Despite cancelling/revising all of our December travel plans (thanks, Omicron!), we still managed to leave a pretty incredible end of the year behind us.  Since there's no telling yet what 2022 is going to look like, and seeing as I'm presently planted on our couch in the thick of another Netherlands lockdown, I'm more than happy to take a few minutes to press rewind and trek down our Fall/Winter memory lane.

Let's hit it!

For the past few years, Jack has spent about 2-3 weeks each fall in Kraków for work and come to develop something of a love affair with the city. Seeing how much he loves the place, and that I'd still never been, it was obvious Kraków would earn a spot on our must-visit list. 

We finally found our way over in October and I'm happy to report that it did not disappoint. In fact, I think this goes down as one of my favorite trips we've taken together! I too became enamored with Kraków and it's unbeatable prices, tasty food (pierogies! duck! cherry wine!) and scenic city center.  Plus, we got to hang for a night with his coworker Michal, who took us out on the town and showed us a true local experience, Polish shot bars and all.  I'm happy that Jack likely will continue his annual visits to Kraków upon our return to the US, since I'm already planning on crashing the next one. 

Warm sunny temperatures?  A scenic beach?  Stunning architecture?  Winding cobblestone streets?  Ridiculously delicious paella?  Fantastic tasting menus?  Yup, Barcelona has it all.

I came down with an absolutely killer cold part way through this trip, which thankfully was not covid but definitely was enough to mess with our itinerary.  While we weren't able to squeeze in everything I'd hoped, what I did see made this city one I'd love to come back to (aka: continue eating my way through).

Visitors!!  We're so grateful Jack's family was able to join us for a long weekend in Italy.  We spent a night just the two of us in Milan and then met them at the incomparable Lake Como.  While known for being especially beautiful in the summer, I was blown away by the rich fall colors.  There's several cities you can choose as your home base in the Lake Como region, but we stayed at a sprawling villa-esque Airbnb in Cernobbio and enjoyed ferry day trips to explore both Bellagio and Como.  Jury's still out if our villa was haunted, but that's a story for another time...

Thank you again Toscano fam for such a wonderful visit!

We doubled our socialization by 200% in November as we celebrated Jack's big 3-0 on another joint trip, this time with our friend from college, Chris, and his girlfriend, Maddie. Chris and Maddie live nearby in Bristol, UK, but due to travel restrictions we hadn't yet seen them since moving to Europe.  Since they are avid scuba divers, they were more than happy to propose a visit to the tropical Canary Islands over the Thanksgiving holiday.  Despite experiencing some very uncharacteristic rain, we reveled in the 80 degree temperatures and the break from Amsterdam's gloomy November skies.  Although Jack's first venture into ocean snorkeling highlighted a "growth edge" for him, which his competitive nature enjoyed about as much as you'd expect, our Michelin-starred Thanksgiving dinner helped ease the pain.

Flexibility was the name of the game this December.  I'd been so looking forward to our planned trip to Strasbourg/Alsace for my birthday and our NYE weekend in Paris and Reims.  I mean, being in Champagne for New Years Eve, of all days?  Iconic, right?  

Sadly, those trips both got the axe since as of December 15th, France no longer recognized Jack's J&J vaccine as sufficient for entry into any restaurants/museums/indoor sites.  Since we weren't yet eligible for the booster in Netherlands (they rolled it out by age and were still in the 45+ group at the time our trips were booked) and since the alternate option of testing for access every 24 hours seemed a bit risky, seeing as we'd be stuck in France for an extra 10+ days if Jack was to test positive, we decided to play it safe and cancel.  

I still had my heart set on seeing at least one European Christmas market before our rotation ends, so we quickly pivoted and booked a train trip and quick 2 night stay in Brussels + Aachen instead.  Since being stuck in Amsterdam in a total lockdown was not exactly what I'd envisioned to kick off year 29, I'm so glad we were able to salvage my birthday and see two new cities in the process.  We came home with suitcases stuffed with hand blown glass ornaments, Christmas market mugs and of course plenty of German printen, a traditional Aachen treat best described as "pretzel gingerbread."

I'd also be remiss to not spotlight Amsterdam a bit!  Our travels often take center stage in these posts, but we also made some great memories this holiday season in our one-and-only.  Prior to the December 15th lockdown, we snuck in an especially great canal belt staycation at our favorite hotel, which is where we also celebrated our fifth (!!!) anniversary in October. 

As for the holidays themselves:  After what I feel was an appropriate period of mourning the cancellation of all my hand-picked French dining reservations, we bucked up, put on our chef hats, and decided to cook our own holiday meals.  It felt like such a flashback to our early quarantine days a la March 2020, when I really stepped up my cooking game.  With all our travel this year and how busy we've been with work, making anything elaborate in the kitchen had definitely gotten put on the backburner these past few months.  It honestly was really nice to pick out some recipes and enjoy some quiet time at home before heading into the New Year.  

Annnnnnd that takes us up to January!  Although there's obviously a lot of uncertainty around what travel may look like these next few weeks, we've optimistically pressed onward with booking our next trip for early February, as soon as Jack's busy season wraps up.  For now, while this month may not be the most exciting season of our rotation (I'm voluntarily taking a data analysis course, for pete's sake!), we're keeping our spirits high.  Having both FINALLY gotten our booster shots this morning and seeing our updated EU Green Passes sitting in our QR apps, I'm feeling a renewed sense of hopefulness about the remainder of our time here.

Ready for ya, 2022 -- whatever you may hold.  Hopefully, that includes all of the planes, trains and visitors. 

xo,
- Lou

PS: Remember when I thought I'd do a huge recap of each of our destinations, complete with restaurant recommendations and travel tips?  LOL!  While I've definitely been slacking on the blog front, I genuinely LOVE to talk about our experiences and have beyond-detailed spreadsheet itineraries of each of the trips we took.  If you're traveling to any of the places we've been or contemplating a visit, don't hesitate to reach out as I'm dying to give you the lowdown.

The title says it all - we're officially over one year into our rotation!

Although each of the following destinations really deserves its own post, this group homage will have to do for now.
Below are some of my very favorite moments from our summer travels.

One word: Kölsch.

Moules frites, tasty Belgians, and a train station straight out of Hogwarts.

Fourth of July weekend, ft. me living my very best life.  This trip to French wine country also was the impetus for enrolling in my WSET 2 course, which so far has been one of my favorite parts of my time abroad.  Where are my fellow Left Bank enthusiasts at!?

Sunshine, seafood and the prettiest blue waters you ever did see.  ​
Also, the first and only time we've ever missed a flight.  ​It wasn't our fault though, I promise! 
Always glad to get a bonus night in Italy, though I'm not sure Naples at 1 am is where we'd choose to spend it if we could do this one over.

