iceland Activities is a family run company that offers small group tours around Hveragerði, which is about 40 minutes outside of Reykjavik. The price for the tour is 17900 ISK which hurt our wallets, but decided to take the plunge because we liked the idea of an intimate experience where we’d get to see some natural beauty off the beaten path. It was totally and completely worth it. Let me tell you more.

Anna and I were picked up from our hotel in the early evening by our guide Úlfar (whose name means wolves!). We were driven back to their offices to get our packed meals and any other gear we might have needed. Anna and I were super bundled up wearing three layers of socks, pants, and shirts plus hats, gloves, coats, and scarves. But Úlfar offered us more stuff if we needed it and we felt proud when he said we were well prepared. He was so kind though, that I bet if we had rolled in wearing shorts and a t-shirt he would have politely recommended that we borrow more layers from him. If ever you go on an Icelandic Activities tour you won’t have to fear, they will have everything you need like boots, and towels, and waterproof clothing in case you can’t bring it yourself.

All packed up and ready, we were off. For the hike, it was just me, Anna, and Úlfar. We were absolutely pleased that it would be such a small group because it meant that we could hike and do everything at our own pace. Even better, Úlfar asked us if we had any time constraints. We didn’t and neither did he, so he said we could spend as much time doing things as we wanted. This is something I loved about this experience, we were never rushed and got to take in things how we liked.

Úlfar drove us up the mountain to the point where we would start our hike. Throughout the whole hike, Úlfar told us about the history of place as well as his stories about hiking, biking, and driving around the area. He told us about snow so tall you have to abandon your car. He told us about thousands of years ago glaciers melting away and leaving behind hard dense rocks. He told us about lava and the green moss that covered it. And he told us about Hveragerði.

What I loved about Úlfar is that he was so proud of his home and so connected to it. When he talked about geological transformations they didn’t seem like arcane facts that happened long ago, but events that are familiar and understandable parts of life. In my own life I don’t feel connected to the land around me, and it was so clear that he does. He grew up hiking and biking in these mountains and bathing in these pools and it’s clear he loves them and is a part of them.

However it was interesting because there’s a tension there. A tension between wanting to share this beautiful land with people through Iceland Activities – while simultaneously not wanting to have it overrun with crowds of visitors (brought by other companies). Úlfar also wasn’t a fan of the new paths, bathing platforms, and small bridge over the water. He wants the land to remain mainly wild and as it is. He made Anna and I jump across the river instead of “cheating” and using the bridge. It was incredible to learn about the area and I think it was a real honor that Anna and I got to see Iceland a little bit through his eyes.

Anna and I are not regular hikers so were a little worried about the difficult of the trail. Although the path was a little narrow in places, overall it’s a comfortable walk down to the hot springs and we did just fine. Just be sure to watch out for rocks so you don’t turn your ankle! As we walked we could see steam rising from all over. Úlfar told us some scary stories about people having the ground fall out from under them and then getting third degree burns from mud. That gave us a healthy respect for watching where we walked.

But don’t worry, it wasn’t a scary experience at all. There were lots of cool things to see! Anna and I walked through some big steam clouds that warmed us up immediately. We took photos of bubbling water and gurgling blue-green mud. Where the mud was cool enough Úlfar scooped some out and we put it on our faces. He assured us that now we would be young where the mud had touched. Awesome, now I will always have a young nose.

Using the steam from one crater, Anna was able to cook six eggs! The three of us sat down to a lovely snack of cheese, Icelandic rye bread, and Anna’s steam cooked eggs. It was delicious – and also one of those unique experiences we were hoping to get while in Iceland.

As we walked Úlfar told us about elves and trolls. Trolls are apparently very strong and can sometimes take human form. The only way you could tell if a human was a troll in disguise was if that human had crazy strength. As the stories go, trolls don’t really like humans and would try to kill them but then elves could give people rings that would help keep them safe. While we were out on the trail we didn’t see any life elves or trolls, but we did see a frozen troll. If trolls are out in the sunlight, they will turn to stone. We saw this one in the photo below during our hike.

We also saw a waterfall, which is the water source for the area where we would later get into the water. Anna and I touched the water and it was really cold. Over the course of the hike as we walked to the hot spring Úlfar showed us where the water was cold, where it was boiling hot, and where the two mixed to create a safe temperature.

We reached the hot spring as it started to get dark. Anna and I came with our bathing suits already on, so we quickly undressed (it was cold!), grabbed our packed lunches, and got in the water as quickly as we could. Once we were in it was glorious. I think we both said, “we live here now.” Immediately it felt perfectly warm and we only needed to be part way in the water to feel comfortable. And then for the next three hours we laid and sat in the water. We ate our snacks, drank some water, and just hung out.

But mostly, we looked up at the sky. The sky was filled with stars. I have lived in cities for far too long because I hardly ever see stars like that. The sky was so clear we could easily pick out the Big Dipper and Cassiopeia. We saw shooting stars. And we saw the Northern Lights. It was a beautiful evening.

And literally, we did stay in the water for three hours. Sometimes the three of us chatted, sometimes we just stared at the sky. It was the kind of relaxation I never let myself have at home. At home I feel that I should be doing something. There, I just let myself absorb it all. I know I’ve said it already, but it was an incredible experience. The world felt so big, and beautiful, and special and I felt lucky to have the chance to stop and appreciate it. I loved that we could be so close to civilization and yet feel separated from it all. I loved that it had been so green during the day and then so dark at night. I loved that Anna and I got to do everything we wanted to do in Iceland (see the Northern Lights, bathe in a hot spring, experience nature, eat Icelandic food, and have a unique experience) all in one hike.

Finally we dragged ourselves out of the water and started to hike back. We had headlamps, but didn’t use them that often so we could continue to see the stars and the Northern Lights. When the sky was looking particularly beautiful we’d stop, sit on the ground, and look. At one point we did get to see the Northern Lights dance, just like I’d seen so many times in videos before. It was awesome to see it in person.

When we got back to the hotel we made Úlfar take a selfie with us. Anna and I stayed up even late gushing about how wonderful the tour was. We said we could go home happy having just done that. We promised each other we’d come back when she’s 50 (and I’m 53) and do it again. (During the tour Úlfar had said by that time his baby nephew would be doing the tours.) I high recommend this tour and Iceland Activities. In fact, I can’t recommend it enough. It was personal, fun, informative, and special. Really, truly special. They also have other hiking and biking tours too. Please check them out if you’re planning a trip to Iceland!

Thanks also to Úlfar and Anna for taking some of the photos I’m using in this post.

The post Tourist Tuesday: Midnight Hike with Iceland Activities appeared first on Cooking is Messy.

Tourist… Thursday? Ok, I know I’m late posting, again. And yes, I’ve had content for both recipe posts and Tourist Tuesdays and haven’t posted, but the truth is I’ve been having too much fun out in the world that I haven’t wanted to come in and write. But, I’m here now and today we have a big post with lots of pictures all about my recent trip to Reykjavik, Iceland. Get your coffee or tea and settle in. It’s a long one today in part because I’m so excited about this place and in part because I don’t like to edit down.  

