There are Zombies in Paris!

Oh Paris (pronounced with a french accent Par-ee)! It has been too long and yet we didn't get to stay long enough. Two and a half days in Paris no matter how many times you've been there just isn't enough. It is such a large city, with so much to see and do that you'd drive yourself crazy trying to get it all done. So knowing our visit was going to be short, we decided not to stress ourselves out by going to lots of museums and things, but to relax and stroll through the streets of Paris, and just take in the buildings, the people, the scenery, and stumble upon whatever monuments we might happen to stumble upon.

Travers and I took the train Friday night from Geneva to Paris (3.5 hours) and headed to the 4th arrondissement where Bryna, Ben, Corey and Marie had rented an apartment for their visit, and which they invited us to stay in for the weekend. Bryna had found it on Airbnb. The place was amazing! and in an amazing the location. Just outside the door were tons of restaurants and shops!

We were welcomed with a cheese and wine cocktail party while we caught up with them on their trip to Bologna. They had gone there between Geneva and Paris. We then headed out to dinner, and found a cute place just across the street called Les Philosophes. They amazingly got us a table for 6 right away, and we had a delicious french dinner. I got some tasty french onion soup and a ham panini, and Travers got the beef bourguignon. Both were delicious.

After dinner, we said goodnight to Marie and Corey, and the four of us headed to the latin quarter (5th arrondissement) to grab a drink and see the Parisian nightlife.  We found a little bar on the main drag that served decent glasses of wine, although the boys had to teach the bartender how to make their drinks (but they then got those drinks for free).  The crowd, however, quickly got younger and younger, and reminded us of a bar in San Francisco called Bar None, where all the recent college graduates go to play beer pong. Needless to say, we had one more round of drinks, then decided to call it a night. It was already pretty late, and we had a big day of seeing Paris the next day.

We woke up later than expected on Saturday and made a huge breakfast at the apartment.  Bryna and I went and got fresh pastries for everyone at a bakery around the corner, then we all figured out what we wanted to do for the day.  Marie and Corey went on a walk together on the right bank, while Bryna, Travers and I took a walk down the left bank. And Ben, who likes to walk on his own and not have a set destination, took off on his own to discover hidden treasures of Paris.


Bryna Travers and I started towards the Notre Dame Cathedral first. We walked along the Seine, and made our way across Pont D'arcole to the Ile de la Cite where the Notre Dame Cathedral is. We took the classic photos standing in front of the cathedral, and unfortunately, did not go in because the lines were outrageously long. Apparently, all the french tourists come to Paris in October. We thought tourism would die down a bit into fall, but, apparently the rest of the French wait for the other summer tourists to leave before they come to Paris in the fall.  So we moved on and kept walking.  We crossed another bridge to the left bank and winded through some tiny streets in the 6th arrondissement on our way to Boulevard Saint-Germain des Pres.

Then we headed down Blvd. St-Germain des Pres, looking at all the designer stores, and came across this jazz band that was playing on the corner and a big crowd had gathered to listen. It was fun to hear live music just in the middle of the day!

After a bit more walking, we rounded a corner and Voila! We could see the top of the Eiffel Tower!  Even from far away, and even though we have all seen it before, it was magnificent.  We continued our walk in that direction, always trying to keep the tower in view!  We walked and walked, winding our way through the streets. It started to feel like it wasn't getting any closer, but then we rounded a corner and knew. We  had made it!

Bryna at the Eiffel Tower!

Travers & Me at the Eiffel Tower

One of my favorite pics...the sun shining through the base of the Eiffel Tower

After seeing the Eiffel Tower, we hopped on the metro back to the apartment to meet up with everyone else. We were going to cook dinner that night at the apartment so Ben, Bryna and I then headed to the grocery store. We bought 2 roasted chickens from a butcher shop that specialized in roast chicken, then bought ingredients to make pasta with fresh tomato, basil and parmesan topping, and a huge salad. We sat down to a delicious feast and all told stories from our day of what we saw and where we all went.

