Wanderlust: I haz it

L: Dalí shushing us R: Partner in Crime's Opposite & Me @ La Tour Eiffel

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime."

Hell yes, Mark Twain. Hell yes.

Stravinsky Fountain

*Note: I don't necessarily believe these photos illustrate Twain's thoughts. I just didn't want a quote up there solo, so I grabbed a few photos of wonderful people-watching spots in Paris. From my travels.

Speaking of international . . .

Inspired by this post, I thought I'd snap and share some photos of the papers I saved from my Euro Tour 2011. In my mind, I saved more scraps than I actually found--all must not have survived the most recent purges.

Yes, I saved the little waxy paper envelopes in which store keepers wrapped the post cards I purchased.

When I found this post card in a cuuuuuuuuuuuuute shop in Copenhagen, I knew I was purchasing it for myself to keep. IRL the colors are more muted.

I purchased a few postcards at the Salzburger Marionettentheater, which is a fancy (or German) way of saying the marionette theater in Salzburg. Friends and/or fam actually received said post cards, but apparently I bought an extra and decided to keep Der Nussknacker (The Nutcracker for all of you who aren't familiar with German and/or able to crack that cryptic code) for myself.

Here we have some notes I scribbled on a guide to the Belvedere Museum in Vienna (which I loved loved loved and highly recommend), and business cards for a DE-licious vegetarian restaurant in Amsterdam (which, incidentally, had a resident cat back in '11), a Mediterranean restaurant in Brussels, and a lomography joint in Amsterdam (which I didn't actually visit--I acquired this card during an event at the Van Gogh Museum where I took a lomography workshop + got to shoot a roll of film with a Diana).

I saved this bag (yet another post card purchase!) from this little shop in Paris:

I believe L'univers de Léo roughly translates to: dog thinks of cat, cat thinks of mouse, mouse thinks of cheese, cheese thinks of cow. I could be mistaken.

Town + City Survey: Los Angeles

technically, not in Los Angeles, but so close!

We'll head east into uncharted territory soon enough, but for now, let's keep the city search on the West Coast, shall we?  I've been to Los Angeles, California a few times, and although I'm not a huge fan, I am open to the possibility that awesomeness can be found there.  Personally, I'd prefer to keep driving another 30 (or so) minutes south into Orange County to visit The Happiest Place on Earth*, but perhaps that's simply because I don't know much about LA.  I've never been to any of the following, and I think these spots seem quite charming:

• Santa Monica Pier
• Third Street Promenade
• Griffith Observatory
• Venice Beach  
• La Brea Tar Pits and The Natural History Museum
• Rose Bowl Flea Market

Oh dear, it seems I've never eaten a proper doughnut in Los Angeles!  In fact, I don't have any food-related memories of LA at all.  Help me, folks!   

Know of any yummy doughnut shops in the greater LA area?  Or any other cool spots besides the obviously touristy ones mentioned above?  There must be some treasures located in The City of Angels, right?   

*I am not kidding when I say, should I move to Los Angeles, I will purchase an annual passport.  And I will not hesitate to regularly stop by New Orleans Square for a beignet breakfast or drop by Main Street at nightfall for some Gibson Girl and the fireworks show.

Town + City Survey: Seattle

SPL, Green Lake + the incredible sideways-growing tulips

Keepin' the investigation in the Pacific Northwest, let's look at Seattle, Washington.  Ben and I visited Seattle in 2009, and we were pretty smitten with The Emerald City.  In preparation for our trip, I made this map of places to check out.  In just four days, we managed to squeeze in:

• The Seattle Central Library (open seven days a week, y'all!)*
• Wandering around Pike Place Market
• Green Lake and Mighty-O Donuts (yes, I am aware that, so far, two out of two surveys include doughnut shops as a highlight. Tune in tomorrow to see if I break the pattern!)
• The Arboretum
• The view from Gas Works Park 
• A stroll among splendid, contemporary sculptures, along the shore of Puget Sound, at Olympic Sculpture Park
• The EMP Museum (a museum of popular music + science fiction)*
• A hug with The Fremont Troll's finger (sorry no photographic evidence!)
• A Seattle Mariners game
• A piano duel at Chopstix
• Many other mini-adventures that included public transportation (SO efficient!), bicycles (SO bike friendly!), and spectacular views (i.e. sippin' a hazelnut latte from the 40th floor of the Columbia Tower? Delish!).

