My Wanderlust Journal

In Search of YOGA: Barcelona Yoga Conference

2012-02-26T00:13:00.000+01:00

It's time again, one of the best yoga experiences I've had the pleasure of being a part of...the Barcelona Yoga Conference is back for its 2nd year! Register before March 1 (less than a week from now) and it only costs 165€ for the 3-day pass (or 75€/day) compared to 215€ by June 1. The conference runs from July 5-9 (but it was so awesome I have to mention it now!)

Once again, there will be such a variety of yoga classes to try, all taught by incredible teachers. AcroYoga carries a noticeable presence throughout the conference (led and founded by Jason Nemer and Jenny Sauer-Klein, who both played a major role in organizing the whole conference) and I knew nothing about AcroYoga but had fun learning. Part yoga, part Thai massage and part acrobatics, this is a FUN and different style of yoga. Practicing this brought back memories of my childhood gymnastics days, minus the scary coach and bruised body. Jason and Jenny did a terrific job of safely teaching and allowing us to practice in a safe, supportive environment with each other and additional AcroYoga teachers participating in the class. "Antigravity" massages and "therapeutic flying" are terms you will learn and experience firsthand if you can make it to one of these classes!

The 'Joy of Handstands' was one of my favorite workshops. Here's a brief instruction on how they taught us to get into a handstand (with a partner spotting): Start in Down Dog, but bring feet a bit closer to hands, shoulders stacked over wrists, feet together, (spotter standing behind in Vira 1), kicker kicks both legs together (hips also as high over shoulders as poss), starting kicking in squats, then straddles, then pikes..eventually each way can come up to handstand!

Lots of handstands with partners...

But its not all acrobatics and handstands! You'll get to try these styles and more: Kundalini, Asthanga, Anusara, Yoga Esenio, Iyengar, Sivananda, Shadow Yoga, Vinyasa, Jivamukti, Bhakti, YinYoga, Traditional Hatha Yoga, Prana Vinyasa Flow...
Don't miss it if you can! Barcelona doesn't get much better than this!

My highlights of the conference:

Swim breaks on Barcelona's beach!
The warm n fuzzy energy and love flowing around!
Variety of yoga styles taught by talented, inspiring teachers!
"Joy of Handstands" and "Yin and Reiki" workshops
How much this conference opened my mind and heart to new styles and methods of yoga

World's Largest..oh wait..

2012-02-22T15:34:00.001+01:00

...that would be Oktoberfest, not Carnival (or 'Fasching' as the Bavarians call it), wrong party! But it seems like the Germans are always partying to the max for some reason or another, contrary to popular belief. What people probably don't realize is that they just prefer to set the proper parameters for their partying..you know, there's a time and place for everything, and of course, there are certain 'rules' for everything here too, why should partying be any different?! But then they are guaranteed to get it right and really allow themselves to let loose, when they're supposed to. Even most local businesses close their doors at 2 pm on Fat Tuesday so they too can partake in the fun!

I've gotten over the fact that Germans don't celebrate Halloween (big disappointment in the beginning) but I soon realized its not that they don't like to dress up in silly, scary, freaky, 'sexy' costumes, its just that they save it for February (when its the coldest) and go all out just once a year. We got lucky this year, the weather was beautiful and sooo warm: around 40-degree F/4 C! But you don't care so much about this when you're dancing the day away at Viktualienmarkt with hundreds of your closest friends and the Caipirinhas are flowing..

T'is (T'was) the Season!

Greeeen Mann..

All the Queens come out!

And the pink nuns of course too..

You'll shoot your eye out kid


Nothing klein about these two!

Hangover dude!


No idea..

Ghostbusters on break.


Everyone has a jolly ole time at Fasching!

Oh why stop here?

People of ALL ages celebrating!

ALL AGES

Capis were flowing!

Thanks for stopping by!

2012-02-16T17:42:00.000+01:00

Our very first Munich Creative Group's Pop-Up Gallery was so much fun last weekend and I just want to thank all of those who came out to support us. Special thanks to Emmy who did so much for us all, including, but certainly not limited to, allowing us to fill her new home wall-to-wall with our latest art projects! I think we all really enjoyed it and it was exciting to have around 100 people view our work, offer feedback and chat with us. To keep up with our future events and to view more photos from this one, take a look (and why not 'like'?!) our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MunichCreativeGroup

Munich Creative Group, in all our glory!
Thanks also to Lia, our official event photographer!

I would also like to put a little plug in to a small company who was a huge help to some of us in printing out high-quality, fine art prints of our work: Simone and Sabine at Pixel Manufaktur, really care about making your prints look the best they can (and are very knowledgeable about various fine art papers, color management, printing processes and so much more!). They also offer photography workshops and have all the latest equipment on location! A fair amount of German speaking is required!

A couple of the photos I showed (and are available for purchase):

"Friedensengel at Dawn" 30 x 40 cm,
Limited edition archival print on fine art photo rag paper

"Early at the Park" 30 x 40 cm,
Limited edition archival print on fine art photo rag paper

London - "Pauls" on Piccadilly St, 30 x 40 cm,
Limited edition archival print on fine art photo rag paper

8 km of pure "Rodeln" in Chiemgau (Frasdorf)

2012-02-06T17:20:00.000+01:00

Finally... made it out to the 'Berge' for the first time this winter, to a beautiful area of the Alps, near Chiemsee (lake), called Frasdorf. And what a day to pick, there's just this little cold snap that won't leave Europe. But the first saying I learned when moving to Munich years ago was "There's no bad weather, only bad clothing." And I am living proof of that. In -12C (or 5 in Fahrenheit) temperatures, we made the 2-hour hike up to the delightful, but crowded, Riesenhutte for a refreshing 'Russn' (Wheatbeer + Sprite-like soda that I love) and some hearty food cooked by a much better than average cook for these mountain huts.

So much to say about this place. For starters, the food: yes its your 'typical' hut food but the 'Rahmchampignon mit Semmelknodel' I had was aussergewohnlich (exceptional:), oh this is a creamy mushroom sauce, indeed with loads of mushrooms, and 2 dumplings - hit the spot right after our chilly climb, followed by what must be the most deliciousestest 'Kaiserschmarrn' I've had in all my days in Germany! Doch!! This guy (Alexander Egger, owner and cook) knows how to transform some fluffy pancakes into a gourmet delight fit for an Emperor (that's what the name means by the way, 'Kaiser' = Emperor, schmarrn = uh, nonsense, or messed up!) Like scrambled pancakes with some sugar, in this case perfectly carmelized, and compote on the side (usually apple, we had plum today)..Deeeeeelicous!

