Walking across London Town

Three weeks after getting back from Italy, across the Atlantic I went again, this time to one of my favorite places ever...London!

We were technically working in three towns outside of London, but we decided that having to get up early every morning to catch trains was worth it if were staying in the heart of the city. 

London is one of those places where I just feel at home. It's easy to get around, there's a vibrant energy everywhere you go, and there's so much to do. It will always be on my short list of places I must live in life!

And the best part....THE WEATHER WAS PERFECT. I was shocked. I almost cried from happiness. No rain, no painfully cold winds; there was even some sun! Thanks for playing nicely, London.

Our hotel was right by Hyde Park, so getting places often meant walking right through.

Per a recommendation I read on Aspiring Kennedy, I knew we had to have sticky toffee pudding at The Prince Bonaparte in Notting Hill. It was one of the best decisions made on this trip.

A friend living in the UK met us for the weekend, so it was necessary to visit some cool spots. We had dinner at this very neat restaurant in Soho called Inamo, where you do all the ordering directly on the table. The tables are touch screens! It was very hip, and the food was actually pretty good. 

Of course there had to be a day of typical sight seeing. 

And on Sunday...a Sunday roast. It's only proper.

Not a bad view on the way to work, hey? 

We ended the trip with a visit to Duck and Waffle, which was on the top floor of Heron Tower. The food was delicious, and the views couldn't be beat. 

Aside from a conference last week in Vegas, that was my last work trip of the year. While I'm glad to be home and getting back into a semblance of routine, I do already miss the travel lifestyle. Though exhausting, it's also exciting to always be on the go and getting far too acquainted with the airport. 

Now I'm trying to soak up my last months in Houston/Texas/America. Here's to a staycation!

Italia...and how I ate all the pizza in the country

I'm alive! I'm alive! 

For the past six months I've basically been living out of a suitcase. Between work and personal travel, I kind of forgot what it was like to be at home. Or cook. Or exercise. Or blog. 

So let's recap what the hell I've been up to, shall we?

After my jaunt to Singapore, the next work trip was to northern Italy. Whoever thought it was a good idea to put an office on Lake Como...bless them. 

I hadn't been to the land of carbs since my graduation trip in 2009, so I was overly eager to eat every pizza, panini, and cup of gelato in sight. So I did. 

I was also our designated driver and only got sideswiped on a windy mountain road once. Hooray!

We first stayed in a sweet little town called Salice Terme. It is apparently a popular summer holiday spot for people who live in Milan. If you ever find yourself there for some odd reason, the Hotel Milano was a charming, family-run place.

In classic European style, there's even a castle on a hill that you can visit and get a view of the town from. 

Our next destination was Colico, a town right smack dab on Lake Como. Let me tell you, pictures don't do this place justice. I'd always dreamed about visiting Lake Como [and running into Mr. Clooney], but seeing it in person was like looking at a painting. Unreal. The view from my room was pretty spectacular, though it was quite hazy while we were visiting.

It was recommended that we visit the town of Bellagio to get a quintessential Lake Como experience. We took a ferry over, but if only we had known that many people show up in their private boats...next time.

On a Saturday off, my boss and I took a drive into Switzerland since the town of Lugano was so close. I think my palms sweated profusely the whole time I drove on those windy, narrow roads. But good God, were the views ridiculous. The pictures really don't capture it, but the water in this lake was greeeeeeen. Like, fairy tale green. I spent a lot of time just staring at it.

And because it wouldn't be normal if I didn't show any food, here are the things I ate pretty much every day.

The trip ended with a one day meeting in the town of Celle, Germany. Never heard of it? Neither had I. But I was able to have a radler and eat some delicious, non-German meals, so I was pretty happy.

Some good times were had on this trip. I think I've perfected how to have an excellent time on a work trip. I've also decided that one day I just want to run away to Switzerland and live in the Alps. I'll have cured meats, cheese, and wine sent up to me every week. It will be a fabulous life. 

Glimpses of what I shoved into my mouth while I was traipsing around Europe

Oh dear, that title sounds a bit off color.

But I'm leaving it.


Keep in mind, this is only a FRACTION of what I ate.

Most of the time it was too cumbersome to pull out my camera while eating a baguette sandwich [or my 500th crepe/pastry] on the street.

Or sometimes I was just too hungry and impatient to take the time to photograph my meal.

Dublin

Irish breakfast

Steak and Guinness stew. No words.

THE BEST HOT CHOCOLATE EVER from Butler's Chocolates

Liverpool

Chicken and mushroom pie. Not pictured, a hot chocolate. Let it be known, I sampled hot chocolate[s] in every city I visited.

Oxford

See?

London

Breakfast of yogurt and muesli and nutella on toast. Oh and some really delicious juice from Sainsbury.

Fish and chips copiously doused with malt vinegar. Not pictured: my beloved HP sauce.

French food in London...fish parmentier. I want to eat this every single day.

Creme de caramel. OH MY GOD.

The starter to our Indian food. Chicken Tikka Masala was consumed to quickly to take a picture of it.

Paris

Banana and nutella crepes. Duh. This was the first of many.

For my birthday! I ate those suckers so fast. I bought pistachio, coffee, sea salt and caramel, and lemon.

Birthday dinner starter: Potatoes COVERED IN CHEESE. What more can you ask for?

Birthday dinner meals. Mine was duck confit, Aaron had a steak thing, and Ryan had a mystery meal that was one of the best things I've ever tried.

Birthday dessert: chocolate mousse. THE BEST MY MOUTH HAS EVER MET.

Amsterdam

Baguette sandwich of salami, edam, and rocket. For dessert ,a chocolate and nut covered waffle.

Frites with mayo. Yes, please. I love mayo to begin with, but they take mayo to a whole other level in Europe.

 A few notes:

1. We actually tried ordering an escargot appetizer on my birthday, but the restaurant was OUT OF SNAILS!!! What kind of French restaurant runs out of snails? I was placated as soon as the magical cheese potatoes arrived though. If you find yourself in Paris, do yourself a favor and visit Chez Gladine. They barely speak English and the menu is completely in French, but it will be one of the best meals of your life!

2. Because it was honestly the best thing I've ever eaten, I did not get a picture of the world's best falafel. It came from Chez Hanna in Paris. If I were a rich person with nothing better to do with my money, I'd fly to Paris for dinner just to eat it. IT WAS THAT GOOD.

3. I did indeed drink hot chocolate in every city. It was pure bliss.

4. Cheese is better in Europe. It is a fact.

5. Baguettes are better in Europe. Another fact.

6. My legs look great after this trip because of the miles and miles we walked. My stomach, on the other hand, reflects all the goodness that I put into it.