Day 0 - April 18th “travel day”

Got to SFO with lots of time to kill so we found a free lounge and got some snacks. The flight itself was amazing. I have never felt so comfortable on a plane before. Lie flat bed, delicious food, hot towels, an amenity kit with socks to change into. Lots of overhead space and no one breathing close to you. We watched the nic cage movie “the unbearable weight of massive tallent” until the food stopped, then attempted a few hours of sleep, which went surprisingly well before I was poked awake for more food about 1.5 hours before landing. 11 hours went by in a flash! Landed at 11am Paris time feeling very little anxiety and excited for the adventure that awaits.

Day 1 - Landing and settling in

Took a taxi from the airport after getting some cash out after we went through customs. Took about an hour to get to the apartment but it was nice to see the sights and remember that all cab drivers in major cities are basically the same.

The apartment is beautiful and gigantic! There’s a very tiny elevator that we have not tackled yet since it looks…old. Little bit of exercise to get up to the fifth floor, but totally doable. We weren’t going to nap, but we laid down and passed out for a few hours anyway. Felt much better after and woke up around 4. Went for a beautiful walk through a close by park and grabbed a few things from a gigantic grocery store. I love grocery stores in foreign countries.

Thought about getting dinner, but decided that the snacks we got and a beer was enough to sustain us and a nice early night would be good.

10.5k steps today! 65 degrees and beautiful.

Day 2 - museums and a food tour!

We started the day with a the Rodin Museum (indoor thing and sculpture garden), which was amazing! The gates of hell! Balzac! Adam and Eve! Hugely enjoyed the experience. After we grabbed a quick egg and pepper tart from the museum cafe, which was delicious and then headed over to Hôtel des Invalides, which is a series of army museums, a church, and the tomb of napoleon. A fairly depressing museum, but worth it since we were in the area.

We caught our food tour at 3:30, which was super fun. We were with a group of five older women traveling together and they were hilarious. My favorite lady reminded me of a combination of grandma and aunt Sharon. She was the fun one. They were a pleasure to hang with. We walked around various shops and then ended at a wine shop where we ate and drank for a few hours. Very full by the end.

After we met up with Gaëlle and walked down the river at sunset, which felt very magical and ended the night with a bottle of wine. A dark walk back to the train where we passed notre dame (still under construction). My mind is boggled by the public transportation. Very easy to get around!

25k steps (might have over done it)

Note’s from the food tour:

Everything we tasted together on our West Saint-Germain food tour

Viennoiserie from Thierry Marx bakery at 53 rue de Grenelle

- Croissants

Pâtisserie from  Des Gateaux et du Pain at 89 rue du Bac

- Kashmir

- Tarte Citron

- Baba au Citron

- Cheesecake Pamplemousse

Chocolat from Jean Paul Hévin for chocolate at 93 rue du Bac

- Andante

- NHK

Pain from M'Seddi bakery at 18 rue Saint-Placide  

- Baguette de Tradition

Charcuterie from Maison Le Bourdonnec at 43 rue du Cherche-Midi

- Rillette

- Pate de Tete

Vin from La Cave du Cherche-Midi wine shop at 29 Rue Saint-Placide

- White wine - Bourgogne Aligoté 2021 (AOC Bourgogne Aligoté) from Château d'Etroyes (100% Aligoté from Burgundy)

- Red wine - Morgon Vielles Vignes 2019 (AOC Morgon) from Domaine du Petit Pérou (100% Gamay from Beaujolais)

- Red wine - Saint-Estèphe 2017 (AOC Saint-Estèphe) from Château Capbern (Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc from Bordeaux)

- Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blanc NV from Pierre Moncuit (100% Chardonnay)

Fromage from Chez Alexandre at 19 rue Saint-Placide

- Le Saint-Domnin de Provence (goat, Provence, aged less than 12 days): Made by one small farm and decorated with sprigs of lavender. The texture is soft and fluffy.

- Brillat-Savarin (cow, Normandie and sometimes Bourgogne, aged 2-4 weeks): this cheese is named after the food writer Anselme Brillat-Savarin and produced mainly in Normandy. It’s a triple cream cheese with a fat content higher than 75%.