Oh ya, but the reason we were actually there was for the hike up and even more so for the 'Rodeln' (Sledding) down...weeeeeeeee! Love that sledding! It's not just for those too chicken to ski either (and I love skiing too) but this sledding is serious business here in Bavaria. Its definitely 'at your own risk', and you are sharing an 8-kilometer long, steep and somewhat narrow passageway with hikers, skiiers (mainly just coming down from the off-piste skiing), kids, dogs and the occassional mountain biker (wasever!). Today was quite icey by the time we made it down which made it rather difficult to steer...and to stop...and even to walk..but a beautiful time of day to awe at the snow-topped trees, and views of the surrounding Alps and the lake in the distance. All of these things totally outweigh the bumps and bruises I got on a couple of wipeouts.

To Sum it Up:
- 2 hour hike up to quirky, cute and friendly Riesenhutte (still not at the peak, but great views)
- About halfway up is another hut you can stop into if you need to break it up
- No option of taking a gondola, you are stuck hoofin it! But its sooo worth it!
- Get your sled(s) at the Riesen hut after a meal to warm you up, for 8 euros to go all the way back down to parking, or 4 euros to drop it off at the halfway hut and walk rest of way down
- When I say 'all the way back down' let me say that the hut is 1346 meters high (4,416 feet), but an 8 km path
- Can stay overnight at Riesenhutte (basic accomodations)
- Very friendly service and quirky atmosphere with shoes hanging from lamps
- Course offerings for avalanche safety and the hut participates in the 4-day tour from here to Kampenwand
- About an hour outside of Munich (by car) on the A8 (Salzburg), Exit Frasdorf, left onto Sagbergstrasse, then right towards 'Lederstube' and at the end of this street is parking

!!! A fun idea: time your trip with a taste of their full moon menu and stay the night, or sled down at night with your headlamp!! 2012 dates: March 9, May 4, June 8, July 6, August 3 and 31


Beautiful snowy hike up.

Hot tea break...Oh, even my hat was chilly!

Now we're talking..weeeeee! Sooo much fun!

Looking for something to do next Saturday in Munich? Come see the Munich Creative Group's first exhibit! Look here for more details!

We're Having A Show!

2012-02-02T17:31:00.004+01:00

Oh, do stop by! The (in)famous Munich Creative Group will be holding our first 'Pop-Up Gallery' on Saturday, February 11 (see our Facebook Page for more details on this and about the group and to see the logo I designed:) A variety of fine art photography, painting, mixed media, and more exciting stuff like musical performances and some creative writing from some very talented local artists.

I will be showing some of my photos from chilly early mornings and even chillier late nights (see my previous post for a sampling) as well as a couple of abstract watercolors.

We are a diverse, international group telling a variety of stories through a range of media. Some, but not all, of the art work will be for sale. Come by between 2 pm and 8 pm to have a look, for more details, see our poster:

Hope to see you there!

04:44

2012-01-21T19:09:00.001+01:00

That's the time I woke up this morning, couldn't go back to sleep (but tried til 5:45) and so then got up to take some photos of all the snow outside! What a treat! This is the first snow that I have been here for this winter (and I believe only the 2nd time it really snowed in the city).

I wish I could get up more often like this, at least before it's really light outside, even a stroll around our neighborhood becomes a new place to discover at this hour. We have the English Garden and 'Friedensengel' (Peace Angel, one of my favorite Munich landmarks) just a block away, on our very own street we call home, Prinzregentenstrasse. There's gourmet Kaefer right across the street (warning: leave your wallet at home for this place! Just browse and sample the freebies!) And so much more, but I'll save that for another post!

Hope you enjoy a few of my snowy morning shots, time for me to go back to bed:

6:30 a.m. These car lights are kinda my thang lately..

Car lights mean there were others out and about at this ungodly hour!?!

Europaplatz with Russian Embassy behind (just a block from us)

The light was perfectly shining upon the monument for this shot at 7:10 am..but I blurred the little angel!
(my remedy: don't zoom in, maybe you won't notice)!

Below the Angel of Peace

6:53 a.m. ISO 200, f/20, 8 sec... I kinda liked this better!
Happy Accidents.

@6:52 a.m. ISO 200, f/4, 1/15 sec.

07:05, and the day has dawned.

In Search of Yoga: Yoga Expo München 2012

2012-01-17T23:16:00.000+01:00

Come get your dog down at this year's YogaExpo, here in Munich. This is a great chance to explore many different styles of yoga by many expert yoga teachers. Just pay one entrance fee (either 13€ per day on Saturday/Sunday or 2 days for 22€, or all 3 days for 30€). There is enough to do, see and experience each day to get your money's worth, some suggestions I can recommend firsthand:

German-American Patrick Broome is teaching a jivamutki class each day - GO! He will leave you feeling like you've been to Samadhi and back. He brought the Jivamutki style to Germany from New York, which has become quite popular here as well.
Susanne Giesse is a fun, soothing, spirited teacher who gives the gift of a deeply rooted yet uplifting practice. You can't help but smile in her class. She will be teaching some YogaWorks classes which is the teacher training I did in 2010 at her beautiful studio, Yogalounge in Pullach (just outside of Munich central). If you can't make a workshop, get to her studio sometime soon! Susanne teaches Sat, Sun.
Jasmin Kirstein, owner of MySportLady in Munich and a heartfelt teacher, will lead a unique type of yoga class, Hormone Yoga and Meditation (and I will assist!). She learned from the pioneer of Hormone Yoga, Dinah Rodriguez who founded this method. Even if your hormones don't need balancing it's a calming and relaxing class. Depending on how many attendees are there, you'll even receive a mini massage! The meditation will leave you...well & happy!

I think the Handstand workshop sounds like fun and I highly recommend trying an Iyengar style class. This style is so valueable for a safe, precise method of practicing yoga (which seems more and more to fall by the wayside these days). Their teacher trainings are much more rigorous and take a lotlonger than most to accomplish. Strong focus on technique, sequence and timing separate this from other yoga styles.

At this YogaExpo one can dabble in the whole yogi lifestyle without committing by making the rounds: Ayurveda methods, vegetarian foods, kirtan concerts, yoga for kids, accessories/equipment/clothing, lectures, meditation workshops. As the popular Yoga Journal puts it, "Eine Messe für Körper, Geist und Seele" or "A Tradeshow for Body, Mind and Soul."
Hope to see you there!

