My Impressions of Amsterdam

We got off to a bit of a rocky start in Amsterdam.  It is funny because whenever I told someone that Jake and I were going to spend nearly two months in Amsterdam, they would inevitably make a comment warning me about the prevalence of drugs or the red light district.

A Visit to Bangkok's Largest Flower Market - Pak Khlong Talat

Four dozen roses for $1.50?!?  Yes!  Doesn't that make you rethink all of your past flower purchases? However, the catch is that you have to first get yourself to Bangkok, and then make the trek to the Pak Khlong Talat flower market.

Normandy: A Few Favorites

There is something about Normandy... the landscape is lush, the colors are vibrant and the air is crisp.  From our hotel, we could drive 15 minutes and arrive in the chic seaside town of Deauville, or head 10 minutes in the other direction and be in Honfleur, a perfectly preserved fishing village.

Deauville, France

With Deauville's fabled history filled with movie stars and royalty and its reputation as a playground for France's elite, I was expecting the snooty factor to be off the charts. Instead, I found Deauville to be welcoming and a lot of fun.  Deauville came off as an almost impossibly chic seaside town brimming with pride. From the manicured gardens to the beautifully kept historic buildings and clean streets, the town of Deauville takes obvious care to ensure that its past glories continue into the future.

Burgundy: Beaune, France

Beaune was the perfect halfway point to spend the weekend during our drive from Provence to Normandy. Located in the eastern part of central France about 30 miles south of Dijon, Beaune is the wine capital of the Burgundy region and a quintessential French town. Jake said that before he visited France, this is what he pictured it to be like.  It reminded me of the French village in Disney's Beauty and the Beast.