- Morbier AOP (cow, Jura, aged 2-3 months): Soft and delicate pate, mild milky aroma. The more it ages, the sweeter and stronger the taste. Characterized by the dark horizontal line in the center. Traditionally, producers sprinkled soot from wood fires over the morning curd, then covered that with curd from the evening milking. Today, wood ash is used to recreate the look. One source claims that this was the cheese that farmers made at home on days when the weather was too bad to take their milk to the co-op in order to produce Comté.

- Napoléon (sheep, Pyrénées, aged 10 months): Hard cheese with a nutty caramel finish.

- Casanu (sheep, Corsica, aged 6-8 weeks): This cheese is the product of 70 Corsican shepherds within a perimeter of 200 kilometers. The ewes can walk up to 10 kilometers a day to feed themselves, resulting in a rich, flavorful milk that is collected between October and July. The pate is creamy with an orange exterior from the chestnut beer it is washed in.

- Fourme d’Ambert AOP (cow, Auvergne, aged 2-3 months): one of the oldest known cheeses in France. One of the mildest of all blue cheeses, commonly used in cooking, and found widely all over France. Cheesemonger Laurent Dubois ages his for an extra-long time, and it’s a sweet and savory revelation.

Day 3 - another food tour, churches, and a lovely dinner

We started Friday off with another food tour that was similar to the one we did yesterday but still fun. The group was a Australian couple and three older women from the east coast who had been friends since college. The weather was beautiful and we had a tasty adventure. We went to an indoor market that was vibrant and had lots of interesting things to look at. One of the women from New York City was horrified by a lot of things, but the fact that they sold whole chickens with the feet on really got her. A reminder how divorced from things (like animal consumption) we can be in the US.

We wrapped up the tour and popped into a few churches because Jesse loves an old Catholic Church! The French ones aren’t as ornate as Italian ones, but still very beautiful. Kind of like a free museum with a creepy vibe.

We came back to rest and I went down to a close by super market to get more snacks and supplies. I was starting to get desperate for some fruit and vegetables after so much cheese and chocolate and fat filled foods. I grabbed some apples and bananas and had a deeply embarrassing experience at the check out when I found out that super market required you to weigh the fruit and vegetables before getting in line. They literally could not do it for you, so I shamefully attempted to ask for help and eventually was able to get out of there and find my way back.

Later, we met Gaëlle near the canal Saint Martin and had a lovely walk to a very delicious restaurant where we slowly ate and drank wine. Technically our first sit down dinner! The canal area was very cool and full of 30-something’s enjoying the sun and their friends. (Side note: Gaëlle said it’s rare that she finds a grocery store that does that with the weight thing, just my luck!) \240I had a lovely white fish with beans and chard. Feeling much better after getting some vegetables in me! We took the train home and passed out.

Day 4 - Saturday! We slept in and rested the very sore feet. I ventured out alone and got us some tasty lunch. No major disasters.

Later on we met Gaëlle for the Museum of Nature and Hunting, which was amazing. At 8 we met Baptist for dinner at a fish place that was delightful. After a long delicious dinner we walked up the giant hill that has great views of the city. Apparently it’s normally way more crowded but we were able to sit and enjoy the views before calling it a night.

12.8k steps

Day 5 - Sunday - churches everywhere!

We started the day with a tour of Sainte-Chapelle, a beautiful chapel from the 1200’s full of stained glass. It was crowded but with it. We also had tickets to a cooking exhibit, which made us hungry so we got some lunch after.

Later we toured some regular (aka free) Catholic Churches, which were beautiful. A lot of masses happened around us and I couldn’t stop taking pictures.

Sunday night is a weird night for restaurants so we snacked and called it a night.

16.3k steps!

Day 6 - Monday - the Eiffle Tower!

Today we had some delicious pastry for breakfast and then met up with Gaëlle at the river boat stop. The river boat was super cool! Lots of people living on boats and great views. I wanted to see the Eiffle Tower but was happy to stay on the ground. It was also very touristy and full of people selling chachka. After we grabbed some lunch and went to the museum of man for some culture. It was a perfect sized museum! Lots of interesting stuff. After we wandered through the Luxembourg gardens and relaxed in the comfortable chairs until it started raining. Eventually we departed from Gaëlle and had some dinner and then headed home.

17.7k steps!

