Paris - Texas

I know, I know... It has been a LONG time since I've updated. So I have been home in Houston for a month now! and I never got the chance (was too lazy) to post my Paris trip. It was amazing! Whitney and I rented an apartment for three nights and went everywhere. When I say everywhere I mean we went EVERYWHERE. The first night we got there we just walked around the neighborhood our apartment was in. Turns out we were right off a street with a bunch of bars so we got our fair share of "Bonsoir!" with drunken eyebrow raises and I got many "Etes-vous chinois?" which I replied "Non." and confused them. 

The next morning we decided to start with the Notre Dame. So we walked. And walked. By the time we decided we were seriously lost and tired it was lunch time and we were at the Bastille. So we had a cute little lunch and headed towards Notre Dame. We were closer than we thought. On the way there, there's the nicest street with all these gift shops, gelato stores, and cookie places. Everything I saw I thought "Oooooh this would be a great gift!" Except for the gelato shaped like a flower which I happily ate. We finally made it to the Notre Dame and there was a pretty long line to get in. Even with our 2-day museum pass, this was one line we couldn't jump ahead of. When we finally got in, we climbed what seemed like a never-ending spiral stair case. But once we got to the top, the view was worth it!

 

Our next stop was the Louvre which was not too bad of a walk from the Notre Dame. Some people said we could skip the Louvre because it was too crowded and far too large to see in one day but how could I work at a museum and NOT see the Louvre?? Whitney agreed so luckily our museum pass did let us skip the lines and we were able to walk right in without any waiting. We decided to hit up all the well-known pieces first and if we had time to go around to all the others. I think we spent about 2-3 hours in there and by the end our feet were so tired. But the night was young and there was so much more to see!

 

We took the Metro to the Eiffel Tower and made it just in time to see it in daylight and at night. It was so beautiful, especially at night with all the lights twinkling and with all the music and people around. We walked around people watching while souvenirs were thrown in our faces and roses were shoved in our hands. It was so fun to be around! but our bodies were breaking down so we grabbed a couple of crepes before giving in to the coziness of our apartment.

The next day was my birthday! We started it out by going to a bakery across the street from the apartment and getting the best croissants I have ever had. We learned our that our feet couldn't handle the walking we did the day before so we took the Metro to Musee d'Orsay. Unfortunately we weren't allowed to take any pictures but it was one of my favorite places we visited in Paris. To be able to see all the paintings you've learned about all your life from text books was amazing. Colors were so much more vivid. The details that you could never see and the brush strokes that could never be captured by pictures. Oh my goodness. And then to see one of my favorite artists Toulouse Lautrec...my mouth was literally open the whole time we walked through there. When our minds were about to explode we decided to head towards Champs Elysee. We walked down Rue de Honore to go to a store made for designers, Colette. I wanted to buy every single item in there. For myself. If anyone wants to get me something for any occasion just go there and send me something back. Thanks.

I can't believe I still remember all this but everything we did in Paris was so great I guess all the details stuck with me. Whitney and I then walked down Champs Elysee after a short (or maybe not-so-short) break at a cafe. We stopped into a store so Whitney could get her brother a soccer jersey. Then we watched a group of break dancers perform in front of the Arc de Triomphe before they were broken up by a couple of police officers on horses. The Arc was lovely just like everything else in this city but I think by this time we were so worn out we were just taking pictures so that we can enjoy it later. That night we had a very nice dinner for my birthday. Strolled around our neighborhood and crashed in bed. Were we supposed to go to a club or something? Our feet couldn't remember.

On our last day we took our time packing our stuff, heading to the bakery (of course!), and then going to the flea market. I got a stack of these old French postcards, some with full letters on the backs. I'll have to remember to scan these in. They're so beautiful! I also bought a bag for myself which I adore!

