Tag: Winter

France, Switzerland

Châtel and the Portes du Soleil: Where to Ski and Eat on the French and Swiss Ski Slopes

Hi friends!  I wanted to highlight one of my favorite ski areas, les Portes du Soleil and the French alpine village of Châtel.  We’ve been three out of the last four years and have gotten to know it well!  This last trip was such a magical time with days full of skiing and phenomenal mountainside restau,rants and evenings spent cooking in our apartment then snuggling up on the couch watching French tv over a bottle of wine. 🙂  If you know me well, that pretty much sums up my dream life, haha!!  The Chatel and the Portes du Soleil is […]

Switzerland

The Perfect Zermatt Ski Holiday, Without Breaking the Bank

Skiing the gorgeous Matterhorn is a dream for any skier, but it’s no surprise Switzerland is rather pricey compared to the rest of Europe.  I’m here to show how to have an inspiring bucket-list worthy ski holiday to Zermatt while keeping some cash in your pocket! Tip #1: Book an Apartment with a Kitchen My number one tip how to keep costs down while still having the perfect relaxing holiday is to book an apartment with a kitchen.  Do this and you’ll be all smiles like me up there 🙂 . You can also save more cash if you book […]

France

The Ultimate Paris Travel Guide

I present you the Ultimate Paris Travel Guide!  Based on my personal favorites from MANY Parisian trips over many years, if you stick to these suggestions I guarantee you’ll have the time of your life!  Just don’t blame me if upon return, you spend your free time trying to figure out how to move your whole life there 😉  Also, be sure to check out my personal interactive Paris map at the end (I’m very proud of this)!! Ok!  I’ve laid out this post into the categories below: Reading Paris like a Map City Views Things to Do Museums Shopping […]

USA

My Favorite Charleston Restaurants

Charleston is no doubt a foodie heaven, which is one of the (many) reasons it takes the cake for my favorite city in the US… and tied with Paris as my favorite in the world. 😉  With absolutely delicious, local restaurants everywhere you turn, sunshine and salty breezes, pastel buildings and palm trees, a happening downtown and three distinct beach towns, Charleston really has my heart! If you didn’t know,  we lived in Charleston before moving to Stuttgart.  We recently spent a week back in the Holy City so I figured I’d round up my favorite restaurants for y’all.  There […]

Switzerland

Cheesy Pit Stop in Gruyères, Switzerland

Don’t you love it when you are pleasantly surprised by something? That’s how I felt when we were driving along our route to ski in Chamonix, France and spotted signs on the highway for a town called Gruyères, Switzerland.  Could it be, a town named after the famed cheese?  The cheese that’s used in gooey fondues, baked on top of delicious French onion soups, and used in the best ham and cheese crepes?  One of my all time favorites? Why yes, that’s exactly what it is. It’s not every day you have this kind of opportunity.  We decided to take advantage of […]

France

Skiing Chamonix

We had a fabulous long weekend skiing in Chamonix Mont Blanc, France.  It was our first time to the famous mountain and we loved it! The Town Chamonix Mont Blanc is an Alpine valley town and has 4 main ski lift areas, spread about 50 minutes end-to-end.  Chamonix overall is a functioning town, which is different than many alpine ski locations we’ve been to that consist mostly of ski chalets.  There is plenty to do for non-skiers from shopping, exploring ice caves, viewing Mont Blanc from the highest platform of the area, at the Anguille du Midi, and even a phenomenal […]

France

Paris Medieval Tapestries, Carousels, and Sunshine along the Seine

After a fun Friday in Paris, we started Saturday with a delicious breakfast at Dose Rue Mouffetard, complete with the best looking avo toast and a fresh salad for him, yogurt with granola and berries for her, and cappuccinos and fresh pressed juice du jour to share.  If you’re in the 5th, it is an all star breakfast cafe!! We then headed to the Cluny museum, or the Museum of Middle Ages and one of my personal favorites.  It is currently being renovated through 2020 (much more modern now – hopefully the medieval building will be incorporated back in after […]

France

Paris Catacombs, Colorful Streets, and Art Nouveau Dreams

We headed to Paris for a long weekend, something we try to do each year to celebrate our engagement, and this time felt like the perfect mix of relaxation and culture.  The highlights for me included a very Art Nouveau lunch, seeing the Lady and the Unicorn tapestries at the Cluny museum, and soaking up some glorious sunshine along the banks of the Seine on Sunday afternoon. We arrived late Thursday night to our airbnb in the 5th arrondissement and grabbed a quick verre de vin Chablis at le Café Saint Médard before heading to bed.  Friday started with breakfast along Rue […]