I really wish we'd also dined at The Pink Door (tarot, trapeze, and jazz—oh my!), seen fields of tulips in bloom, and visited the other museums on my map.  Guess I'll have to return to Seattle one day!  :]

EMP Museum + Space Needle

I ask you, now.  Have you ever visited (or lived in) Seattle?  What were your favorite haunts?

*Both the Central library branch and the EMP buildings are examples of exceptionally cool modern architecture!  Sigh.  Seattle, I adore you. ♥

Town + City Survey: Portland

image source + source

So, the Country Mouse + City Mouse hint.  Richard Scarry's version of that story was one of my favorites when I was wee.  I still want to live in his illustrations.

Where I want to live is precisely what I was hinting at, actually.  The City Mouse was checking out the country, and the Country Mouse was visiting the city.  This City Gal knows she wants to live elsewhere, but she doesn't know exactly where.  I thought it would be fun to survey some cities to determine their potential (but I promise to be far more polite and gracious than City Mouse was!).  So, for the next nine posts, I'll focus on nine different cities, and write about attractions, restaurants, events, and various other pull factors that seem pretty swell. 

In honor of Oregon's Rose Bowl victory yesterday, let's start in the Beaver State.  Despite almost being deterred by how the city is portrayed in Portlandia, I'm thinking Portland, Oregon, is a pretty super place to live.  (Yes, I know UO is in Eugene, not Portland. I just wanted to make my post seem timely, 'k?)  

I visited Portland about ten years ago, and I had three favorite spots: Voodoo Doughnuts, Powell's Books, and Multnomah Falls at the Columbia River Gorge.  Swoon, swoon, and swoon.  Wouldn't mind hitting up those three spots on the regular.

Brief and superficial research has led me to discover a few other promising tidbits:

• Portland boasts both the largest urban park in the United States, Forest Park, AND the smallest park in the world, Mills End Park.  Fun little juxtaposition.
• The Museum of Contemporary Craft and a number of other museums look intriguing.  (Read: Portland has an entire museum dedicated to hats.  Hats, I said!)
• Seems as though there is always some sort of fest going on.
• Somewhere in the city, an orange public restroom exists.
• Hello, no sales tax!
• Oh, and did I mention the 24 Hour Church of Elvis?!!! (Um, the official website scares me, but the yelp reviews seem reassuring.)

Tag—you're it!  Have you ever visited (or lived in) Portland?  What makes it awesome?  What are some must-sees, must-eats, and must-do's?

My Favorite Things: Memories

meet Maude

Rather than create another official year-end countdown, today I'd like to simply list some of my favorite memories of 2011.  Some snippets, if you will.  In no particular order.  (Ok, ok!  They are more or less in chronological order.  I can't help it.)   

Running my fastest mile since high school; running on the beach during a weekend getaway to Santa Cruz; listening to The 21st Century perform the song I requested at their kickstarter show; seeing Mom's reaction on Pirates of the Caribbean; picking strawberries + turning them into strawberry shortcake (the dessert, not the doll); scoring cute clothes at second hand stores; watching an afternoon thunderstorm by myself over the Serene Lakes in Tahoe National Forest; meeting my niece Maude when she was two hours old; seeing Van Gogh's La Salle de Danse à Arles at the Musée d'Orsay; eating fondue + drinking wine from a baby bottle in Montmarte, then walking up many a stair to catch the Eiffel Tower sparkle lights from Sacre Coeur; people watching at the Stravinsky Fountain; seeing Love Locks on bridges all around Europe; seeing street art all around Europe; seeing yarn bombing twice in Europe (in Salzburg + Leipzig); reflecting on the nature of humanity after visiting Anne Frank's house; frolicking where (film versions of) Maria + the Von Trapp kids sang Do Re Mi; seeing Klimt, Schiele + contemporary art at the Belvedere in Vienna; learning of + about Hundertwasser; doodling in my moleskine; taking photos (of both the staged + sneak attack variety); and everything I already mentioned in my Extra-Curricular Activities Countdown, of course.

which were staged? which were sneak attacks?

When I look back on 2011, these moments are what I want to remember.  Moments of pride, freedom, heart-swelling, merrymaking, beauty,

adventure, learning, magic and laughter.