Finally: photos with someone other than ourselves. A perfect long weekend with our favorite honeymooners.
PS: Recognize that bridge?

I'm still completely in denial that we're onto the "latter half" of our rotation, but I'm motivated to make the most of the time that's left.  Can't wait to see what adventures our next ten months will hold. 

Thanks for following along!

xo,
- Lou

 Summer 2021 has been good to us.  

In addition to our week in Greece, June also found us in Germany (Cologne) and Belgium (Antwerp).  And since three new countries in one month wasn't enough for these travel-starved adventurers, we kept things moving with a Fourth of July weekend in French wine country.  One of these days, I'll sit down and write about each of those trips -- I promise! For now, I'll leave you with these cliff notes: Bordeaux is completely underrated, Saint-Émilion is as charming as the photos, German Kölsch goes down much too easy and Belgian moules-frites are the real deal.

In today's post though, I've got a different topic on my mind.  So sit down, pull up a chair, grab your tonarelli and let's chat about our most recent trip to none other than Rome, Italy.  

Seeing as this visit was a quick one, we knew up front we'd have to make some judgement calls on what attractions to prioritize in our stay.  Based on the over 100,000 steps we clocked between Thursday night and Sunday afternoon, I think we put in a good faith effort to see as much as we could.

​While we're already planning our next trip back to see what we skipped, there were a few stops that just had to make the cut for our maiden voyage.  If you're planning a visit to the Eternal City, here's our thoughts on 10 things you simply can't miss.

"Awestruck" does not suffice -- I could not stop gaping at this beauty, which I made a point to visit both by night and by day. At one point I even remember closing my eyes and listening to the rushing water, committing to remembering every single detail of the moment I was experiencing.  I probably could have sat here for hours if Jack's dedication to following our itinerary didn't nudge me along.  

Legend has it if you toss a coin into the fountain, it'll ensure good fortune and a quick return to the city.  Fingers crossed!

The place to see and be seen!  I had me a bit of a Lizzie McGuire moment scoping out this scenic spot. Nestled between the Piazza di Spagna and the Piazza Trinità dei Monti, we enjoyed the melodies of street music as we trekked to the top. 

I'll let these photos speak for themselves.  This was one of those really amazing moments where you realize, "Wow, I've never seen anything like this in my whole life." 

We opted to do the entry option without a tour guide; no regrets.

For lack of a better description, I was pretty mesmerized by how much stuff was tucked away in this plaza.  This was a neat opportunity to see the ruins of several important government buildings of ancient Rome.  Much bigger and denser than we anticipated, it took a good chunk of time to walk through both this and the neighboring Palatine Hill. 

Having previously visited the Roman Baths in the aptly-named Bath, UK, I enjoyed seeing how Rome's version compared.   No water to be found in these remnants, but the sheer scale was impressive nonetheless.

Like good little Domers, our morning at The Vatican was honestly the highlight of our weekend.  In a total pro move, we purchased tickets for breakfast in the Vatican courtyards.  Not only was this a cool experience, it also got us early-access to the Vatican Museums so we could beat the rush of tourists clamoring to see the Sistine Chapel. 

No photos were allowed in the Sistine Chapel unfortunately, but you can see what you're missing here.  It was a sight to behold.  Apart from the famed Creation of Adam painting dead center on the ceiling, my favorite part were the walls, which were painted to look like 3-D tapestries. I couldn't get over how the paint sparkled and shimmered as it hit the light when you walked by. 

After the Museum came St. Peter's Basilica, where the Pope celebrates his famous masses.  You better believe we walked all 550 steps to the top of the cupola. Worth it for the views! 

P.S. -- Did you know that Vatican City is actually its own country? Add another tally to our list.

As is typically the case on vacation, most of my favorite photos were not of planned attractions at all.  Rome served up no shortage of views.  While (much to my feet's chagrin) the cobblestone streets were enough deterrent to prevent us from renting a scooter, they at least made for some particularly magnificent photos. 

Shockingly, seeing the Pantheon in Rome's Piazza della Rotonda was a slightly more memorable experience than visiting the Parthenon replica in Nashville's Centennial Park. Who would have guessed?

We didn't go inside this time, but likely would on a future visit.

Not sure if this should have taken a spot on our list over some other notable attractions, but we enjoyed Rome's botanical gardens as a way to kill a spare hour. They contained a bunch of mini gardens (bamboo, Japanese, medicinal, etc.) and we enjoyed strolling around -- until I got eaten alive by mosquitoes in the tropical greenhouse.  When in Rome...?

The highlight of our trip, and the reason we're actually going back to Italy again next weekend...  THE FOOD!

Even as a notoriously committed pasta lover, I must say I outdid myself this weekend.  With the exception of one stop at a Mexican restaurant (don't ask), I indulged in pasta for every meal that wasn't breakfast.  Picture a kid in a candy store, and then give them a glass of Chianti, and that basically was me! My bland, Amsterdam-acclimated palate had itself a day.

Jack also gives the Rome dining scene two thumbs up, enjoying treats of iced granita, cannoli, gelato, and most importantly, a selection of rare beers from the famous Ma Che Siete Venuti A Fà. We were stunned to see stickers from our favorite Chicago brewery (Half Acre) and my local Lexington brewery (West Sixth) represented.

Some of our dining highlights are below.

3 Quarti
Pizza Della Madonaa
al 42 by Pasta Chef Monti
Kiarotti Wine
Tacito Roma
Pastasciutta
Maybu Margaritas y Burritos
La Palapa
Eataly Roma
La Enoteca Del Frate dal 1922
Giolitti

All in all, it was a quick trip, but a good trip! I can't wait to see more of Italy in August. It's already climbing the ranks as a favorite destination... and that's not just my stomach talking.  The history, culture, and beauty we found in Rome were something truly special. 

​Check back in a few weeks to see how the Amalfi Coast compares -- I'm already counting down the days til my first cacio e pepe!

Ciao for now,
- Lou

Shoutout to Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson for letting us FINALLY live up to the name of our blog! 
​These Toscanos are thrilled to say we’ve officially travelled – and it was quite the trip at that.

When it came to choosing our destination for our first big European vacation, we had the following criteria in mind. We wanted to go somewhere we’d appreciate seeing with reduced crowds, which had nice weather and good local cuisine, and which could afford opportunities for both relaxation as well as activity.

​After a neck-and-neck race with Italy, which we eventually decided to save for later this summer, we locked in our plan to travel to Greece. The next question of course was where exactly in Greece we’d choose to go. What sort of vibe were we looking for? Did we include time in Athens? Should we do a shorter trip just to one island, or did we want to see several? Would we ferry between our destinations, or fly?
​My God!  There was a lot to consider.
 
