DISH DOES EUROPE: Hello, London

By • October 14, 2010 • Musings, The Daily Dish

It’s easy to get lost in London.

And not just because every street corner is marked with a different sign or because a lot of places aren’t even marked at all — but because there’s so much to look at, so many things to do, it’s easy to get lost in it.

London is the capital of England and the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom. It’s home to about 7.5 million people who speak more than 300 languages. There are more pubs, shops, restaurants, churches, universities, bookstores, libraries, museums and historic sites than you can possibly get your head around — which makes it difficult to plan a four-day vacation in the city. There’s simply too much to do!

So we kept it simple. On our first day in London, we decided to hit the British Museum — about a 20-minute Tube ride from where we’re staying in Hackney Wick — and walk back. Whatever we stumbled across in the process, well, that’s what we were going to do.

Here’s what our first day in the UK looked like:

Farewell, Oahu

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I left Oahu on a mid-morning flight on Hawaiian Airlines and was lucky enough to sit by a window with views like this. #luckywelivehawaii

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To read all of Cat’s blogs, visit www.nonstophonolulu.com/thedailydish. Follow Cat on Twitter @thedailydish or send her an e-mail at [email protected].

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DISH DOES EUROPE: Au revoir, Paris

By • October 12, 2010 • Musings, The Daily Dish

It’s hard to believe it’s been just 36 hours in Paris.

In a way, it feels like we’ve only just arrived. But then again, seeing how much we were able to cram into a day-and-a-half, it almost feels like we’ve been here a week.

In a good way, of course.

On the agenda for our last day in Paris: see Napoleon’s tomb, check out a gourmet food shop I had heard so much about, bask under the shadow of the Eiffel Tower and — of course — eat as much as humanly possible.

There were so many other things we hadn’t been able to do like tour the Musee d’Orsay and Musee Picasso, check out the original Shakespeare and Company bookstore, walk around Notre Dame, view Auguste Rodin’s sculptures and have a picnic on the steps of the Sacre-Couer.

Guess those will just be on the list for the next time we visit Paris!

In the meantime, here’s what we did on our last day in the city:

thirtyninehotel

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Last week thirtyninehotel launched a new happy hour menu that sounded so good, I just had to try it. Every night there's a new specialty cocktail, too.

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To read all of Cat’s blogs, visit www.nonstophonolulu.com/thedailydish. Follow Cat on Twitter @thedailydish or send her an e-mail at [email protected].

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DISH DOES EUROPE: Paris

By • October 11, 2010 • Musings, The Daily Dish

I had heard so much about Paris — good and bad — I actually didn’t know what to expect.

People have said it’s dirty, it’s romantic, it’s expensive, the people are rude. Some have touted its vibrant cultural and art offerings; others have dismissed the food. Some have warned me about the bad service; others have been surprised and humbled by how nice Parisians are, despite the stereotype.

I feel like I’ve heard it all.

I figured the city would be a mix of historic icons — Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Montmartre — and typical urban life — dirty alleys, stretches of retail shops and restaurants. And I also expected the people to be as varied as the rumors. Some, like the hotel staff here and the folks who work in the museums, are warm and friendly; others, like the guy who ran a crepe stand on the Champs-Elysees, aren’t.

It’s like any city of more than 11 million people. You have the good, you have the bad. But in this case, Paris has the Eiffel Tower — and a whole slew of reasons millions trek here for vacations. Here are a few reasons why I’m planning to come back — and soon:

The premiere

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The premiere of "Family Ingredients" was held on Saturday at — where else — Alan Wong's Pineapple Room at Ala Moana Center.

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To read all of Cat’s blogs, visit www.nonstophonolulu.com/thedailydish. Follow Cat on Twitter @thedailydish or send her an e-mail at [email protected].

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DISH DOES EUROPE: Leaving Avignon

By • October 10, 2010 • Musings, The Daily Dish

I’ll be honest. I didn’t know much about Avignon, France until I got here.

And even now, I don’t feel like I truly understand the city’s place in European history.

Here’s all I know: the small city about three hours south of Paris is located on the left bank of the Rhône and best known for the Palais des Papes (Palace of the Popes), where several popes and antipopes lived from the early 14th to 15th centuries. The city is surrounded by an imposing stone wall, first built in the 13th century but torn down again and again over the decades. The ramparts were more than four kilometers long and eight meters high and surrounded by a water-filled moat. The walls were restored in 1860, making it one of the greatest fortifications of the 15th century in France.

What impressed me the most, though, was the laid-back atmosphere in Avignon. Drivers aside, the folks here seem to be in no rush at all. To the market, to church, to the pub — they all moved casually in and around the town. Guests were late to the wedding. The bride and groom were late to their own reception. (They had to be woken up, actually.) And everyone just goes at their own pace.

Stark contrast to Paris.

Even just an hour in this big city I can tell the difference.

Here’s what my last day in Avignon looked like.

FYI: I had my camera on a different ratio setting, so the photos are a bit smaller than normal. Apologies in advance.

Inside

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Underdogs Sports Bar & Grill is your typical local-style sports bar with flat-screen TVs, dart boards, karaoke and a great happy hour with cheap drinks.

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To read all of Cat’s blogs, visit www.nonstophonolulu.com/thedailydish. Follow Cat on Twitter @thedailydish or send her an e-mail at [email protected].

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DISH DOES EUROPE: Avignon

By • October 9, 2010 • Musings, The Daily Dish

After just about an entire day of traveling — including two train rides from Paris to Avignon, I finally got to step off a moving object and breathe in the air of France.

Which was a strange mix of cigarettes and very strong perfume.

I have never be to Europe before, so you would expect my anticipation for this trip would be off the charts. But for some reason it wasn’t. Maybe I had too much work to finish before I left. Maybe I didn’t have time to sit back and think about all the sights I’d see and food I’d eat. Maybe I just didn’t know what to expect, really, in order to get excited.

It was D, all of the above.

That’s the thing about traveling — you never have enough time to soak in the concept that you’ll be on vacation because you’re too busy packing (or doing laundry so you have something to pack), wrapping up projects at work, figuring out how to enable the out-of-office function on your e-mail, find sitters for your dogs (at least in my case) and get your finances in order. Who has time to think about the actual trip?

So now that I’m in my very cramped (but comfortable) hotel room in Avignon, France — yes, with a bidet — I can finally reflect on the trip that I’m on. (I’ve graded the last of my papers on the plane.)

Good morning, NYC

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I left my friend's apartment a little late and headed straight up 34th street to the Empire State Building. It's located just half a mile from where I'm staying in Murray Hill.

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To read all of Cat’s blogs, visit www.nonstophonolulu.com/thedailydish. Follow Cat on Twitter @thedailydish or send her an e-mail at [email protected].

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