I went to Reykjavik for about 4 days with my friend Anna. She and I used to work together at Ford’s Theatre, and although I don’t remember how we transitioned from coworkers to friends I’m so glad we did. With most people you can’t be super gushy but with Anna it’s easy to say what you think, what you feel, and hug and be smushy and not feel weird when you tell her she’s the greatest. Anyway, she is the greatest because she planned practically our whole fantastic trip.

We stayed at the Leifur Eiriksson Hotel which is the white building just right of center in the foreground of the photo above. The hotel is named for Leif Eiriksson who discovered American well before Christopher Columbus. The place was cozy, included breakfast, is centrally located so it was easy to walk everywhere, and is sat right outside the massive Hallgrimskirkja – a church which has a Leif Eiriksson sculpture outside it.

The church is very modern. Construction started in 1954 and was finished in 1986. The church stands massively over the skyline of Reykjavik, even though the observatory underneath the bell tower is just on the 8th floor. The inside is fairly minimalist with plain glass windows letting in the daylight and simple modern paintings decorating the altar and walls. Anyone can wander inside the church and for a small fee you and can take the lift up to the top of the church and look out over the city. It’s immensely beautiful and lovely to see just how colorful Reykjavik actually is. However, be careful if you go up when the bells chime. Anna and I were up there at quarter past the hour and the sounds of the bells was near deafening.

We did spend a lot of time wandering around Reykjavik just to get a feel for the city. We spent a bit of time exploring Harpa, the concert hall (above). The building is right along the water and its walls are made of 3D glass geometric shapes that look like crystals and at night they light up with purple lights.

We went inside to see the glass up close. Inside was gorgeous, especially as the setting sun shone through. I felt like if you were inside a beehive made of prisms. I’m not sure if that sounds nice, but it’s what I thought of. I also loved the statue outside of Erling Blöndal Bengtsson with the mountains and pink sky in the background.

While in Iceland, I also learned a bit about Icelandic Folklore. We learned that people believed (and believe) in trolls, elves, and at Christmastime the Yule Lads. Anna and I saw these trolls outside of a souvenir shop, but we also think we saw some trolls frozen into rocks when we went hiking. I was especially taken with the Yule Lads and bought a Christmas tea towel with a picture of them on it. In Iceland, instead of Santa the thirteen Yule Lads leave presents in the shoes of Icelandic children in the nights leading up to Christmas. But seriously, I encourage you to consider reading more about them because their mom is supposed to be kind of evil and they have a feral cat and it’s all very interesting.

During our first full day, Anna and I visited the National Museum of Iceland. On the walk there we passed a beautiful lake and saw ducks swimming and other people trying to feed swans while getting dangerously close.

In the museum we learned a bit about Icelandic heritage. We learned the first settlers in Iceland were Norwegian. We learned that Iceland became Christian a little over a thousand years ago – but in the transition there was a mix of pagan and Christian iconography. The sculpture in the top right above is a depiction of Thor, but also with some Christian symbols.

Other objects I was taken with were those having to do with vikings, drinking horns, and also the loom. Iceland sweaters are popular with tourists and locals alike and I enjoyed the loom with big thick threads and heavy volcanic rocks weighing down the yarn. Of course, I also made Anna play in the “hands-on” children’s gallery, which is where I got the fun opportunity to dress like a viking.

After the museum we found a park with a playground and went climbing on this red rope structure. The two of us decided to try to hang by our knees like children. We could do it, but it didn’t fill us with the same sense of freedom it did when we were kids. Instead if made us a little nervous. But the climbing part was really fun. I really enjoy the photo of Anna below. It looks like it should be in a catalog. What it’s selling I don’t know, but I think it could be used to sell something.

In addition to touring the city, Anna and I also made time to get out and see some natural beauty. We booked the Golden Circle & Fontana Wellness Center Tour with Reykjavik Excursions. With this tour we got to see some beautiful outdoor sights and we got to relax in geothermal baths. Awesome right?! First though let me tell you, it rained horribly throughout this whole day and my camera got wet. Therefore the photos are spotty. I prefer that you choose to see these photos with a “romantic glow” instead of categorizing them with the more low-brow term of “blurry.” Ok, are you in the right mindset? Good. Now you can keep scrolling.

I do want to tell you that Anna and I were the dumb tourists who initially missed our bus to the tour and were a little bit late and held everyone up. We felt bad about it and we were only 7 minutes late – but since both of us work in tourist industries we thought we’d use this experience to help better empathize and be kind to visitors to our respective workplaces. The first thing we saw on the tour was geysers! Above is Geysir. The name comes from the Icelandic word meaning “to gush” and it’s how we name all other geysers. This geyser is actually the first geyser to have been recorded in writing. It doesn’t erupt very frequently anymore, but is still impressive in size.

However, nearby is Strokkur (below) which is smaller but erupts every few minutes. The first time we saw it go off Anna and I were quietly chatting nearby. It went off and I yelped and Anna took a few steps back. The water didn’t come anywhere near us, but it’s worth it to be cautious. There are signs everywhere saying the water is between 80-100°C (176-212°F) and the water can go up to 15-20 meters (50-65 feet) high!After the geysers, we were taken to see Gullfoss – a waterfall located in a canyon of the river Hvítá. The waterfall is huge and plunges downward in what looks two steps of a staircase.

The sound of the rushing water is intense and the mist sprays everywhere. It is an incredible place and so vast. Look at how tiny the people are in the photo above. Iceland in general, and places like this specifically, made continuously remember how incredible nature is and that it’s nice and daunting to be such a tiny part of it. Also, did you noticed that all of my winter clothes are the brightest colors?! Anna was never going to lose me in a crowd with all those colors.

After Gullfoss we went to relax at the Fontana Wellness Center. Anna and I made what some might consider a controversial decision – we chose not to visit the Blue Lagoon. It’s expensive, crowded, and far away. We thought between Fontana and another tour (which I’ll tell you about in next week’s Tourist Tuesday) that we’d get the experience of natural beauty plus relaxation. We totally did get everything we wanted and I have no regrets at all.

I couldn’t take any pictures while actually in the water, but I’ll tell you about it. Fontana has a number of different baths of varying temperature. Let me just say upfront, even though some of the baths felt like being in a pool, all the water comes from natural hot springs. One pool just felt like a shallow but very warm public pool – although the fanciest pool I’d ever been to. Another was slightly warmer and deeper, good for swimming, and Anna and I played some games trying to see who could push themselves off the wall and travel furthest across the pool. One was designed to look outdoorsy, it was unfiltered, and had large rocks to sit on. There was also a hot tub that was at 38°C/100°F. That felt glorious. At first it was like pins and needles but then it felt decadent. It was even better because once we left the hot tub the cold 4°C/40°F Icelandic air didn’t feel bad at all. We also were brave and ran in to the freezing lake (Anna to her knees and me to my calves). It was frigid mainly, but it was amazing that in some spots you could put one foot in warm water and one foot in freezing water.

We lounged in the water a lot. It was ridiculously relaxing. Also at Fontana, we got to eat some traditional Icelandic Rye bread. Nowadays baked usually in an oven, this bread is traditionally made using the heat of the ground! It’s buried in the ground, which is at about 100°C/212°F and it’s left there for 24 hours to bake the bread. While we were there we watched Linda bury new bread, unearth yesterday’s bread, and then she cut it for all of us to try. It was hearty yet sweet. Naturally I got the recipe and will be trying it out for myself soon.