In Search of Kunst: Egon Schiele in Munich

2012-01-17T00:13:00.001+01:00

Winter time in Munich is a good time to hit the museums, if you're not out skiing or sledding that is. And even though I'm on my way tomorrow to Schiele's home town of Vienna (I wonder if it would have been ranked the #1 city in the world to live back then*) I wanted to see it before I left, just in case I'm standing in front of so many blank walls at the Albertina wondering what once hung there.

Egon Schiele's "The Unsalvageable Ego" is showing now until March 4 at the Lenbachhaus Kunstbau - the temporary exhibition hall set up while the charming Lenbachhaus is closed for renovations (scheduled to reopen in Spring 2013).

If you haven't seen this exhibit yet and won't be heading to Vienna anytime soon for his other works (majority of which permanently reside at the Leopold Museum, then make sure you stop by before March 4 when the works head back to their home at the Albertina Museum in Vienna.

Schiele's first solo show abroad was here in Munich one hundred years ago in 1912, he died only six years later of the Spanish flu at age 28, just a few days after his pregnant wife succombed to it herself. IF you're not familiar with his work, perhaps you've heard of Gustav Klimt? Well Schiele was Klimt's protege, becoming a respectable artist of his own right even while he was still alive.

How to get there? Take the U2 or Bus 100 to Königsplatz (and take a walk around, it's pretty...it's pretty historical too!).

Schiele liked to rotate some of his works, even though it doesn't seem 'natural' it is meant to be hung vertically, like this (despite previous owners hanging it in landscape format). You can tell by how his signature is placed.


Egon Schiele. Lying nude, 1911 Pencil, water colour, topcoat paint and opaque white on wrapping paper© Albertina, Wien

I love this poster on display. Schiele designed it
for the 49th Exhibition of the Viennese Seccession.

Egon Schiele
Self portrait in orange jacket, 1913
Pencil, water colour and topcoat paint on Japanese tissue paper

To see a slideshow of the complete works of Egon Scheile click here.

* For the record, Munich isn't so shabby either, coming in at #4!

Get a Ve(n)dett(a)

2012-01-15T18:42:00.000+01:00

While in London recently I was informed of a brilliant photo opp combining beer and your ~~very own~~ friend's smiling or frowning, silly, laughing or crying, sober or not-so-sober, you get the idea, face: simply upload a photo of your choosing and it could be plastered and distributed on over 1,000 bottles of beer! Like these people:

Can't wait to see if my friend's mug (sitting in back right) makes it onto some bottles!

Banananavedett feefifodett..Vedetttt.

The Belgian company, Vedett, has a quirky, fun website where it's easy and fast to upload a photo of your good friend, or yourself. And the lager is quite good, we all had a couple few Extra Blondes at squish Covent Garden Hotel, previously a hospital converted into 5-star hotel with hip bar and restarurant, about 5 minutes from Leicester Square and a popular, lively meeting spot (not exactly for the budget traveler though).

London in (Christmas) Lights

2012-01-14T22:36:00.000+01:00

I recently returned from a fun trip to London - as if a trip to this city isn't fun enough, I pumped up the fun a notch more by taking a really cool instructional photography workshop (ok, two!) Christmas time is a looooovely time to visit, and its never too early to start planning your trip. A friend of mine recommended this company, Hairy Goat (surprisingly neither of my instructors were actual goats, nor were they excessively hairy), but they were both terrific teachers who are passionate about photography and are oozing with technical and creative knowledge.

Hairy Goat offers some cool workshops: one-on-one instructional lessons (which I did in the morning for about 3 hours) and other themed, more focused workshops like the Christmas Lights workshop (pssst.. look behind you..no I mean this background here behind this text), as well as city photography tours (like the mystery tour, which I did not do but it gets great reviews). Two workshops in one day made for a full day (especially after a night sampling the adorable pubs and varieties of beer I'm not accustomed to here in Munich). But it also gave me a chance to practice what I learned in the morning..on a very chilly London day.

We practiced panning, zoom bursts, depth of field shots and a lot of aperture vs. ISO vs. shutter speed techniques in the morning. Tricky stuff, if you're really trying to do it correctly and not just wing it. In the evening we trapsed around town with our tripods to some nicely-decorated sites (you feel a lot less silly walking around with other like-minded photo geeks than you do by yourself). The guides really know their way around London. Obviously, I'm still learning but now I hope to be more in control, making conscious decisions about my settings, without missing the moment. Afterwards we tucked away into a cozy pub for some Christmas cheer and beer together, Cheers!

Just when you thought the holidays were over...

2012-01-07T17:34:00.000+01:00

...along comes one of my (recently appointed) favorites: 3 Kings Day! For me, it's all about the scrumptious, buttery-flaky (King) cake 'Galette des Rois' that my french friend brings back from her holiday visit (she has also been known to make it from scratch) and we basically created a post-holiday party around this + a white elephant gift exchange + the 'adorning' (ok, defacing) of our Christmas tree = yummy fun.

Every King Cake comes with a little surprise inside and a crown!

No 3 Kings Party is complete without wieners and Paulaner beer.


This year's cake's surprise: A little Elvis-looking portrait named "RAOUL"!

The lucky person who receives the slice with the little 'Raoul' in it (careful not to swallow and choke) has to sing a song...a french song is our tradition, and usually ends up being a pathetic version of Frere Jacques

Don't these unwanted gifts under Julie's tree (named Stan) look lovely?

And all the Christmas candy that didn't get eaten is put out..
including..snowman peeps imported from U.S.?!

Before I moved to Munich I never gave this holiday due credit. But somehow I started appreciating it for what it was (not)..an excuse for a post holiday party! I found that the Christmas season went by all too fast, especially here in Munich what with more than a dozen worthy Christmas markets around town, parties, and friends or families traveling. It seems like as soon as I've made it through Christmas, I'm ready to relax and celebrate the 'festiveness' of it all, alas only for it to be (just about, but not quite!) over.

I should give it some credit, for what it actually is... 'Epiphany Day' is still a holiday in its own right here in Germany and Austria. It's not at all uncommon to see kids on the streets dressed as Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar. According to an old legend based on a Bible story, these three kings saw, on the night when Christ was born, a bright star, followed it to Bethlehem and found there the Christchild and presented it with gold, frankincense and myrrh. Today all over Bavaria, many homes around town will be blessed by these 3 Kings and you will know which homes have been visited by them by the writing on the door "CMB" plus the current year.