And like the night before, after dinner, Ben, Bryna, Travers and I went out to take in the Parisian nightlife. This time, we headed down the street to a place called Yono's Bar. But a few weeks earlier we had heard of a club called Silencio that was new in Paris that just opened. We wanted to check it out as it was designed by David Lynch, the writer/producer/director, most known for Mulholland Drive and Twin Peaks, who was married to a friend of our good friend Jen Larsen.  So, we took an assessment of our outfits and decided we were all dressed well enough to go. So we left Yono and hopped in a cab to Silencio!

We immediately got let in without a wait and headed down the 3 flights of stairs to the club.  There were several separate rooms, almost cave-like, and all with different decor that was very odd, but very typical of David Lynch.  We headed to the bar, and were amazed at watching the bartenders, who were very meticulous with each drink they prepared.  Based on this, we felt comfortable to order martinis with confidence that they would get them right. (Ben had ordered a vodka martini here in geneva and had gotten a glass of vodka mixed with martini....not a vodka martini).  We were right, and the bartenders made great martinis, which we took to the dance floor and spent the next hour or two dancing!

The next day, Sunday, we were sad it was our last day, but determined to make the most of it. Travers and I got up and out the door by 10:30a and headed to Place de l'Hotel de Ville where a huge screen had been set up for everyone to watch the World Cup Rugby match between France and New Zealand.  The crowd that had gathered was huge but we had no problem seeing the screen.  After a nail-biting second half, France unfortunately ended up losing, but the crowd took it well and quietly dispersed.  We headed back to the apartment to meet up with everyone.

Once everyone was ready, we decided to walk towards the 18th arrondissement in search of a flea market that Marie and Corey had been to before.  It was a part of Paris that I hadn't been though before so it was neat to see the different streets and neighborhoods.  Unfortunately, when we got there, we discovered the flea market wasn't open on Sundays!  But we made the best of it, and ended up going to see The Sacre Coeur instead!





We climbed up several flights of stairs, and out of breath, we got to the Sacre Coeur terrace.  After taking in the basilica, we turned our attention to the views below.  We could see all of Paris from up here. It was magnificent. You could see so much of the city. It was such a great surprise to be able to see the city from up there and see where we had been the past two days.



Our last few hours in Paris were spent at a cafe in the 4th arrondissement, having a late lunch.  All of a sudden we saw a parade coming down the street that we were sitting on. But this was not your normal parade. This was a parade of zombies called the Zombie Walk.  Apparently it happens each year and its thousands of people all dressed up looking like zombies and acting like it too!  They all had tons of make up on, with fake blood, and wounds and things, and all playing their part as zombies really well. They came up to our table a few times, growling and trying to reach for us. We played along a bit, but after the first couple hundred, we really just wanted to watch them, so ignored them when they came up to our table. Unfortunately, I didn't get any photos as I didn't want to draw attention to our table. But it was such a strange thing to see in Paris. Not something you would expect, but I guess Halloween is right around the corner, so zombies on the streets of Paris in the middle of the day I suppose is normal! Ha!

After the zombies left, we headed back to the apartment to say our goodbyes and grab our bags and head for the train station.  It was sad to leave Paris, and sadder to say goodbye to Bryna, Ben, Marie and Corey. But I take comfort knowing that I will see them all next week when we go back to San Francisco!  As for Paris, we will definitely be back, sooner than later.

A bientot Paris!
xoxo

The McMills Invade Geneva

I knew that I had been having a great time here in Geneva, when my sister was finally coming to visit. We had been talking about her visiting from the moment we decided to move here last winter basically. I couldn't believe that time flew so fast and she was on her way to see me!

Her husband, Ben, and his parents, Marie and Corey came along too. It was a McMills invasion of Geneva!  Marie and Corey stayed at The Ambassador Hotel, which is just across the bridge from our apartment. And Bryna and Ben cozied up in our 2nd bedroom.

