staycation

Last night I took a little staycation. I went to the Best Western Hotel Belfort and took a little ME time. I lit some candles. I took a long, hot bath. I spread out across the big, comfy bed. I relished in having a tv with a lot of channels. I ordered Japanese food from the restaurant next to the hotel. I just relaxed. I needed to relax. (If you click on the link for the hotel, you can see the link for a map to the right. I live on rue Stractman which is just next to the hotel!!).

My guy met me in the morning and enjoyed the wonderful breakfast spread at the hotel with me. There are beignets, crepes, different kinds of bread, 5 or 6 different kinds of jelly in those cute, little glass jars, nutella and honey, a cheese plate, fresh fruit and traditional French items such as baby pickles, radishes, olives, and cocktail onions. There are plates full of meat and another with a variety of pastries. There are, of course, hard-boiled eggs (yuck!). There is American coffee, an espresso machine, different hot teas, and 4 different kinds of fruit juice. This is how I want to eat breakfast every morning!!! Mmmmm... Needless to say, I was relaxed and stuffed before I headed to work for a few hours this morning.

We are working on something new at work which I find particularly fun. Until now, our clients have always been adults. We invited our clients and others in the area to bring their children to the office today. A colleague and I prepared a lesson for the children - we played Old MacDonald, Mary Had a Little Lamb, and the Alphabet song. The kids were ages 4-8 so they were super cute! Half of them were too shy to speak and the other half were so eager to be the one to speak. Today was just an introduction. The parents watched their children through the glass and had the option to sign them up for a bundle of sessions afterward. Many people were interested, and I really hope I get to teach the class!

Off topic, but check out this link: i love laughing babies. This is super cute. I especially love how the little girl braces herself and gets a stance going when it's her turn.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend.

Vacation in Biarritz

Hello friends. I am currently on vacation in Biarritz, in the southwest of France. Although, the vacation is slowly coming to an end. After our 2 days in Bordeaux, we traveled further south to Biarritz. It is a beautiful beach town, combining the perfect amount of nightlife with family life. It rained (poured!) on us for almost one full week. It was funny (and disappointing) to see so many people on vacation walking around with rain coats and umbrellas. We did our best to get out and go for walks despite the rain, but we mainly lounged in our room, watched trashy television, and relaxed.

Finally, Wednesday we saw sun and took full advantage. There are a ton of amazing restaurants with verandas overlooking the ocean. We have been doing our best to cook in our very little kitchen (we both can't fit comfortably) as much as possible but we have been indulging in some good eating, too.

We have taken some day trips. We visited Bayonne where the famous Running of the Bulls is happening right now. Everyone is walking around in white outfits with red bandanas, red shoes, and red scarves for as many towns as we've driven through. There are so many more events than just the famous bulls running. There are concerts and carnivals and so much more. It started on Wednesday night and goes through Sunday.

We visited San Sebastian, Spain. It is a beautiful city on the beach. It was quite breathtaking. The narrow streets were lined with bars filled to capacity and restaurants serving up local cuisine and of course, paella. The streets were bustling with excited vacationers, students, and locals.

We visited St Jean de Luz two nights ago and decided then that there's where we would go to the beach yesterday. We drove the 15 minutes back there yesterday, rented a parasol and chairs, and basked in the sun for hours. It was so wonderful. We had a great time.

I made shrimp scampi last night (my dad's delicious recipe), and we enjoyed that while sitting on the balcony listening to the waves crashing and the jazz playing in the restaurant below while watching the surfers and the sunset. It was romantic and peaceful and such a fantastic moment.

We could see that there was a sand bar so we ran outside for a walk along the beach. We were so glad we did. The sunset was amazing. It was reflecting off the sand in the sand bar, too, which I loved. It was such a perfect moment... the sun setting, the reflection on the ocean, the surfers catching their last few waves, not wanting to give up on the day, the light of the lighthouse circling around, the beach full of drunken teenagers dressed in their white and red, and my guy and I putting our feet in the warm ocean while watching the perfect day unfold and our wonderful vacation come to an end.

As I write to you now, I'm lounging in bed, listening to the waves outside and the seagulls singing. Tonight is our last night. We have reserved an oceanside table and will watch the fireworks from there.

First things first, we're off to the beach in Hendaye which is said to be one of the best beaches in Europe. Can't wait! I'll leave you with some pictures!

our view

Biarritz

our beach in Biarritz

my guy

St Jean de Luz

paella in San Sebastian

Biarritz sunset

Bordeaux, France

After 9 hours of driving (including a few pit stops), my guy and I arrived in Bordeaux yesterday. We explored the town by night last night and by day today. It's a lot smaller than we had anticipated but has all the elements of a French city that make it attractive - old buildings, pretty architecture, cafes everywhere, dimly lit outdoor patios, store-lined streets inaccessible to cars (mostly cobblestone), creperies, and outdoor markets.

We ate at a delicious and romantic Thai restaurant. I love Thai food and good Thai food is hard to come by unless you're in a city. We sat at one of those tables where you take your shoes off and sit on the floor. He wasn't crazy about this but was a good sport.

Today, we did a bunch of walking around. I found an Italian gelaterie that I love so much I actually dream about it. We stopped there twice in Strasbourg, and I was delighted to find one here. The place is called Amorino. They make the most beautiful cones - transforming your favorite flavors of gelato into the shape of a rose. My favorite flavor is pistachio - it is SO good. I always get coconut, too! I always change up my third flavor, but today I found a new winner - dark chocolate with soy milk and chocolate chunks... Amazing. If you're ever in a big city in Europe, you need to give Amorino a try. It is a bit pricey - 4.70€ for a medium cone but so worth it.

Tomorrow we're heading out to the vineyards! After that, we're on to 8 days in Biarritz where we are staying right on the ocean!

Needless to say, life is good :) happy weekend everyone.