Travel

Lille, you were magnificent this weekend: your architecture, hospitality, and food culture, we loved it all!

This was our first time, but we will definitely be back!

A bustling square features historic buildings, including one with a prominent clock tower under a clear blue sky. A canal with adjacent trees and a small structure is captured under a partly cloudy sky. A table set with two different meals, each accompanied by fries, and a dining setup including utensils, plates, and a bottle of water. Two plates of burgers with curly fries and a dessert plate with a rolled pastry and sauce garnishes are on a pink table. A group of people are gathered near a row of bicycles in a cobblestone square lined with historic European-style buildings. A group of people walks in front of an ornate, historic building in an urban setting. A hand holds a pint of beer in a bar with pink lighting and "BierBuik" in neon signage in the background.

4/6/25 →

Earlier this week: in Nuremberg for work

An airplane wing is visible from a window seat, overlooking a sprawling landscape of urban and rural areas under a partly cloudy sky. A group of people are dining together at a table filled with various dishes, drinks, and a lit candle. A nighttime cityscape features a grand hotel and streetlights, with illuminated buildings and structures in the background. A person walks through a spacious brewery with high ceilings, copper brewing equipment, and wooden furniture. A panoramic view of a historic city features red-roofed buildings, a distant horizon, and a clear blue sky.

3/30/25 →

Never missing an opportunity to share fellow bon vivant Action Bronson’s adventures in Paris:

no one makes me want to roam the city [Paris] quite like American rapper and food enthusiast Action Bronson.

[≠]

3/7/25 →

Tibz, what is it like living in Europe?
Like this…

Passengers wait inside a busy train station in Paris, with luggage, while authorities deal with an unexploded World War II bomb.

1/16/25 →

This man is my hero:

“The food here is different,” he said in a heavy French accent. “Bigger portions. Too much salt. Too much sugar.” He decided to enroll in a paid study at his wife’s new workplace. It was exploring why the American diet, compared with almost any other, causes people to gain weight and develop chronic diseases”

1/15/25 →

Silver Linings:

Got sick (flu season) the day before a business trip to HQ. Had to cancel the trip this morning with my French and German colleagues.
My French colleagues obviously still went. Flight got cancelled and they now have to wait from 10am to 8pm to be rebooked on a later flight.

So while I’m recoveringing at home, this is …for the better in my part

1/6/25 →

A quick visual recap of this past holiday season :) (full post on the blog)

A child is playing with a stuffed animal dressed in a colorful outfit on a patterned carpet. A person wearing a hat stands in front of a café counter with a menu board and coffee equipment. A busy street with several cars parked along a row of historic brick buildings adorned with festive decorations. A winding road curves through a leafless forest under a partly cloudy sky. A colorful sunset casts a warm orange and purple glow as silhouettes of bare trees and telephone wires create a striking contrast against the sky. A decorated Christmas tree stands beside a fireplace with stockings and a child admiring the tree. A person is standing in front of a Dunkin' store near a parking area. A table is set with a variety of breakfast foods, including French toast, berries, bacon, cinnamon sticks, and pastries. A stroller is parked on a sidewalk in front of a yard with inflatable Christmas decorations, including a tree, gingerbread figures, and a snowman. A suburban street features leafless trees lining the sidewalk, with houses and a fire hydrant visible under a partly cloudy sky. A wide, futuristic-looking metro station features an arched ceiling with geometric patterns, escalators, and tracks flanked by platforms with a few people walking. A trendy bar features a long counter with yellow tufted seating, stylish hanging lights, and a variety of drinks displayed on shelves behind it. A plate with fried chicken on biscuits, hash browns, and a small bowl of gravy is on a counter next to hot sauce bottles and utensils. A historic multi-story building stands at a street corner with a street sign and lampposts under a cloudy sky. A person wearing glasses and a Batman hoodie takes a selfie in a blue-lit environment with an escalator in the background. Several vintage airplanes are displayed inside a museum with signage indicating different airlines. A stylish living room features a green curved sofa, yellow armchairs, a geometric black-and-white rug, and a glass coffee table, with artwork and an elegant dining area visible in the background. A cozy living room scene shows two children playing with toys on a colorful rug alongside a fluffy dog, with board games and books visible on a nearby shelf. A restaurant entrance featuring the signage for The Cheesecake Factory. A serene river flows through a peaceful landscape with leafless trees under a clear blue sky. A person holds a clear plastic cup of beer in focus, with plates of food like mac and cheese and possibly coleslaw blurred in the background.

