Souvenirs for His Wardrobe

After writing about some of the clothes I bought in London, a reader asked that I write about Nick's finds as well. Nick got two new shirts from Ted Baker, one of our favorite London-based labels. They are good for guys who need more slim-fitting items.
| left. Ted Baker, Mabley dogtooth print shirt | right. Ted Baker, Upping gingham check shirt |

What I love about Ted Baker are the little details they put into the clothes that you can't even see on the product photos on their website. One of the shirts has this pale purple stitching just on the inner edge of the collar and a tiny strip of lining with a floral pattern. Since it's a casual shirt for which you'd leave the top button undone, you can catch glimpses of the floral pattern when the shirt is worn.

| Photo Credit: top. See links provided; bottom. Me. |

How to Enjoy Macarons in Paris

The first night that Nick and I were in Paris, we stumbled into one of Georges Larnicol's shops, simply because it happened to be open. The shop had shelves and shelves of amazing chocolate sculptures and the walls were lined with bulk bins filled with various confections. They also sold petit macarons, which were exactly what we were looking for. They were being sold by weight at 4.50€ for 100 grams, which roughly translates to 70¢ each here, or a pretty sweet deal. Since there are a couple Maison Larnicol locations near Metro stops in central Paris, they became our go-to for macarons throughout the trip. We tried a handful of different flavors, with our favorites being the chocolate and the natural (plain marzipan) flavors. They were everything I'd hoped a macaron in Paris would be.

For comparison, we also tried a chocolate macaron at the world-famous Ladurée. The setting was much more posh, the macaron was a much higher price point, and we thought the Larnicol chocolate macaron was better. The chocolate is really brought to the forefront in the Larnicol macaron whereas in the Ladurée version, it seemed more like a macaron lightly flavored with chocolate.

In conclusion, my guide for how to go about enjoying macarons in Paris is as follows.

• You still have to go to Ladurée and try at least one for yourself. The ornate interior at the Champs-Élysées location is already an experience.
• Try one from the neighborhood bakery near wherever you are staying. Paris is all about appreciating how self-contained the neighborhoods are.
• Get your fix at Maison Georges Larnicol where for a pocket full of Euro change you can get a handful of mini treats. Swing by on your way to a picnic, stock up on them as snacks for a day of sightseeing, and grab one last bag for the plane ride home.

| Photo Credit: Me. |

How to Make the Most of Your Visit to Versailles

Nick and I were lucky enough to have great weather the day we visited Versailles. I think that if the weather is wet and dreary, there's not really any point in going because being able to enjoy the gardens is really the highlight of the visit. We didn't really have any plans other than getting on the train in Paris and heading over there, but I think by happy coincidence we ended up stumbling into the best itinerary.

Get there at around 10:30 in the morning and get the 18€ "Passport" from one of the ticket machines. At this time, all the tours will be packing into the main palace and the golf cart rental stalls will be open but not busy. Rent a golf cart ("electric car") from the stall in the Water Parterre area and follow the prescribed route to Petit Trianon, admiring the Apollo Fountain and the vast tree groves along the way. Don't worry about the amount of rental time you are incurring because, after all, you are on vacation and the fun you'll have is totally worth it (especially compared to riding the lame tram).

Pull over beside the field of grazing sheep in the hamlet for a photo op. Then make sure you get over to Petit Trianon right before it opens at 12. Hardly any visitors will be there at this point so you can enjoy exploring Marie Antoinette's little retreat in relative peace (and use the loo without waiting in a huge queue).

Get back in the golf cart and follow the route to the Grand Trianon. Since we were there during the off season, there wasn't really much to see botanically so this was just a quick stop for us.

Follow the route back and return the golf cart, then find a place to get some take-away food. There are a few places between the main entrance and the Grand Canal that have sandwiches, pastries, or ice cream for sale. (You can also get some picnic-y foods before you enter; we'd picked up a handful of petit macarons in the morning before the train ride.) Have lunch on the steps overlooking the grounds. (Unfortunately the majority of the statues in the garden were covered in bags when we were there; this was the only downer of the visit.)

