Posted: October 24th, 2025 | Filed under: Out Of Town August 3, 2025
Flew into LAX on the early flight:
Grabbed something to eat at the famous Bob’s Big Boy in Burbank:
August 4, 2025
Had never seen the famous Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach:
August 5, 2025
Beignets at the Beachcomber in Crystal Cove State Park are a bit of a tradition:
August 6, 2025
A return visit to Roger’s Gardens :
August 7, 2025
There was something called the Sturgeon Moon that peaked around August 8-9, but it seemed full on the evening of the 7th, and confirmed that it’s impossible to photograph the moon:
August 8, 2025
Grilling at Newport Coast Villas :
August 9, 2025
A run along the beach at Crystal Cove State Park:
The view from the Crystal Cove Shake Shack:
Later, a chocolate frozen banana on Balboa Island :
August 10, 2025
A day trip to San Juan Capistrano and Mission San Juan Capistrano :
Also nearby, the Los Rios Historic District :
Posted: October 22nd, 2025 | Filed under: Out Of Town July 14, 2025
The impetus for this whirlwind trip across Europe was the insanely low price of trans-Atlantic plane travel via Norse Atlantic Airways — like $500 round-trip in the middle of the summer high season. Soon after we returned, we learned that the carrier was planning to cancel routes between North America and Europe — including the New York-Paris (JFK-CDG) and Berlin-New York (BER-JFK) routes we flew — in favor of sending Mancunians to Bangkok. Alas, too good to be true — but not before an epic 19-day journey through four amazing European cities!
We immediately set out sightseeing across Paris, eating a picnic at Jardin du Luxembourg :
It didn’t immediately register that we landed on Bastille Day, but we got as close as we could to the magnificent fireworks display against the dramatic backdrop of the Eiffel Tower :
July 15, 2025
A primer on Parisian cuisine at Bouillon Pigalle :
Nearby, the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre :
The rehabilitated Notre-Dame de Paris :
July 16, 2025
A morning run along Canal Saint-Denis :
And through Parc de la Villette :
Back to our AirBnB on Rue Alphonse Daudet in the suburb of Aubervilliers:
Musée d’Orsay :
Lunch at Le Relais de l’Entrecôte :
Back to Champ de Mars to see the Eiffel Tower:
July 17, 2025
A morning run along the Seine and through the Tunnel des Tuileries :
. . . continuing along the Champs-Élysées :
As this was the middle of July, got to see the Tour de France Pop-Up Store in Place Charles de Gaulle:
And of course the Arc de Triomphe:
E. DEHILLERIN :
Stohrer for pastries:
Printemps Haussmann for the view:
Galeries Lafayette for another great view along Boulevard Haussmann:
Forum des Halles :
Robert et Louise for exceptional wood-fired meats:
Place Georges-Pompidou :
Au Pied de Cochon for a Soupe à l’Oignon nitecap:
July 18, 2025
The Musée du Louvre :
And we saw the Tiara of Empress Eugénie in the Apollo Gallery before it was yoinked:
More great classic French bistro cuisine at Bistrot Richelieu , including frog legs, croque monsieurs and steak tartare:
A brief respite in Jardin des Tuileries . . .
. . . before heading to Gare du Nord to take a train to Amsterdam:
VIDEO
July 19, 2025
Amsterdam Centraal Station :
The Van Gogh Museum :
Spuistraat :
Freshly made stroopwafel at Hans Egstorf :
We missed the window for tickets for the Anne Frank House/Anne Frank Huis but we saw it from the outside:
Begijnhof :
Exceptional herring, smoked mackerel and fried cod at Frens Haringhandel :
Nearby, the Bloemenmarkt Flower Market :
Dam Square :
July 20, 2025
We stayed in nearby Zaandam and I got the opportunity to explore it during an early morning run:
During which, I saw my first windmill, Het Pink :
Later, back in Amsterdam, the Rijksmuseum :
A Canal Pedal Boat Tour :
Leidsestraat :
Koningsplein :
French fries at Vleminckx de Sausmeester :
Back in Zaandam, the old-school automat vibe of Febo was a hoot:
July 21, 2025
A day trip out to Haarlem where we rented bikes at Rent a Bike Haarlem . . .
. . . and biked out to Bloemendaal aan Zee :
Haarlem was very pleasant, and exuded Dutch charm without all the touristy trappings of Amsterdam:
McDonald’s :
Jopenkerk :
July 22, 2025
A long journey between Amsterdam and Copenhagen via Hanover, Germany:
July 23, 2025
Exploring Copenhagen; first stop, Copenhagen Central Station/Københavns Hovedbanegård :
Strøget, July 23, 2025 :
Compare with Strøget, November 16, 2007 :
Christiania, July 23, 2025 :
(contrast with Christiania nearly 18 years earlier )
“Danish” pastries at Lagkagehuset in Christianshavn :
July 24, 2025
Morning run down Grisestien Trail north of Copenhagen, near Vedbæk, where we stayed:
The peat bog of Bøllemosen :
The beach at Vedbæk, i.e., Vedbæk Strand :
A day at Tivoli Gardens :
July 25, 2025
Vikingeskibsmuseet/Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde:
Then across the harbor from Copenhagen, a visit to Malmö :
The square called Stortorget is rather charming:
Bullen for a proper lunch of Swedish meatballs:
Followed by a visit to the Disgusting Food Museum :
July 26, 2025
Vedbæk :
Vedbæk Kirke :
A FC København match at Parken Stadium :
“FCK” is obviously a wonderful team to root for . . .
Afterward, we scored this thing of beauty in Trianglen :
July 27, 2025
Billund ‘s LEGO House :
Storebæltsbroen/Great Belt Bridge :
All farts are funny:
July 28, 2025
Netto-Bådene Boat Tour :
Fiolstræde :
Torvehallerne :
Then a long journey via train to Berlin . . .
VIDEO
July 29, 2025
Morning at Potsdamer Platz :
Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe :
Brandenburg Gate :
The Spree river runs through the center of Berlin:
Die Berliner Republik for lunch:
Konditorei Buchwald for sweets:
KaDeWe :
July 30, 2025
A morning run, first by Niederkirchnerstraße where a long stretch of the Berlin Wall exists:
Nearby Checkpoint Charlie :
Back to Brandenburg Gate, before the crowds showed up:
Through Tiergarten :
Down Tilla-Durieux-Park :
Through Mendelssohn-Bartholdy-Park :
And ending up at Anhalter Bahnhof :
I can’t believe the folks running the Trabi Safari Tour let you drive those things through the streets of Berlin, but they do. Highly recommended:
Unter den Linden :
Museum Island :
The fascinating DDR Museum , detailing what daily life was like in communist East Germany:
Rüyam Gemüse Kebab 2 :
The Berlin Wall is visible around the city, but the longest stretch comprises the East Side Gallery :
Down the road is the whimsical Holzmarkt 25 :
Alexanderplatz :
July 31, 2025
Wiener schnitzel at Felix Austria :
Which is just across from Spielplatz auf dem Marheinekeplatz :
The Reichstag Building and its rooftop terrace and dome are a lovely free attraction:
The Berliner Unterwelten tour from Gesundbrunnen Station is very interesting (though no pictures allowed):
The currywurst at Curry Baude , adjoining Gesundbrunnen Station, is excellent:
August 1, 2025
A morning run along Landwehr Canal :
Also excellent in relating the East German experience, the Stasimuseum :
A final meal at Izmir Köftecisi :
And onto the flight back home . . .