I hope for even more.  For me, and for you.

Here's to a magical and laughter-filled 2012.

Cheers, Loves!

My Favorite Things: Extra-Curricular Activities

Day 3 of "My Week of Favorites" Countdowns: 

Sarah's Top Five Free Time Activities of 2011

5. Sing-A-Long Sound of Music at the Castro Theater.  A few years ago, I sang-a-long with Grease, which was fun and all, but my heart belongs to the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic.  I've been on the Castro Theater's e-mail list for years, patiently awaiting the notice proclaiming, "Yes! Sarah! Soon, you will be able to sing, er yodel, along with Maria about the Lonely Goatherd".  Two of my favorite cousins, a like-minded friend, and a couple CouchSurfers joined me.  We sang about raindrops on roses, warm woolen mittens, and brown paper packages tied up with string.  Somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good.

Cousins! + the Wurlitzer dude playing Rodgers & Hammerstein of course

photo credit for Wurlitzer photo: my wonderful cousin, Melissa Mayes

photo credit for Cousins! photo: a kind stranger

4. Fantasy Football.  2011 marked my third endeavor into drafting and managing a fantasy football team.  I originally joined two years ago because Ben's league needed an even number of teams, and apparently they were having a tough time finding #8, so I reluctantly agreed.  Sure, I liked watching actual NFL games, but I knew nothing about this so-called fantasy football.  Seasons 1 and 2 were full of heartache and disappointment (for a freakishly competitive person like me, who expects to win everything she attempts, even if she knows nothing of the "how-to"), but definitely enough amusement and excitement to go for a third try.  I'm quite proud of how much I've learned and applied, and I had a good feeling going into this season.  So back in August, I dubbed this year's squad The Charm.  The third time is, well, you know . . .

sorry for the fuzzy screen shot; I blame Yahoo!

3. My Birthday Balloon Walk around Lake Merritt.  Using my birthday as a day to spread cheer, both to friends and strangers, is an annual ritual of sorts.  In 2011, I decided we would walk around the lake with bouquets of rainbow-colored, heart-shaped balloons.  Because, balloons are pretty darn magical.  (See: UP and The Red Balloon.)  To elicit maximum merriment, I encouraged friends to give balloons to children we encountered on the path.  The number of smiles I saw > the number of balloons we started with.  :]  

photo credit: Marianne Szeto

2. CouchSurfing.  In case you've no idea what I'm talking about—in a nutshell: folks from all over the world, who are willing to host people in their homes, create a profile on the CouchSurfing website.  Folks who wish to "surf the couch" of said willing hosts, make their own profile, and browse profiles looking for a good fit.  The surfer sends the potential host a couch request, and if the host accepts, the host and surfer arrange a time and place to meet.  Ben and I stayed in twelve different CS homes while we were in Europe this autumn.  And I was completely charmed by the whole experience; I am not exaggerating when I say it restored my faith in humanity.  Our hosts exuded natural hospitality, and made me feel completely home in a foreign land.  I learned so much about the daily lives of the locals.  Most hosts provided breakfasts, a few even cooked us dinner, and some either joined us at their favorite restaurants or at least recommended their favorites.  All of them served as expert translators, transportation advisers, and insiders who shared more "off the beaten path" locales to check out.  Emmanuel in Brussels taught us about Belgian chocolate and beer; Tamara in Katsheuvel cooked us pannenkoek (Dutch pancakes) and gave me dry, wool socks when we arrived on her doorstep soaked to the bone; Lena in Essen guided me on an epic bike ride through the hills and along the Baldeneysee (a reservoir surrounded by gorgeous hills); Verena and Markus in Munich cooked us some spätzle (egg pasta), recommended we visit Starnberger See (a stunning lake), and forced us to wear their lederhosen and dirndl (see evidence below); Jacques in Berlin took us on a walking tour and showed us amazing street art in an alley I'm sure we never would have stumbled upon on our own; Ermanno in Copenhagen took us to a free viewing of Pan's Labyrinth at a centuries-old church (granted, the subtitles were in Danish, but it added to the international feel of the evening!); Late and Sõlvi in Copenhagen let us play with their crazy-yet-adorable kitten when we were missing our cats somethin' fierce.  I could go on, but I'll just say that I am forever grateful for the experiences gained through CouchSurfing, and I would not hesitate to host one day.  When I have a couch of my own.  :]   
 