After a flurry of activity and tagging one another in comments on our shared Google Doc (as we planned this trip a few weeks ago when I was briefly back in the US and Jack still in Amsterdam), we ultimately landed on a Thursday-through-Thursday venture with three destinations in total: Mykonos, Paros, and Santorini. Hotel bookings were made, dinner reservations placed, and many travel blogs devoured.  Next thing we knew, our alarms were buzzing for our 3:30 am wake-up call.

You read that right – our flight to Mykonos departed Schipol at a cheerful 6 am, which you never would have guessed based on the smiles on our faces! Things went without a hitch, and we arrived at the Mykonos airport slightly ahead of schedule. Our hotel had arranged a transfer which met us directly outside, and we enjoyed plastering our faces to the van’s windows to drink in the iconic white scenery as we wound up and down the hilly landscape.
 
​We entered the hotel lobby and were promptly stripped of our bags, directed to a seating area which directly overlooked the harbor, had twin champagne flutes placed in our hands, and received cold face towels to refresh from the flight. Not bad for a welcome, Nissaki Boutique Hotel.

Our early arrival meant we had to wait a little for our room to be ready, but we were given a full tour of the property in the meantime. After checking into our suite, we spent the afternoon catching some much-needed rays at the two incorporated beaches located closest to our hotel: Platis Gialos and Psarou Beach. In Greece, you’ll find both “incorporated” and “unincorporated” beaches. The former means you’ll find rows of sunbeds you can choose to rent for a few euros, while enjoying having waiters bring you food/drinks to your seat. The latter is your typical open-range beach where you bring your towel and claim your spot.
 
At Platis Gialos, we opted to rent a pair of sunbeds from Yialo Yialo right at the waters’ edge. At only 20 euro for the pair, it was hard to pass up the view. Here Jack also ordered a frappé, the first of many to follow. Please note that we're not traditionally beach people – usually 20 minutes of sitting on our blankets gets both of us itching to do something more active. However, this was truly unlike any beach I’ve ever been to before. It was SO quiet and peaceful, and lacked the throngs of screaming children and noisy teenagers I’ve found to be staples at every other beach I’d previously frequented.

​Our favorite part of our time at Platis Gialos was when we walked over to the rocks that bordered the beach and watched the waves lap around our perch. This was the first time I recall saying to Jack, “I think I get the hype about Greece now,” which would be repeated no less than 100x during the week ahead.

We had a reservation at Katerina’s Restaurant, a Mykonos staple with a three-table balcony that overlooked the swirling sea below. While after consulting with the chef we learned they unfortunately couldn’t accommodate my peanut allergy as almost every dish had risk of nut traces, I gladly savored a glass of Greek white wine as Jack took a chance on Katerina’s “secret recipe” cocktail. I think the pictures speak for themselves… we had a great time as we enjoyed our first Greek sunset.
 
Now officially starving, we made our way back to an Italian restaurant we’d passed on the way. Yes... Italian food, for our first night in Greece. No judgement! With this pesky allergy, it can be difficult to eat at many restaurants without calling or emailing in advance and getting assurance they could safely serve me. Since Italian almost always is a safe bet, D’Angelos it was, and the proximity to Italy made it extra authentic and amazing. I promptly enjoyed the most delicious pasta primavera I’d had in some time.

We’d had hopes of seeing more of the Mykonos nightlife this evening, but the early-morning departure was starting to take its toll. We made our way back to our hotel and enjoyed the view off our balcony as we looked forward to our first full Grecian day on the horizon.

I’d heard fables of the deliciousness of Greek breakfasts, and now I too can perpetuate these tales. Our hotel had the most amazing spread. Jack got to indulge in more of the homemade Greek pastries and granolas, while I went to town on a smorgasbord of meats and fruit. We next enjoyed a spot of time at one of the hotel’s three pools, and then got ready for a full day of exploring the town.
 
We hopped on the bus from Platis Gialos to the Old Town and got a closer look at those windmills we’d spied the day before, walked through the picturesque Matoyianni Street and saw the Paraportiani Church, and caught lunch at Pelican. One belly full of mussels and Greek salad later, we mentally prepared for our first significant “elevation change“ of the trip as we trudged up the main hill for a frappé break and a visit to Mykonos Brewing Company.  Jack and I love checking out the local breweries and wineries when we’re on vacation, and were pleasantly surprised by how tasty the beers were! We were treated to some wonderful information from the head brewer about the brewery, the island, and the beer lineup over our flight.

What goes up must come down, and we had some time to kill before our evening plans. We made our way back to the town and spent the next few hours winding around the streets, enjoying a fresh-squeezed pineapple juice, and becoming very well-acquainted with our sunscreen.

Our next stop was to catch the evening’s sunset at the popular 180 Degrees Cocktail Bar. We could’ve paid in advance to reserve a premium seat, but I’d read if you got there about 15 minutes early you simply could pay a more reasonable price at the door for entry, which also included one drink of your choice.
 
When initially planning our itinerary I’d seen that the bar opens at 6, so it would be best to arrive by 5:45 to ensure you could grab a spot. I’ll give you one guess where this bar with panoramic views is located? Back up that hill we went, only to soon learn they’d changed their opening times and we now had another hour to kill before we could enter. Ooof! There was no way I was descending again, so we quickly passed the minutes wandering around some of the grounds in the area and making friends with a neighboring puppy. As one does.
 
Thankfully, the view was worth the wait. We had the best time enjoying the warmth of the setting sun on our faces, and departed right as the spot was getting crowded. It was hard to pry ourselves away, but we had a dinner reservation with our names on it.

​Though I didn’t think those views could be topped, what I proceeded to put into my mouth at M-eating absolutely stole the show. We ordered the grilled tuna and "Mykonian sun" starters, a seabass filet as our main dish, and a strawberry cheesecake finisher for Jack. If the our vacation had ended here and I’d flown back tomorrow, I’d have had no complains as it 100% would have been worth it simply for this dinner. Amazing.
 
As Greeks eat meals MUCH later than what we’re accustomed to, we found ourselves rolling out of dinner around 11:30 pm, just as the clubs in the area were starting to get their very first visitors of the night. We oscillated on the idea of stopping in somewhere for a nightcap but felt everything was a bit too crowded for our liking. While vaccinated, we still needed to be sure we tested negative to get back into the Netherlands, so this hyper-anxious couple ultimately decided to table that part of the Mykonian experience for a future visit.

The next morning offered another winning breakfast-plus-pool combination, and around noon we sadly bid our farewell to our amazing hotel and time in Mykonos. Off to the ferry port we went as we set our sights on our second leg of our vacation!

