I’ve always loved those photos, you know… of people straddling two countries in the middle of nowhere on a lone road with a weathered sign post or tiny demarcation.

When I was a kid, I read a book about a girl from Maine who crossed the border every weekend to visit her grandmother in a New Brunswick town, where she practiced her French and learned to sew.
It seemed like a lot of fun to be able to spend weekends in another country, and I wished I could do that.

I couldn’t believe my luck when I first moved out here; I’m so close to the border I could practically spend my lunch time in another country, I thought.
I cross the border a lot – once a month at least, and at some point it stopped feeling adventurous.

I go mainly for Trader Joe’s, to stock up on pantry staples, and also to pick up multivitamins.
Occasionally, I’ll go farther south… beyond Everett, but it’s always mostly short afternoon trips.
I usually go with @adjoa, she prefers the Aldergrove crossing; it’s smaller and a little further away but I don’t mind it – it’s a scenic drive with relatively shorter wait times.

We’re regulars; over the years… it’s amazing how much personal details we’ve had to share to be let through, it’s an odd relationship but it gets us moving.

We got stuck in a slow lane one afternoon last November, where they were running one of those ‘trial exercises’, where you had to park your car and go inside.
Inside, we were greeted by a border agent in a cowboy hat who shook our hands and gave us a ‘Welcome to the US’ pamphlet – it felt special, I’d never been officially welcomed to the US.

More pictures from the Aldergrove/Lynden border…

©2012 the whinery 2.0. All Rights Reserved.

 
I’ve already talked about my thing for cemeteries… and how I find them calming and centering.
So it probably wouldn’t come as a surprise that I went to the world’s most visited cemetery while in Paris last year.
Père Lachaise Cemetery is in the 20th arrondissement in the eastern part of the city, it was about a twenty-minute walk from our little apartment in the Haut Marais.
Pere Lachaise is evocatively beautiful, a place of soothing solitude, the ultimate resting place.
It’s laid out like a city; with its named cobblestone streets, and rolling hills, tall trees and house-like mausolea, with views of the Eiffel Tower.
Many famous people are buried here, Edith Paif, Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, Mollière, etc, etc etc…
Colette’s grave was among the many I loved seeing; her life always intrigued me.
And many more interesting graves… like this

What becomes of the dream when the dream is over?

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We made a pit stop in Bellevue, WA during our short road trip down south last weekend.
Downtown Bellevue is delightful at Christmas…

©2012 the whinery 2.0. All Rights Reserved.

I’ll always associate my first time in Brussels with the Belgian bank Dexia; for days prior to the trip, Paris was abuzz with news of the bank’s demise.
When the lovely Belgian couple on the train asked what we were looking forward to the most in Brussels, I almost said the Dexia tower – suddenly I wanted to see what a failing bank looked like, but I said the Manneken-Pis, of course.
I loved every bit about Brussels, even getting there was fun…
Seriously, if I lived in Europe I’d visit a new city every weekend – travelling around Europe by train is so convenient and painless. The journey from Paris Nord to Brussels Midi took a relaxing 1:20mins.

It was still early when we arrived, so we found a quiet spot at Galeries Royales St. Hubert and had an unhurried breakfast.
We spent the first part of the day sightseeing, we went through Palace Royale, Palais de Justice, Parc du Cinquantenaire and the triumphal arch, AutoWorld and the Great Mosque of Brussels.
Then to the magnificent Berlaymont Building, home of the European Commission and explored the rest of the European district.
We then ventured further away from the city to Heysel Park to see the Atomium.

The second part of our day was spent in the shopping district, starting out at Boulevard de Waterloo a wide street lined with trees and luxury shops with beautiful window displays.
But first, we chanced upon Parc d’Egmont and decided to take a little break.
Tucked away from busy streets and boulevards, this lovely park is a refuge of calm and respite.
This was my favourite moment of the trip, and the L’Orangerie du Parc d’Egmont.

The Avenue Louise area has a good variety of restaurants and stores; notable French, Italian and (of course,) Belgian designers/brands line the street.
It’s a nice area to wander about; nice long stretch of street, with wonderful architecture and lots to see, and if you got tired, you could always take a break at the bar at the Sofitel Brussels Le Louise – This was quite exciting for me because I hadn’t been to a Sofitel since Mammy Yoko (when it was a Sofitel).

For the final leg our day, we made our way towards the Grand Place determined to get all the touristy things out of the way, we saw and took pictures of/with the Manneken-Pis and got souvenirs.
I sadly didn’t try waffles (in the touristy areas) because someone had one and declared “I’ve had better Belgian waffles at the airport in Amsterdam”
I loved the grand and impressive Grand Place! Definitely the most stunning square I’ve ever seen – the gothic and baroque architecture, impressive gold gildings… and the people – the atmosphere there is amazing.

We walked the cobblestoned and winding streets along the shops and outdoor cafés of Grasmarkt, and forgot to have dinner until it was too late.
We ended our day at the Cathédrale Saints-Michel-et-Gudule, a beautiful cathedral on a hill with magnificent stained glass windows, sculptures and artwork. I couldn’t imagine a more perfect finish to our day.