They arrived on Thursday night and after getting Ben & Bryna (from here on known as B&B) settled, the four of us went to dinner at one of our favorite places, Demi Lune. Marie and Corey decided to go straight to bed even though it was only 7pm. But that's what jetlag will do to you.  Ben zonked out on the couch as soon as we got home from dinner and Bryna, handling it a bit better, stayed awake so we could catch up with each other.

Their first day in Geneva was unfortunately one of the worst days for weather. It was overcast and cloudy and pretty cold. They toughed it out though and spent the day walking around the city, while I tried to do my best at playing tour guide. I have actually picked up a bunch of random facts about the city since I've been here, that it was suggested during this trip that I become an actual tour guide of Geneva.....we'll see.  After meeting up with Marie & Corey and walking them through parts of Old Town, we decided to get a delicious lunch at Mortimer's since it served steaks for the guys, and was nearby our apartment.

After a delicious meal, we continued our walk down the left border of the lake and eventually cutting back through the Parc La Grange, and walking through Eaux-Vives down streets that I had never been down before. Eventually making it back to our apartment and successfully directing Marie & Corey back to their hotel, we all rested and relaxed and made our plans for the evening.


We decided to have a cocktail and appetizer party at our apartment and really welcome everyone to Geneva. Then we walked to Paquis to a restaurant called Le Scandale, which is by the same owner as Le Cinq Portes, which was one of the first restaurants Travers and I went to when we first arrived. Le Scandale was a hit. Good italian food and good service. We then went to a bar down the street called The Grand Duke Pub, for an after dinner drink.  After a drink or two, Marie & Corey went home (Ben had gone home after dinner), so Bryna, Travers and I met up with our friends Michelle, Nathalie, and Flavia at the Floor 2 Lounge at the Kimpinski Hotel, and eventually ended the night downstairs at the Java Club dancing!

Saturday we took them to the Plainpalais Flea Market. Travers and I had gone by this maybe once or twice before, but never really walked through it, so it was a great opportunity to see it for ourselves.  We strolled a bit through the markets and while there was a lot of junk, there were also a few nice looking things that were actually interesting.  Bryna ended up buying some really old vintage fashion magazines, and Marie almost bought a painting, but the seller was not in the mood for haggling and gave her the cold shoulder.

B&B, Travers and I then rented some free bikes and we took them out to Carouge to see that part of the town.  After a few scary moments trying to outpedal the tram that was following us, we made it to Carouge, and took a break at one of the cafes that Travers and I had been to during our first visit to Geneva, Cinema Bio.  We then peddled our way back to Eaux-Vives to meet Marie & Corey at the wakeboard club. Much to our dismay, it had closed for the season, so we backtracked to a little cafe right near the Baby Plage, where we got some drinks and snacks to tide us over until dinner.

That night, we decided to go get some traditional swiss fondue! We took them to a restaurant in Old Town called Restaurant Les Antiquaires "Chez Angelo". We had taken Katy here when she visited and knew it was going to be delicious. We tried not to order too much cheese as the last time we ate here, we walked away feeling quite uncomfortably full. This time, we ordered perfectly, getting some cheese fondue and some meat fondue. Delish!

After dinner, Marie and Corey called it a night, so the rest of us walked to a Glocals party we had heard of in plainpalais at a club called The Carlton Club. This was an event put on by Glocals (expats typically) who live in Geneva, so that people can meet others in their same situation (living abroad in a foreign country).  So when we got there it was the 'mix and mingle' crowd, but after awhile it filled up and the DJ came on and started playing some music.  So of course, we danced. We then headed to Le Sip, a club we had gone to on my birthday.  After a couple drinks, the fondue was starting to settle in, so we decided to call it a night.













Sunday we hosted brunch at our place, followed by the McMills (all 4 of them) going on a long walk to Carouge, to the junction (where the Arve river and Rhone river meet), and all around, really getting to know the city.  We ended their visit with dinner at Brasserie Lipp, which is just below our apartment building. It was a delicious dinner and the perfect way to end their visit.

















We all ate a bit too much, including dessert, and then came back to our place to watch the rest of the 49er game that was on.

Watching the game after dinner - cozy.