1/3/25 →

Home sweet home

A flight path is shown on a map from Washington, D.C. (IAD) to Paris (CDG), accompanied by a boarding pass with travel details. A view of a modern airport terminal with multiple sections, as seen from a nearby road. A road runs parallel to a row of power lines and tall electricity pylons surrounded by frosty vegetation under a misty sky. A cozy room corner features a round mirror, a small table with various items, dried plants, and two framed art pieces, all lit by warm sunlight casting shadows on the wall.

The Foursquare City Guide App is closing on Dec 15th

10/23/24

Getting ready to say goodbye to Foursquare, an app I’ve used almost daily since its earlier form back in 2009 between my time studying and working and living in the UK, then in San Francisco, Paris, and my native French Riviera. Back then I used to check-in to places I visited from the mobile browser of my Nokia blackberry knockoff (E63) (2009-2011), then an Android phone (2011-2013), and finally from the dedicated iPhone apps (2013+). During that time the Foursquare app (and later Swarm) has almost always been on my phone’s Home Screen.

I’m feeling genuinely sad about this, truly the end of an era for a formative time in my life, the late 2000’s-early 2010s “SoLoMo” (Social Local Mobile) apps.

4SQ has been invaluable, not just for memorizing/logging/remembering places I’ve been to, but also to discover new places.

I traveled the world by myself for most of 2017, but Foursquare was my guide to discover new favorites while visiting cities all around Asia or America for the very first time. The amount of time I’ve spent on this app is immeasurable and I have a hard time wondering how I’ll get by the next time I explore a new city in the world.

As I start looking at substitutes, it seems that Superlocal could be an option. Otherwise North.Industries which I need to look into. But I need to do a lot more research!

9/25/24 →

Hallo Nurnberg

9/15/24 →

Been exploring certain neighborhoods around us lately — been loving these formerly-run down and now-rehabilitated factory places

9/20/23 →

🏀📺 2 years after its release, the NBA finally uploaded this documentary about the Basketball Scene in Paris for free on their YT channel!

Really loved the content and format!

8/17/23 →

Home 🏡 🌞

Traveling by train Swimming in the pool Relaxing Views from Antibes, French Riviera Swimming pool

8/11/23 →

Another little solo walk in the forest today

8/10/23 →

Walking in the Woods

4/18/23 →

Lovely afternoon/evening out

4/7/23 →

Discovering the French city of Nancy today #Hipstamatic

4/4/23 →

A fun start of the week riding on the longboard, yesterday! #Funemployment

4/2/23 →

Went supporting our friend running the #MarathonDeParis today

3/16/23 →

🛣️ Day 16 of the March Photoblogging Challenge: “Road”.

Taking a day-long road trip to Normandy with my parents to visit my 96-yo grandfather 👴🏻

3/14/23 →

Day 14 of the March Photoblogging Challenge: “Horizon”.

1/28/23 →

Vendredi, tout est Paris !

1/18/23 →

📸 🏙️ ☕️ 🥘

1/9/23 →

“We want a little 82-year old granny to come in the morning to have her coffee. If the place ends up being Instagram-cool, okay, sure. But the goal isn’t Instagram, the goal is the granny. If granny comes, the rest will come.”

🥰💌

11/7/22 →

Great dinner tonight in #LaDama in Barcelona