The best part of this day was lunch. We stopped in this little tiny place we thought might have something vegetarian for Whitney and ordered. It's hard to describe how adorable they were trying to make sure Whitney was happy with her food; constantly checking to see if she was ok and happy with everything. "Do you eat this? How about this? Is it ok?" Perfect ending to our trip. Although the trip back didn't go as smoothly but we'll just leave that part out for now.

A hike in Austria

This weekend Whitney and I went to Austria with my bosses Jon and Lori. They took us to this really great restaurant where we had käsespätzle, this potato based noodle with cheese and fried onions on top. So good. So filling. It came with a side salad and potato salad. Yum!

Afterwards, we went for a little hike to try to burn off our heavy, delicious lunches. The view was amazing. It looked over Lake Konstanz and you could see Lindau and even the border between Austria and Switzerland. The hike was filled with beautiful sights like that.


Whitney was very excited about the cows.

And the giant leaves.

We also saw a hunting post. Deer season is coming up.

By this time Napoleon was forced to rest. He was going a little crazy. So cute.

And on our way back we stopped for some cider and a visit with the donkeys.

And by the end of our day we were all still stuffed from our lunches. So we drove home to sleep it off. =)

Purple, yellow, red, and white.

Eggplant, cherry tomatoes, corn, and feta. So good.
Why do I cook so much better when I'm in Switzerland?

All gone.

Zurich Street Parade

The Zurich Street Parade is pretty much a huge techno dance party. With over 30 floats and 100 dj's with several stages set up, the party never stops. Whitney, Karen, and I all slept in Saturday morning, had lunch, before heading to Zurich which is only an hour and a half train ride away. The music was definitely not what most Americans listen to but the people looked great and loved having their photo taken! Here's a little taste of who I saw yesterday.

-Note- Please excuse the accidental posting of an explicit photo. The issue has been corrected. Thank you and sorry for any mental damage it may have caused.

"Damn it! WHAT DOES THIS MEAN??"

Geneva

This week, we got a new intern at Icon Worldwide named Whitney. She's from Michigan, is a designer, and is super cute. We decided to go to Geneva together this weekend during Swiss National Day. There's a festival going on every night through next weekend with promises of food, drinks, interesting people, and fireworks. We got there around 1pm Saturday afternoon, and walked around the lake where the festival was being set up. Unfortunately, we were dressed for colder weather since Gais has been cold and rainy for the past week and Geneva was bright, sunny, and warm. As you can imagine, in jeans and boots, we got hot pretty quickly and decided the only way to remedy that was to go to the beach! We went to the hostel to change and made our way over to this little strip that jutted into the lake with pebbled sides that led you into the water. It was packed. It was hard not to step on anyone as we stumbled our way to a small opening in the shade. We sat and people watched for a bit before crawling towards an opening with a little more sun to warm ourselves. A little game of toss the football (yes, an American football) started in the water in front of us between what I made out to be a French guy or Swiss French and 3 Americans, none of which could throw a football to save their lives. Come on American tourists! You can't speak the language! You can at least be good at playing your own country's game... -sigh-. The beach started to thin out and we decided it was a good time to go find some dinner. We grabbed a couple of kebabs at a stand near the lake before going back to the hostel to change for some night life.


That night we walked along the lake and found a bar on the water's edge with a perfect view for the fireworks. I ordered a vodka tonic and Whitney couldn't decide on a drink order so the bartender assured her he would mix up something she would love. She agreed and he asked if she liked milk, she hesitantly said yes. In a tall glass, he filled it with ice, milk, and some red stuff, slid it over the bar and told her to have a taste. I could see that she was a bit apprehensive but with one sip her eyes lit up and the bartender started laughing. She said it was the most delicious drink she had ever had and it tasted like strawberry milk. Anyone know what she was drinking? He said it was a special drink he only made for special customers. Ohhhhh, Whitney!! We sat at the bar for awhile and watched some very interestingly dressed guys walk by. For example, one guy was wearing a white t-shirt with some shiny gold graphics on it, white shorts, and a gold belt. We also saw a lot of guys wearing small Burberry purses. It was so weird. I am definitely not into man purses or murses. Any of you guys into that? Please let me know and take a picture of yourselves in these outfits. Afterward, we wanted to go to a club but the one we were going to go to was not available that night and Whitney's feet were starting to hurt so we settled for a bar with some live music and awful dancing. I took a few videos and I promise I will edit it together soon. We also spotted some very fashion forward people here as well, including these guys who thought it would be cute to dress as triplets.