The 3 Kings were here (2011).. Christus Mansinem Benedictat

Special thanks to Julie for stepping in to host this year's gathering, due to unforeseen uh..plumbing problems at our place... Julie gladly stepped up to hostess. And out of respect for her tree, or perhaps just because we forgot and someone had already scarfed all the wieners, we did not deface her little tree.

Sledders Take Your Mark! Part 1-Wallberg am Tegernsee

2011-11-22T11:10:00.001+01:00

Oh how I love to sled the nearby foothills of the Alps! Growing up in Florida, I didn't get too many experiences, soooo deprived I was. This year I would like to try some new places for one of my favorite winter pastimes (I think this has almost surpassed skiing for me now!) But I'll begin with what I know, firsthand and can HIGHLY recommend!

The 6.5 km slope at Wallberg Mountain, in Rottach-Egern on Tegernsee lake, Germany's longest natural sledding run might not be the best spot for timid beginners (although this was my first time sledding anywhere and I survived). The sharp curves and and lack of protective fences to catch you can make it somewhat dangerous. Note to the daredevels out there: "In the area of cable car and sledding run SPEEDIFYING is forbidden!" claims there website. Nooooo speedifying?!%!

View of Tegernsee from the cable car heading up.


Beautiful, short walk from the top to the chapel.

Off she goes!

oops..Down she goes!

Here we see the speedifying limit is 50.

Helpful facts:

2011-12 season prices: One-way cable car ride costs 10€ (Children 6-15 yrs, €5.50),
Return trip costs 17€ (Children, 9€), sleds cost 5€ for day.
Good panaramic restaurant at top, beautiful views of Tegernsee Lake and Austrian Alps to south
Run starts at 1,620 meters high (at restaurant)
Takes about 30 minutes to sled down (depends on how many falls and laughs of course!)
Cable car operates from 08:45 until 16:30 (last cable car down) in winter
Get there via 'BOB' train from Munich to Tegernsee, then ROV bus to Wallbergbahn cable car

For more info on the Tegernsee area, including year round activities, accomodation and events, visit the Tegernsee Regional website. Oooooh, while I'm at it, here's a direct link to the Rottach-Egern Christmas markets, which I'll also do another post on real soon!

Other places on/around Tegernsee for sledding that I won't be seen speedifying at this season (source: Der Tegernsee: Your Holiday Guide)

Bad Wiesee

Tobogganing at Söllbachtal, starting from the Aueralm Inn allthe way to Söllbachtal Valley, 4.3 km long.
Floodlit tobogganing at Prinzenruh, 100 m long.

Gmund

Natural toboggan run from Neureuth Mountain Inn, ascent fromGmund/Gasse, approx. 3.5 km long.

Kreuth

Olympic luge run Kreuth-Klamm, floodlit night runs every Friday at 7 pm (with rented luge), from end of December.
Natural toboggan run from Mt. Hirschberg, ascent from Kreuth- Scharling, approx. 5 km long.
Natural toboggan run from Mt. Setzberg, ascent from the centre of Kreuth, approx. 3 km long.

Rottach-Egern, in addition to Wallberg:

Natural toboggan run at Sibli, accessible via Enterrottach-Sutten toll road, approx. 1.5 km long.

Tegernsee

Natural toboggan run from Galaun Mountain Inn, ascent from Riederstein parking lot, Tegernsee Süd, approx. 2 km long.
Natural toboggan run from Neureuth Mountain Inn, ascent from Tegernsee Town, Neureuthstraße parking lot, approx. 2 km long.

What are your sledding experiences, stories, favorite memories? Have you been to any of the above, including Wallberg? If so, share your thoughts!

Accepting Offerings from An Elephant & A Monkey

2011-11-17T09:00:00.001+01:00

Past travel experiences have recently caught up with me, in a good way. It's hard to know at the time when such vivid experiences will not only turn into vivid memories but could even have a profound impact on someone's life...your own included.

In 2001 I was backpacking through Laos on my own (I highly recommend taking challenging trips alone from time to time). I met a 20-year old who was studying to become a monk, he called himself 'Joy'. He showed me around Vientiene, including taking me to his temple, Wat Nong Bone, where other monks were praying and chanting (I kept an open mind since I'd never been exposed to any of this before), he took me to the wild and fascinating Xiang Khouan (Buddha Park), about 25km outside of the city, arriving by tuk tuk..and, with the help of his English teacher who I could barely understand, even convinced me to teach his English class to his fellow monks-to-be. A day I will always cherish.

Entry from "Buddha's Standing" workbook Joy sent.

We kept in touch for years. He sent me quaint Buddha teachings, meditation beads, little books from his childhood and asked me loads of questions about my life in America. Then hardship fell upon him and his family and we lost touch, he had to move to the countryside, no longer having access to email or phones.

While I was taking care of my mother and grandmother for a month recently, I suddenly received an email from him:
"HI...kim
how are you? it been so long time no hear from you and i only hope and hope
to hear from you because i miscontact with you long
i am Mr joy who i met you when i was monk in laos if you see this mail pls
write me i am really looking forward to hear from you
your old friend in laos joy"

We continued a dialogue and I could begin to sense the worry he had about his mother who has not been healthy, and how he was selling their farms and other precious items to pay for a much needed operation.. he wrote things like:
"...right now what i can do for her i am plaese to do everything to save her life
what are you doing at the moment ? i will email you again when i am back from
my hometown, and how is your mom? is she getting well now.? yes sure i have to be stronger because i want to see my mom smile again"

Finally I received a desperate email from him asking for financial help to save his mom. What could I do? I know how much more fortunate we westerners are (in some ways). But what if his life had changed for the worse? Could I really believe him? Do I have any reason to doubt him? I didn't know what to do. He said he would have to take an illegal job to pay for the operation and he was willing to do this. I asked a friend for advice, she not only advised but decided to donate all her profits from an upcoming moving sale to Joy, for his mother. WOW. She brought up a good point, does it really even matter what he needs the money for? Of course we like to think we are not giving money away for 'nothing', but if a person like this is desperate enough to ask someone he hasn't seen in 10 years, someone he only spent a couple of days with but made a lasting impact on their brief time in a remote land, does it really matter? It's hard to explain the mystery behind these things, these feelings, these experiences and why these 'opportunities' happen. And for whom are we really making these offerings, for them or for ourselves?

