Aix-en-Provence

Aix is home to the biggest Bastille day celebration in the area, so we drove down to see how people celebrate. It's nice to visit a place during local holidays, especially when there's a patriotic twist.

It was a rather warm evening, as proven by this adorable French bulldog who was cooling off in the fountain. Random fact of the day: did you know they have to be born through a caesarean section?

We wandered the streets and enjoyed the ambiance. I was happy to visit area landmarks: the Place des Quatre Dauphins and Cours Mirabeau. Along the way there were picturesque movie theaters and people enjoying a quiet evening with friends and family.

Once again we were charmed by the city and the food. We stopped for an early geriatric timed dinner and stumbled upon La Tomate Vert, which proved to be an excellent choice. Even though it was fully booked for the evening sometimes it pays to eat like old people.

We both opted for the menu, which is a 3 course prix fixe. Stefan ordered a steak that came with the very best French fries I've ever had in my life.

 My favorite dish of the evening were tomatoes filled with shrimp. While at the restaurant we picked up the Carnet Gourmand. It profiles other restaurants with similar standards and I'm looking forward to putting it to use again. They also have an app, if you're on the way to France and would like a copy.

We drove back to Apt just in time to catch the fireworks, because in the morning we had several stops to Bonnieux, Cucuron, and Valensole to finally see some serious lavender fields.

[Side note: there's a really incredible app called iFontMaker, which allows you to make your own font with your handwriting, like I did here. Hands down one of my favorites.] 

Marseille + Mama Shelter

After driving from Saint-Tropez we had dinner reservations at a quaint little place, called the Nautic Bar, a friend of ours from France recommended (merci, Jerome!). He told us it was a hidden gem that's directly at the calanques or river creeks, which are tucked away in the rocky ridges. They have crystal clear waters and so much nature surrounding them, so it's hard to believe the second largest city of France is so close.

In order to access these calanques it is essential to have reservations at one of the restaurants down below. It is a very long, dusty, and rocky drive down the mountain side, but the views are excellent. It's also a great place to go for a swim. The food left us a bit underwhelmed, but it was an experience and definitely off the beaten path.

Next time we go I'd like to visit Cassis, which we unfortunately ran out of time for. All of the wait time getting to and from Saint-Tropez made that impossible.

Marseille was a stop over point for us, so we didn't do too much exploring of the city itself. Though we'd definitely like to make it back sometime soon. I like that it's a cultural melting pot of a city with a lot of diversity. Everyone I talk to is underwhelmed when they mention it, but that piques my curiosity even more. Sometimes I really like gritty cities and find them intriguing. There's so much bubbling beneath the surface.

The perfect place to stay is hands down Mama Shelter - Marseille. I've had friends recommend the one in Paris, but we've always liked to stay more central (it's out in the 20th). Now I can whole heartedly see why they recommended it. The one in Marseille just opened earlier this year and it is downright sexy. It has a hip and trendy vibe with playful friendliness and the attention to detail is impeccable.

I may or may not have scared Stefan by wearing the superman mask as he came up to our room from parking the car.

It's the type of hotel that's a destination in its own right with free new release movies and an awesome breakfast. It's the kind of place I'd go specifically for the hotel -it's that good.

We didn't have a lot of time on Friday morning, because I wanted to get up to the market in Lourmarin. I read time and time again that the market in Lourmarin is the crown jewel of Provençal markets, so that's where we headed late in the morning.

Côte d'Azur

The south of France is compact with many beautiful places in a small area, so we decided to fly to Nice and then rent a car to explore the area with the main goal of getting to Provence and the Valensole Plateau. July is the height of lavender season and it's the perfect time of year to visit, but our first stops took us to Nice and Monaco.

One thing I observed time and time again along the coast was so much diversity. The beaches were packed from morning onwards and people who typically would feel self conscious in a swimsuit were right along side everyone else, including little old grandmas would be standing topless having a conversation. It was refreshing to see people so comfortable with their bodies.

Shortly after arriving we went to Monaco - also known as the second smallest and most densely populated country in the world. They also have one of the longest life expectancies and 0% unemployment.

It's just a short 20-30 minute drive from Nice, so it's easy to access. Since it's a tax haven with no income tax and with the highest capita of millionaires and billionaires there's quite a bit of money being splashed around. The jewelry stores were dripping with some of the biggest gems I've seen outside of a museum and the cars were from the pages of magazines. 

The big Monte Carlo casino featured in the James Bond movies had many cars parked outside the casino with Monégasque license plates although the locals aren't permitted to gamble there, (no one really appeared to check where people were from). 

Cameras weren't allowed, however besides the grandiose exterior and the main hallway, it seemed to me like any other casino in a big gambling city. We had a laugh watching a little girl pay for her ice cream with a 200€ note nearby. 

In Nice, we had to try the quintessential socca, which is a thin pancake made savory with chickpea flour. I read that Chez Pipo has the best socca in the city, so that's where we went. They are great as a light dinner with a glass of wine. Yotam Ottolenghi has a recipe for socca (also in his Plenty cookbook). Chickpeas are underrated. 

There are so many quaint litle streets to get lost in around the old town. It was nice to see another facet to France. Did you notice the statue of liberty hiding in the street lamp above? 

Other foods we sampled were salted carmel potato chips, goat cheese tarts, and of course Pierre Hermé macarons from Galleries Lafayette. I think I may have surprised the women working, because I was requesting each one by name, even though they weren't labeled. That might be an indicator that I have a macaron problem. 