If you’re in Brussels for a day…
Eat
Le Mokafé
Galerie du Roi 9
Brussels

L’Orangerie du Parc d’Egmont
Parc d’Egmont
Brussels
website

Crystal Lounge at Sofitel Brussels Le Louise
40 Avenue de la Toison d Or
Brussels
website

See
Horta Museum
Atomium / Mini Europe
Army and Military Museum
AutoWorld
Grand Place

Do
Parc d’Egmont
Shop Rue Antoine Dansaert
Shop Avenue Louise & Boulevard de Waterloo
Galeries Royales St. Hubert
Drink beer at Cantillon Brewery

©2012 the whinery 2.0. All Rights Reserved.

 
It was at the top of Centre Pompidou where I first caught a good glimpse of Sacré-Cœur, there it stood, so imposing atop the mountain I knew I had to go there.
Alas, it was my last day in Paris and I wouldn’t get up that mountain till the next year.
I love old churches; and Sacré-Cœur is magnificent.
Splendid and totally chaotic on the outside with the best views of Paris, inside, it’s serene, beautiful and comforting.

Sacré-Cœur as I first saw it from Centre Pompidou

©2012 the whinery 2.0. All Rights Reserved.

(This is the second in a series of posts on department stores in Paris, read the first here)

Of all the Parisian department stores, Le Bon Marché is by far my favourite.
It’s exactly how I imagined a Parisian shopping experience would be; beautiful architecture, fabulous design and layout, with excellent and well-selected collection of merchandise and attentive staff.
Often regarded as the ‘world’s first department store’ it opened circa 1830s on the Left Bank (Rive Gauche).
The store’s ambiance encourages luxurious leisure shopping, which is its advantage over the other department stores; Galeries Lafayette and Printemps. It’s never overcrowded and the staff is actually nice and helpful

A short 8 second clip

Bon Marché has everything – and I mean EVERYTHING!
From the best and fabulous designer clothes in mini boutiques to furniture from designers I’d only read about in books.
I could spend the whole day there and never get bored, I’d be just happy riding the those cool escalators all day…
I literally spent an hour browsing the bookshop and I can’t even read French!

And when I felt a little peckish I headed for Primo Piano, the indoor and terraced café with colourful décor and great food.
And then there’s La Grande Epicerie, a gourmet food emporium so epic and awesome it deserves it’s own post.

Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche
24, rue de Sèvres
75007 Paris
France
www.lebonmarche.com

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I went up the hill to Montmartre for the first time during this trip to Paris.
I love Montmartre; it has a certain charm… it’s picturesque, crowded, artsy, touristy, hilly with magnificent views.
Narrow winding streets, Sacré-Coeur, the cafés and artist on Place du Tertre and people watching…

©2012 the whinery 2.0. All Rights Reserved.

Someone once told me that owning vintage luggage is like owning a piece of history…

©2012 the whinery 2.0. All Rights Reserved.

In the days leading up to my vacation I was on the look out for good walking shoes.
Last year while getting a Compeed patch for my blistered aching feet, the guy at the pharmacy smiled knowingly and said, “This city is full of lost tourist with sore feet”.
I found these boots at the Bay from the Topshop Capsule Collection.
I didn’t know then that I’d wear them everywhere throughout my vacation – yes, they are that comfortable!
I didn’t get them because they looked comfortable; I liked the classic look, and felt they’d pair well with my travel wardrobe.
I didn’t mean to wear them everyday, I just keep reaching for them every morning because I’d walk in them for hours and not feel like my feet were on fire.
Last year my seemingly comfortable looking shoes let me down, the year before that, I actually broke down and bought a pair of flats while on a day trip.
Taking it off and on at airports was a breeze.
We did three cities and stayed out one night till morning came.

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There was a supermarket close to our house when I was a kid, it was a big unimpressive building at a busy intersection close to the Kroo Town Road market, I don’t think I ever knew its name.
We didn’t shop there much, my mom would sometimes buy baked beans and cheese from there; and once, I remember, laundry detergent.
It wasn’t a particularly fancy store, but it’s was the closest we had to a gourmet store; one time I saved a bit of money and got a bar of Lion Bar just because of a cool ad I’d seen.
As a kid with an overactive imagination who read a lot, I’d make up these dazzling characters in my head and wonder about the mundane bits that came with living, like where they’d buy their groceries or the kind of toothpaste they used.
I imagined them in futuristic looking stores with neon lights and carts designed to follow them around the aisles.

For whatever strange reason, these are the two things I thought about when I went into Fauchon… the old supermarket from my childhood and the imaginary places I’d made up.
Fauchon is one of those haute gourmet places everyone recommends you visit when you’re in Paris.
The main store on Place de la Madeleine in the 8th arrondissement has been opened since 1886, but you can’t tell from its chic pink and black and white décor.
The flagship store occupies three addresses over three levels that include a patisserie, deli, bakery, café, a bar, grocery store and an amazing wine cellar.
And there’s so much amazement to Fauchon, you can’t help but feel like a kid in a candy shop – it’s like something I’d imagined.

©2012 the whinery 2.0. All Rights Reserved.