me + Lena; secret spot in Berlin; earning street cred in Munich;

psycho kitty in Copenhagen; Belgian beer options; Jacques + Ben

1. Mini-adventures with Ben, my partner in whatever the opposite of crime is.  Yes, we traveled around Europe together, which is not a very mini-adventure.  And he was the ideal travel partner.  Anywhere I wanted to visit or eat, he joined enthusiastically.  I dragged him to not one, but TWO theme parks, and nary a complaint was heard.  And let's just say that I'm not sure Ben would've chosen to go to quite so many museums had he planned every outing.  But, really, even when we're back in the States, one of my favorite ways to spend time is doing ordinary stuff with Ben: running around Lake Chabot, drinking bubble tea and playing board games, discussing fantasy football strategy, playing with the cats, even just reading side by side.  When Ben's around, all this stuff seems not so ordinary.  :]

Kinderdijk, Delft, Paris, Versailles, Versailles, London

What were your favorite extra-curricular activities of 2011?

My Favorite Things: Gifts I Gave

At the risk of sounding a tad saccharine, I believe that gift giving can bring just as much, if not more, joy to the giver than the receiver.  The gifts we give send a message to the recipient, and I love showing friends, family, and sometimes strangers that I care about them, their interests, and what's going on in their lives.  And sometimes, it's just fun to make something shiny to make them go, "Ooooh, how did you do that?!"  ;]

Hence, for Day 2 of my "Week of Favorites" Countdowns, I present to you (get it? present. Ha!):

'Tis So Much Better to Give Than Receive -

Sarah's Top Five Gifts Given in 2011

5. Sparkly cookies.  Because who doesn't love glittery anything, really?  Especially glittery cookies that look like little butts.  I brought dozens to each holiday celebration I attended, and folks told me they were delicious.  Which is probably true.  That, or they were hypnotized by all the sparkle.

4. A cover for Ben's mom's NOOK.  She acquired the ereader Thanksgiving weekend, and did not have a case yet.  Sarah + her sewing machine to the rescue!  I followed a process very similar to the instructions in this tutorial, with a few minor adjustments (e.g. I figured the dimensions for a NOOK Simple Touch, used a strip of elastic rather than velcro, and I chose to have the device slide in from the top rather than the side).  There were a few minor snafus—my machine's timing is off now, so I had to finish by hand, and that elastic was a wily rascal!  All things considered, I think it's pretty cute, and I'm sure that NOOK is safe + snug!     

 

3. Saffy the Giraffe for my niece, Maude.  The moment I laid my eyes on The Simply Small Series of books, I knew what I was giving Maude for Christmas: a copy of the first Saffy book, and a handmade, stuffed Saffy the Giraffe.  I don't have a photo of the finished Saffy to share, but I'm pretty sure my niece approved.  The moment Maude laid her eyes on the giraffe,

Saffy went directly into her mouth. :D

 2. I sent a t-shirt to my adorable cousin.  The back story: a few years ago, when I was going through a tough time, a dear friend sent me a little care package that included an Angry Little Girls t-shirt.  That t-shirt did me a world of good.  Full of cheek and cartoonish anger, it literally made me laugh and smile each time I saw it in my dresser.  The shirt also helped me feel loved and supported; it became a symbol of my recovery.  A visual reminder that everything will be ok.  Fast forward to a more recent time when my cousin was going through a tough time of her own, and I knew what I had to do.  The t-shirt had served its purpose with me, and now it was time to spread a little cheer to someone else in need.  I love gifts that keep giving.  :D

1. 2011 marked my mom's 60th birthday.  Since that's kind of a big deal, I wanted to do something extra nice for her.  My mom freaking loves all things Disney, and hadn't visited The Land since 1994 (California Adventure didn't even exist!).  Again, I knew what I had to do.  In retrospect, what I didn't have to do was ride Splash Mountain in 58° weather.  But, the smile on my mom's face was definitely worth it.  :] 

Mary Blair concept art for Alice in Wonderland; Mom + me after Splash Mountain*

What was your favorite gift you gave this year?

Also!  Reminder that Janet is still giving away $ in the name of your simple Acts of Goodwill!  Jump on over there + tell her about all the elfin' you've been up to during this season of giving!  ♥

*photo credit for Splash Mountain aftermath: my wonderful friend, Valerie Rangel,
who also helped make the Disneyland trip for my mom possible. 