Day 7 - foooooooooooood

For our last day in Paris we decided to do some serious meals. Our first stop was an early lunch at Fripon in a quieter part of Paris we haven’t ventured to yet. It was a lovely vegetarian only place that served 3 courses. Very delicious! The bar area had a tiny stairwell that I was amused to see people come up and down from.

After lunch we wandered a bit, and eventually met up with Daniel who lives close by (Eastern edge of Paris). The three of us did a lovely walk through the Père Lachaise cemetery which was old and beautiful and amazing to see. Jim Morrison’s grave was blocked off and crowded!

We had a quick beer with DLB at a nearby cafe and then trecked back home to get to ready for our fancy dinner reservation.

Dinner was at 8:15 at Akreme and was incredible. 7 courses that were a surprise with very little choice which is always a favorite. We did the pairing and the sommelier was excellent. French fine dining is very serious and I feared for my clumsiness but did not manage to embarrass myself. Top Michelin star experience!!! They did an incredible job of portioning and I didn’t feel overwhelmingly full like sometimes happens after that many courses…

We toddled home, packed up, and passed out.

19.5k steps 20 floors climbed

Day 8 - trains

Travel day! We woke up at 6am to catch the 10:15 train to London. We got there nice and early, which was good because the lines were insane! A giant herd of cattle, we managed to get through with lots of time to spare (customs, security, many passport scans). The train to London was quick and we gained an hour as we went through the Chunnel.

Once we arrived in London we grabbed some quick lunch at a delightful little hotel restaurant in between the two train stations. I almost made us late for the train to Glasgow by mixing up the times but we got on with 15 minutes to spare and no lines or security!

The train to Glasgow was 4.5 hours and meandered through the beautiful country side and I dozed and watched tv shows on my iPad and dreamed about having a cottage and sheep.

We arrived around 6 and got a cab to Pat and Georgia’s—a lovely flat I’m the Shawlands neighborhood. Beer, Indian food, and whiskey to round out the day!

10k steps

Day 9 - Glasgow is lovely

We slept good and got some classic Scottish breakfast at a nearby restaurant and enjoyed some tea. After eating we started to totter into town. First stop was the Mono which is a famous Glaswegian record shop/concert venue/cafe. Since they pack easy we got a few CDs (apparently it’s 2001 or something). Next we walked over to the Glasgow cathedral, which was beautiful and so old (built around 1100). Also popped into the Saint Mungo museum of religious art and life…basically an anthropology project of religion, which I loved.

The Necropolis was next perched up on a hill behind the cathedral and was something out of a Tim Burton movie. So beautiful and old! We wondered a bit until our feet were screaming and decided to get some lunch at a nearby cafe (fish sandwich, it was delicious…the presence of fish and potatoes in Scotland is my favorite part).

After lunch we popped into the museum of modern art right before it closed and saw a few exhibits before heading back to Pat and Georgias to get ready for dinner.

We went to a very lovely small plates place for dinner in their neighborhood and then got a pint at a very classic Scotland pub. I love the pubs!!

18k steps

Day 10 - half day in Glasgow and off to Edinburgh

We slept in and grabbed a classic Scottish breakfast at a sweet little cafe up the street. We didn’t have enough time to wander into the city center so we stayed local and walked around a lovely park to burn off breakfast and then popped back to pat and Georgias apartment for a quick nap before the 3:45 train to Edinburg.

The moment we stepped out of the train station and into Edinburg (a mere hour later) I was instantly in love and in awe of the city. It’s so gothic and old and beautiful. We had a delicious Scottish dinner (Haggis!) before heading to the Liquid Room for the show.

There’s something super special about seeing live music with your good pals in a foreign country, but in the country the band is from. Really so lovely to experience. So many of my favorite songs were played and everyone in the crowd was also singing along. Very touching.

The show ended earlier than most American shows we see, which was great and we were able to grab a pint at a lovely pub before calling it a night and heading back to the hotel.

16k steps

Day 11 - Last of Edinburgh and off to London

Georgia was our gracious tour guide for the morning while we ambled about Edinburgh (the capital city). It was rainy and cold and we got a quick breakfast at Gregg’s, a staple in the UK. I love this tea drinking culture!

