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.

sorry... but this is another post about bagels!

so i brought 45 whole wheat everything bagels with me to france. at first, i was a little bummed that all of my clothes were stinking of everything bagel stench and debated whether i should wash everything before wearing. i then realized that i love the smell of everything bagels almost as much as i love everything bagels (the whole wheat ones, of course!).

back in the states, tofu cream cheese is readily available in the grocery stores. in NYC, for as many varieties of regular cream cheese there are, most bagel shops have the same flavors in the vegan varietal. this was wonderful, although it caused me to eat waaaay toooo many bagels.

here in france, i can' even find soy ice cream in the stores (gasp!) so it's a safe bet to say tofu cream cheese is a no go. since i am on a diet and trying hard (my me journey) to get fit and stronger, i decided that this wasn't a total loss. i really should lay off the butter and cream cheese (even if they are dairy free). also, i know that bagels are not a diet food but i love bagels so much. i believe that all diets need to include foods you love. depriving yourself of the foods you love will only result in your gorging yourself with other foods!

anyway, recently, i started slicing an avocado on my bagel. i add a dash of salt and a whole lot of pepper. it is SOOO good. it helps that the veggie market is right on the corner (literally a half a block away). my morning routine now consists of walking the half block and purchasing (for 80 euro cents) a fresh avocado. i love having a routine! (FYI: this morning i added a bit of extra virgin olive oil and not only does it accumulate to a weight watchers point (grrr), it actually didn't add any flavor and made it difficult for me to take a bite of bagel and then go type something on my computer as my fingers were really oily! so if you were thinking of adding some oil, let me assure you that it's totally not necessary).

crossroads.

i'm stuck at a crossroads and unsure of which path to take. there are so many things i want to see and do. there are so many interesting people i have yet to meet. there is so much creativity i have yet to birth. i think sometimes the hardest thing about life can be making the decisions that will undoubtedly shape your future. i think it is too easy to settle into a routine - a life - that has one path. ...but how do you know which path to take? how do i, at 25, have the time for trial and error? what do i want to do? where do i want to be? who do i want to be? there are so many paths to take. the thought alone is daunting.

i know one thing. i want to be the best me. i want to be the strongest me. i want to be the me that i admire, the me that my family is proud of. i want to be the me that has no regrets. the one that has little interns wanting to be me. i want to be successful and powerful, yet endearing.

so from this post, i can successfully gather one conclusion. before i can conquer the world, i need to conquer me. i am my own worst enemy.

i am about to embark on a journey that is all about me. wish me luck.

There are only seven days in a week—and someday isn’t one of them.  

                          -Sean Ogle

my first and last experience with iceland express.

I couldn't decide which was more miserable - the flight itself or the last few hours of waiting until I'd get to see my guy.

I left late Friday night for France via Iceland. We found the cheapest flight through one of those discount sites. I would have a layover in Iceland and would fly on Iceland Express. I was excited to get an Iceland stamp in my passport so I didn't think much else into it. It worked for me.

The day I was leaving my guy told me to pack snacks, books, magazines, and some Tylenol because from the reviews he had read, it seems Iceland Express is a total nightmare. I told him that I didn't want to know about it and wanted to go into it with a positive attitude. I packed 2 cookies and a book.

Upon arriving at Newark Airport, my Dad and I couldn't even find the Iceland Express check-in counter. The people at the check-in desk were running up and down from the check-in to the departure gate (like they didn't have enough staff to cover both areas). After sitting there past the time the plane was set to board and then past the time the plane was set to depart (with the "On Time" light still lit up), the man from the check-in desk ran upstairs and breathlessly said we would be departing late (uumm... obviously).

Upon boarding the aircraft, we were told no one could sit in rows 8-19 because the exit doors didn't work. We didn't have any TV (I'm accustomed to having my own personal TV in front of me like is normal on overseas flights). I had to ask for a pillow and a blanket (usually they are sitting on the seat). I am glad I asked right away for the blanket and pillow because a few other people were rejected because they didn't have any more. I was only offered one cup of water over the course of the whole flight and not a thing to eat! We arrived 5 minutes before my connecting flight was set to depart.