First of all, if you haven’t travelled by a ferry in Greece before, you’re missing out. I intentionally booked the largest ferry available after reading reviews which described some of the smaller ones as “vomit rockets” due to the rocking motion back and forth. Nope... I was not having any of that. The liner we went with was MASSIVE and even accommodated cars. We got a top-floor table and enjoyed watching the views out the window and from the open-air decks.

​Not even 45 minutes later we were pulling up to the port in Paros. The first thing we noticed when we got off the ferry is that Paros was HOT. Our hotel was only a 10-minute walk away, so we’d opted to just drag our bags to our accommodations vs. hailing a taxi. Not sure if this was the move, but both us and our bags made it in one piece (albeit a bit “dewy”) to our stay at White Blossom. This intimate boutique hotel, operated by brothers Nikos and Stelios, was such a great place to stay. Our balcony views were amazing and we made great use of the sparkling hotel pool.
 
After finally cooling down, we walked over to the local grocery store to get a snack and some items for the mornings’ breakfasts. One of my favorite things to do when traveling is to see what the country's groceries look like, so this was pretty fun for me. After depositing our goodies we set out to explore Parikia, the Old Town.
 
To sum up Parikia, not to be hyperbolic, but let's just say I truly have never seen anywhere prettier in my entire life.  I had the most wonderful afternoon winding through these streets, snapping pictures of the local cats which peered off every stoop and alley, and savoring the quiet solitude of the afternoon sun. It truly felt like we had the place to ourselves, and I felt such a rush of appreciation that we chose to take our trip to Greece at a time while tourism still remained relatively low.
 
Highlights from this leisurely afternoon included stops at the Church of 1,000 Doors and the Frankish Castle, a seaside drink at Kakao, and a visit to a newly-opened bottle shop called Hops and Colors. We enjoyed chatting with the owner and learning more about what an average summer typically is like for the tourism industry on this charming little island.

 Dinner found us at Cuore Rosso, an authentic Italian restaurant where we met the most attentive owner, Chiara, and most well-behaved cat, White T-Shirt. Yup, his name was White T-shirt. Our pizzas and salads were delicious, and we left that place feeling like family. We rounded out the night with a dip in the quiet hotel pool and I snapped this picture off the balcony, which I very humbly think should get some sort of photography medal. You too?!

We started our next morning with a frappé at the aptly-named Livadia Restaurant, located right on Livadia Beach. By now, in true Jack fashion he had started ranking his frappés in a note on his phone.  This one fell “right in the middle.”
 
We then headed over to the bus station and caught the next route to Naoussa, the other main city in Paros. This seafaring town was a dream! We scoped out the Agios Nikolaos Church and the Venetian Ruins of Kastelli, got a Greek salad lunch at Piatsa Estiatorio, downed yet another frappé (“best one so far”), and continued grabbing photos of the classic nautical streets and boats. You think I'd tell you the name of the café which offered the best frappé Jack had our entire vacation, but I didn't write it down and can't for the life of me figure out where we stopped. Just know the best frappé exists somewhere among the winding streets of Naoussa -- you might just have to book your own trip to try to find it :) 

Naoussa isn’t huge, so by the time 3 pm rolled around we had seen a lot of the major sights the city had to offer. We decided to catch the 3:15 water taxi to Kolymbithres Beach, about 15 minutes away. We spent about 90 minutes strolling along the distinctive rock formations on this beach as we prepared for our return taxi.  Highlights here included one fig margarita (“this has no business being this delicious!”) and watching a young child playing in the water off the dock spear a live octopus. This was just as dramatic as you might imagine. Jack and I watched in a mixture of horror and intrigue as the young warrior hoisted his prize above his head and ran it back to his family on the shore.
 
We were most surprised to see how unsurprised his parents were, as his father disentangled the cephalopod suctioned to his son’s hand. As our water taxi whisked us away, we craned our necks over the rails to see what came of this octopus’ fate. Let’s just say it was an educational, teachable moment for all the local children gathered around, and everyone was sure to be eating some very fresh octopus for dinner that night.

Alternate Suggestion: While we opted to go to Kolymbithres Beach, our friend Pauline strongly recommended Santa Maria Beach, dubbing it "the most beautiful place ever". In hindsight, I'm not sure why we didn't listen and take the water taxi there instead. There probably would not have been an octopus spearing at the most beautiful place ever, but who's to say for sure. 

Back in Naoussa, we grabbed a quick pre-dinner drink at Itria Cocktail Bar and made our way to our seaside dinner at Taverna Glafkos. Once again, this seafood lover had herself a day as we enjoyed fresh mussels, grilled shrimp, and a delicious seared tuna.

We bussed back to our hotel to shower off the beach and trekked out once more to watch Netherlands v. Ukraine in the Euros. Jack wore his “Dutch shirt” and we closed the evening enjoying revisiting the streets of Parikia by nightfall. Just as pretty as by day!

The next morning brought us back to Livadia for a frappé as we waited out a bout of uncharacteristic Parikian rain.  Everyone we met kept apologizing to us for the light sprinkle, which was funny to us, coming from Amsterdam!  After checking out of our hotel, we caught a taxi to Moraitis Winery as our last outing before our afternoon ferry. We enjoyed a sampling of their delicious wines as we learned about the grape varieties native to the island and dined on a fresh charcuterie plate.

We couldn’t stay long as we had a boat to catch, so we headed back to the port, caught our next ferry (verdict: still an awesome way to travel), and arrived around 2.5 hours later in Santorini. After how amazing our first two islands had been, Santorini had some pretty big shoes to fill and I honestly didn’t think it’d be able to do it.  I was convinced this was going to the the letdown of our whole trip.

20 minutes later, as our hotel transfer van wound us along the Santorinian cliffs and we took in the caldera views, I had a little more faith that Santorini just might pull it off.

 We got dropped about “200 meters” from our hotel, as our suite was literally built into the cliff and was not accessible by car. Our luggage was whisked ahead of ourselves, and we got walked right into our room and greeted with glasses of white Santorini wine. Okay, twist my arm!

Our hotel, Fanari Vista Suites, was based in Fira, one of the three major cities in Santorini. Joined by Oia and Imerovigli, these three destinations tend to be the most popular residencies amongst travelers. We opted for Fira based on its location to the ferry port, airport, and the majority of our plans for our days on the island. However, we couldn’t miss the iconic views from Oia, so spent our first night exploring this uppermost crest of the island.
 
