Jap food - French style

Anyone who knows me, knows that I love eating Japanese food. So on my last day in Paris, I decided to try some Jap. In Paris, alot of Jap food is served with fromage (cheese). I was so curious that I had to try it. So I ordered a sashimi set menu which included a skewer of cheese wrapped in meat. Sadly, the cheese skewer was disappointing. Cheese just doesn't go with asian food in my opinion! I was told by a local frenchie that they have sushi with cheese too!

Smell the cheese! See the last skewer on the right.

Word of the day: Scaffolding

I don't mean to whinge, but half of Europe was literally covered in scaffolding. Was it bad timing or is Europe always covered in scaffolding?


A warped house in Paris! Pic taken in 16e near the Champs Elysees & Louis Vuitton Store.


Scaffolding covering the Chateau de Versailles. Both the front and back of the palace were undergoing major refurbishments.

Pics from Paris

View of the Abbey at Mont St-Michel

Mona Lisa at the Louvre - she is smiling but is she happy? According to emotion recognition technology Mona is at least 83% happy.

Moulin Rouge

Pics from Amsterdam

Bjorn Borg, the tennis legend now has his own fashion label and a store in Amsterdam.

Little J on her little green bike outside her student apartment block of shipping containers.

How's your latin? Translated, it says 'men shouldn't pee into the wind'. Pic taken near Leidseplein.

La Techno Parade

Sat 15 Sept 2007.

We decided to do some sightseeing in the Marais area of Paris today. But we ran into a techno street parade. It was hilarious watching French guys dance!

Crazy Scots

The Scots have invaded Paris for the Rugby World Cup! There were so many crazy Scot's partying by the Eiffel Tower, there was even a huge queue at the men's loo. There was plenty of atmosphere...with Bagpipes, kilts and all!

Salut from Paris

Wed 12 Sept 2007.

Bonjour from Paris.

We are having a great time. So far, we have seen the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Arc de Triomphe, Avenue des Champs Elysees and more.

Rugby World Cup fever has hit France. Crazy Scot's congregate near the Eiffel Tower in their masses, prancing around the town in their kilts and rugby jerseys.

Escargot (snails) for dinner on our first night .

Tour Eiffel at night. Mel standing next to a French rooster (mascot for the French Rugby team).

Say Cheese!

Fri 7 Sept 2007.

Today, we went to the Alkmaar Cheese Market. Rounds of cheese were stacked in the square, then whisked away on wooden sleds by porters wearing colourful hats.

Say Cheese! There was plenty of Gouda cheese being sold at the cheese market today.

Clogs being sold at the market in Alkmaar.

We also went to the Anne Frank museum today. This is a statue of Anne Frank in Amsterdam.

Ok, so it's not quite the red light district...but this was one of the billboards we saw on our travels in Rotterdam. It reads 'most beautiful buttocks on Sloggi' (Sloggi being the brand of underwear).

I want to ride my bicycle

The main mode of transport in Amsterdam is push bike.

I've started a photo collection of bikes!


Dude...where did I park my bike? This pic was taken in a multi storey bike car-park at Amsterdam Centraal Station.

You can't get more Dutch than having a bright orange bike.

Pretty with flowers.

Blue with white polkadots.

Zebra stripes.

Harley style!

Howdy from Dutchy Land

Hi from Amsterdam. Sorry to say, but the weather in Amsterdam is worse than London! It feels like winter already!

No visit to Amsterdam is complete without a trip to a coffeeshop for a bit of wacky tobacci.

In search of the magic mushroom.

Mel in a giant clog.

Better go and do some more sight seeing...hanging out in coffee shops and window shopping!

Pics from England

Mum, Dad & Mel at King's College, Cambridge

At the Prime Meridian Line, Greenwich.

Mel running to catch the Hogwart's Express on Platform 9 and 3/4 at Kings Cross Station.

Pics from Spain

Biking around Barcelona.

Mel & Little J at Gaudi's unfinished Sagrada Familia Church.

Eating Churros dipped in hot chocolate

Pics from Italy

Rio Maggiore, one of the villages in the Cinque Terre.

Mel & Little J at the Colosseum

Little J & Mel at the Leaning tower of Pisa.

Little J & Mel in Venice.