My connecting flight as it turned out was actually the same plane that I had arrived in Iceland on in the first place. I raced through the airport in Iceland so as not to miss my flight only to find this out. The plane ended up leaving 2 hours later. We were not offered any beverages on that almost 4 hour flight.

All in all - I made it alive to my destination in Switzerland. I was only 3 hours late but my guy was there waiting for me and that was the light at the end of that tunnel.

the summer of my dreams.

Summer so far has been wonderful. It has been everything you could ever want in a summer... full of laughter, relaxing days, days at the beach, rainy days watching movies, sunrise and sunset walks, filled with family and friends, BBQS, shopping, and sun-kissed skin. All of these things make me so happy (and everyone feels better with an extra boost of vitamin D)!

Here I am now... back in France after a month-long vacation home at the Jersey Shore. I spent the majority of my time home with my mom which was just... words can't describe... so great! I had the opportunity to see family from my mother's side I hadn't seen in years and my uncle I hadn't seen since 2001. I went out to eat twice with my dad's side as well as 2 birthday parties and an early 4th of July BBQ. I spent many hours with my favorite Aunt Bonnie playing day-long games of Dominoes and Yahtzee, watching movies, and just joking around.

I frequented my new favorite Toms River restaurant, Water Street. The coconut shrimp with jalapeno jelly for dipping were so good that I literally would wake up after having dreamt about them. It became a bit of a joke within the family, mocking my obsession for these shrimp... but after trying them, no one could deny just how good they really were.

I had the pleasure of seeing a few great friends, two whom traveled a few hours making it a point to see me. One of them, my great friend, Liberty, even took me out driving stick to prepare me for driving in France which was almost pee your pants funny! I was so nervous that I was sweating! I met an old college roommate for dinner in NYC and felt so refreshed after seeing her. I missed laughing with her and talking about boys. I missed seeing her! I drove up north twice to see an old friend from high school. When we see each other, it's like we never missed a beat. I like that.

I am so thankful for all the wonderful memories I made while I was home. I want to make everyone who made it a point to see me, and I especially want to thank my parents for their hospitality, unconditional love, and their last minute patience during my packing saga (overweight luggage...ugh). I miss everyone already.

However, this is going to be the summer of my dreams; I just know it. I want to think of my time at home as a wonderful blessing, but I have so much more to come still this summer (like a romantic beach vacation with my guy in the south of France next week!!).

The past year has been somewhat of a nightmare for me, truly the worst year of my short life thus far. I thought this nightmare would end and then when I'd feel it would surely end, I'd get an encore performance and then a grand finale and now, finally, I feel like things are calming down. I want so much to find peace in this life, and I feel like I am finally on the right path.

             ...So maybe this summer of my dreams is a fresh start, a chance to forgive and forget, to accomplish new goals, to get myself in the best shape of my life, to feel good inside and out, a chance to be happy.

book review: the hotel on the corner of bitter and sweet.

The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

This is really a book for everyone. I couldn't put it down, and then I kept putting it down because I didn't want it to end. It is a book that captivates your heart. And, if this is any indication to how much buzz there is about the book: 3 people stopped me within 2 days to ask me how I liked the book when they saw me reading it!

The book is set in Seattle during World War II. It is a beautiful insight to the once lively jazz scene in Seattle and to the terrible treatment of the Japanese-AMERICANS living in this country.

That's really all I want to say because I don't want to give anything away. It really is the kind of book that encompasses so many different topics and struggles. So give it a read and let me know what you think!

My next read: Bumped by Megan McCafferty. Stay tuned for the book review! I am sure this one will be just as wonderful as all the books in her Jessica Darling series.

4th 'o july weekend. and other things.

I always loved the 4th of July. I love everything that comes along with it like: listening to songs about America, fireworks, BBQ's, family, friends, beach, boats, and bikinis! I am happy that I get to be here in the USA this year. It wasn't originally the plan but because flights were so much more expensive this past week than they are next week, it just sort of worked out that way.

I am all ready to go back to France now. I have pretty much accomplished everything I wanted to get accomplished here. I now have my ticket booked, my Visa completed, and my International Driver's License tucked neatly inside my purse. And, the time with my family and seeing wonderful friends has been so wonderful, heart-warming, really.

Wherever this holiday weekend has you, be safe and enjoy.