Novice monk, "Joy" at Buddha Park, March 2001.

On my way back into city from Buddha Park


Passing by family on way to Buddha Park, 25 km in a tuktuk.

The latest text message I received from Joy (Nov. 13, 2011):
"morning Kim, how r u? I am so happy to tell u that today my mom, she eat a lot. It so long time that I have not seen her like this."

Luxus Munich!

2011-10-27T20:07:00.003+02:00

For our 5-year wedding anniversary my husband and I decided that instead of spending the money to go on a trip, as I had anticipated but we both got caught up in too much recent traveling, why not spend the money doing something we'd only heard the rich n famous doing, right here in Munich?!

Actually he kind of surprised me with the first folly: day of pampering at the Blue Spa in the Bayerischer Hof Hotel right in Munich's city center. We spent the whole day lounging by the pool with a sliding glass roof (its a little too chilly to have it open now) and a terrace overlooking the Frauenkirche, Munich's landmark church, and the city center. The sun's warm rays and the spectacle of fall leaves on the trees outside made us want to stay right there. When we weren't oooing and awwing at all our surroundings, we were melting into our couples massage in one of several aroma-y massage rooms, or glowing with dew in one of the three immaculate saunas. Hugos, a refreshing blend of prosecco, "Holunderblüten" syrup (very common here, in English its called elderflower, maybe you can find it or try making your own if you're feelin kooky), mint, and a little lime, on the sunny terrace made our splurgalicious day complete.

Ahhhhhspaaaaaaa!

Pretending to be a serious buyer of art.

Still pretending..

The next night we had a dinner reservation at my all-time favorite restaurant not only just in Munich, but probably in the WHOLE WILD WORLD (as my German husband says), Schweiger2 at Restaurant Showroom. Its like an artistic adventure for the tummy! Its upscale, fancy schmancy but still somehow maintains an intimate, down-to-earth atmosphere with friendly, professional servers. The cook has a little table-side chat with you to let you know there is no menu, its all one exquisite "Überraschung" (surprise) after another..anywhere from 3 to 9 courses. Now would be a good time to let him know about that peanut allergy, or if there's anything you just don't like. Beware, you may think you don't like Blütwurst, but the chef sure does and if you're brave enough to eat it anywhere, it should be here! Our first time there he snuck it into some little tortellinis combined with chocolate (eew? noooooo!) and this time it was more obvious, and of course delicious! I can't believe I'm admitting this..but it's true!

Here we have several tooteetoos...with a sprinkle of lalala..
and some scrumptious deer carpaccio and filet. I was surprised to see
a few peanuts keeping all these fancy things company, but they held
their own ground.

Another scrumptious course..

One little two little three little suppes (pumpkin variations)

Soup slurpie!

I think this was the main course, but who can keep track?
Salmon & trout caviar with soy beans and other gemuse..

Or was this the main course...tada..the Blütwurst! With a friendly scallop for a hat.

What's left of one dessert, with a stinkin good assortment of cheeses in background, and the note we exchanged with our adorable waitress who is soon moving to DC to be with her American boyfriend...aww, we assured her these German-American multi-culti relationships are the way to go!

All of this accompanied by a wunderbar bottle of my new fave (Austrian) wine, Graupert with a cute cow that the farmers who make the wine decided to put on the bottles..the smaller the cow the better the wine quality. I have been on a Grauburgunder kick lately and this is the best so far! Did you know 'Grauburgunder' = Pinot Gris?

Yoga in Fort Lauderdale

2011-01-03T21:59:00.000+01:00

Funny that I write a post having anything to do with Fort Lauderdale because I don't actually consider it a travel destination, but rather 'going home' to visit family and friends. But it certainly has become a nice break from where I've been living for the past 6 years (Munich). I usually go home for at least a couple weeks and have realized more and more how important it is that I try to keep up with my yoga practice while there. It took me a while to gather these places so for future reference, here goes:

Starting with the place I actually purchased an unlimited week card: Red Pearl Yoga located off Sunrise Blvd near the beach, for $60/week (unlimited classes). One class costs $17 and I believe most are 1 and 1/2 hours. I liked all my classes but have to admit I wasn't used to the heat, and practicing in such a hot studio. But they had a wide variety of classes and were very accommodating and friendly.
Address: 918 NE 20th Ave Phone# 954.828.1651

Other places I haven't tried but might next time:
Yoga Connection, a little further out west, on Nova Drive, Phone # 954.577.5777

Yoga Institute of Broward, Iyengar style, which I only recently tried (once) and find it to to be an excellent method because you hold the positions longer than in most other styles and great emphasis is placed on doing the asanas correctly, which means safely, and that is so important in yoga. It's also a terrific workout, even though I didn't expect it to be so demanding! (I only tried it in Munich though, not at this studio). Single class costs $17. Phone # 954.452.4424

Yoga Warehouse of Downtown Fort Lauderdale, near the courthouse. Single class costs $18, 1 week costs $60. The Yoga Warehouse is an Affiliated Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center.

Something about this sounds a little dodgy to me, but there's also the Secret Woods Nature Center which appears to offer yoga classes but when I called I couldnt' reach anyone. Their website says they offer yoga every Monday and Thursday at 5 pm. I'm also a little hesitant because while this is a nature park, I know its also not in the best area of town. Some reviews on Tripadvisor of the park are here. Phone # 954.357.8884, my notes say they are closed Tues and Wed (maybe this is why I had the problem reaching someone).

So that's it for my notes on yoga in FLL..finally I can throw away this little scrap of paper!

Where have you been? Pin it!

2010-12-22T22:08:00.000+01:00

I am getting sidetracked on things, but thought this was fun to pin my destinations onto Tripadvisor's map. I hope to some day blog about what I can remember for some of my fave places, even if I went at a time when emailing didn't exist! Those were some of my most adventerous times and I know I have bits and pieces of these memories lying around all over the place, it would be nice to consolidate them before my memory goes blank.
Anyway, here's the map, and I believe it will post some of my selected 'favorite' destinations, although there are still several, even of my favorites, that have not yet been pinned on the map. But its a start..

I see that all the destinations below link to Tripadvisor site (no surprise) but I do use the site quite a bit for research, taken with a grain of salt for the reviews.

