On the Road

If you read our last post, you would know that we moved out of our Paris apartment. We have been very busy to say the least. In January we returned home to see our family. After 6 months away from America, we welcomed the familiarity and embraced the things we took for granted such as the convenience of driving a car. It wasn’t all fun and games as we completed what seemed to be endless tedious tasks like renewing our car registration and sorting through junk mail. Despite how busy we were, we still managed to find time to dine at the 2022 James Beard finalist nominee, Kalaya. If you didn’t have a chance to read about it, click here. Before we got too comfortable, we flew back to Paris and then headed through the “chunnel” for a six day stay in London. We will share more on that trip in the future. In the meantime read our thoughts on the stellar grand reopening of the Darjeeling Express in Soho.

Perhaps you are curious where are we heading now? Well to no surprise (at least to some of our friends and family), we’ve embarked on a 43 day trip, consisting of five countries and 16 cities. Yes, almost a month and a half of constant traveling. To some it might sound cool and to others it might sound crazy. In our opinion it is a mixture of both of theses feelings that literally pushes us to travel out of comfort zone, in exchange to experience special, one of a kind moments.

**La Concha beach in San Sebastian, Spain**

Maybe you are wondering, what goes into planning a trip for over a month in length. Well, let’s just say it isn’t a walk in the park. Especially when you plan the trip less than three months prior to embarking. Let’s share a few things we learned over the past five years of extensive traveling. Finding accommodations and transportation to each city should be the initial top priority. For example, airbnbs offer a sense of “feeling at home,” as well as useful amenities like a washing machine or a kitchen that can cut costs. On the otherhand, hotel rooms may be the more logical choice based on proximity and price. As for getting from point a to point b, Google maps is helpful in determining the best mode of transportation. Another website Trainline provides general costs of tickets and time of commute for various train and bus companies.

Equally time consuming is selecting the sights to see, finding the right activities that suite your tastes and shifting through the hundreds of restaurant reviews that have the potential of satisfying your appetite. As you consult multiple references and sources, you will notice common trends of top things to do and eat on websites like Tripadvisor, magazine guides such as Time Out, travel experts like Rick Stein and even YouTube bloggers such as Flying the Nest. The more well known destinations have an abundance of suggestions to choose from. On the contrary, you will have to digger a little deeper for recommendations in the smaller cities. Regardless of where your vacation will be, you will just have to accept that you must put in some research to get the most of out of your trip. Most times, all the hard work does pay off. Especially when you are rewarded with delicious food, breathtaking views and memorable activities you wouldn’t otherwise experience back at home. It is quite exciting to realize that each city, town and country has something to offer.

Remember to keep in mind with all the eating, walking and discovering you do on these adventures, make sure you build in time to relax and reflect. It is very easy to get lost in the daily “to do list.” Ask yourself: did you find any time to unwind? Did you take a moment to fully enjoy what you were doing. Trust us, after completing two previous trips that lasted more than 20 days, you feel like you need a vacation from your vacation. So our advice to anyone planning a trip anywhere, take that nap, do stop for a second (or a few minutes), look around you, and take in what you see. The utter beauty and unexpected moments is what drives us to explore new horizons. Really do take a moment to breathe and be thankful for these opportunities. It is the little things in life that are truly beautiful.

Not everything is a a list with items to check off. To be honest, you won’t be able to check everything off. However that is another excuse to return to that place in the future.

Okay, so down to the nitty gritty of all the cities we have been to thus far. Our trip began in Biarritz, a stunning town located on the southern west coast of France boarding Spain. Surfers from all around the world venture to this city to ride the majestic Atlantic waves. No, we do not surf but we did take some time to admire the gorgeous clear water, the refreshing sea breeze and the well acquainted ocean scent that we hold so dear to our heart.

We then headed to San Sebastián, Spain, the city that boasts the most Michelin star restaurants per square meter than anywhere else in the world. To say the least we ate very well, returning to some of our beloved restaurants like Ganbara and Txepetxa, as well as discovering new gems like Tambori and Bar Antonio.

**Tortilla de patata at Bar Nestor in San Sebastian, Spain**

We then returned to France to the small town of Bayonne where we wandered the gothic style streets, sampled delectable chocolate and jogged along the beautiful Nive river. We even stumbled across a random unpretentious Argentinian restaurant called Hornito that served some of the best empanadas we have eaten (yes we ate empanadas in France and truthfully very good ones). Despite the line that splits these two countries, all these towns are considered part of the Basque region. The inhabitants are considered one of the oldest indigenous groups in Europe, with a language and culture that dates back to the AD time period.

**Empanadas at Hornitos in Bayonne, France**

Next, we journeyed nearly 190 miles (~300 kms) east to Toulouse, the capital of the Occitanie region. Nicknamed la ville rose or the pink city, we marvelled at the distinct pink bricks used in majority of their architecture. You do not want to miss the regional dish, le cassoulet which is a hearty stew with white beans, pieces of tender pork, fatty duck and a “saucisse de Toulouse.” La Maison du Cassoulet makes a spot on version that was perfect for a cold winter’s night.

**A slice of marseillaise pizza at Chez Etienne in Marseille, France**

Then we jumped on a train and headed south to the city of Marseille. There was not much we remembered from our first visit to this port city back in 2018. But we do recall how tasty the pizza was here. As we retraced our steps to Chez Etienne, we somehow scored a dinner reservation on a Saturday night. FYI, they do not take reservations online. Don’t let this discourage you because in return you will be gifted with a very different pizza compared to the ones you have eaten at in Italy The classic Marseille slice has tomato sauce, a few slices of anchovies and black olives. It was just as good as the first time. Some other highlights are the infinite gorgeous artwork found nearly every wall in the city, as well the impressive fish soup known as the bouillabaisse we had at Restaurant Michel (another restaurant you can not book online). There is so much that can be said for each destination. Perhaps that will be for another post.

**La bouillabaisse at Restaurant Michel in Marseille, France**

We are certainly enjoying the more mild weather in February. This weather will be changing drastically as we head to our next city. Stay tuned to find out and keep an eye on our Instagram. Until next time…

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