Edinburgh is surprisingly full of tourists but was still fun to see. It’s also the sister city to San Diego and has a cute dog memorial gifted from SD since they both have famous dogs. We also saw an excellent old graveyard and had a pint and a pie to wrap things up before we got on the train to London. Despite the rain Edinburgh was lovely and the trees were in bloom.

The train down to London was empty and it was nice to see more of the countryside since this was a different route than what we took up. The sea! Lots of sheeps! We read and drank tea.

We arrived in London and had the excellent taxi service where they know exactly where you’re going. The hotel is lovely, although quite bustling on a Saturday night with a DJ and lots of partying. We went to a ramen place since we’ve been craving ethnic food after so many days of white people eats. It was tasty and knocked us out for the night.

16.5k steps

Day 12 - toys and an Italian dinner

Cody’s desired only one thing from London— the novelty automation museum, which wasn’t really a museum but an interactive place to play basic arcade games for adults…not entirely kid friendly, which we loved. 27 quid got us 30 tokens to use at our discretion, but basically every option that existed in the place. We shouted, we laughed, we had a great time. Seriously delighted.

Next we found a pub and enjoyed some pints before finding an open Italian spot for dinner, which was delightful. Finally some amaro back in our lives. Tottered back home and I passed out while Cody watched baseball!

11k steps

Day 13 - churches and the big bus

We started the day with a tour of the most famous church in London- St Paul’s cathedral. A service was happening but it was fine to wander around. Giant, beautiful, full of tourists, \240and gave off a little fascist vibe. Still cool to see.

Once we got our full of religion we hopped on the big bus stop that was right outside to see more touristy parts of London from the comfort of a guided tour and give our feet a break. Big bus tours are perfect for this! Went over a few bridges (tower bridge being the most famous), waved at Big Ben and all the parliament buildings before hopping off for some fish and chips at a pub.

Later we got dinner at an Indian place that did a tasting menu but left us too full. The food was great but just too much!

17.8k steps

Day 14 - Last day!

First up on our last day was the British museum. Free and gigantic! I am still reeling from how much shit they packed in there. We moved through it fairly quickly since it was hugely crowded and how many 2000 year old vases can you really look at anyway. I had a great time watching bored children and finding silly looking animals in old relics.

After we walked over to a record shop that Cody really wanted to see (specializing in reggae) and he bought a few CDs. Found a pub for our final pints before popping back to the hotel to pack and get ready for dinner.

Dinner was at Anglo, which was small and delightful and did the perfect tasting and pairing menu. We had a lovely time and left at a reasonable hour.

15.8k steps

Travel home

Great flight home in business class direct from Heathrow to SFO. Heathrow is the only security check point in all the flying we’ve done that has enforced the baggie of liquids rule in your carry on. No big deal, just funny to watch as everyone struggled through this.

Seats were very comfortable and I watched 4 movies and half a season of a tv show while I fought myself awake to avoid screwing up my sleep schedule upon return.

Our Global entry pass is my favorite part of returning to the US…customs took literally 2 minutes, and then we sat in terrible bridge traffic for 1.5 hours in the rain. Just glad I wasn’t the one driving.

All in all it was a wonderful trip.

Some notes:

• Everywhere we went felt much safer than the Bay Area
• The Bay Area has the best water by a lot
• The UK opposite side driving also applies to walking and was pretty confusing
• Everywhere we went was much cleaner than the Bay Area
• The UK is reallly realllllly into their rules (booze pours, etc.)
• Europe does not use top sheets, at all. It’s a US thing.
• Portion sizes in France were perfect, UK was not as bad as US but still not great
• Public transit is amazing in Europe. The best was in the UK where you didn’t even have to buy tickets and could just tap your card for payment
• The monarachy is gross-fuck having a king
• The Bay Area is more expensive than pretty much everywhere we’ve ever been (besides Miami)
• The eggs are more orange
• I didn’t think about work at all for 2 weeks, which was glorious
• We packed really really well and pretty much used everything (except for sunscreen and masks haha)
• I felt the most comfortable in Scotland. French was really hard.
• Tea culture in the UK is my favorite
• Seeing a band that I’ve loved for more than a decade in a foreign country with our friends was an amazing experience.
• My flying anxiety evaporated almost completely with business class seats and didn’t interrupt my trip in the slightest
• I should stress less in my daily life about work
• 15 days was a little long for us…10-12 might be better in the future