It might not have been the best decision to visit Oia at golden hour – while it made for some amazing pictures, it definitely was the most crowded spot we’d seen on our Greek vacation thus far. Apparently in “normal times” these streets are packed so densely with people posing for photos that you can hardly move. While that certainly wasn’t the case here, we felt a bit of longing for the solitude of Paros and annoyance at these tourists who were disrupting our view :)

All hard feelings towards Oia were forgiven though once we sat down for our dinner at Ammoudi Fish Tavern. Our good friends Abi and Bill had visited Santorini a few years back and offered this as a recommendation, and they did not lead us astray! Jack and I splurged on the whole grilled red snapper and memories of childhood vacations to Puerto Rico reignited in my taste buds. It was a sight to behold and thanks to our foresight to reserve far in advance, they gave us a prime seat on the top deck which offered some spectacular views of the surrounding bay.
 
In true Greek fashion, they concluded our meal by offering us a free desert of donuts and ice cream. With my allergy, desserts can be a bit of a gamble so I allowed Jack to do the honors. They smelled SO GOOD and I was so disappointed I couldn’t try one, I vicariously egged him to finish the whole plate because I'm mean like that.  One very full tummy later, hiking back up the 300 step staircase we'd descended to arrive to our restaurant sounded not so ideal to Jack, so our waiter kindly arranged us a pickup right from the waters' edge. 

Tip: If you find yourself in Oia and want to make your way to Ammoudi Bay, do be aware of the steps required to navigate that journey! Unless you choose to go by donkey (which yes, is indeed an option), allow extra time to get to-and-from your destination as you inevitably stop to catch your breath.

By far the most anticipated day of our entire trip, today marked our boat day! At the recommendation of literally everyone we'd spoken to who had vacationed in Santorini, we were strongly encouraged to book a half-day yacht cruise to see the island from a new perspective. Once again following Abi and Bill's advice, we went with Caldera Yachting and could not have been more pleased.

Before our boat tour began, we started our day with a delicious Greek breakfast delivered right to our private balcony. The local cherries in Greece are DIVINE, only to be beat by the fresh Santorini tomatoes, which are out of this world.  When we finished and gathered our bags for the day, the boating company picked us up right outside our hotel. They brought us right to the yacht dock, carted us around the Aegean Sea all day long, plied us with food and drinks, and deposited us back at our hotel upon the trip's conclusion. Doesn't get much better than that!

Our fellow shipmmates were a couple from Wales who were eloping in Greece later that week. Aside from that, the only other people on our vessel were our two captains and a multi-talented crew member who provided education about each stop and the island's geography, and also cooked up a mean Grecian lunch. Below are a few photos from this excursion -- I had the very best day. It's been a minute since I've gotten in water, and much longer since I've been in anything outside of a pool. It was so freeing and energizing to take advantage of the multiple swim breaks throughout the day where we were able to jump off the boat into the beautiful blue waters.

Although we were pretty wiped from the full day of sun, once we returned to our hotel we showered, changed, and headed back out for another night of delicious Greek cuisine like the warriors we are. We caught our nightly sunset at PK Cocktail Bar and got dinner at Argo, directly next to our hotel. We'd discovered early on in our trip that Greece can get quite nippy at night, and especially with my budding sunburn I was shivering like a leaf. Luckily, Argo had the cutest little blankets which the servers whipped out and gently draped around any desiring diners.

​Tip: If you choose to go to Greece anytime outside of the classic months of July and August, I'll suggest you learn from my mistake and bring more than one sweater for your vacation...

After another 10/10 breakfast, our morning became a bit less glamorous as we completed our pre-flight Covid test required to re-enter The Netherlands. Luckily, it was the easiest experience ever as we were in and out in less than 5 minutes, though we could have done without the 200 euro ding to our wallets.

For better or worse, no less than one hour after completing our tests we saw an article from NL Times announcing that the South Aegean islands had been moved by the Dutch government off the "orange" list and onto the "yellow list," meaning return-flight tests and quarantine were no longer required to re-enter the Netherlands after a stay in the area. What luck! While it would have been nice to have known this before shelling out the money for our tests, we were thrilled to learn we no longer had a required 10-day quarantine upon our return home. Ah, nothing quite like traveling in this Covid climate to help you practice flexibility and non-attachment.

Soon after this development we found ourselves at our next destination for the day, Santo Winery, where we enjoyed a tour and a tasting flight. We opted for the 9-wine flight, where we sampled small tastings of one sparkling, three whites, a sparkling rose, three reds, and a vinsanto, a dessert wine made from sun-dried grapes. Though amber in color, this wine actually is made from white grapes, which we thought was pretty neat.

Our second and final stop of our winery rounds brought us just up the street to Venetsanos Winery, where we enjoyed a small 4-wine tasting accompanied with a paired meal.  Much less commercial than Santo Winery, this was a truly relaxing, unhurried experience.

We grabbed a cab back to our hotel and stopped for a coffee at The Coffee Lab, where I boldly deviated from my go-to drink of the frappé and instead ordered a freddo cappuccino at the urging of the manager. A good decision for sure. This was followed by another good decision, as we finally hit up the McDonalds adjacent to our hotel. If you've been reading along, you know how much my love for McDonalds runs deep. While there wasn't anything too unique on this menu, as apparently the Greek Mac had been discontinued awhile back (sad!), my chicky nuggies were a familiar taste of home.

We closed out our final night with a special sunset view from Volkan on the Rocks and a quick dinner at Convivium. As I enjoyed my final pot of mussels of the trip, we chatted about our favorite moments of the past week and reflected on just how glad we are to have actually made this trip a reality. With our 10:30 am flight looming large, we agreed it was just the right amount of time to have been away from home, while also making the most of our visit to the country. 

It's been a busy month for us, what with our recent jaunt back to the States and energized planning of our upcoming travels, so this post is long overdue. Better late than never, though!

We had the best time checking out the fabled flower fields of Keukenhof this April.  One of my "must see" pieces of our Netherlands rotation, I'm so thankful we were able to make this excursion happen, especially because the attraction had been completely closed the year prior. 

At the time of our visit the park was still technically shuttered, but was participating in a "corona experiment" which allowed for a limited amount of visitors.  To gain access to the park, we had to pre-register online and complete a government-sponsored Covid test in advance of our attendance.  This was a bit of a headache (literally -- the Dutch do NOT mess around with their nasal swabs) -- but beyond worth it.  It was an absolute gift to have essentially to ourselves this attraction which normally is teeming with visitors. 

I'll let the photos speak for themselves on this one, but do know I cannot recommend the experience enough.  If you ever find yourself in Amsterdam in the Spring, make sure a visit to Keukenhof is on your itinerary. I'd suggest following our route of taking a short train from Amsterdam to Sassenheim, and then carrying on for the remaining 30 minutes by bike. This allows for a lovely cruise along the breathtaking flower fields native to the Lisse area.

Without further ado: please enjoy the following photos of what I can only describe as "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory's backdrop come to life." So many colors and so perfectly manicured, it was a dream.

