Cheers to Six Years: A Europhile Reunion in Toronto

When I moved to France in 2007 for an eight-month stint as a high school English teacher, I had already chatted with Stephanie via Facebook because we'd both been placed in the same city -- Angers. We formally met one afternoon in the central plaza, where she introduced me to Becca, whom she'd just met at a regional orientation and who was living in Nantes, a 40-minute train ride away. We'd only been teaching for a week and were already due for our first vacation. 

Welcome. To. France. 

Less than a minute into our conversation, we were planning our first trip:

Becca: "So, for the October break, Steph and I were thinking we'd like to go to Greece. Are you in?"

Me: "Sign me up."

That evening, I was texting Steph my credit card number so that she could book my flight. 

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

Capture the Colour Photo Contest 2013

For the second year in a row, Travel Supermarket is hosting Capture the Colour, a contest in which travel and photography bloggers showcase five pictures, each featuring a different color -- yellow, red, green, white, and blue. Each blogger then nominates five fellow bloggers to enter the contest, which ends October 9.

Recently, Joe of Cosmic Smudge nominated me. Yay! There's no way I'm winning this thing, but it's fun to participate because 1) it makes me feel like part of the travel blogger community and 2) it gives me an excuse to spell the word colour with a u. So here goes.

Sir Gnome's Paris Highlights

A London resident, Sir Gnome visits Paris as often as his busy life allows. After all, it's an easy trip across the English Channel on the Eurostar. He loves making new discoveries in the "city of lights" -- venturing outside the city center, finding hidden corners, dining at bistros that tourist guides ignore. However, while Sir Gnome loves an adventure, he also finds comfort in the familiar. For this reason, he has chosen to share the three experiences he can never do without in Paris. Below are his photos and descriptions.

How I Argued with a Grumpy Old Frenchman and Won (sort of)

- "Look, monsieur, I don't know who you're talking about, but I booked a room for two."

Grand Hôtel du Loiret is a classically Parisian budget hotel -- small, quaint, locally owned, and centrally located. After checking out the official website and reading mostly positive reviews on Trip Advisor, I decided to give this hotel a shot. I booked over the phone and then emailed the hotel to request a confirmation. Below is a translated and heavily abbreviated version of that email exchange:

Paris Picture-Takers

I lived in Paris for a period of six months as a college student, and I've visited the city while on vacation a total of six times. Lucky moi. When I travel there now, it feels more like a second home than a travel destination. I'd much rather sit at a café all day than venture to the top of the Eiffel Tower. That said, I can't keep myself from snapping photos of the same famous structures over and over again. It's beyond my control. On my most recent trip to Paris, I tried a new approach -- capturing the city from the perspective of a first-timer by taking pictures of people taking pictures. Below are the results of my mini meta-photo project.

What's in a "Nom"?

I'm a travel blogger, so it stands to reason that I love travel. Or does it? What of those travel bloggers who hate travel?

I'm in freaking Beijing. I've been wandering around for three days, and I totally hate it here. Everything's different from back home, and they speak this totally incomprehensible language that only the one billion inhabitants of this country understand. I don't get it. It sucks. Tomorrow I'll be in Shanghai, and I bet that'll suck just as bad. I'll blog about that hellhole when I get there.