Monday, everyone packed up their things, did one last walk around the town to get some lunch, then I walked them to the train station and said goodbye.  The McMills clan has invaded Bologna for the past few days, and are now flying to Paris to do the same. We will meet them in Paris tomorrow and continue our fun there!

Do you speak Flanswyli?

Barcelona twice in less than two months? Yep, that's right! I went back to Barcelona because why the heck not? Its only an hour and a half flight away and its wonderful there.

After my friend Jen left Geneva, I helped Travers get ready for his trip to Kiev on Tuesday, and then I left for Barcelona on Wednesday to meet up with Jen and Kara.  I was so excited that I ended up getting to the airport about an hour too early. It was worth it though cause I would have gone stir crazy sitting at home.

On the plane, I had a spectacular view of the Alps. It was amazing to see the different peaks and valleys. The second picture here shows a lake, possibly Lake Annecy, which we went to with Suzy in June during her visit. I wish I had a better camera, because these views were just jaw-dropping.

Once I got to Barcelona, I met Jen and Kara at the rooftop pool deck of our hotel, the Mandarin Oriental. It was a beautiful sunny day and they had just ordered a bottle of Cava. Yumm. We spent the next few hours catching up, sunning ourselves and sipping champagne. When the sun started to set around 6p or 7p, we went down to the room to get ready for dinner.  Three hours later (yes, 3 girls and 1 bathroom takes 3 hours), we were finally ready for the evening.  So we took a cab to the Port-Olympic area and had a delicious dinner at Sotavento steps away from the beach. We enjoyed our meals and ordered more Cava and just talked and gossiped the rest of the evening.

Thursday morning, we got breakfast at Pans & Company, which is the best place to get breakfast. Only 2.20 for a cafe con leche and pastry of your choice. Amazing!  Then we spent the rest of the morning shopping at Mango and Zara. After lunch, we decided to take the metro to Park Guell.  After hiking up some hills and taking some outdoor escalators, we arrived at Park Guell. Travers and I hadn't been here during our last visit, so it was exciting to see something new.

Park Guell, designed by Gaudi, has a huge terrace lined with benches that have colorful mosaic tile designs embedded into the concrete. There were several street vendors selling lots of jewelry and souvenirs, which we discovered is illegal as lots of them fled when the police came to patrol the area. Good thing it was after Jen and Kara bought some jewelry.  After walking around a bit, we sat at an outdoor cafe that overlooks the terrace, and sipped sangria while enjoying the live music and sun.









That night, after lots of sun and sangria, we went to a nearby restaurant called Brown 33. Travers and I had gone here during our last visit, and it was just as delicious this time. We got a table outside, and sat for several hours eating delicious italian dishes, and sipping Cava. We stayed for so long that the waitstaff had to ask us to leave as they were closing up for the evening.

Our last day in Barcelona was unfortunately overcast and chilly. We shopped around some more, trying to stay indoors as much as possible, hoping that the sun would fight through the clouds. We then slowly made our way down the famous La Rambla, stopped into the Mercat de la Boqueria to view all the amazing foods, fruits, fish, meats etc..., and ended up at the same plaza that Travers and I had gone to with Rosemary and Mike for lunch last time we were there, the Placa Reial. We enjoyed a leisurely lunch, hoping the darkening clouds would go the other way. Then we strolled through old town to shop some more, and found our way to the Rambla de Catalunya for a rest and a pitcher of sangria.

For our final night, we got all dressed up, and made a reservation at a local restaurant in Old Town recommended to us by the concierge.  We had a pre-dinner cocktail at the hotel bar, The Banker's Bar, which had its walls and ceilings lined with old metal banker's boxes, like safety deposit boxes almost. We then headed to dinner at Pla. It was a great recommendation by the concierge. The two story restaurant was small but didn't feel crowded or cramped, even with all the tables occupied. The decor was very cool and the food tasty. It was the perfect last meal in Barcelona.

We ended the night at a bar around the corner, just laughing together at all the fun things we had done. I left early the next morning for Geneva.  I have the best memories of this girls trip, and hope we can all do it again soon.

