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A Real Life Castle in the Clouds

April 25, 2015 · by Nikki

There’s actually a place called Castle in the Clouds back in New Hampshire, not too far from where I grew up. I’ve never been, but friends have said it’s a beautiful spot, and many a wedding has been held there.

But the French version of Castle in the Clouds is a whole different creation. I apply this nickname to Mont Saint-Michel not because of its placement on a mountain or its height, but because of its proximity to the famously capricious weather that surrounds this island of a castle off the coast of Normandy. Read More →

Taking Time To Be a Tourist

October 1, 2012 · by Nikki

When I tell people that I live in Paris, I often hear things like “I love Paris! It’s so beautiful,” “OMG, Paris is so pretty!” “I love _______ (insert Parisian area/neighborhood/district of choice)! It’s so charming!” “You must love the _______ (see previous instructions)! It was my favorite place when I visited there.”

At first, the short amount of time I had spent in the city allowed me to say things like “I haven’t been there yet, but I’ll definitely check it out,” to the satisfaction of those who had now given me, the resident of Paris, a recommendation on something new to see or do. And I took as many of those recommendations as I could in the early months. But recently it has dawned on me that the more people tell me how much they love certain little pieces of Paris, the harder it is for me to relate. Why? Simple: I have spent so much time and energy trying not to be a tourist, that I have flat-out avoided some of the parts of this city that make it so… Parisian.

So I’ve made a resolution to cut that out. I don’t care if I look like a tourist or not. The truth is, I live here, and if my American accent and constant stops to take pictures annoy the people around me… too bad. I’m here now, and I’m going to make the most of it. I would regret moving away from this place without having experienced the ins and outs of such a famously beautiful, culture-rich city.

To try and get better acquainted with the Paris that lies beyond the 12th arrondissement, I spent part of my Saturday last weekend taking my bicycle along the Seine and admiring beauty that was meant to be beheld. At some point I will compile all of the photos I’ve taken in and around Paris to add to my Cities: in Photos series (which still has yet to see Kos! Bad blogger!), but in the meantime, here’s a peek at what you can see in the city when you cycle through the streets. Enjoy!

: No less stunning from the river

: Pausing for a portrait

: An angle of the Notre Dame not seen often enough

: Visiting the courtyard and gardens surrounding the Louvre never gets old…

: The Dark Knight is also a Perpetual Passenger

: Is that Tom Hanks?! Jk, jk. 🙂

: Giving you one in B&W for your photographic enjoyment

: Not hard to find things you want to photograph in this city

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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.*

: Roman Horse Statue

: Colosseum View

: Aquaduct remains

: Scooting in the Italian countryside

: Bath House Ruins 2

: Through the Duct

: Scooters, scooters, everywhere!

: Scooter Action Shot

: Roman Glow – the capital building, I think?

: Spanish Steps

: Tunnel of Trees

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

: Roman Statue

: Tomb of Unknown Soldier at Sunset

: Beautiful architecture at every turn

: Roman Rooftops at Sunset

: A close-up of the wall of an aquaduct

: St Peters Dome

: Walking Down the Oldest Road in Rome

: Bath House Ruins

: Old Roman Road

: Colosseum

: No Title Required

: City Wall

: Sinking Ship Fountain near the Spanish Steps

: Hard to get home sick when you get to go scooting through Rome

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London

May 16, 2012 · by Nikki

Better late than never? Here are my fave photos from my trip to England’s capital:

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Tokyo

April 17, 2012 · by Nikki

As a follow-up to the post about my experience in Japan’s capital, here’s a collection of my favorite photos from the trip:

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Prague

March 19, 2012 · by Nikki

This post marks the first in a series of new posts I’ll be publishing. The series is aimed at highlighting my favorite photos taken in the cities I’ve traveled to, and I will have a lot more cities to edit and add! I have added a tab to my (newly redesigned!) home page, called Cities: in Photos to make finding these posts easier if you ever want to go back and check them out.

To kick off my new photo-sharing project, I hope you enjoy this collection of images taken during my amazing trip to Prague in February of this year.

: Hand-painted ceiling inside Saint Nicholas Church

: Prague from the River

: Embassy Row

: Sad Statue on Charles Bridge

: Water Street

: View of Prague Castle

: Front of Saint George Basillica, inside Prague Castle

: View of Prague

: Saint Nicholas Church 2

: View from Old Town Square

: Tower in Prague

: Mini Eiffel Tower

: Inside Prague Castle

: Front of a Church

: Us enjoying Old Town Square

: Saint George Basillica

: View of Charles Bridge 2

: Saint George Basillica 2

: Wall of Hearts. Can you find where we left our mark?

: Fork & Cork

: Saint Nicholas Church

: Prague from the River 2

: The storm is moving in…

: View of the Charles Bridge

: Saint George Basillica 3

Ciao!

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Three Holidays, Three Countries

January 12, 2012 · by Nikki

For me, the “holiday season” has always consisted of three important holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve/Day. 2011 marked an interesting year for me, in which I spent these very special holidays in very different locations.