The last stop on this tour was to Thingvellir, which is where you can see the crest of the Mid-Atlantic ridge. This is the only part of the mountain range where it’s above water. It’s space that separates the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates. It’s amazing. Honestly, it’s one of the most astounding things I’ve ever seen in my whole life. All those things I learned in school about the earth moving and changing can be seen here. I can literally stand in a place where the earth is splitting. It was incredible.

Also, in case you’re interested, sometimes Game of Thrones films here. But, this place was amazing not only because of what it is, but also because of the way it looks. The autumn colors were like a post card. I know it’s hard to see in my dark and rainy photos, but believe me it was patchwork of warm colors. The tour guide said he thought it would all be gone in a week and then it would be truly winter.

I loved this place also for the mixture of hard and soft together. The rocks are hard and craggy and almost scary and angry looking. But then the flowers and trees creep in and over them and it becomes somehow gentler. Living in a city I get so separated from the outdoors and nature. I liked seeing nature at work. For example, the photo directly above is of a lava rock. I really love the grooves. It looks like a fingerprint.

Finally, it wouldn’t be me if I didn’t tell you about all the food that we ate. Coffee houses are popular in Reykjavik so we were sure to partake. We started with one called Mokka where we had cappuccinos and crispy waffles with jam and whipped cream. The whipped cream was hardly sweet but so fluffy and airy that I had to have a few spoonful straight even after I’d finished the waffle. We also loved the quirky atmosphere of Babalu where I had hot chocolate with sprinkles and the sugariest lemon crepe ever.

Iceland is also known for its hot dog stands and I love hot dogs. Anna and I did a two-stop hot dog tour. The hot dogs are a mix of meats but always include lamb. We stopped at the first stand and got one hot dog with the works – which includes a sweet mustard, onions, and fried onions. It was delicious and on a toasted bun. As we ate it we walked over to the better known Bæjarins Beztu, which has been in continuous operation since the 1950’s. Apparently even Bill Clinton has eaten here. It was delicious there too, but I was a little pouty since I spilled mustard down the front of my coat. Anna and I then went into a long conversation analyzing the hot dogs and we decided the first stand was our favorite because of the bun. For the life of me I cannot find the name of that place, and so I apologize if you’re ever in Reykjavik. But for the record, you can’t go wrong with either. 

I do wish we had just half a day more so we could have gone on a whale and puffin boat tour. Unfortunately, we weren’t organized enough so instead on the last day we wandered the docks to look at the water. While we were there we decided to have lunch at Kaffivagninn. We had a creamy soup, artic char, and this lovely view of the water and the top of Hallgrimskirkja. I definitely recommend this restaurant if you’re by the water.

On our last day, we were also determined to do two things. First, we went to Laugardalslaug Swimming Pool. After we went to Fontana, we couldn’t get enough of lounging in warm water. I highly recommend doing this as it might be one of the cheapest options available. For 650 ISK, which is £3.38 or $5.24 you get access to a big heated pool plus a few “hot pots” and a geothermal pool. The highlights were the large twisty water slide (which we rode twice) and the 44°C/111°F hot pot. We were practically boiling but it was great.

And the second thing we did was have a big fancy meal with lots of seafood. After browsing some menus we went to Apotek. Anna and I had cocktails and a six course meal which left us nearly comatose and definitely food-drunk. I had a strawberry sriracha margarita – which while not spicy had a little heat and was less sickly sweet than an regular margarita. Anna had a cocktail with dill and gin, which was so refreshing. And then both of us had a shot of Brennivín, an Icelandic snaps (schnapps). The name translates to English as “burning wine,” but it wasn’t really that bad.

For dinner we had a bite of puffin, which we were nervous about but tried. It was dark in color and had the texture of a really meaty fish. It was generally nice, salty, and unexpected – but we felt one small bite was enough. After that we had perch, seared tuna (which was served on a brick of pink salt!), trout, plaice, and then a rack of lamb. For dessert an incredibly silky chocolate rose. Our expectation was that with a six course meal every course would be fairly small. We were wrong. Every dish was about 75% of the size of a regular entree. We had so much food and by the time we had the lamb (which was tender, perfectly cooked, and in a great sauce) we were stuffed. It was an indulgent end to a perfectly indulgent few days. We waddled back to the hotel to pack and chat into the wee hours.

Iceland is truly lovely. A place so beautiful, interesting, and connected to nature. I felt inspired, adventurous, and relaxed. We did a lot and it was everything a vacation should be. However, I’ve saved the best thing for next week. Next week’s Tourist Tuesday is all about a tour Anna and I took with Iceland Activities. Here’s a teaser: there was a hike, a geothermal bath, and the Norther Lights. Come back again next week, it’s worth it.

The post Tourist Tuesday: Reykjavik, Iceland appeared first on Cooking is Messy.

Today Ryan and I are celebrating our third wedding anniversary! YAY! But the real celebration happened over the weekend when we went to Oslo, Norway.

A while ago we had taken the days off for a long weekend, but we hadn’t planned on what to do or where to go. After lots of brainstorming, we decided to go on Skyscanner and choose a cheap option. We decided on Oslo in part because we spent only £65 for two round trip flights. The other reasons we chose Oslo is because we wanted to see some Viking ships, but more on that later. The thing though about cheap flights is you have to go through secondary airports which are always farther away, and so add a little more time and expensive to the trip. But really, it’s not a bad thing. The original cheap fare got us to visit a place we hadn’t ever considered before.

Ryan and I left on a Friday. We took the Stansted Express from Tottenham Hale and then took RyanAir to Oslo Torp. From Torp airport we took the Torp Ekspressen Bus. That bus from Torp was more expensive than our flight, which was sort of painful but necessary as Torp is about 90 minutes away from the city center. Also, that bus schedule corresponds with Ryan Air flights so it’s super easy to take.

But while we’re talking money, let’s get it out there. Norway is expensive. For our London frame of minds it wasn’t too terrible, but it is expensive. The Norwegian currency is called a Krone (NOK) and £1 equals slightly more than 12.5 NOK. So, for reference I bought a lemon Fanta for 36 NOK, which equals about £2.88 – so expensive but not completely awful. Although convert that to US dollars and it will hurt your brain a bit. Don’t despair though! If you’re thinking of visiting Norway throughout this post I will give you some recommendations on low cost options. Ryan and I were able to have most meals at under 500 KOR for the two of us and we ate pretty well. Also, if you’re planning on doing intense site seeing check out the Oslo Pass which gives free entry to museums and public transportation as well as discounts on many other things. Ryan and I chose not to do that as the things we wanted to do added up to less than the cost of the pass – but check it out it’s a pretty good option.

We were staying with Bjørvika Apartments in the eastern part of the city near the Opera House. This area of town is clearly a business district full of new beautifully designed construction. We had fun just wandering between the buildings looking at the design, the art, the sculptures, and the plants. Our visit proper tourist visit was to the Oslo Opera House, which is a really cool building and free to visit. The slope of the building rolls right into – or alternatively bursts right out of – the water. And then people can walk all the way up the slope of the buildings front, which then winds around to the roof. In short, you can walk up the Opera House and stand on the roof. It’s gorgeous. You can see the water, you can see the city, and you can see the sunset. It’s a unique building with lovely views into different elements of the city.