Last weekend we enjoyed a getaway to not one, but two Dutch cities: Leiden and Delft.  We figured our "formula" for our Haarlem trip worked so well, we might as well replicate it.  While we opted to voyage via public transit this time, the general structure of sight-seeing by foot and pinnacling the weekend with a boat cruise served us well yet again.  Toss in some authentic Italian pasta and a few Instagrammable hotspots, and we've got ourselves another solid weekend in lockdown. 

​ Itinerary below!

To make our way to Leiden, we took the Intercity train from the Amsterdam Lelyaan station, a 7-minute bike from our apartment.  The process of catching the train could not have been easier, and the best part: our bikes got to come with.  All we had to do was register them in advance and buy them each their own transit ticket, and on they rolled.  The train itself was super clean and nearly empty, and a mere 19 minutes later we arrived at Leiden Centraal.

As you may have anticipated, our first order of business was obviously coffee.  Jack enjoyed his cup at Chummy Coffee, located on the corner of the perfectly-picturesque Pieterskerk-Choorsteg.

​While he was delighted by the tiny digestive cookie given out with every order, I wasn't in the mood to do my peanut allergy song-and-dance so instead took my flat white at Borgman & Borgman, just across the canal.  Despite encountering quite the line, if there's one thing I've gained patience for since moving abroad, it's being willing to stand around and wait for a well-crafted latte.  Whereas in the States this felt like an inconvenience, I now think it's half the fun!

Coffees secured, we next made our way over to De Burcht, an old fortress in Leiden that dates to the 11th Century.  Perched atop a hill, it was accessible via quick flight of stairs which presented some pretty incredible views of the city and the neighboring Hooglandse Kerk. 

​We might've almost blown over in the wind as we walked around the perimeter, but I'm glad we dropped by.  Those archway photos, complete with the church spires debuting in the background, ended up being some of my favorite captures from our weekend. 

 Up next, we ambled over to Leiden University where I daydreamed about what life might've been like as a college student in this cute little town.  As much as I love Notre Dame, I must admit the canals of Leiden have quite the leg up on the aesthetics of South Bend... 

We also walked by the Hortus Botanicus, which proudly proclaims itself as "the oldest botanical garden in the Netherlands."  Though closed for COVID, the snippets of foliage we observed peeking over the perimeter cemented it as a must-see next trip.  Since moving abroad I've fully embraced my new identity as a "Plant Mom," so spending a day surrounded by gorgeous flora sounds like it'd be right up my alley. 
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​ As we wound through the city, we also caught a few stops along the "Wall Poems of Leiden" route, a city-sweeping literary project that made this English major swoon.  You can read more about the 110 poems included in the collection on the project's website.  While we spotted many during the course of the weekend, you'll find pictured below works from Pablo Neruda, Shakespeare, and e.e. cummings.

 After a quick lunch canal-side on the Beesenmarkt, we then biked over to the attractions of Morspoort,  Molen de Put, and Molen de Valk.  I never knew I was a big windmill gal, but in a country as flat as The Netherlands, these berthy behemoths really do spice up a city skyline!  That said, in these photos, I still think our Swapfiets are the stars of the show.  

Upon dropping our bags at our hotel and allowing time for a quick regroup, we made our way over to our good friends at Sloepdelen for another rental.  Now a certified boating expert after his last seafaring venture, Jack needed no time at all to reacquaint with his vessel.  The wind definitely picked up by the end of our 2 hour loop, but a good time was still had by all. 

We've also now officially identified the best placement of our portable speaker for max acoustic enjoyment (propped at the bow, facing inward).  ​I hope the Dutch appreciate Jimmy Buffett! 🙈

Anyone who knows us knows our love for Olive Garden runs deep, so when we learned Leiden boasted an Italian restaurant by the same name, we instantly knew where we were going for dinner.  However, we weren't prepared to realize just how similar the establishment was to our beloved US chain.  I mean.... I'm pretty sure this logo has trademark infringement written all over it, but with pasta as delicious as the one I consumed, I'm not ratting them out.

After a restful sleep in our hotel and our first introduction to Scandinavian-style duvets (my assessment: genius), we were up and at 'em the next day for our train ride to Delft.  After watching no less than 10 bikes topple over by the strong morning winds during our morning coffee stroll, we decided to leave the bikes behind this time and traverse Delft by foot.

While I pride myself on my planning abilities, a combination of being too busy at work these past few weeks to create an agenda for the day -- paired with a desire to see the city a bit more organically -- led to our afternoon in Delft being wonderfully unstructured.  We spent about 2.5 hours in total just winding around the cutest canals, shops, and markets.

Some of our highlights included the following:
Markt (The Main Square), one of the largest historic market squares in Europe
Niewe Kerk ("New Church"), anchoring the Square
Oude Church (you guessed it -- "Old Church"), which featured an impressive toppling tilt
​Oostport ("East Gate"), a long-standing city gate from 1400

And of course, no trip to Delft is complete without enjoying their gorgeous pottery.  Delft is home to the Royal Dutch Delftware Porcelain factory, which has been crafting iconic Delft Blauw pottery since 1653.  Everywhere you looked in Delft, there were pots, jars, murals, and more displaying the traditional blue and white motif.  Unfortunately most of the shopping was closed, but I definitely plan to revisit once restrictions lift and stock up on some souvenirs. 

We rounded out our afternoon with a drop by Molen de Roos, Delft's remaining windmill.  Once one of eighteen windmills that littered the city, "The Rose" is the only one to stand the test of time.  Unlike the windmills we've seen so far on our travels, this windmill was the first we observed in operation which was pretty neat.  The powerful turning blades grind grain into flour, which is available for purchase in the attached Mill Shop. 

Upon returning in Leiden, we decided to take one last stroll around the city before collecting our bags and catching the train home.  Although it was beyond chilly and we were about tapped out on outside time for the day, I'm so glad we did.  Golden hour in Leiden is the real deal -- the sunlight on the water made for a perfect end to our weekend away.

I must admit -- neither Leiden nor Delft were cities that ranked on my Rotation Must-See Bucket List.  However, one perk of being confined to travel in The Netherlands is the chance to see places I wouldn't have paid the time of day before.  While of course I'm still looking forward to getting those big-ticket trips in the books before our return (Amalfi Coast, anyone?!), I'm grateful to now have these explorations in the 'ol memory bank.

​There truly is so much more to The Netherlands than just Amsterdam!

Doei doei bye bye,
- Lou

In the blink of an eye, our first 6 months abroad are complete.  Say what?!

