Trip Tip a Day

Tip of the day: Take that gondola ride! I have a wonderful excuse to go back to Venice - I didn't take that gondola ride the first time, and didn't sit at a sidewalk cafe on the canal to sip a beverage and take in the sights by the water. It's been almost a year since my daughter and I went on our little adventure to Europe together. So, my tip of the day, is to embrace your inner tourist when you travel and hold her/him tight! Take that gondola ride. Pay the premium price for a beverage at a canal front table if that is your dream. If you are dreaming it - live it.

Tip of the day: Try the chocolate at Jeff de Bruges While walking up the rue Vavin in Paris, on our way to an Yves Delorme shop, we happened by the lovely Jeff de Bruges shop and stepped inside. It's a beautiful and pricey shop. Since it's my habit to bring chocolate home for tasting, I purchased a few different dark chocolate 100 g bars. http://www.jeff-de-bruges.com/rubrique/Chocolat/2.html Recently I broke into the bars, starting with the 43% Cacao which uses Criollo and Trinitario Cocoa beans from Venezuela. Venezuela It was good, but not at my preferred dark chocolate Cacao percentage. So, I had to move on to the next level - the 64% Cacao bar using Criollo and Trinitario beans from Peru. Ahh, dark chocolate bliss - the dry crack of the chocolate as it breaks, the slow melt in the mouth, the bitter delicious taste, the aroma. That's my favorite. I love how it crumbles a little in your mouth before melting - it's an exquisite sensation. Next up - 85%....

Tip of the day: Receive a French care package! Bonne Maman Tartelettes citron - the jam and jelly company makes these sweet little tartelettes. Just a minute - Ok, I'm back. After staring at the picture and going to their website, I just had to go enjoy a lemony yummy. The "cookies" are like a little inch and a half pie crust shell filled with lemon tart. Since I'm a huge lemon meringue pie fan, the lemon ones are a favorite - but other fruit flavors are available. In the Dallas area, Central Market carries them. http://www.bonne-maman.com/ Little French soap in the paper Little French soap out of the paper - some lemony scent here as well In a previous post I outlined my love for Cassis pastilles - http://europeantriptipaday.blogspot.com/2009/10/blog-post.html the other night I wasn't sick, but had a little cough attack in the middle of the night. I rolled over and pulled a lozenge out of the tin in the nightstand. So soothing. And now my sweet French c...

Tip of the day: Rates are different for calling a European landline vs. a mobile from the USA! Verizon $ 4.99 per month plus 10 cents per minute to a European landline, 30 cents/min to a Euro mobile AT&T Cell International Calling $3.99/month plus 22 cents/min to a Euro mobile Skype 23 cents/min to a Euro mobile AT&T Worldwide calling $30 prepaid calling card 25 cents/min to Euro mobile Pingo USA to France 2.25 cents per minute to a landline 14.5 cents/min to a Euro mobile Looks like Pingo wins to both landline and mobile. http://www.pingo.com/ (photo is a New Hampshire USA peppermint patty- yummy)

Tip of the day: Buy that special coffee while you are there! ...could it be that 11 years later I still crave a cup of the coffee I enjoyed in a restaurant in Sevilla, Espana? http://www.catunambu.com/eng/intro.html ...that I keep emailing the company pitifully, asking them to let me buy the coffee? ...that even though La Tienda carries Catunambu for the U.S. market, they don't carry the little individual foil packets of the instant decaf coffee that I enjoyed so I won't order the drip decaf they do offer? http://www.tienda.com/food/products/cf-14-2.html Such is the dedication of the woman who enjoys a good cup of Café descafeinado in Spain.... I sent another pleading email today. Sevilla - Catunambu por favor!

Tip of the day: Enjoy the outdoor cafe Yes, the outdoor sidewalk cafe is a European staple. It's not as if we don't have them here in America, but actually, it really is as if we don't have them here in America. So, enjoy your seat, the sites, the views, the fresh air, the shade perhaps, the waiter, the food, the people watching, and enjoy taking it all in - al fresco!

Tip of the day: Have something embroidered in Venice Choose your item and watch as she embroiders freehand The apron says "c ucino con Amore" with hearts A fun Venice memory for the 13 year old cook in our family from her Swiss Uncle Kurt