After that we walked into central Oslo and wandered on Karl Johans Gate, which is the main commercial street. There are lots of restaurants and shops and if you continue far enough down you’ll get a great view of the Royal Palace (photo below). Walking around this street was a great way to get an introductory sense of the city. We saw people eating outside, we saw people shopping, and we saw people just sitting and relaxing in nearby parks. Oslo is very walkable and not very big. As we wandered around we saw some people who had been on our flight! But we immediately liked the city. It was busy but not too full, clean, and charming to look at. That first night we had dinner at Wurst, where we had beers and sausages loaded with toppings all for about 450 NOK.

Saturday was a rainy day so we decided to be low key and simply wander the city and visit the National Gallery. Before the museum we toured the Norwegian gifts sections of GlasMagasinet Stortorvet, a high end department store. We saw troll figurines, beautifully carved wood decorations for kitchens, cheese slicers (the Norwegians invented a particular cheese slicer – it’s the bottom right photo below), and lots of cozy looking sweaters. I was especially taken with some wooden pigs and the felt and leather slippers. I had never seen felt so thick and dense before! With those slippers my feet would never get cold!After that we went to the museum. Entry is just 50 NOK regularly and it is free on Sunday. You also get to use a locker for free so that’s awesome too. The museum is just one floor, which is wonderful because then I never felt stressed about missing anything. It’s also the most efficiently informative and organized museum I’ve ever visited. The artwork is arranged chronologically and each time period is given a color which you can see on the walls of the gallery. Labels for each room were just two paragraphs and about 10-12 sentences total. Enough text so I get an idea about the stylistic period and it’s specific tie to Norway, but not so much that I get tired of reading it.

And each room had the right amount of paintings that I felt I could look at everything and take it all in. I wasn’t getting inundated with paintings of old men or Madonna and child. It was the right amount to get an idea but not feel overwhelmed. I really loved the one gallery that lets visitors get involved. Inside this room was a big sculpture with tables, paper, and pencils. Visitors could sketch and then hang their art on the wall. How awesome is that?! It was cool to see the variety of skill and styles in these visitor drawings. I also think it’s cool that visitors have the chance to hang their art in a museum.

But the biggest draw for this museum is Edvard Munch’s Scream. Did you know there are four versions? One in this museum, two across down in Oslo at the Munch Museum, and one was sold by Sotheby’s to a private collector. Although all the same content, the color and materials used were different between the four. There were other Munch paintings in the museum as well, but the Scream is the one I knew the best. It’s haunting and beautiful all at once.

After we went to Kaffistova to eat and tried reindeer cakes with potatoes (175 NOK for each of us). It was rich and filling and tasted like the most nourishing and delicious meatloaf I ever had. Kaffistova had a cafeteria vibe to it. You order at a register, they serve you, then you sit and relax in the dining area. The staff was nice and the clientele was a mix of tourists and old Norwegian men hanging out. After we wandered around Oslo a bit more. We walked by City Hall, admired the Akershus Fortress, stumbled upon a dockside flea market, and enjoyed watching the boats pass by. I found Oslo a fun place for wandering.

Sunday the weather was glorious so we set off for a more ambitious day of site seeing. We walked back towards City Hall and took the ferry to the Bygdøy a peninsula on the western side of Oslo. The ferry is 35 NOK one way (which we did) and 55 NOK round trip. Buy your tickets at the little kiosk next to the boat. Tickets are more expensive on the boat. You can also take a bus there, but why do that when you can enjoy wonderful sea breezes and views?  Bydgøy is home to a number of museums and we chose to visit the Viking Ship museum and the Folk Museum.

We started at the Viking Ship Museum (80 NOK for adults). The museum has four ships, most of which are in really great condition. They are burial ships so there were also other objects aboard the boat. We were able to see cloth, objects for food preparation, sleds, and other ornately carved wooden objects. It sort of reminded me of objects from Egyptian tombs because the objects are all the things a person might need to function in the afterlife. I also enjoyed that in addition to showing objects the museum talked about how they conserve the objects.

Some objects are deteriorating because of methods that used to be state of the art, but now are no longer used. I liked that the museum discussed the dilemma of how to preserve and whether or not current methods will really last. The museum also talked a lot about the people who were buried on the ships and who they might have been, and what could be told about them from their bones. It’s amazing you can tell about diet and ailments from bones! Overall so interesting.

After that we walked over to the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History. We had lunch at the museum’s cafe because there wasn’t a ton of dining options in the area. Ryan and I were fully prepared for it to be super expensive, but it wasn’t at all. Very affordable (mains under 150 NOK) and the café itself is brightly lit and decorated with wild flowers and light colored wood furniture. It was a nice place to eat. Ryan had a salmon and shrimp sandwich and I had a salmon and vegetable pie. So yummy.

The museum is an open air museum showing Norwegian life from 1500 to the present. It costs 120 NOK to enter, but it’s worth it for a big site. I found the museum really enjoyable and also a bit all over the place. There are log cabins with roofs made of bark and peat and there is also a 1920’s gas station. They aren’t next to each other, but it’s all there and it’s pretty easy to wander between time periods. I loved the wooden buildings best though. The wood is dark and ornately carved. They were the physical embodiment of how I picture cottages in fairy tales.

Throughout the place there are costumed interpreters and educators ready to talk about the buildings, how things were used, and how things were made. We saw children being taught how to card wool and make yarn. Ryan and I also tried some traditional pancakes made with “soured milk.” They were hot off the griddles, slathered with raspberry jam, and very delicious.

Also, we saw pigs. I love pigs so I was very excited. I took about 20 pictures of the pigs rolling in the mud, snorting around, and pestering the mother pig for a suckle.

The real reason we went to this museum was because I wanted to see Stave Church (photo below). It’s originally from Gol and was moved to Oslo to preserve it when the Gol was going to tear it down to build a new church. It’s a medieval wooden church and it gets its name from the structural design of the building. Using the rings on the wood, the church is dated to 1212. There aren’t that many of these churches left, and apparently most of them are from Norway. It’s a cool structure and visitors can even go inside.

After this museum, Ryan and I went for a bit of a hike up to Frogner Park to see the Vigeland installation. Norwegian sculptor Gustav Vigeland created over 200 sculptures of people and they are a permanent part of the park. Here’s the path I recommend to take it all in. Walk in the main gate, which has ornately designed gates. Keep walking straight and go over the bridge. On the bridge there are sculptures of people in what my guide book called “all stages of life.” There are babies having tantrums, people fighting, old people, people in love.

Don’t forget to look over the bridge and look at the birds fluttering about on the water. Keep going until you come up to the fountain which has more sculptures of people lifting up a giant bowl. The water crashes and flies all over and looked especially beautiful in the sun. Just beyond you can see the big monolith.  Hike the stairs and check out this big sculpture. It’s made of 121 people struggling to get to the top. Take your pictures, then sit on the steps and look over the park and where you’ve come from.

