For the next few months, I'm in a Brand New Somewhere aka Europe.

[trisho.]

Hi gang, some of you may remember that I was leaving NYC for a bit to try living in Europe for a short while. Well, I'm finally here. I landed in Brussels on Friday 9/9 and that will be my home base until 11/21. For now, I'm in Paris and then will go to Lisbon, Portugal this Sunday until next Saturday. Should be a good time.

I'm updating my travels on my blog here, slowly but surely: http://brandnewsomewhere.com/. I'm 6 hours ahead of EST, so it's 2:12am here and I should really get to bed in the next 10 minutes. We're off to the Palace of Versailles tomorrow.

Please feel free to chime in, give suggestions or just say hi. I love this community and talk about it often with "In Real Life" friends who finally understand you guys really are a community. Anyway, enough touchy feely stuff for now, but do know you're greatly appreciated. A big thanks to The Birthday Fairy for actually participating already.

And, if you know of any studio apartments for lease or sublet available in north Brooklyn starting near December 1st, please give me a holler. I'd appreciate it.

Cheers and happy travels, y'all.

[DP]

If you would have let me know I could have found some space in your luggage.

[trisho.]

Awww shucks. My luggage was packed full to the brim. I only took two pieces (a big and a small one) for the entire 2.5 months. There's also my laptop bag & messenger bag which held my Canon 5D, but that's it.

[Winston]

Definitely have some mussels on the Belgian coast for me.

If you like shellfish, try Brasserie Flo in Paris. It's in an out of the way place, but is part of a group that includes Restaurant Julien and several other brasseries (Bofinger, La Coupole, Terminus Nord, etc.). It has a lot of character. I love the seafood platters there.
http://www.floparis.com/en/

Le Train Bleu in the Gare de Lyon is another brasserie-type restaurant with a lot of character.
http://www.le-train-bleu.com/uk/index.php

The other thing you might try at a Paris brasserie is "choucroute garni" which is sauerkraut with sausages & ham. You might find it better in Alsace if you go there, but it's pretty good in Paris. It will give you an entirely different view of sauerkraut - very light and just slightly pickled.

Never been to Portugal, but it's on the list too. See if you can find some fresh sardines (does it sound like I like seafood?).


Good luck.

- Winston

[space-time]

are you gonna visit Lux Interior, voodoopenguin and simonm? BTW, what happened to simonm, he hasn't been active in a long time. I think he was posting from Germany, but no activity lately (or I missed it?)

[blooz]

Hey Trisho, enjoy, enjoy! I hope you have a great time there!

[iaJim]

Very cool. Enjoy yourself.

[OWC Jamie]

Hope you have lots of fun on the grande adventure.

[testcase]

PICTURES, we want pictures.



Have a great time!

[Winston]

Oh, one other thing to watch out for in Paris (and probably in Brussels too): chamber concerts in churches. My daughter and I went to an absolutely amazing chamber concert in the Sainte-Chapelle a few years ago. It as a quintet featuring the principal violinist for the Paris Opera. We felt like we were sitting right in the middle of the music. One of the best music presentations I've ever attended.

I also like the Lapin Agile on Montmartre for Edith Piaf renditions.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lapin_Agile


- Winston