My Favorite Things: European Junk Food

Welcome back from the festivities, folks!  I hope your holiday weekend was full of nestling, snuggling, and visions of dancing sugar plums.  Or spiked egg nog.  Whatever. 

Since there are five more days of this calendar year, I'd like to spend this week reflecting on My Favorite Things of 2011.  I'm feeling a whole lot of gratitude + a little levity is in order.  ;] 

Today's topic?  Well, you may or may not have noticed that I nonchalantly alluded to the fact that I was in Europe this autumn.  It's true.  I was there.  And, yes, I saw priceless works of art, wandered about in many a picturesque park, and heard some world-class musicians do their thing.  I also took advantage of the opportunity to taste regional gourmet cuisines.  But, today—today, I'd like to focus on the wonderful gift of the not-particularly-nutritious foods Europe bestowed upon me.  Therefore, I present to you:

Sarah's Top Six Sweet Snacks To Nosh On 

Whilst Frolicking Around Europe 

      

6. Grom ice cream in Paris.  Heaven in a cone.  The best ice cream of my life.  I savored every lick of pistachio + salted caramel that my tongue had the honor of tasting.  In fact, I was so engrossed in the experience, I failed to take a photo of the gorgeous confection.  Instead, I give you a shot of soft serve enjoyed outside the Centre Pompidou, my favorite people-watching locale in Paris (but that's for another post!).

  

NOT Grom. Rather some soft serve outside the Centre Pompidou.

5. Galler chocolate.  Our CouchSurfing host (again—a story for another post!) in Brussels gave us a brilliant tip regarding Belgian chocolate.  The chocolate available in local markets is just as delicious and not nearly the cost of the schmancy stuff in the tourist shops.  I can vouch for the truth of this fact.  Sorry I don't have photographic evidence; even sorrier that I haven't been able to locate Galler in the States yet . . .  

4. This Alnatura Mandel thing, found in the dm (drugstore chain) in Austria.  Each package contained about ten soft, chewy rectangular pieces

made of almonds.  Kind of like marzipan, but even dreamier.

must locate U.S. retailer . . .

3.  Ladurée macarons.  I don't even know what to say.

The first bite brought a tear to my eye.

 

sigh

2. Stroopwafels in the Netherlands!  When we were at a farmer's market in Delft, I tried my first stroopwafel—two warm waffle rounds sealed together with fresh caramel!  Henceforth, I hunted them down on a daily basis.  Almost every corner store sold the pre-packaged ones, which were pretty darn tasty.  Before leaving Amsterdam, I may or may not have purchased a substantial stash to bring to Germany in case they didn't exist there.*

    

*smuggling stroopwafels into Germany

1. Toffifee!  Yet another treasure hidden on the shelves of the local grocery markets in Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic.  Hazelnut, caramel, nougat, and chocolate all in one bite.  So much awesome packed into one bite.  Toffifee is the overachiever of the bunch, but Oh! does she succeed!

as if the taste weren't enough, toffifees are shaped like lil' nuts. TOO cute.

Ok, your turn!  Do you have any favorite snacks from elsewhere in the world?  I gotta know what to look for when I travel the rest of the globe!  ;] 

At the risk of being TOO discursive,

and forsaking a cohesive narrative, I give you a gem of a quotation. 

From Roald Dahl: “And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.”

spotted @ the Hundertwasserhaus in Vienna

through the Berlin Wall

sparkly Nyhavn in Copenhagen

And indulge me once more, as I add my elaboration.  Glitter and magic and wonder are everywhere.  All around us, everyday.  But, if all that sparkly whimsy is eluding your vision, make your own magic.

love locks in Englischer Garten, Munich

MacArthur overpass in Oakland

on the London Underground

Where did you spot some magic today?

Dear London,

Thank you for yummy Indian food + reminding me that unicorns exist.

Not feelin' all the chicken spots in Hackney, though,
Sarah

Dear Jetlag,

I concede.  You exist.

Devastatingly, exhaustedly yours in London,
Sarah

p.s. but it's worth it to catch glimpses of corners of London such as this:

and this:

so, thanks . . . I guess?

It's time

to see more of the world.

xoxo,
Sarah