We relaxed in the park for a bit before taking a giant walk back to Oslo. Seriously it was over an hour we walked. However, I recommend it. We got to a bit more of the neighborhoods and shops during this epic trek than we would have if we’d taken the bus or the metro. We ended the trip with a dinner at an Italian restaurant. Ok, not very authentic but I like pizza. Deal with it. Monday we took the long trek back to London.

It was a wonderful long weekend beautiful sites, interesting museums, and good food. It was a great way to celebrate our anniversary too. There’s nothing better I like better than exploring a new city with Ryan. It’s always nice to relax and spend lots of time together. I highly recommend this place!

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Weekend in Paris? Yes please. Last weekend Ryan and I spent three great days in Paris with our friends Adam and Angie. It was glorious, and rainy, and beautiful, and busy. We walked a ton, we saw practically everything, ate a lot, and went to bed exhausted every night. There’s definitely more to be done in Paris, and you can spend more time, but if you’ve only got a weekend here’s a jam packed recap of what we did and saw. I’ve tried to include lots of pictures but you can also see more here on Flickr. 

We left on Friday after work and stayed near the Arc de Triomphe. The weather was gloomy an unfortunately stayed that way for most of the weekend. On Saturday we woke up early and awkwardly bumbled our way through ordering croissants and coffee at a nearby cafe. Then we started off on our epic, over 10 mile, trek across Paris. We started by walking around the Arc de Triomphe, down the Champes-Élysées, and towards the Louvre. In spite of the rain, Paris is still really beautiful. The stone buildings have gorgeous ornamentation and romantic looking wrought iron balconies with flowers spilling over the side. The sidewalks and roads were so wide and lined with large trees. London streets are so narrow and crowded that all of us relished in the wide open spaces. The four of us are all also former Washington, DC residents and we could see exactly the French influence on DC’s city planning. Specifically the long streets with beautiful views ending in roundabouts made us think of DC. But, between you and me Paris does it was better. Paris has wider streets, longer roads, and amazing views. Although, to be honest it was so foggy the first day we couldn’t even see the top of the Eiffel Tower.

When we got to the Louvre the whole plaza was teaming with people all lined up to visit the museum. We looked at each other with trepidation. Did we want to wait in such a long line?! Isn’t the Louvre something you have to do? We decided to skip it for now and keep on walking. We walked over to the Seine River and crossed multiple bridges bursting with locks from couples. It was scenic and lovely, and even in the rain a bit romantic.

We arrived at Notre Dame and there was yet another gigantic line. Adam and I had been before, Ryan and Angie weren’t bothered so instead we walked all around and enjoyed the architecture from the outside. Obviously Paris is an international tourist destination, but we just hadn’t pictured such gigantic lines!

Next stop, lunch. We went to the Latin Quarter and browsed the shops and ate. The four of us shared a box of sweet macaroons, which I loved. Later in the trip we saw savory macaroons with flavors like tomato and basil and chevre foie gras. I didn’t try them, but I was curious. And after food, we went to the Musee ‘Orsay. There was yet another gigantic line but at this point in the day we felt that it was time we saw something, so we waited.

And I’m so glad we did! The museum is glorious. I love paintings that are colorful, somewhat abstract, have bold brush strokes, and great texture. This museum had everything I wanted in paintings because of their excellent collection of impressionists and post-impressionists. I was most taken with a Van Gogh self portrait. I’ve seen it a billion times in books and online, but in person it had more emotion and personality. I felt like he was staring at me. I felt sadness, and defiance, and strength all in the portraits gaze. I loved it and it just proves to me that visiting museums is important because it provides something you can’t get from a post card. For example pointillism – the paintings where everything is made up of tiny dots. I love it! I love seeing the blending of color and I love the juxtaposition of abstract color and form with really constrained order and attention to detail

.After that more eating! We shared a cheese plate, and wine, and then went out to dinner. Adam had a friend and her fiance who live in Paris and they organized for us to have dinner at restaurant specializing in food from Toulouse. They took care of the ordering and we had lots of pâté (which looked like a fatty meat cup but was actually silky and full of flavor), charcuterie, and the absolute best leg of lamb I’ve ever had. It was juicy and tender and was like steak. It was great having locals show us around and take care of us a bit. We went to bed exhausted and full.

Sunday we started the day with more pastries and coffee. Then we decided to walk a little less and wait in a few more lines. First we took the metro to see Sacre Coeur. This is one of the few places I remember strongly from when I visited Paris ten years ago. I’m not a religious person, and I wasn’t when I was nineteen either, but it’s one of the first amazing churches I’d ever seen. It was the first place that sort of astounded me with its beauty and it was nice to see it again. The church is sat on top of a hill and you can see all of Paris – and I just love views because you can imagine what’s going on in the world below. And inside the church (where photography isn’t allowed) there are some gigantic gold and blue mosaics. After touring, we then walked around the nearby neighborhood and snacked on nutella crepes.

After we decided to check out the catacombs, which is an ossuary which houses the remains of about six million people. The space itself was a mine, but became the catacombs in the 18th century. Basically because of disease and space issues, nearby church grave yards were exhumed and the bodies moved to the catacombs. Inside the bones are artfully stacked and line long winding corridors. It’s haunting and engaging. There were just so many bones, all stacked, and arranged, and staring. So many people. It was a bit intense. Adam said something which sums it all up for me: If this doesn’t remind you of your own insignificance, I don’t know what will. I didn’t take great pictures here, so please Google them, it’s worth looking up.

When we left the catacombs, thankfully the sun had come out (and decided to stay out until we left on Monday). We decided to take that opportunity to see the Eiffel Tower. It was glorious. The sun was out, the sky was blue, the grass was green, and the Tower was reigning above it all. For awhile we sat on the grass and people watched. It was one of those great moments where you feel like you’re doing exactly what you should be doing.

As with everything we’d done so far in Paris, there was a gigantic line. We stood in it for about two minutes before we decided to quit and have dinner instead. The guide book recommended a nearby place called Les Cocottes and I pushed my eating boundaries. The thing I had initially wanted to order was out, so I went with the thing I was curious to eat – pigeon. I’d never had pigeon before and was curious and nervous. Let me tell you all, it was delicious! Really freaking delicious. Small portion, but meaty and hearty like a steak and bursting with amazing flavor. I don’t know when I’ve tried something so drastically out of my comfort zone, but I’m glad I did. Both my meal and Ryan’s meal (which was lamb) came with little pieces of liver. I did try both and didn’t like either – but I’m still pleased I lived on the edge with the pigeon.

After dinner we went back to see the Eiffel Tower at night, and luckily there was no line. We went up to see the views and enjoy Paris at night. It was a nice night, not too crowded, windy, and the city looked beautiful and twinkly. However, I did try to get out of the way of a couple taking a selfie and I tripped and fell into a bolt sticking out of the tower. Now I have a giant purple welt on my leg – a unique souvenir from the Eiffel Tower if I do say so myself.

On Monday, our final day, we decided to brave the Louvre again and were delight to find a really short line (like 30 minutes long vs the original 2+ hours from Saturday). Moral of the story, try to visit these places at off hours. Angie and I knew what we wanted to see – she wanted to see the Venus de Milo and the Mona Lisa. I wanted to see the Dendera Zodiac (which I learned about from an awesome book called Loot) and the Nike of Samothrace. We planned our route, got lost a bit, stopped to see other cool things, and tried to see as much as we could.

