StringGrrl sees the World

Inscriptions in the Limestone walls of the former quarries mark the dates of the excavations Breaking from long habit of only enjoying our travels from what we can see for free, we took the chance to venture into an area where the only legal entry is via the tourist trap. Our travel companions this trip wanted to see the catacombs, we tagged along. Limestone fortifications to shore up walls Underground adventure is something that we are fundamentally not that in to. Caving, Mining, and other subterranean explorations are not usually our cup of tea. It is creepy, dirty, and not achievable while travelling on business so often. But here in Paris there is a chance. For around 30-35€ one can enter a once forbidden part of the city and check it out. The Halls of Moria It takes just under 1 hour to walk the length of the Catacombs that are open to the public. There is a lot to say on the topic but I won't paraphrase all the writings here. That is not what this blog is for. W...

I am sure we all know what is in the background, lame caption... A trip to a cafe for Breakfast in Paris. Vikram's suggestion French Breakfast in a small cafe attached to a Bakery was on the list of "To-Dos" for Vikram our in-house foodie. He had been scheming where and what to eat for the weeks leading up to this trip. Very much hoping for new pictures and reviews for his food blog " Breaking Naan ". For weekend breakfast we ventured into the Saint Germane area of Paris for Petit Déjeuner. This outlet for a famed bakery in Paris was a nice break from a week of not so super breakfast at the worst hotel in Rungis-Orly (maybe not the worst, but I hold up hope that the rest might be better) but that is a different kind of post for another day. Poilane is bakery established in 1932 and run for three generations of the same family. First with the founder Pierre, then Lionel, and presently Apollonia Poilane they maintain the original premises at 8 rue du ...

Between work assignments in Stuttgart Germany and Paris (Rungis) France, had again the chance to catch back up with our friends in Switzerland. Rather than running up the exorbitant cost of flying back to the USA for the weekend in between, our intrepid travelers opted to couch surf again at the Casa Paffhausen in Zurich. While there, why not get in a day of skiing? From the Zurich HB (main station) you can reach great ski areas in about 1-1.5 hours Pizol Talstation Gaffia Trail map Pizol Skiing in Switzerland is a frequent post topic here. StringDad learned how to ski in Michigan. Namely at Michigan Technological University, Mt Ripley, with a grand total of 440 ft Vertical (134m for the Metric-heads who follow the adventures of StringGirl). Every ski area in this area boasts vert unknown to the university version of StringDad and not experienced until one trip to Crested Butte, CO. (Vertical 2700 ft or 825 meters or so). Initial conditions were not too promising... ...

Entrance from the lobby of the Aria Casino Newlyweds Samantha and TJ with StringGirl Salmon Belly Carpaccio Cantonese Lobster Donut Wheel  On board the "high roller" Ferris Wheel happy hour car

Walk into the Park MGM and oddly enough there is a Korean Bodega in the lobby adjacent to the gaming floor. We had been wondering where to eat, and stumbled upon the Yelp and Google maps entry for a Korean/Mexican restaurant called Best Friend. Taking a close look at the neon in the image below, you might notice just over StringGirl's shoulder that it reads, "Roy Choi is my Best Friend". That's right, Roy Choi of Kogi and A-Frame FAME. (Geek out food nerds!) Best Friend marquee and entrance When people tell you that the restaurant is based on the style of a Korea-town bodega.... believe them. In fact that is the only part of the restaurant that we got to really experience. As the restaurant was fully booked out not only for the night we visited, but also the following day, and half the day after. 360 Panorama The lobby of the eatery is the bar and bodega. The shelves are lined with all manner of product: Ramen, Pocky, candy, canned soups and foods, condime...