Siem Reap, Cambodia

Paris, France

Halong Bay, Vietnam

Ortisei, Italy

Barcelona, Spain

Limone sul Garda, Italy

Tel Aviv, Israel

Destin, FL, USA

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a Marseille

2010-12-01T21:37:00.001+01:00

A friend told me she didn't particularly like Marseille but I couldn't figure out why once I was there. Yes, its a little rough-y on the edges, but french and on the coast, what's not to like about that? Cool harbor, cool little shops and restaurants (once you get away from the harbor), french and North African food...sunshine..water..boats..cool sights..

ok, its not all as vivid in my mind anymore since I was there last May but I did want to jot down some places and restaurants of note before too much time has passed (still have about 30 days left of this year to get to it!)

One restaurant that still stands out is "Mina Kouk" in the 6th arr. near the "Notre-Dame du Mont" church I stumbled upon (and have yet to find on TripAdvisor). I peeked in like a shy outsider (that I am) into a warm and welcoming, adorable neighborhood spot. After discussing in my best franglais (and her's too) I decided on a delicious couscous avec poulet et legumes with a yummy sauce that all came in a copper pot for about 15 euros pour dejeuner. Also had the best fresh-squeezed lemonade I think I've ever gulped down! She is half Algerian and half French and her adorable and delicious restaurant has only been open since September. It was pretty full for lunch and the people seem to know and like her, and the neighboring tables all kind of pitched in to help me decide. Its also a patisserie and she serves great tea (I don't even drink tea usually!) It was such a nice break from the tourist restaurants near the harbor. In case you can't read the french site, and are looking for a more in-depth review look here.

I had no problems in Marseille on my own, in fact I quite enjoyed exploring, and people always seem to chat with me, which I enjoy and feel more like I'm getting better acquainted with a place.

One tiny excursion I did was take Bus #83 from Vieux Port along the coast and walked the corniche (it was a hot, somewhat crowded ride but short and only cost 1,50 euros each way). Beautiful coastal area along the highway while alongside the sea and with places to stop and sit to admire the gorgeous views. I just had to prolong my excursion by plopping down at Dauphins Corniche which was perched right above the cliff and I splurged a little bit for the salmon entre and lemonade (not as good here as at Nina's) but the atmosphere and ocean views help compensate- very relaxing and refreshing. There's also a large indoor pool tucked underneath just about at sea level, but all enclosed.

I must mention my favorite shop, I still get excited thinking about it and wish I could pop in anytime I like bcs they had so many cute little things...but I can't..cuz its not here..pooey. "Choukatam" uses a hand-cut, hand-written high-quality business card which just added to the cuteness. Her site (Katherine is the artist) only shows her paintings but they had lots of other neat little items like a pretty cloth bracelet I bought for myself and a friend with a tiny little silver charm on it (in a variety of colors, patterns, and charms). Just 1 little charm on each bracelet, not like those bulky, clingy ones. Her shop is also in 6th arr.

Some shots from the neighborhoods:

"I am a Virgin...but this is an old shirt"

'Sipp'ing along the Route du Vin -Alsace Region

2010-03-01T21:40:00.000+01:00

After a snowy adventure (click here) that took up more than half our day designated for wineries (but nonetheless a fun-filled adventure and a happy ending to that:)...my girlfriend and I finally make it on to our planned winery. We could hardly stand the anticipation after wondering if we'd even make it there. Finally at 6 pm, we screech in to L'Agape, our soon to be paradise of Vin d'Alsace.

I love the Route du Vin, this is my second trip but I still haven't seen, or tasted, enough of it. Its so beautiful, set among the foothills of the Vosges Mountains with so many quaint little villages dotted along the 170 km route (106 miles). True, tourists know it, and love it, for good reason. Get yourself a car and drive it, or be more adventerous and take it by bike - you certainly don't have to do the whole stretch. I've been told the villages in the southern part of the route (Ribeauville for example) are the nicest. I can also attest to Colmar and Kaysersberg. The people have always been friendly, welcoming and down to earth (even at the wineries where they'll happily show and tell you whatever you want to know, and more!) But you definitely need your own transportation (and a designated driver because there's lots to taste!)

Our visit to L'Agape was just what we needed. The friendly and easygoing Vincent Sipp has been in the business of making wine for ages, separating from his brother to do his own thing. We sat for a couple of hours with him and then some of his friends after he had to leave. Great people and great wine.

Just for my own reference later, we tried (and bought)
- Pinot Blanc (from 'Auxer', priced at 6,80 euros/bottle)
- Riesling (8,70 euros)
- Gewurztraminer, 2008 - one of my faves for an Aperitif (9,50 euros)

Also tried:
- Rosacker Grand Cru - wonderful! (17,40 euros)
- Pinot Noir, the only red made in the region (18 euros, available this August)
- Muscat - yum! (but not yet bottled - 9,50 euros)
- Gewurztraminer, 2007 (13,60)

Vincent, I'm told, is quite adventerous with his creations and mixing of grapes. One loyal friend, who took over 'hosting' us after he had to leave, told us he has very unique blends and isn't afraid to try new things.

I can't wait to go back, and this time stay on the Wineroute, possibly even at his guest apartment on the beautiful winery, in Riquewihr (in the February it was available for 3 nights for total of 105 euros, but I don't think they anticipate many visitors this time of year). Also wouldn't mind taking a cooking class at his (ex?) wife's, Isabelle, cooking school in Colmar called Cardamome (her favorite spice).

How cute is Colmar?

Off-roading the Wine Route (Route du Vin)

2010-02-16T11:42:00.000+01:00

What d'ya know, we're stuck!
I guess our sporty little BMW, equipped with snow tires, is still no match for 'off-roading' the Route du Vin. Our attempt to find a recommended, family-run restaurant for lunch called (Auberge) St. Alexis, in Kaysersberg, forced us to do the hike we only half-heartedly mentioned doing, but didn't seriously mean it. The restaurant, if you can get to it, is situated in an opening in the forest about 6 km to the north west and about 350 meters higher than Riquewihr, the nearest town. I still really want to try it and it would be nice to do a (planned) hike up to it! We also heard it is approachable from the top too so you don't have to go all the way up this windy, hilly road (but what fun would that be?)

I forgot how to say 'We're Stuck' in German or French, but thought it would be nice to leave a note since we were blocking the only road down..

There's my friend.. in charge of finding help up the mountain, while I scope out the deserted home across the way..see her...the little spec in the middle.

