Favorite Moments in Paris

I swung by Paris for only three days last April, but I made the best of them. The photos below showcase my favorite moments from my most recent trip to the belle ville.

Reuniting with old friends

Not Doing Things in Porto

We arrived in Porto, a picturesque city in northern Portugal, ready to sample tons of port wine. As soon as we checked in, we took a cab across the river to Vila Nova de Gaia, where all the wine cellars are. We insisted on beginning our tour at the wine cellar that also sold cheese and crackers because we were famished. Thing is, our cabdriver was capable of finding any wine cellar but that one. He drove round and round, practicing his French with me, talking about keeping up with French news and keeping in touch with French friends and loving all things French. He also spoke extensively about Porto -- pointing out the architecture and providing a detailed history lesson -- all in French. This was amusing, but we were hungry and wanted our cheese right now. Now! At long last we found the cellar, bid adieu to our Francophile Portuguese cabdriver, and ate some freaking cheese. We managed to tag along on two wine cellar tours and sample four ports that afternoon. Success!

Chocolate Shot Cups? I Seriously Love Coimbra.

A popular Portuguese liquor made from ginja (a sour berry), sugar, and schnapps, is my new favorite thing. They call it Ginjinha (so it’s fun to say) and serve it as a shot (so it’s fun to consume). As if that weren’t enough, at a small shop near Coimbra’s central plaza, Ginjinha comes in a chocolate shot cup. That’s right, people. Chocolate. Shot. Cup. Drink the liquor, eat the cup. It’s a thing of beauty.

Heavenly shots are ready for consumption