After lunch, pack up your dessert and head over to the Grand Canal. By this time, the rowboat rental stall will be open. Rent a rowboat and make your way to the middle of the canal where you can eat your dessert among the swans and watch little doggies playing in the grass alongside. Just remember that the farther you drift out, the farther you have to row to get back.

By the time you've returned your boat, the bulk of the tour groups will have dissipated and the main palace will be much much less crowded. Finish up your visit there and you'll be nice and close to the main gates, where you can exit and be on your way.

Here is a helpful website detailing the rentals available at Versailles.

| Photo Credit: Me. |

The Restaurant that SF Needs to Import from London

Amongst posh boutiques and little bakeries on Marylebone High Street there is a restaurant where even in the rain, there is a queue outside on Saturday morning waiting for it to open. Getting in line made me feel a little like I was back at home in SF—where all the beloved brunch spots have a wait on weekends—but the food at the Providores and Tapa Room was unlike anything I've ever had before.

Nick and I managed to get a couple of the best seats in the Tapa Room—the ones at the window facing out onto Marylebone High Street. I got the Turkish eggs, which were two poached eggs atop a bowlful of thick, whipped yogurt and melted chili butter. Never in my wildest poached-egg obsession would I have thought to serve them in a bowl of yogurt and butter but ever since I've had them I seriously cannot stop fantasising about this dish, with its buttery yogurt and its spicy and buttery butter. Nick got the Thai basil and lime waffles that were topped with a perfectly complementary jalapeno chutney; savory waffles are another thing I need more of in my life. A menu like this is exactly the sort of thing that SF foodies would queue up in the rain for. Readers: Do you know of anywhere in San Francisco where I can get Turkish eggs or savory waffles?

| Photo Credit: Me. |

Going to the Market in Paris

In Paris, it seemed that little fresh food markets popped up in every neighborhood. I am so jealous of this and desperately wish there could be a little farmers market every week in Potrero for me to get my week's cheese and veggies. This is the market that appeared one morning a block away from the apartment we were renting in the Bastille neighborhood.

Another market we visited in Paris was the one right under La Motte-Picquet/Grenelle Metro station (open Wednesdays and Sundays). Unlike the Portobello Road Market, where there are distinct sections for antique housewares, vintage clothing, or food, at the Marché de Grenelle everything is jumbled together—at one stall could be baskets of bread; at the next, some leather coin purses; and the next, piles of fresh fish. Our pointing and hand gesturing skills were really put to the test here where all the sellers we encountered only spoke French. We shared a good-natured struggle with a nice old lady selling olives and dried herbs as we tried to convey how much tapenade we wanted to purchase. In the end, she kept pointing at the receipt and the tapenade and talking excitedly in French, which we could only take to mean she had given us a break on the price on account of taking pity on us, because the tapenade was ridiculously cheap.

The best part about the Marché de Grenelle is that after you make your lunch purchases, it is only a short walk to the Eiffel Tower, where you can enjoy a lovely picnic on the grass (as seen here). We bought a loaf of bread and a small wheel of soft cheese to go with our tapenade and ate everything with our hands because we forgot to bring a knife from our apartment. Nick and I agreed that the picnic was our favorite part of our visit to Paris.

| Photo Credit: Me. |

Souvenirs for My Wardrobe

Several people who have seen my trip photos on Facebook have asked me about the clothes I am wearing in them. It seems that my friends are more interested in looking at my outfits than at the places I visited, which is why I love them. Here are some of the clothes I purchased while in London.

| left. French Connection, Mine and Yours dress | middle. Zara, Pleated Skirt | right. H&M, Striped Dress |