Of course there’s no where in the world to celebrate American Thanksgiving than in the United States, so that’s where I went! This trip was in conjunction with the surprise 50th birthday party we threw for my dad (which you can read about here), and my 10 year high school reunion. Take a look at our Thanksgiving table as we prepared for the big feast:

Tigger (who occasionally travels with me) is eyeing the turkey!

For Christmas, Santa brought family to me and delivered my Father on Christmas Eve! We spent 4 days walking all around Paris (and I mean ALL around), and I acted as a poor excuse for a tour guide to my guest, who was also a first-time visitor to The City of Lights.

A chilly, grey day in front of the Tour Eiffel

And lastly, to ring in the New Year, my wonderful Frog Prince invited me to join him and his friends in beautiful Cadaqués, Spain — about an hour north of Barcelona. The sites were beautiful, the running was difficult (so much wind!), and the company was great. How could I ask for more?

Not a postcard - a snapshot by the sea!

Hoping everyone had a great holiday season and is having an equally excellent start to the new year… as for me, I’ve got big plans for 2012. Watch out, world! 😉

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Marvelous Marrakech!

December 20, 2011 · by Nikki

So the latest leg on my endless itinerary has taken me to Morocco to spend four days with colleagues in the country’s beautiful capital. Though, as is often the case, I didn’t get to spend as much time as I would have liked exploring the city, I did get to see some amazing things, and snapped a few photos on the way. For your viewing pleasure:

: My bedroom in the riad

: The landscape from the rooftop deck

: More beautiful scenery

: Not a cloud in the sky…

: A gorgeous snow peak

: The streets in a village in the Ourika Valley

: So fresh!

: Red mountains

: Another view of the village

: Wanna go for a walk?

: A willow tree and a river provide a nice eating spot

: Beautiful subject and background…

: A different kind of foliage

: Colors!

: Arabic architecture at it’s finest

: Just a typical day in the square

: Monkey business

: Snaaaaake a snaaaaake (badger, badger, badger)

: The freshest oj on the market

: More colors

Marrakech was definitely unlike any other place I’ve traveled to so far. The city was always bustling, and people seemed to overflow into the streets. The energy was about as fierce as the selling techniques found in the souk (the largest “traditional” market in Morocco), and the food was as spicy as the colors were bright. My favorite item to consume? Moroccan orange juice. As one who doesn’t typically enjoy my oj pulpy, I can tell you that even with a little texture on my tongue, this stuff was mind-blowing.

We stayed in a riad located in the Medina, and if you ever get a chance to say in Marrakech, definitely check out Riad Les Trois Palmiers. Lodging was incredible, staff was extremely accommodating, and the inside of this building is just as beautiful as the sites you’ll see when you explore this city. And when you go, tell Patrick that Nikki from Paris by way of the US says hello. 🙂

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4 Nights, 20 Hours of Sleep: Amsterdam in a Nutshell

October 7, 2011 · by Nikki

Who needs sleep when you have Amsterdam?

This year’s annual ESOMAR Congress took hundreds of market research professionals to Amsterdam in the middle of September. If this doesn’t sound like a recipe for mayhem, you clearly don’t know the market research industry (or you don’t know Amsterdam).

Of course, as I was traveling to Amsterdam for business and was accompanied by some colleagues, I wasn’t able to take a lot of time to explore, but I certainly did my best to make the most out of my time–like not sleeping much so I could be sure to get some play time in after work time was done. To give a better understanding of how I got to know this city during my short stay, here are a few of my favorite photos from the trip:

Bicycles... everywhere!

The scenery inside an Indonesian restaurant

A little mustache party to keep things interesting

A quick snapshot of dinner at Segugio, an amazing Italian place near the city Center

Like London, I’ll need to re-visit Amsterdam in order to have a more complete understanding of the city, but my initial reactions are mixed. On the whole, Amsterdam feels disjointed, with exuberant positive energy trying to mesh with a dismal gloom that hangs over the city. There are parts of Amsterdam that were so friendly and vibrant, while other parts that seemed so very dismal – even when it wasn’t raining (which was rarely). Undoubtedly there’s a lot I didn’t get to see or do, but my run-in with one red-light alley (not the entire district), numerous canals, coffeeshops (as a spectator ONLY), and bicycles EVERYWHERE leaves me without a solid opinion.

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Castles and Bastions and Caves! Oh My!

September 18, 2010 · by Nikki

So today was my first official trip outside of Athens, and I journeyed to Nafplion – a coastal city about 2 hours from the capital.

Of course the Acropolis is the pride and joy of Greece and with good cause, but Nafplion is certainly a well-kept secret. The town is really nice with lots of good shopping, but best of all, it has a castle built on top of a hill with lots to explore and amazing views! In fact, I took MORE photos today than I did the day I explored Acropolis. It’s going to be hard to choose my favorites to show you, but here’s my attempt: