Tour de Netherlands

We set out this morning on a trek that ended up being 31 beautiful miles.

A couple of handsome fellows we met. And fed.

Dutch parking lot

Coffee Break

These tasted even better than they look.

This horse's back itches.

This Nomadic Life

Last weekend we said goodbye to the Black Sea and Varna beaches, goodbye to our friends, goodbye to eight dollar nights on the town, goodbye to Bulgaria. We took a seven hour train ride across beautiful Bulgaria to spend a couple of days in Sofia before our flight to Paris. While slow and bumpy, the train ride was relaxing and the landscape was stunning. Majerle slept most of the trip draped over our laps.

At one point I got up to use the bathroom and was a little surprised to see that when looking down the toilet, I could see the train tracks. Apparently they did not have a very sophisticated commode. I went back to my seat and Brock got up to use the bathroom. I figured I'd let him see for himself and he came back with the same perplexed and disgusted look I must have had.

Sofia was a fun city to explore. There are impressive Orthodox churches, museums, parks everywhere, an extensive tram system, and a lot of cobbled streets. We visited the Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevsky, one of the largest in the world. It was dark inside and while beautiful, it was hard to see all of the orthodox paintings which are usually so vibrant.

As soon as we boarded our France Air flight, I was thrilled to hear French again. Bulgarian is a beautiful language, but I really missed hearing and speaking French.

We didn't stay long in Paris. Our train to the Netherlands was departing from Gare du Nord. It was a hot and balmy day when we hauled our luggage through this high traffic station to catch our train. I was standing in a pedestrian area arranging our luggage when I felt myself being pushed forward and realized the back of a bus had bumped me while turning. Thankfully I had on a backpack, but sheesh!

The train to Liege, Belgium was the nicest train I've ever ridden. I let Majerle have his own seat this time so he could spread out. He had just chipped his tooth and I was feeling sorry for him for dragging him around Europe.

This is Majerle excited about his first ever train ride to Sofia:

This is him after a few days of travel with a freshly chipped tooth, poor guy.

Riding through Northeastern France into Belgium was beyond pleasant and picturesque. We arrived in Liege with a half hour before our final short train to Maastricht. While waiting on the platform which was partially enclosed by an impressive structure, we heard horns honking and vuvuzelas from the streets below. I figured the World Cup semi-finals between Germany and Spain had just ended and by the sound of things, Germany must have won. I mean we were in Belgium so they must have been rooting for Germany, but our cab driver told us Spain actually won. I was really hoping for a German/Dutch rivalry in the finals.

After a few days of traveling, I was relieved to finally be in the Netherlands. We are staying in a village called Voerendaal near the city of Heerlen. This area is rural but with large cities nearby and is close to the Belgian and German borders. It is splendid here!! Everyone rides bikes and the bike lanes are better than most streets. It takes us about ten minutes to ride bike into Heerlen which we have been doing a couple of times each day. There are horses across the street and just down the street is a farmer who has a store front where we can get our eggs and produce. The air is fresh, the villages are quaint and charming, the people are some of the friendliest I have ever met. Six months living in European cities has made me very ready for this slower pace, but I'm thankful a city is also nearby so we have the best of both worlds. I am looking forward to travels around this area and to Belgium and Germany, but I am also looking forward to lots of days spent simply reading, riding bike, cooking, and walking my dog. The simple things! And I'd say this was a pretty good place to see the Netherlands play in the World Cup finals last night.

My Favorite Paris Eateries & Drinkeries

In honor of my return to Paris in a few days, I want to finally devote a blog to commending what I consider to be some of the very best places to convert Euros into food in France's capital.

In the land of a billion restaurants, patisseries, boulangeries, and brasseries, it can be difficult to locate the really good ones among the average or below average ones that will gladly take your money and provide mediocre food. I had plenty of meals during which I immediately regretted my choice to go there. I hate wasting a single meal on bad food in Paris when I know that some of the best foods in the world are out there.

Fortunately I also stumbled upon many places that were incredible. I found some thanks to internet reviews, and so I intend to perpetuate this cycle by providing my own recommendations.

So here they are, my favorite Paris restaurants and bars:

L'Avant Comptoir - Spanish & French hors d'oeuvres bar with excellent mini plates of food & ridiculously cheap but delicious wine. Found this place on my last night in Paris & desperately wish I had found it sooner. It's a tiny restaurant, so there's squishy standing room only, but of course this prompts one to say bonjour to the other patrons and engage in great conversation (neighborhood: Saint Germain; metro: Odeon)

Le Temps Perdu - Amazing traditional French food in an elegant but rustic atmosphere, generous portions and much value for the reasonable prices. The staff was among the most friendly and helpful I ever encountered in Paris. I had the duck confit which was juicy and fantastic and was served over crispy, olive-oil fried hash browns. In an area where small, overloaded restaurants prevail, this one was spacious and classically decorated (neighborhood: Saint Germain; metro: Mabillon)

Comme A La Maison - Dainty & sweet little restaurant with pretty decor and a view of an open square. The menu is small (2 choices or so from each category) but with irresistable food. The old fashioned REAL hot chocolate is served similarly to Angelina (in a small pot with a glass of water to wash it down) and may not be quite as thick but is as rich and the atosphere, though drastically different, is better. Especially if a group of local kids start a pickup soccer game in the square despite the pouring rain, which occurred when I was there. (Neighborhood: Village Saint Paul; Metro: St. Paul)

Le Hangar - Small but impeccable portions of upscale French dishes, lovely & accommodating staff, and whether or not you order dessert, you get a nice little treat at the end of the meal. I ordered duck and potatoes at this restaurant too, and it was seriously perfection. Slices of duck on top of mashed potatoes that made me forget anything I ever liked about a Thanksgiving turkey. Everyone dining together tried each other's meals and none of us could decide whose was better. This is the kind of restaurants that will always be successful from word of mouth alone. One can't help but tell others to go there. (Neighborhood: Les Halles/Centre Pompidou; Metro: Rambuteau)

Dix - Sangria Bar where Toulouse-Lautrec style art cozily surrounds you. Feels the way Paris might have felt in the 60s, maybe, but what do I know? I do know that the sangria is as good as it gets and is priced for the local college crowd at 4 euros per glass. (neighborhood: Saint Germain; metro: Odeon)

Chez Prune - Perfect spot to rest from a long walk on Canal Saint-Martin to have a pitcher of sangria. This is the closest establishment I've found in Paris to what one might stumble upon on any given street in Barcelona. The bartenders were all hippies and the decor was eclectic but still rustically French. The view of the canal from the patio evokes scenes from Amelie throwing stones. Witnessing the canal's lock system carrying little ferries up and down the canal is certainly entertaining. I think when Americans picture themselves spending an afternoon whisked off to a Parisian cafe, this is what they really want. (Neighborhood: Canal St. Martin; Metro: Republique)

To me, one of the best parts of traveling is the process of searching for wherever I will fulfill my ideal visions of that city, often through food, always through atmosphere. I'm sure I barely scratched the surface of Paris, but these are the places I will visit the next time I'm there and they are the places I'll see, hear, taste, and smell in my dreams of my short life in Paris.