Tired and heads full of art, we stopped for one last delicious meal before heading to the train station. I rode home with a full belly, tired feet, and a pretty satisfied wanderlust.

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Good day ladies and gentleman.  I am honored to join you as the first ever guest author at Cooking is Messy.  While not usually known for my prose, I’ve been generously asked to share my recent trip to the Lion Park in Johannesburg, South Africa with the loyal CiM following.

For those of you who are geographically challenged, you’ll find Johannesburg near the Southern tip of Africa. It’s a massively fast growing city of almost 4.5 million people with buildings and highways being built in every direction the eye can see. The city still retains some of its industrial mining past, but I was impressed by the amount of investment that seemed to be happening wherever I went. While industrial, political and economic scars still remain visible across the city, it was good to see the positive development that seems to be happening in large sections of the city instead the negative news that is captured about Africa in the media.

With some context in place, if you take a 45 minute trip out of Jo’Burg you find your way to the appropriately named Lion Park. Marketing itself as the number 1 tourist attraction in Gauteng, the Lion Park is a facility designed to allow customers up close views and experiences with native African animals. I had the good fortune of visiting with my coworker during one afternoon of our trip. While up close experiences with wild animals perhaps confuses our traditional American sensibilities, it was amazing an experience.

When you get there you can have an interactive experience and pet the lion cubs. Their hair felt bristly and their bodies were all muscle. However, the behavior of the lion cubs reminded me of the house cats I had growing up. They were cute and I had to send Mariel pictures to brag. But, I was a good husband and bought her some lion souvenirs because I knew she’d be jealous. The cub in the picture below is just three months old. But the bigger one, in the second picture, is seven months old.

While at Lion Park, my colleague and I also fed giraffes. Their heads were really large, scary, and almost as big as your entire body. The giraffe would stick out his tongue and scoop the food out of my hand. The tongue was long and slimy. While we were feeding the nearby ostriches kept trying to steal food. They were even scarier with tiny beady eyes and a sharp beak that pecked into my hands. You can see the ostrich being suspicious in the background of the photos. It all really was amazing. 

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People, get ready for a little bit of bragging. Last weekend, Ryan and I went to Munich. Ya know, we just popped over to Germany for the weekend as people do. Sound fancy right? But seriously, my Titi Pascale and Uncle Willie were doing a holiday in Europe and asked Ryan and me if we wanted to meet them for part of it. My aunt told me about the Christmas markets and I was all,”we’ll be there.”

In booking the trip, I did have some travel craziness where I felt guilty about spending money on a two day trip. But, Ryan and I moved to London so we could easily travel around Europe, and we were going to see family so it was totally worth it. And let me tell you, Germany was just lovely. Below is a picture of the view as the plane was landing. In the background are mountains (although a bit hazy and hard to see), and then in the foreground perfectly manicured fields and villages. It was so beautiful!

Once we met up with my uncle and aunt, we hit the markets to do some eating. We ate with abandon. We had potato fritters with apple sauce and Titi Pascale had them with some delicious garlic sour cream. We had cookies. We had bratwurst sandwiches. We had beers. We had roasted almonds with Nutella – which were so good we bought a second pack to take with us on the train to the airport. They were so good I’m going to have to look up a recipe. We also had giant pretzels which were soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Those were so good we took one on the plane and ate it on our layover in Copenhagen. And every single thing we ate was delicious. Even when we ate at the stand by the tourist-y ice rink, the food was perfection.

One of my favorite markets was Medieval themed. At this market I had a gargantuan glass of wine punch. I don’t totally know everything that was in it, but they poured wine out of the big jug, then splashed rum around on top, added a sugar cube, and then set the whole thing on fire. It was a huge cup and no one wanted to drink it with me (probably because it was so boozy), so I got a little tipsy given that I’d had the giant beer shortly before. I was a little shocked because the wine cost 15€ and I was all, “whoa… but I really want to try it.” But, when I returned the cup I got 10€ back, so then I was really please because I’d pay £5 for a regular glass of wine at a pub. All in all, felt like a good deal.

The city itself was really nice. We saw a man yodeling and we walked through a park and saw a beautiful waterfall and sunset. The whole weekend we had really nice weather. It was a perfect winter day with a nice crisp chill, but we could still have jackets open and hats off.

But what of the things I love most about Christmas time are the decorations. I love Christmas lights – and there were everywhere. They were on lamp posts, on windows, on buildings. The whole city felt really nice and festive. There was a store display window that was decorated in a woodland scene with lots of moving stuffed toys. It was pretty elaborate and cheery.

On Sunday we took the tram to Nymphenburg Palace. Side note, we found German people to be so nice. Someone helped us figure out the tram tickets, and earlier someone else gave us directions – both times unbidden. Anyway, Nymphenburg Palace was really beautiful. In front there is a lake with loads of ducks and swans. They swans were astounding! Really large, plush looking, with perfectly white feathers. We saw a women petting and feeding them. We were just waiting for her to get bitten – but it didn’t happen. The palace itself is an enormous complex.

Inside, was even more astounding. The main room where we entered was two stories tall, with gorgeous chandeliers, and an amazing painted ceiling. Throughout the whole place the ceilings had really detailed and elaborate paintings of mythological figures. Words can’t express how beautiful those paintings are. One, which I didn’t take a picture of, had such incredible perspective that it looked like the figure was standing on a cloud right above you, and that you were underneath her feet. We all stopped to look at one painting  that had a deer hunt (middle in photo below). This painting was huge, maybe 15 feet tall, but at the very bottom center is a large pack of dogs swimming after a fleeing deer. It was a cool painting showing a village and a hunt, but I thought it was curious that the main action was in such a tiny portion of the whole.

After we toured the palace, we checked out the carriages and sleighs exhibit. I didn’t have huge expectations, but I left blown away. The carriages were more ornate and beautiful than I have the ability to convey with words. There were nymphs holding torchs, there were geese squawking, there were gods blowing horns, and there we suns on hubcaps. Every since surface glittered and shone.

Some of the sleighs had built in ermine blankets and thick slippers for foot holds. These were truly amazing ways to show off the wealth and power of the monarchs. I felt bad for the poor horses who would have had to carry all this weight. One of the coolest sleighs (above) was of Hercules killing the Hydra. The hydra itself was made from one single hollowed out tree!

I left Munich glowing. I was well fed, I had seen some beautiful things, and I had spent some wonderful time with my family, and I was filled with the Christmas spirit. Sounds cheesy, I know, but it was true. I was sad to leave. I had so much fun with my family, and it was nice to be with people that I felt so comfortable with it. It was such a pleasure to just have some food and hang out. It made me more excited for when Ryan and I go back to the US next week! Anyway, Munich was delightful and now I want to drink a beer and make some soft pretzels, even though it won’t be the same, so I can hold on to this weekend feeling a little bit longer.