Another sweet treat I was looking forward to trying was the ice cream at Fenocchio, which boasts some really unique flavors, like thyme, beer, avocado, and jasmin. I either ordered the wrong kinds or it just fell short. Stefan's ultra dark chocolate was the best of the mix. The savory flavors are too sweet. 

Next stops... Cannes + Saint Tropez. 

cześć, Poznań!

Last year we learned about the incredible lampiony Poznań, which is a one night extravaganza of glowing paper lanterns floating through the sky during the summer solstice of Noc Kupały (also called St. John's Night). 

This looked to be too unique and wonderful to miss, so we booked our flights and hoped hotel prices would be outrageous with the UEFA Euro Cup going on - thankfully, they weren't. It was our first visit to Poland, which is also home to the Pierogi and St. Martin's Croissants or Rogale świętomarciński. 

Our favorite afternoon was spent at the courtyard of Cocorico. It looks like it should be a movie set, because it's so picturesque. I'd love to have a garden like that! We did plenty of sampling the local cuisine, which was affordable, yet delicious. 

The Rogale świętomarciński croissants have to be certified and receive a special poster or seal to authenticate it. Since they are traditionally eaten for St. Martin's Day (November 11th) they are quite heavy and more of a winter food, which may explain why they didn't seem advertised. We ended up finding them at a small pastry shop across from the Bernardyński Square market.

There were a lot of tiny markets dotting the city, which were fun to explore like the locals. 

The produce was plentiful and beautiful and it did appear potatoes are as popular as could be expected with the popularity of pierogis. 

Poland is extremely Catholic and in Poznań many of the streets are named after saints. We learned that the Poles love rules and waiting at cross walks / red lights, although cleaning up after their dogs wasn't a big priority. The UEFA fan fest was also another place we heard about rules. Since we were going to the Noc Kupały directly afterwards I had two camera lenses in my bag and had to go back to the hotel to leave one before we could enter. 

Early in the evening, before the lantern festival began, we went to purchase our lanterns. Since they were attempting to achieve a Guinness World Record things were very regimented. We were only allowed to purchase as many lanterns as we had IDs, so that was 1 each for 5 złoty (4.25 złoty = 1 €). There were 10 colors to choose from, but we both opted for the classic white and we received a wrist band that showed our lanterns were "official". 

Shortly before the main event people were selling "illegal" lanterns on the streets for 10 złoty, so I'd guess that even with the lanterns that were set off before the official time there were plenty more than official counts. 

We didn't really care if it was part of the Guinness World Record for most lanterns simultaneously, we were simply happy to experience it regardless.

There were many firemen, paramedics, and safety measures put into effect. With the exception of several people who had to stomp their lanterns out after they caught fire, things seemed to go flawlessly. 

Since it rained throughout the day before the grass and trees were wet, which probably helped. 

It was so unreal to see thousands of lanterns in the sky at once, which all happened very quickly. 

The city didn't seem accustomed to having tourists, but everyone was very friendly. The odd thing is English is more readily used than German, even though Poland borders Germany. 
Other things to do / see in Poznań:
Visit the Stary Browar mall - built on the grounds of an old brewery and at one point it was voted the best mid-sized mall in the world. It's gorgeous and the locals definitely seemed to enjoy it. 

We didn't have too much time to also visit Lake Malta or the Morasko meteorite nature reserve, because we were only there for a long weekend, although both would be at the top of my list if/when we get back. 

I'm planning to try to make the Rogale świętomarciński when they are more seasonally appropriate. Hopefully the Auer Dult or one of the spice shops will have some of the essential white poppy seeds. 

merhaba, İstanbul

During the Easter holiday we went to Istanbul. It's fascinating to see a metropolitan area of Turkey, because there is a sizable population of Turks here in Munich from the Gastarbeiter days. It was nice to experience such an historically rich area with incredible hospitality and to better understand why Turkish pride shines through here. The people were so kind and seemed genuinely happy. I'd be happy to live near the water and have delicious food, too.
(As a side note: I love exploring the grocery stores and shops around the Hauptbahnhof area here in Munich. I affectionately call it 'Little Istanbul' around Landwehrstraße. There are always incredible products and it is hands down the best place to get some really great baklava.)

Karaköy Güllüoğlu

Here are some of the places and things we saw during our visit...

Istanbul panorama

Hacı Bekir turkish delight

protection from the evil eye

Hafız Mustafa

balık ekmek at the Galata Bridge

Sunday at the Bosphorus

Iznik tiles

Meze by Lemon Tree

Crossing two continents

Colors of the Golden Horn

Galata tackle shop

Galata catch

Simit Sesame Rings + Salgam drink

Istanbul Street Foods

Grand Bazaar Lights

Egyptian Spice Market + Pul Biber

Asmalimescit

Galata Tower view

Basilica Cistern

şiş kebap + Turkish coffee

Taksim Tünel

Orient Express Train Station

Topkapı Palace

Turkish Delight

If you are planning a trip, these links may be helpful:
Spotted by Locals
The Guide Istanbul
Hacı Bekir
Karaköy Güllüoğlu
Hafız Mustafa
Istanbul Eats
Meze by Lemon Tree
Faros

(If you're an American you'll also need a visa upon arrival, which costs $20. I only had £ in my wallet, so I attempted to pay the 15£, but that was declined, although the window said it was accepted. We had to go to a nearby ATM that dispensed dollars, euros, and turkish lira so I could pay. As I returned to pay with dollars the man behind the window was counting money including £, so you probably want to bring the cash that is associated with your country to avoid that hassle.)

On our next visit to Turkey I'd like to visit:
Cappadocia
The Şakirin Mosque
Ephesus
Pamakkale

The next post will be about Mosques + Churches of Istanbul.