The only signs of life around us as we sat pondering just how we would even make it back down the same road we'd just come up let alone make it anywhere for lunch, were 2 barking dogs, a mule and a cute, spunky sheep! Luckily we were prepared for a hike, although I don't think we fully intended on actually taking one, we had no choice but to wander back down the several kilometers or so to seek help. I'll let the pictures tell the story..

Signs of human life finally approach, some nice older men on their daily 5k walk..we recruit them to help push the car out (and a 3rd even though he walked with a cane..what the heck)

I'm nervous.. getting orders in french and german by old men (another was blocked by our car and came out to offer his assistance too, also assisted by a cane...aren't there any men under the age of 70 around here?!)

Success! 4 very nice, old men and Carole push me out of the snowy ditch and I managed to back down the hill in reverse (not an easy feat for me, as a few friends who have experienced my 'skills' would attest to!) Unfortunately, none of them were winemakers (Never hurts to ask!)
One of my happiest days (now)...

So back to that Wine Route... 'Weinstrasse'... Route du Vin... whatever I just wanna get on it at this point!

Strasbourg Highlights

2010-02-12T15:53:00.000+01:00

Oh how I love the Alsace Region, I can (somewhat) easily communicate with the locals as they speak both French and German. Although I've almost given up on my french, even though I love the language still, my mind only seems to accommodate one other language. But I still love hearing it and remembering the days when I could have a broken conversation. But that's not all I love, the people of this region are incredibly friendly and warm, I really enjoy the rich foods available (we stocked up at LeClerc supermarket on our way out of town too to bring some of that goodness back home to Munich!) And of course, there's the Route du Vin, which I've yet to completely explore as we had a little snafu this trip and last time I was in the region with my husband we only stopped in one little town for lunch and a winery.

So, to be more specific, here are some of this trip's highlights (and many thanks to my gal pal Carole, who thoroughly researched accomodations, restaurants, and other highlights for the trip!)

Accomodation:
"Appartement Sonnenschein." We loved our cozy little apartment in La Petit France, about a 10-minute walk from the Cathedral and right across from a school (don't worry, we didn't hear all the hoopla just saw all the cute little kiddies in their classrooms) in a charming, cobblestone neighborhood. A cheerful woman named Bettina owns this renovated apartment in a 17th century typical Alsatian half-timbered house, called "Appartement Sonnenschein." There was even free WiFi which was a must for us! She speaks about 5 languages too, including English (native language is German). We actually found the place at this site There are parking meters around the apartment, but a short walking distance away (towards the Modern Art Museum) is a relatively inexpensive parking garage where we paid about 7 euros/day. More info can be found this very helpful site: www.parcus.com

- Other places we considered but did not stay at in Strasbourg are: Hotel Diana Dauphine (3-star, 69 euros/night, 'in the heart of Strasbourg', not incl. breakfast, Parking costs 12 euros/day) -- Ibis Hotel (which was right near our parking garage but didn't look nearly as nice as our apartment, even though we weren't inside), cost 72 euros/night, and the Hotel Royal Lutetia (65 euros/night, not incl breakfast). I think we got real lucky with our place!

Culture:
- Musee Tomi Ungerer - the locals, this includes Betinna and Christoph from the restaurant we visited 3 times, raved about their local artist/hero Tomi Ungerer. Bettina had several small books at her apartment of his work, which ranges from children's illustrations, to uh.. 'adult' themes, sometimes quite perverse, but never boring! After growing up in and around Strasbourg, he eventually moved to New York and became an immediate hit in the advertising world. Quite a range of illustrations and definitely worth a look. A big inspiration for him was Romanian-born artist, Saul Steinberg, whose work was also exhibited while we were here. Corbusier once wrote to him, "You draw like a king". He's considered a master of drawing and I loved his stuff. I thoroughly enjoyed perusing his work which ranges from graphic symbols and satirical cartoons to calligraphy and a sort of 'visual writing', and much more. The museum was just the right size to not feel overwhelmed, or obligated to stay too long.

Sights:
- About the only official 'site' we saw was the Strasbourg Cathedral (de Notre-Dame), originally built in the Romanesque style, fire destroyed most of that and by the 12th century building continued but in the Gothic style. But really strolling through the entire city and along the River Ile (don't miss La Petit France and the half-timbered houses too) is all the 'sights' I need. Inside the cathedral, take a look at the astronomical clock in the back corner, there's lots of neat things going on in and around it - mini statues, different stages of life passing before 'Death', interesting clockwork and a big, loud rooster. On my first trip a couple years ago, I climbed to the top for some pretty great views (it was too cold this time!)

I was waiting around outside the cathedral and liked this clock too:

These darn beautiful rose windows never seem to disappoint:

Christmas time in Berlin

2009-12-29T10:12:00.000+01:00

When my former landlord from Atlanta Facebooked me saying that he and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Choir (ASOC) would be performing in Berlin with the Berlin Philharmonie I knew this was a sign that we've got to finally make the trip. I'd been wanting to go for so long but after about 5 years living in Munich, I still hadn't been there (ashamed to admit!)

Despite the even-more-unusual-than-normal cold temps (our windshield cleaning fluid froze on the drive there from Munich) we thoroughly enjoyed our short weekend trip. The highlight really was the impressive Berlin Symphony and equally impressive 185-member ASOC performing a series of three Brahms Requiem performances. The conductor was Donald Runnicles. The acoustics in the Berlin Philharmony concert hall are unbeatable, and definitely worth the pricey 60-euro tickets we purchased online the week before (only 2 pairs of 2 seats left). We rarely, if ever, attend these types of concerts but we were definitely enriched by the experience.

Before the concert we packed in quite a day of sightseeing in -12 to -15 degree Celcius temps (there's no bad weather, only bad clothing right?!) with Earl, my former landlord, his cousin and wife who came from Oklahoma (Ed and Karen). We had so much fun with them wandering around in the cold and drinking Gluhwein at the Christmas markets to keep us warm. We walked to the Berliner Dom, Fernsehen Turm (TV Tower with great views of the city on a clear day), and the DDR Museum (its free and very interesting!), right near Berliner Dom and just a short walk from our Hilton Hotel on Mohrenstrasse 30 (great location on the East side of Berlin, in the rebuilt quarter "Mitte"). The area is also known as the Gendarmenmarket, a lovely historic area with plenty of shops and good restaurants not to mention the adorable Christmas market set up this time of year across the street from the hotel. And its only a short walk to the famous “Unter den Linden” street and Brandenburger Tor.

