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Archive For September, 2012

Rome

September 27, 2012 · by Nikki

To continue with my trend of posting atrociously late photos… here are my pictures of Rome from *cough* April *cough.*

Bath House Ruins 2
Sinking Ship Fountain near the Spanish Steps
Bath House Ruins

Scooting in the Italian countryside
Scooter Action Shot
No Title Required

A close-up of the wall of an aquaduct
Hard to get home sick when you get to go scooting through Rome
Old Roman Road

Colosseum View
Roman Statue
Roman Horse Statue

Through the Duct
Beautiful architecture at every turn
Roman Rooftops at Sunset

Tomb of Unknown Soldier at Sunset
Colosseum
St Peters Dome

City Wall
Walking Down the Oldest Road in Rome
Spanish Steps

Scooters, scooters, everywhere!
Roman Glow – the capital building, I think?
Tunnel of Trees

Aquaduct remains
Through the Rabbit Hole… can you see the dome on the other side?

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Paris Cupcake Wars: Daisy Miller American Bakery & Restaurant

September 17, 2012 · by Nikki

I bet you thought I had taken a break from my mission to discover cupcakes in Paris, hmm? Well you’re wrong–I haven’t!

Frog Prince’s big sis clued me in to a potentially dangerous thing: a cupcake shop in my neighborhood. This sounded like trouble, and I needed to investigate. Enter: Daisy Miller American Bakery & Restaurant. 

At First Glance: Technically the first glance I had of this place was the website, and I liked what I saw. They have some really great photos of some delicious-looking cupcakes, and I felt both excited and worried about the prospect of having such yummy desserts nearby.

See how yummy these look?

At Second Glance: The shop seemed pretty bare, which I tried to overlook considering that they are newly installed into their little corner of the 12th arrondissement. But as soon as I took a look at their cupcake shelf, my heart dropped and I knew that my initial reaction of disdain for the wannabe-American bakery was an accurate one. We actually called before coming, since it was August and so many shops close for summer holiday, and we wanted to make sure they were open. They told us that they were, in fact, open for business, but asked us to delay our visit by just a bit so they could put out more fresh cupcakes. We obliged, but when we got there, I’d say their selection was extremely limited, and looking far from fresh.

At first bite: I didn’t need to take a bite, actually, to know that these cupcakes wouldn’t measure up to the previous two shops I’ve visited. Each cake looked exactly the same (no differentiation in flavor), and the frosting looked like whipped cream mixed with flavoring and/or food coloring, topped with cheap candy. Nevertheless, the first bite confirmed–these were not what an American would consider a cupcake.

Overall: I can honestly say that we felt bad serving these cupcakes to our dinner guests that night. Fortunately they were up for the experiment, and didn’t hold it against us, but this isn’t a bakery that I plan to return to anytime soon. Obviously, my verdict for this one is DON’T GO to Dasiy Miller.

As a side note, I was particularly put-off by two other things: First–the name indicates that this bakery is aiming to resemble something American, either in look, feel, or food offering. Not only were the cupcakes not at all up to American cupcake standards, but the decor in the shop centered around imagery from… London. Second–the one American thing they did have on their menu that looked appealing was beer. I was especially excited to see Sam Adams Boston Lager on the menu (for obvious reasons), and we tried to order one… at which point we were notified that, uh, they were out (or do they even carry them??). But we could have Heineken! No thanks, Daisy Miller. And maybe you should revisit the American theme you have going on…

Image credit: http://www.daisymiller-cupcakes.com/

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Things I Learned: in Kos

September 14, 2012 · by Nikki

Kos, Greece

A good indication you’re in a Greek seafood taverna

  1. When in doubt, hop on a plane to a Greek Island. You won’t be disappointed.
  2. Bee stings do hurt.
  3. I am not allergic to bees.
  4. Beach + sun beds + the ability to order food and drinks while sea side = paradise
  5. I already knew that I needed meds to be on a boat, but now I know how to recognize puking passengers and distribute meds accordingly.
  6. A sunburn-free holiday is the best holiday.
  7. A 3-island boat cruise on the Arch Angel Michael departing from the port in Kos Town is not a bad way to spend a day.
  8. Taking the Katerina for the above-mentioned boat tour probably would have been better, though.
  9. When in Kos, Shrimp or Prawn Saganaki is a must.
  10. Making friends with the guy in the Red Sox shirt may result in two free shots of Jager.
  11. Local live music is never a bad idea.
  12. Driving a four-wheeler is fun!! (I could very well be late to the game on this one)
  13. The Oromedon Restaurant in Zia is great for sunsets, not so great for vegetarians.
  14. I suck at pool (wait… maybe I already knew that).
  15. The island of Kos is a holiday hotspot for Brits.
  16. That means tons of bars have big screen TVs and are otherwise equipped for football (soccer) games.
  17. If you’re hungry on Kos, look for a Taverna.
  18. If you don’t find a Taverna, be prepared for less-than-mediocre meals from kitchens that offer everything from nachos to indian food… on the same menu.
  19. Donkeys really do make hee-haw noises. At all hours of the day or night.
  20. I like to wear the color yellow.
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Some things to tide you over

September 5, 2012 · by Nikki

Paradise? Kos? What’s the difference?

I have just arrived from a fantastic holiday on the island of Kos in Greece! I am busy adjusting to being back in the real world, and until I have time to actually write some decent posts, here are links to a few things that should provide good reading material in the meantime.

The amazing Mama over at HJ Underway wrote a post echoing my thoughts about speaking a language other than the local one, and the American language debate. Check it out, here.

My latest article for MyFrenchLife, talking about tennis in Paris, was published while I was away. You can read it, here.

Benny the super Irish Polyglot found my blog post about my addiction to excuses, and he posted it on his site, with some of his commentary (and EXCELLENT feedback in the comments for those of you looking to learn another language). Check out his site, here, and the blog where my addiction post makes an appearance, here.

Until next time! 😉

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