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Part of the reason I love Rome is that I studied abroad there seven years ago during my junior year. Living in Rome was the first time I was away from home for so long and the first time I lived in a city. I ate so much pizza, pasta, and gelato. My roommates and I also cooked dinner together almost every night and befriended the local shop owners. We’d buy the fresh pesto and the guys in the store would give us free chocolate. My roommate Inga became one of my best friends, and with our upstairs neighbors Charlie and Michelle, we tore up the city.

We toured all over and took lots of day trips to nearby gardens and beaches. We went dancing at Coyote Bar in Testaccio, which depending on your point of view is a bar that is super authentic/divey/sketchy. We befriended the DJ and he’d let us dance on the stage and he’d play any song we liked. My classes were also awesome. I took Italian, Classics, and two art history classes. My art classes were mostly outside touring churches, museums, and ruins. It was all the best parts of college amplified. I remember going out dancing, coming home at 6am to the fruit vendors opening their stands. My friends and I went to bed for about three hours and then went to meet an Italian friend of a friend who was going to show us a church. Hope you enjoy the throwback pictures – try not to judge the duck face.

I also love Rome because it is where I fell in love with Ryan. He and I had been dating for less than two months when I left for Rome. I was sad to leave him and worried about what was going to happen. But it all worked out. Ryan had studied in Rome the year before me and set me up right. He lent me guidebooks to the city. He lent me The First Man in Rome, a historical fiction book about the Roman Republic, which sparked my interest in the city’s history. He also made me a map and marked off his favorite places to eat and tour. We also talked over Skype every day (and I had a headset like a telemarketer). We even met up in Spain for spring break. When I left Rome, I couldn’t wait to one day come back together.

Anyway without further ado here are pictures from this weekend’s trip. We took the bus from Ciampino to Termini and then walked to our rental flat in Campo dei Fiori.

We dropped our bags and then stopped for pizza. It was glorious! So crunchy, the ingredients so fresh, and also so tasty!

After that we decided to hike over toward the Vatican. We passed Castel Sant’Angelo. And we admired St. Peter’s Basilica and the beautiful piazza designed by Bernini.

But our real reason for heading that way was to eat at Old Bridge Gelato. It is the best gelato we have ever had. The places is a small hole in the wall on the way to the Vatican Museum’s entrance. It doesn’t look like much, but for €2 you can have heaven.

We then walked over toward Ryan’s old place. We sat one some nearby steps and people watched. We also went to the grocery store and loaded up on Kinder chocolates, lemon Fanta, and buffalo mozzarella. Ryan made me laugh so hard that I spit out soda (and then people stared at us).

After that we went back to Campo dei Fiori and got dressed for dinner. We went to Alfredo e Ada, a place I went to seven years ago with my art history TA and his friend who were visiting Rome. The restaurant  is down a windy road, it is cozy, and the interior is wood paneled. They have a small menu, written on the paper table cloth, that lists just a few options for first, second, and side courses. It’s simple and with some of the best cooked pasta I’ve had.

The next day we walked our butts off. I did a rough Google mapping of what we did, and we walked somewhere around 13 miles. We walked around the grounds of Villa Borghese, we looked down on the Piazza del Popolo, we ate pizza at Ryan’s favorite shop Pizza Rustica. And we walked to the Spanish steps and down Via del Corso and looked in the shops.

Then we went to the Forum. As students Ryan and I used to visit the Forum all the time. Visiting used to be free, but now it costs €12 for the Forum, Colosseum, and Palatine. We were sad that it wasn’t free anymore, but we were happy to pay the price. We also saw some new ruins we hadn’t seen before.

After that we headed to the Colosseum, which was so much better than I remembered. I didn’t remember being able to go up as high as we did. The stairs were really steep but worth the climb. They had a small museum exhibit about the inner working of the Colosseum and they showed how animals were lifted into the arena. They also had skeletons of bears, wolves, and boars! It was crazy.

For dinner we crossed the Tiber and went into Trastevere. We ate at Carlo Menta, which was where my friends and I used to go. The food is pretty good and the price is amazing. Instead of both ordering a first and second course, Ryan and I decided to share three pastas. We had pesto gnocchi, carbonara, and cacio e pepe. The pesto was so good and I realized I haven’t had good pesto since the last time I was in Italy.

After dinner we walked around Trastevere and it brought back so many memories! Ryan and I walked from dinner to my old apartment building. It reminded me of walking home from school, of going out for breakfast at a nearby cafe, and the time Inga and I tried to play Italian Bingo but couldn’t figure out how to do it. To get to my apartment you used to have to walk through a dirt lot and alley way. Today, it is under construction and being paved. It looks much nicer, but I sort of missed the grit and scary charm (below is a before and after). The apartment building itself looks like the same and still has the same graffiti. It was great fun checking it out and reminiscing about what it was like the first day we arrived.

On Sunday we decided to be more low key. We spent a lot of time at the Pantheon, which is my favorite building in Rome. It is an architectural marvel. I just love it. Inside is a perfect sphere! You could fit a giant basketball inside. Also creating the dome with an oculus – just freaking genius.

We also spent some time at Piazza Navona eating mozzarella and people watching.Before dinner we went to Lungo Il Tevere, a summer festival along the Tiber. Then we went back to Trastevere for dinner. I like Trastevere a lot because there are so many vendors selling jewelry, art, and nonsense things. There are also lots of outdoor restaurants where you can just look around and absorb the wonderful city. It’s a busy and vibrant area. Monday was our last day. We visited Santa Maria Maggiore and a few other sites. We made sure to eat more pizza and gelato. Also, we found shady spots and relaxed. I loved just being in the city, looking at the beautiful buildings, and feeling like a part of the Rome. I made Ryan promise me that would come back every 7-10 years forever. I continue to love Rome.

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My family and I went to Crete because my mom’s colleague Elias was getting married. We stayed at Bella Vista, a hotel in Stalida (Stalis) Crete owned by Elias’ parents. They were the most generous and hospitable hosts I’ve ever met. The hotel is up on a hill, about a ten minute walk from the beach. There is a pool, a family of semi-stray cats, and a gorgeous view. About thirty wedding guests stayed at the hotel and every night up to the wedding Elias’ parents cooked a giant feast. There was salad, bread, lamb, meatballs and much more. Sorry I didn’t take any pictures of the food.

We spent a lot of time lounging at the pool. We also took the walk over to the beach. Although technically not far, it was hilly and  very hot – which resulted in some amount of whining on the walk. One day at the beach Papa and I rode a banana boat. We had done it years and year ago when I was in middle school and I remember it being so much fun. If you’re not familiar you can see a picture of it here. Basically it’s a floppy raft pulled behind a motor boat and as the boat hits the waves, the banana boat bounces. It was fun – but also super scary. We were riding with two other tourists and I ended up in the very front of the boat. I was bouncing around like crazy and holding on in a crazy white-knuckle grip. When I got off and back to solid ground, my hands hurt and could barely uncurl. My mom said she could see my flying off the seat during the ride. As I said it was fun and scary. I’m glad we did it – but it was like a haunted house tour because it’s almost more fun to remember it after than to actually do it.