Of course I have to mention the 'Essen' in Berlin! Some of the restaurants we ate at were (all within walking distance from hotel):

Goodtime Thai restaurant (yummy Thai food in a pleasant atmosphere- yes, we had a..good time!)
Maximilian's Bavarian resaurant (can't believe we ate Bavarian in Berlin!)
Lutter & Wegner German restaurant (very nice, high-quality not your typical german restaurant). I actually ordered the only vegetarian dish on the menu and it was delicious: gnocchi stuffed with goat cheese. Apparently, the Wiener Schnitzel earned the title as the 'Best schnitzel outside of Vienna' by the NY Times and also got rave reviews from others in our party who ordered it.

Before we knew it, it was time to drive back to Munich...still with frozen windshield cleaner but warm and enriched hearts from our experiences in Berlin.

No we didn't drive off in this 'Trabbi' this was at the DDR Museum..

Don't forget to obey those pedestrian crossings, particularly the "Ampelmannchen" ("little traffic light man") cuz they're so cute with their little hats on. One of the few authentic features remaining from East Germany to survive the reunification, makes it more fun to cross the streets!

Shalom!

2009-05-25T12:20:00.000+02:00

And they really say this on a daily basis! I don't know why I was so surprised, but I wasn't expecting my one word of hebrew to be come in so handy. Shalom doesn't only mean 'peace' but it is a common greeting used in place of a simple hello or goodbye. I loved saying it and hearing it in all the shops!

So I joined my husband in Tel Aviv after his 'work trip' to the Beer Academy event hosted by the largest brewery in Israel (Goldstar) in Eilat last week. Yes, that is what he claimed...that there is this "beer academy" (surprisingly it doesn't come up in my google search, hmm). It was here though that he claims to have presented to ~800 beer 'academics' (bartenders/managers), wearing his traditional Bavarian Lederhosen and making jokes about his own unusual-looking outfit compared to that of another, more famous German who arrived that same day wearing all white and red shoes... but creating a security nightmere for this beer-drinking German who had a more thorough search at airport security than he cares to share.

While sharing and comparing beer stories, Goldstar (who apparently invented this 'Beer Academy' event) threw in a performance by one of Israel's most popular bands, Infected Mushroom - a psychedelic trance band. Ever heard of them? We're not really up on our trance bands, but it's kind of cool how they perform- if what he told me is correct. They use recordings of themselves as well as other musicians when they play/mix live sets. The sound reminds me of Depeche Mode back in the day, or maybe it's just because Depeche Mode seems to be pretty popular in Israel too. Anyway, here's a video clip from this event. My husband is somewhere in the crowd and swears he only drank his German beer, Paulaner. I don't think we can say the same for the others..

I do hope all this talk about beer and mushrooms doesn't overshadow my true purpose here of documenting the trip I took to a such a fascinating, interesting country. I guess that will be in my next post!

J'adore Paris!

2009-01-27T12:59:00.000+01:00

It seems natural that my first wanderlust post would be about Paris, as it was my first taste into my adventerous world of independent travelling, beginning at age 19...a really really long time ago! Paris is what made me want to see everything I could in a lifetime, to seek out new places and new people. In this blog I'll attempt to document my travels working backward from present day to as far back as I'm able to track- and that's a ways, especially when I think back to my childhood days of travelling to what were, at the time, remote islands in my dad's small Cessna place as a little girl (throwing up along the way!).
Here goes... my favorite city, and most recent trip notes, Paris!

My husband, a good friend and I arrived at Charles de Gaulle airport Friday morning from Munich (I've lived in Munich for about 4 years now with my german husband). Our hotel had arranged for us to be picked up by 'Yellow Van' shuttle service, which was rather late in getting us for reasons unknown to us and cost about 17€/person for 3 people to take us direclty to Hotel Rolais Bosquet, right near Rue Cler (7th arrondisement/district) and Eiffel Tour.. a lovely neighborhood. The hotel was wonderful for the price we paid (130€/night incl. breakfast - we thank Rick Steves for this rate, had we not mentioned him we would have paid 155€ with no breakfast). Here's a photo of our clean, cozy room.

Now, on to the fun stuff...eating! We were so hungry, and grateful that the hotel was surrounded by several good options for great food. We went right to Cafe Bosquet, where both tourists and local french dined together and the waitstaff were friendly. I orded the 14€ menu of chicken and rice in a delicous sauce (sorry, I don't recall exactly what it was!) and it came with a choice of desert- I tried something new: La fromage Blanc avec Miel (literally "white cheese with honey" but was more like a whipped yogurt, something different but quite good and worth a try). The chicken and accompanying sauce was delicious as was the Creme Brule my husband ordered. Cafe Bosquet had a nice selection as well, our friend ordered Noix de St jacques (scallops) and said they were also very good, my husband got schrimp risotto- also good.
For some fair reviews of this restaurant check out http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/France/Ile_de_France/Paris-99080/Restaurants-Paris-Le_Bosquet-BR-1.html

While I'm on the subject of restaurants, I'll post the others we ate at worth mentioning.. like the great little vegetarian restaurant we stumbled upon near Notre Dame Cathedral, "Le Grenier de Notre-Dame" - Metro: St. Michel / Maubert Mutualite. It's small, but friendly service and great vegie dishes (and I'm not even a vegetarian). The others got variations of mixed vegie plates including things like polenta, potatoes, and all kinds of other good stuff (I had the pumpkin soup and small salad of chevre chaud). After lunch we stumbled around this area and worked up a thirst, so we stopped at Cafe Lain where I tried a "Choc n Roll"! Yummy sweet drink of Baileys, chocolate and whatever 'Get 27' is.

The last noteworthy restaurant we slipped into was Le Cafe du Marche, on Rue Cler, and popular among tourists (Americans mostly it seemed) and french alike. Great atmosphere and we were surrounded by locals but when we came in there was a group of Americans waiting. Anyway, the service was good for the amount of people there, our server was very friendly and spoke great English too. For some reviews go to http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187147-d786720-Reviews-Le_cafe_du_marche-Paris_Ile_de_France.html I loved my Dorade fish on top of green beans and some kind of wonderful sauce on the side. My husbands 'Entrecote boeuf' was a good steak, and I ended up gobbling down most of his yummy potatoes with my sauce. We split a bottle of wine and had my favorite choclate fondant for desert, all for about 38€ - not bad!