Austria

Innsbruck, the Perfect Weekend Getaway

|Location: Innsbruck, Austria| Innsbruck is an amazing little town nestled in the Austrian Alps that has so much to offer, but often gets overlooked as a European destination.  I think it’s the perfect weekend getaway and should not be missed, no matter the season!  This Alpine town is so picturesque, you’ll be pinching yourself in disbelief!  What makes it unique to me is that it is a true city in the mountains. We visited in the spring which ended up being perfect.  Blue skies and sunshine warmed the colorful town juxtaposed against the snowy mountains on every side.  People were […]

France, Switzerland

Skiing the Portes du Soleil

|Location: Chatel, France| Skiing the Portes du Soleil is one of my favorite winter vacations living in Stuttgart.  The ski area is quite large with a lot of connecting villages.  You can even ski from France into Switzerland and back within the day which I think is pretty awesome.  The Savoy region is an easy five hour drive from Stuttgart (well… that’s assuming you don’t put the wrong hotel into Google maps and drive an extra 2 hours through snowy Alpine switchbacks fearing your death… then drive two hours backtracking through the snowy switchbacks.  Long story you’ll have to ask […]

France

Exploring the Burgundy Region

|Location: Dijon, Lyon, and Beaune, France| Burgundy needs no introduction, it’s one of the most famous wine regions of the world most famous for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes.  I’ve been wanting to explore the French Burgundy region for a while and we finally committed to exploring the cutest towns of Dijon, Lyon, and Beaune the other week!  I of course want to go back when the weather is warmer and that shouldn’t be a problem as Dijon is only a 4 hour drive from Stuttgart and Lyon, further south, is 6 hours away.  We explored it by car but […]

Germany

My Favorite Stuttgart Restaurants

*Updated spring 2019* You may know that I am a true foodie and eating is one of the things I look forward to most!  I’ve been keeping notes of my very favorite restaurants and sorted them by category.  Don’t see your favorite?  Comment below so I can check it out soon!  I hope you can enjoy these places as much as we do! Good for Groups / Meet Up with Friends Gasthaus Bären – |German, small plates| New spot serving Schwäbisch style tapas (ie, the local German region) in an amazing atmosphere with even better drinks.  The decor here is […]

France

Why I Love Paris in the Winter

There’s no doubt Paris can be enjoyed all year long, but I have to admit I love strolling this city in the winter.  After the Christmas season has come and gone, the city becomes authentic and it feels like we have it to ourselves.  Walk into virtually any restaurant and get a table, skip the crowds and say au revoir to waiting in long lines.  Soldes, the French sales are happening and make Parisian shopping even more exciting.  The opera season is in full swing and there’s a good chance you’ll be able to catch a show at the dazzling […]

Morocco

What to Do in Marrakech, Part 2

Marrakech was one of my favorite places we’ve visisted and was bursting with hospitality, colors, and sights to see.  This post is a continuation of what to do in Marrakech, Part 1. Stay in Different Riads I highly recommend you stay in a few different riads when you visit Marrakech.  They become your mini paradise in the city and I wanted to make sure we could experience a few different styles.  There are so many gorgeous riads online, the hardest part will be choosing only a few to stay in!  We settled on Riad Yasmine and Riad Joharra, because I couldn’t […]

Switzerland

Skiing in Verbier, Switzerland

We headed to the Swiss Alps for a long weekend of skiing, friends, après-ski, birthday celebrations, and tons of gorgeous alpine views.  It was packed full of pure winter bliss! Verbier is an alpine ski town that sits at 1500m in the south-west of Switzerland.  The area is close to France and the Chamonix / Mont Blanc region and French is spoken.  It is one village of les 4 Vallées, or the four valleys, with two main lifts taking you to the slopes from town, but connects to other mountains of the four valleys. We spent our time on the […]

Germany, USA

Twenty Eighteen

Happy New Year to you and yours!  I hope you were able to enjoy the holidays and ring in 2018 with full hearts and lots of cheer. Have you ever used a focus word for the new year?  I like the idea better than resolutions, which always seem to fade away after a month.  A focus word sums up what you want for the new year, the next chapter in your life.  What is the big, important idea you want to ring through in 2018?  For me, it was so obvious what mine should be after we flew back to […]