Thoroughly stunned by this realization when it snuck up on us last week, we decided to commemorate the milestone by planning our first proper trip outside of Amsterdam.  With quarantine restrictions still in place, we knew our voyage would be somewhere domestic.  And since we weren't too enthused about taking public transport -- nor quite ready to brave driving in a city swarmed with cyclers -- we agreed finding somewhere bike-able would be our best bet.

With these criteria established, our destination was a no-brainer.  Exactly a one-hour bike ride from Amsterdam and the home of two of the best Dutch breweries, Haarlem has occupied a prime spot on Jack's Netherlands bucket list since long before we departed Chicago.  We quickly threw together an itinerary for our overnight stay, and before we knew it, we were off!

If you polled 100 people, not one of them would describe me as "sporty" -- so I'll be the first to admit the proposition of a ~13 mile (20 km) bike ride gave me a bit of pause.  However, I'm pleased to say the miles (at least, on our ride there) truly flew by.  Shoutout to our portable speaker and the "Chill Sunday Drive" Spotify playlist which kept us company with every turn of the pedal.

I also need to acknowledge another MVP of this trip: our new travel backpacks.  Since there's zero chance our Away carry-ons would fit in our bike baskets, we needed to purchase some light luggage for our ride.  The ones we bought open like a suitcase, which I thought was super nifty, and held more than enough space for our overnight items.  We were able to wear them for the duration of our ride and the whole morning in Haarlem without any discomfort.  If you're in the market for a new travel backpack, I really can't recommend these enough.

As soon as we arrived, our first priorities were obtaining food and then coffee, in that order.  For sustenance, we naturally hit up ol' faithful... known to most as McDonald's.  With my peanut allergy, Mickey D's has become a travel standby, as I've found it's consistently allergy-safe no matter what country I'm in.  

Despite downing a Big Mac for lunch, the smell of freshly-griddled stroopwafels quickly lured Jack to further indulgence.  He complained of a tummy ache for the next hour but when pressed, offered this as commentary: "Worth it."

Next, we made our way to Mica for some takeaway coffee.  After seeing throngs of locals enjoying their lunches on the ledge of Het Spaarne, we chose to follow suit and downed our flat whites on the banks of the canal.  I seriously can't remember the last time I felt this relaxed -- it was so peaceful to watch the sunlight reflecting off the water and to listen to the quiet chatter of conversation. ​

We then crossed some landmarks off our list.  First up was The Cathedral of St. Bavo, located adjunct to the popular Grote Markt.  I can only imagine how bustling the square must be in normal times, with the many cafes and restaurants lining the streets.  Despite seating being closed, there still was a vibrant energy about the plaza.

As no trip to Haarlem is complete without a requisite windmill pic, we next paid a visit to Molen de Adriaan.  Though rebuilt in 2002, the original windmill dates from 1779.  Not too much to see up close as the museum portion of the windmill was closed, but the skyline shot was pretty spectacular.

Unfortunately Jack's dream of downing beers in a church was not realized on this trip due to Corona restrictions, but we hit up the Uiltje Bottle Shop for some specialty releases he was quite excited about. We also swung by the recommended Melgers Wijn en Dranken for some boat draanks (more on that to come!) and checked into our hotel.  

We stayed at Brasss Hotel Suites, a cute boutique hotel with different themed rooms.  We selected the "Savannah" room -- primarily because their fish-themed rooms (ex: "shrimp," "lobster," "mackerel") quite frankly creeped me out.  I love seafood, but discovered I have no interest in sleeping under a giant picture of a squid.  The leopard print was a fair tradeoff, if you ask me!

After a 30 minute reset to unpack, throw on some additional layers, and bike to the Albert Heijn for some snacks, it was time for my personal highlight of the trip: our sloop rental.  I've been hankering for a good canal cruise, and since Amsterdam currently has restrictions on their boating scene, we were thrilled to see Sloepdelen Haarlem was open and offering a "February special," no less.

The website proclaimed the rental process was easy to navigate, and we were relieved to learn they were right.  About 15 minutes before our booking, we were texted a code to retrieve our boat.  We showed up at the dock, where a VERY chill attendant checked us in and patiently answered our (my) many questions about steering, speed control, and other boating 101 concerns. 

He casually warned us about a "low bridge" we would encounter near the end of our 2-hour loop, gave us  a map, and wished us well.  We were off!

After about 10 minutes of hair-twirling and general distress, Jack quickly got the hang of playing captain.  Soon after, the sunglasses came out and Jimmy Buffet went on the speaker.  I cannot express how fun it was to cruise down the Haarlem canals -- I seriously had a blast.  I am already planning my next boat voyage and daydreaming of taking our future visitors out on the water.   It is such an incredible way to see the city!

As for that "low bridge" though -- I just gotta say, they weren't kidding.  We literally had to tuck our entire bodies into the boat, as the bridge overhang just about scraped the tip of our sloop. I have a very, very funny photo of Jack steering us through this madness that he insists I take to my grave.

After our boat trip, we headed back to the hotel for a quick reset and picked up pizzas for dinner from Witte, and a wine pairing from Restaurant Petossi. 

One of my very favorite things to do on vacation is walk the city by night, so we immediately headed back out to roam the streets before the 9 pm curfew set in.  It brought back a lot of pleasant memories from my night strolls during my college study abroad in London, and was a perfectly nostalgic experience.

After a few episodes of Schitt's Creek, we were out like a light and up bright and early the next day for our voyage home.  Following another McD's/Mica coffee combination, we jumped back in the saddle.  One small detour through Frederikspark later, back to Amsterdam we went.

It definitely was slower going on the trip back to Amsterdam than it was on the way down, and I've never been happier to chain my bike to my bike rack with plans not to see it again til the weekend.  Although our legs were essentially dead by the time we got home, I'm super proud to say I biked 25 miles in two days and am pretty enthralled by the new muscles I'm detecting in my thighs.  

All in all -- as much as I'm saddened by the fact it's been half a year abroad and we haven't left The Netherlands, I truly loved our weekend in Haarlem and would recommend it to anyone.  Although I generally am drawn to bigger cities, the quiet change of pace was beyond lovely, and a much-needed break from our recently-busy work weeks.  

Now, onto planning our next trip! The sole criteria: must involve a boat.

xo, 
​Lou

I’ve seen endless photos online of Amsterdam’s beautiful, tilted “X Trees” and finally decided it was time I saw them for myself. This weekend, I committed I’d bike to them - even though I figured they were far.
​
Lo and behold my surprise when I searched their whereabouts on Google Maps.

Taking this as a needed reminder to spend less time researching what I “should” be seeing, and more time enjoying the view where I am.  Even during a lockdown, when it's easy to focus on all you can't be doing, there is still much to appreciate if you take the time to look.