And the fun keeps going!

Our good friend Jen came to visit us a few days after we got back from Munich. She arrived Wednesday afternoon and was amazingly not too jetlagged. So I got her settled in and we walked a bit around the town, and ended with a glass of wine by the river at one of our favorite bars, Riverside. We then had a delicious dinner at home, fully welcoming her to Geneva!

The next two days Jen and I spent walking up and down the paths by the lake. We walked further than I have ever gone myself and I was able to discover new parts of Geneva. It was fabulous to have a friend to go exploring with.

Thursday night we met Travers in Paquis at a bar called Lord Jim Pub, for a happy hour glass of wine, then we walked to an Irish pub/restaurant we haven't been to since we first moved here called Mr. Pickwick's. We ate some tasty burgers (although ones at the Clubhouse are better), then went to meet up with our friend Michelle, who Jen introduced me to via email when we first moved here.

There is a small area in Geneva between the left and right banks called the island. There are some businesses and lots of construction going on, but there is one area at the end called the Brasserie des Halles d'Ile. It's a restaurant/bar that has beautiful views of the Rhone river and a large open courtyard in front.  Some evenings they have live music, and wine tastings, and other nights, they have a dj playing pop music and everyone gathers in the courtyard for cocktails and dinner.  The night we took Jen, a dj was playing a lot of our favorite songs, and it was one of the best nights as everyone around us was having a good time, being social (most swiss are not very social/talkative with strangers), and enjoying themselves.

Friday, after another day of walking around Geneva and the lakeside, the three of us went to dinner at another of our favorite spots, Chez Ma Cousine, in old town (yummy chicken!), then met up with Michelle again and some of her friends at the Floor 2 Lounge at the Kimpinkski Hotel. Its a swanky bar and has great views of the lake. Michelle's friends were all very nice and hopefully will become good friends of ours as we liver here longer.

Saturday we all woke up a bit tired from the past two days activities, but we had planned a fun day of driving up to a small town called Semsales, to watch a yearly event called La Désalpe. This is where all the cows are brought down from the mountain to the pastures and fields below for winter time. We rented a car, and drove up with our friends Mike and Shelley. After one wrong turn, we made it to Semsales! The town was very cute but very small. The main road was lined with people and food and drink booths, and down the center of the road was a trail of dirt and poop from all the animals.  We knew we were in the right place.

We saw lots of animals, not just cows. Lots of donkeys and goats, and not sure what this bit white fuzzy thing is, but it was cute.

This pony was really cute and there were other larger horses that came by. And we're not sure what they were doing, but this group of men came by carrying these mini tables on their heads. They looked a bit gruff and unhappy so we didn't want to ask them what their purpose was.












There were all sorts of cows that came down the road. Sometimes the farmers dress them up with mini trees, almost like mini christmas trees on their heads. And they almost always wear bells, so you hear the clanging of the bells before you even see the cows.

 It was lots of fun but after several rounds of cows and animals, we decided it was time to leave. We decided since we had the car, we would stop through Gruyeres on our way home. Last time I went to Gruyeres was with Suzy in June, so it had been awhile, and no one else in our group had been there, so it was fun for them to see. It was also a very sunny day so we were able to see great views of the surrounding mountains.  After walking around town and getting a tasty savory crepe, we headed back home and had everyone over for taco night.  Yumm!

The next day was Jen's last day in Geneva, and thankfully it was a sunny one. She is the first guest to have come to visit and had great weather every day of her visit.  So, on Sunday, we decided we would go out to the lake and rent a paddleboat, something that Travers and I have wanted to do all summer but never got around to it.  We paid for about an hour's worth of time to be out in the lake, and it was a gorgeous day for it. We paddled around and lounged in the sun. We all swam in the lake, which is pretty cold, but refreshing, and then ended the day watching the sun set at this place called the Wakeboard club.



Jen left the next day, but the fun was not over. I met her two days later in Barcelona! And the fun keeps on going!