These are all available in the States right now as well. For labels that are based in the UK like French Connection, buying in the UK is a better deal than getting what's imported here. The dress above retails for £135 (currently about $220) in the UK with the tax already added in; yet, in the States, it retails for $258 plus tax, which I think is a little overpriced. For other European-based stores like Zara and H&M, cost is pretty much the same whether you buy in the UK or here.

| Photo Credit: See links provided. |

Going to the Market in London

One of my favorite things to do when traveling to a foreign city is to go to the local open-air markets. To me, this is a fun way to see a part of what the locals are up to on a regular day. These photos were taken at the Portobello Road Market, which is a huge open market with vintage items, fruits and veggies, prepared foods, and antiques. (Thanks for the recommendation, Gabe!) Since it claims to be the world's largest antiques market, it does get a little touristy, but that doesn't mean that the fruit and flowers for sale do not still look beautiful. Get there at 9:30 on Saturday morning, when all the antique dealers have already set up shop and the food stalls are almost ready. By 11, hordes of people will be gravitating to the area.

After getting a morning snack at the Portobello Road Market, I highly recommend heading over to the Borough Market for lunch. The Borough Market is a vast food market in the most perfect setting for such a thing; the market is under railway viaducts super close to the London Bridge and right behind the Southwark Cathedral. It is so packed by lunchtime that in some areas it is hard to move, but here, you can find everything from freshly-pressed pear-and-mint juice to cheese that's been soaked in red wine to meringues the size of your face. From a stall right next to the gateway between the market and the grassy courtyard of the cathedral, I got this amazing "toasty cheese sandwich" with leeks, scallions, and a huge pile of cheese inside.

After you get your food, eat it in the courtyard while admiring the trees and the architecture of the Southwark Cathedral. Then walk it off along the River Thames. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

| Photo Credit: Me. |

An American in Paris

There's been a stereotype that French people are snooty and rude, and that they are unfriendly towards Americans; I was a little bit worried about this before I left because I don't speak French. The most useful piece of information I read before visiting Paris was that in reality, French people value politeness so greatly that it is a huge insult to accuse someone of not being well brought-up. French people are absolutely super polite. At every restaurant and shop I entered, each staff member I made eye contact with greeted me with a bonjour ("good morning"/"good afternoon") or bonsoir ("good evening"/"good night") and merci, au revoir ("thank you, goodbye") when I left. People who even just slightly brushed past one another on the Metro would say pardon to each other.

I think that keeping these customs in mind will definitely make your visit to Paris a very pleasant one. Saying bonjour/bonsoir with a big smile whenever you make eye contact with someone is visibly appreciated there. To order something, say je voudrais ("I would like") and follow up the item with s’il vous plaît ("please"). For less basic communications, I asked parlez-vous anglais? ("Do you speak English?") and most people replied that they knew a little, and didn't mind using it since I'd already tried speaking in French. Follow up everything with a smile and merci.

Now that I am back, it's actually kind of weird to have to re-adjust to how people don't smile at one another nearly as much here. That's definitely what I will miss the most about Paris.

| Photo Credit: N. Morello, in collaboration with me. |

Hello! I'm Back.

I'm back from my exhausting but fun vacation in London and Paris. I'm still sorting through all the photos and collecting my thoughts, but I'll be rolling out the details of my trip and travel tips for these cities over the next couple of weeks. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, here is a photo of the little picnic we had right in front of the Eiffel Tower. I am so happy that we had nice enough weather to do this.

| Photo Credit: N. Morello, in collaboration with me. |

Dear Kate Spade, Please Give Me a Job

Remember when I did this post on pops of pink and how they are totally the flavor of the day? Well lo and behold, fast forward to a few weeks later and this is the latest email ad from one of my favorite labels, Kate Spade.See how the headline matches my post practically verbatim? Here at The Yuppie Lifestyle, it is certainly a goal to keep readers prepared for upcoming trends, so it's nice to see proof I am doing my job. Don't forget that you read it here first!