One of the days Elias’ parents organized an outing for the guests. We went to Knossos and the Heraklion Archaeological Museum. Knossos is an archaeological site of a palace that is tied to the myths of King Minos and the minotaur. I was so very excited to go there but we had the worst tour guide ever. She was wearing an orange beach sarong as a dress and matching orange jewelry. She spent 40 minutes of our hour tour talking by the entrance, and wouldn’t budge when Elias and his friend asked her to show us the sites. She also spent most of her tour complaining about how European excavators did everything wrong. They may have done it all wrong, but I wanted to learn about the people who lived here and she spoke little about that. It was really annoying and we didn’t see everything I would have liked. She almost convinced us not to go to the throne room too, but what we did see was pretty cool. I enjoyed picturing what the palace would have looked like whole and how gorgeous it would have been covered in frescoes.

After Knossos we went to a nearby restaurant and had an epic feast. There was of course salad, lamb, bread, and olive oil. But there were also snails, tomatoes on crusty bread, squash blossoms stuffed with meat, and beer. The group of about twenty of us sat at a big long table and they kept bringing out course after course. We’d finish a drink and a new one would appear. Since we were celebrating a wedding they brought us a traditional rice dish that is supposed to bring fertility. It mostly tasted like hot rice with chicken broth. It was an amazing meal and afterward we were stuffed. I apologize for my messy pictures but I was half way through gorging myself before I thought to take pictures.

Lunch completed, we went to the Archaeological Museum. Since our first tour guide was awful, Elias’ best man (who is a doctor not a tour guide) led us through the museum. He was awesome! So knowledgeable and enthusiastic. He knew so much about Crete and the history of the island. I took pictures of the giant intact storage pots and the frescoes from Knossos. The originals are at the museum and copies at actual Knossos. Also I took a picture of the snake goddess, which I had learned about in undergrad art history. Apparently early cultures on Crete were a matriarchal society and the bare chested woman holding snakes was a powerful symbol. Cool, right?

The wedding itself was the last Saturday we were there. The ceremony was outside a tiny chapel next to the water. The guests waited outside the chapel and the bride and groom were driven up separately in a beautiful convertible with the horn blaring their arrival. It was fun an exciting. They processed with their families toward the altar in front of the chapel and the guests all gathered around them. It was more casual than any wedding I’d been to before. People in the back of the crowd talked to each other quietly and walked around a little. At one point in the ceremony, the bride and groom are wearing crowns connected together. They walked around the altar and the guests threw rice from small bags at them. The bride had told me earlier that in total they had bought 30 pounds of rice to throw! There was rice everywhere and all night we could see rice in peoples’ hair.

The reception afterward was gorgeous. It was at a resort that was so amazing because the rooms looked like little villas and were on winding streets. The reception was held in a huge hall right along the water. The buffet was enormous. There was one room of mains and one room of desserts. There was so many kinds of meat too – lamb, chicken, beef, rabbit, and fish. There was also more traditional fertility rice, like we had at lunch. In the dessert room there was baklava, six flavors of ice cream, cookies, cakes, and fruit. They had a dj, a band, and traditional Greek dancers. And there were shots. So many shots of raki and ouzo that just kept coming. There was lots of Greek dancing too. I was too shy, but my parents were brave enough to jump in and try it.

It was a great night and we spent the next day relaxing by the pool drinking lemon Fanta. The whole experience – wedding, pool, banana boat, and food – was absolutely incredible.  It was really tough leaving Crete – it’s just so flipping beautiful.

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But I’m getting ahead of myself. Last week I flew back to London, back to our cute little flat, and back to Ryan. It was wonderful to be back. Done with the move and done with long distance. Now, on to be an expat. The only draw back of my arrival was that the airline lost my luggage for just over 24 hours. I was grumpy about it, but at least I eventually got it back.

On the Thursday after I got back, Ryan took the day off and we went to the zoo. After living in DC, I was a little spoiled on free zoos, but the London Zoo is totally worth the money. It was awesome. We saw so many animals and they weren’t just lounging around they were walking and doing stuff. Exciting, right? We saw a komodo dragon, a tiger, giant tortoises, and a okapi – which I didn’t even know existed and has a butt like a zebra.

Then on Friday, my parents and my brother Eric arrived in London. We took one of those double-decker bus tours and it was really fun seeing so much of the city and learning random facts. Then, Monday, less than week back in London, and we were off to Greece.

My family! L to R, Papa, Eric, Ryan, Mama

We are lucky enough to have this family vacation in Greece because my mom was invited by a colleague to his wedding in Crete. Incredible, I know! But before the wedding, and before  Crete, we spent a few days in Athens. I have been wanting to go to Athens for about seven years – since I studied abroad in Rome, and fell in love with Classical art, architecture, history, and mythology.

Athens was AMAZING. First, to blow your minds, our hotel had a view of the acropolis. When Ryan pointed it out I was in disbelief. It was there? I was finally seeing it?! Later we went to the hotel’s roof bar and the view was even more breath taking at night (although my pictures didn’t come out well).

Anyway, day 1 in Athens and the five us make the sweaty hot trip up to the acropolis. I can’t explain how amazing the experience was. I loved seeing things I learned about over ten years ago in an art history lecture hall at the University of Maryland. I loved walking among stone and sculptures that have witnessed history. It was incredible to look out over a vast and built up city with this ancient history in the middle of it. And the Parthenon – wow. I was in awe of it. In awe of the building, the history, the city. It was great to imagine what it was like when people actually came to worship Athena. I can’t say anymore, just look at these sweet pictures.

I also insisted on seeing every single thing at the National Archaeological Museum. I was really impressed by that museum. Some of you might be reading this thinking, “archaeological museum, snooze-fest.” But I loved it. I know this blog is my platform for talking about food  (and I’ll get there I promise) but my training is in museums so let me chat on that for sec. Pieces of pottery and faded carvings can be a snooze-fest, I’ll admit. But this museum put the pieces together with reconstructed pieces to give a full picture of what the object was. I liked seeing real pieces put together with a reconstruction to create a full vase. And for faded carvings, they had color reproductions next to the original. It helped provide context and let me imagine a little better. And there were awesome maps and info graphics to put these objects into a historical context. Ok, I’ll stop. I know I’m dorking out on museums.

Ryan and I also went to the Agora to check out some more ruins. In case you don’t want to Google Agora, it was a commercial center in Athens. It was a place where people went for religion, shopping, art, and what have you. It was amazing to walk around among foundations of buildings and temples. The Agora museum had more pottery pieces and sculptures – but it also had 6th-4th century cooking equipment. See, I told you I’d get back to food. It’s cool that some of these objects look so similar. Below are pictures of a cheese grater, grill, casserole, oven, and spit.

And while we’re talking about food, let’s just say I AM IN HEAVEN. First, I love Greek salads. Greek salad is what I eat when Ryan is away for dinner, and that’s because he doesn’t like olives or feta cheese. I have been indulging to the utmost.  Also we have had delicious lamb and beef, bread, olive oil, tomatoes. In the pictures below there is mousaka, something like a falafel, tzatziki, stuffed lamb, Greek salad, potatoes, and other things I don’t know the name of. This was all from Xenois Zeus, a restaurant in Athens with a great roof-top view dining room.  And while less widely lauded, I’ve also had tons of Fanta Lemon, which is my favorite soda of all time. I’m hoping to find a cookbook and maybe sneak in few Greek recipes in after vacation. I’ll write more about Crete when I’m back in London!

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