All for now,
- Lou

With December (!!!) just around the corner, I've been reflecting on how we spent our first fall in The Netherlands.  Despite being in a partial lockdown for the majority of our time here, I think we've done a 'Dam good job exploring our new city.
​
​After flipping through my camera roll, the below photo groupings offer a fair assessment of our go-to activities.  I may have taken some liberties with what qualifies as a "verb" in today's post, but let's just chalk that up to the language barrier, okay?!

Grammar aside, since moving to Amsterdam, Jack and I have been very busy with the following:​
​

Thus far, we've been to Heineken Experience, Moco Museum, Amsterdam Museum, and Rijksmuseum.  A few weeks into our stay, museums closed due to a corona spike, but they've since reopened. 

​Next up on our list includes Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frank House, and obviously: Madame Tussaud's.

Though a far cry from the Halloween party we hosted in Chicago last year, we made the most of this year's opportunity to celebrate.  Jack's job held a (virtual) "Halloween Happy Hour" where we exposed our nerdy sides.  I humbly present to you Hermione, feat: Mandrake. 

At least our "Half Blood Prince" cocktail won us a bakery gift card for our troubles!

Sadly, restaurants and bars have been closed for dine-in (including terraces) for almost the entirety of our time here.  Luckily, we've identified some truly amazing takeaway options.  Although we enjoy cooking in throughout the week, we've established a steady weekend rotation of authentic Italian pizza and pastas, fresh seafood, sushi, and/or poke bowls.  Terrifyingly, we have all these options within a 3 minute walk.

The lobster dinner in the first photo was for our wedding anniversary, on Oct. 22nd. The bibs were an especially nice touch...

For better or worse, I discovered that I'm OBSESSED with Dutch herring.  It's fishy, briney, delicious, and I can't get enough of it.  However, even though I now consider myself a herring aficionado, I haven't been bold enough to try the traditional "drop the whole fish down your throat in one gulp" move.  Although the fishmonger outside our apartment basically knows me by name, I'm not sure I'll EVER get there!

I'm now the proud owner of FIVE house plants, including one unexpectedly large Elephant Ear.  Due to my new "hobby," I'm proud to say we've successfully mastered the art of biking with alarmingly large things in our baskets, which makes us feel like quite the locals. 

In addition to hanging balcony lights, another part of our "nesting" has involved deep diving into the European wine game.  We're now regulars at both Dutch and British online wine tastings, and I'm realizing I don't miss my Trader Joe's wines quite as much as I thought I would....

Amsterdam is gorgeous, 'nuff said.  A bike ride isn't complete without me veering off the path to snap a photo.  Below are some recent photos of the city showing off.

Somebody had their first birthday abroad!  Although this wasn't the Bruges getaway Jack hoped he'd enjoy for his big 2-9, he still planned quite a fun day for himself.  Despite it being a blustery Saturday, we biked to Noord-Holland and caught a ferry to two breweries (Walhalla and Oedipus) for takeaway beers. 

Jack also enjoyed a 3-course tasting menu from Amsterdam restaurant Bar Alt, plus a local beer pairing.  On his actual birthday (Tuesday), we stuffed our faces with pasta from our beloved Gustatio.  He blew the candles out on a tiramisu, we toasted over a wine tasting from Shiraz, and then he still kicked my butt in chess, per usual.

Our first Thanksgiving abroad was a roaring success.  I am SO grateful we chose an apartment with a (nearly) full-size oven, as I gave it quite the workout. 

​A special shoutout to Kelly's Expat Store for arming us with some important essentials we couldn't have found elsewhere: Jet Puffed Marshmallows, Stove Top Stuffing, and McCormick Gravy packets.  Although we subbed ham for turkey, we truly were able to replicate a full American feast. 

We also are so thankful that our families bumped up their eating schedules so we could enjoy our Thanksgiving meals together, despite the time and distance.  It honestly felt like we were all in the same room!  So, another special shoutout to Zoom for being the real MVP of 2020.  

 I don't know HOW I made it 27 full years without this being my primary mode of transportation.  Unless I get too busy with work,  I am absolutely loving that most every day here involves a bike ride.  

​Today we took our longest ride yet, almost 14 miles (23 kilometers) in full. We spent much of it cruising around Amsterdamse Bos, a forest preserve that was beyond beautiful.  Of course, we ended our voyage with food -- glühwein and frankfurters.  And yes, I snuck in a herring on our way home.

Though we are BEYOND itching to take one of the MANY trips we've planned -- most especially the multi-city French wine one -- I truly feel so happy and grateful to be here.  

I'm already excited to think of what our winter recap will hold!  For one thing, it'll document the arrival of our 6-foot live Christmas tree next weekend, which I'm sure will be an adventure in itself.  Please don't ask where I plan to put it....

Tot ziens!
- Lou

I've never been a particularly big coffee drinker.  For many years, I've been fully Team Tea.  I love the tiny pots it comes in when you order it out, the breadth of options and flavor profiles you can choose from, and even the slower parts of the process, such as boiling water and steeping.  In fact, I've been known to love tea SO much that I stationed a personal mini Keurig on my desk at my old office to use as a hot water dispenser to keep cups refreshed throughout the workday.  Commitment.

But then March came, and everything changed.  With few options of things to do outside of the house, "coffee walks" became our weekday highlight.  I'm not quite sure why "tea walks" didn't take -- but so it went.  Jack and I fully embraced our call to duty to support our local cafes and bakeries, and did so with gusto.  In the months before our departure to Amsterdam, I stumbled my way upon Americanos, and there's been no looking back. 

Since being in Europe though, something just feels wrong about being American and ordering an Americano.  I can't shake it.  And so, after much trial, error, and googling "coradto vs. long black vs. cappuccino" in a panic at the takeaway counter, I discovered my new love.

Fully anchored in my new identity as a Coffee Drinker, our relocation to Amsterdam came at an opportune time.  Since moving abroad, our café takeaway adventures have continued in full force.  If anything, perhaps even more now, as they are conducted under the guise of "exploring" and are the ideal interruption from a long bike ride.

According to my memory (and a comparative consult of big brother Google Maps), below is a running list of the cafés I've enjoyed a flat white at since our arrival:
​
Lot 61 --- Bocca --- Brandmeester's --- Coffee Concepts --- Pipes & Beans --- Coffeeroastery Oud-West --- Back to Black --- Scandinavian Embassy --- The Coffee District --- Coffee & Juices --- Back to Black --- Espresso Yourself --- Coffee Company --- Hummingbird

Pretty impressive, right?!

​But.... anyone can buy a flat white. ​

Driven out of an interest to "learn a new skill" and "stop spending 7 euros on beans every day," Jack figured it was time to learn how to make our own flat whites, at least some days of the week.  

And that's the story of how Jack took it upon himself to become our home's personal barista.