It's kind of hard to see but two of them are standing up and one is sitting down. All the same shirt, the same hat, and white sunglasses. Why they thought this was a great ensemble to repeat three times is beyond me. By 1am, Whitney and I endured enough bad music and dancing for the night so we went back to the hostel and crashed.

The next day we had to check out by 10 am, got a quick breakfast at the bakery across the street and walked around the city for awhile. I think we got lost about a dozen times and went in circles about 4 times. We met up Jack for lunch at this pizzeria and did some more walking. I thought Jack would be a better tour guide but he got turned around a few times himself. We pretty much just zigzagged around Geneva for a few hours before it was time for us to head back to Gais.

Thanks for being my travel buddy for the past month Jack. The office and I will miss having you around. Good luck in England!

Stars and Stripes

I decided not to go anywhere this weekend and give myself a break from traveling. So on Friday night, Jon, Jack and Nic (known to some as Jick), Karen and I went out for dinner and drinks to celebrate the boys' last day at Icon Worldwide. After work we drove into St. Gallen and ate at a place called Stars and Stripes which is supposed to be American food but seemed to aim more towards Texas. I wish I had charged my camera for this night but unfortunately I didn't think twice about documenting dinner and drinks so I have Jon to thank for the above picture (that's me with Jick). That one was taken at a lounge we went to after dinner. The music I believe consisted of the following: Rick James, Prince, The Black Eyed Peas, I believe some Rod Stewart, and maybe some Akon. Possibly some 80's Madonna. It was... interesting. Afterward we went to a club. They didn't have as diverse music as the lounge but still entertaining. The boys were letting loose, singing and dancing, possibly trying to hit on girls. Well, Jack was the only single person there so I guess he was the only one looking. The night came to an end when Jon's eyelids were starting to droop and we all piled into a cab and slept it off.

Saturday was a good day. Woke up at 8:30 and chatted online and fell asleep around 9:45 again. I wanted to say bye to Jack and Nic before he left but he left at 10:00 and I didn't wake back up until 12:00. I had made plans that night with a friend I had made a few weeks back who lives locally. So from 1:00 to 6:30 pm I cut my hair, watched a movie, painted my nails, read a bit, and chatted online. It was a very productive afternoon.

I was surprised around 5:00 when I got a text Jack asking if he could join in the fun that night. I thought he had left already! I think I'm learning that he will never... actually... leave. So Jack and I met Franziska at the train station and headed to St. Gallen to join her friends for dinner and drinks. After dinner we decided to go to a club called Coccon. This was the best club EVER! When we got there we were the only ones there. We all sat in this tiny room with flashing lights lining the walls, the seating, and the ceiling, each with a pity drink, staring at the empty dance floor. But just as we thought it couldn't get any better, these two older women came in and started tearin' up the floor! I've never seen anyone stare harder at themselves in the mirror while dancing as I did that night. But wait, in comes this 60 year old man shaking his hips, getting closer to these women and lower to the floor! I wish I had my camera because I know you guys don't believe any of this. I kind of don't believe it myself now. Damn. I wish I had it all on camera. That pretty much closed the night. We ran out and across the street for one last beer and all headed home.

Sunday was the laziest day. I slept, read, watched a movie, read, and watched a movie.

I know this post is picture deprived so I wanted to share with you guys what I'm looking at for inspiration at the moment. Karen actually showed me these and I LOOOOOOVE them.

 

These are by Experimental Jetset and I am absolutely in love with their designs. The concept is so simple, but the outcome totally blows my mind. Why are people so awesome?