Without Fanfare or Frippery

Recent news from my favorite blog Cupcakes Take The Cake, a second Magnolia Bakery is planned to open on the Upper West Side! The latest confectionary heaven is due to open sometime around Thanksgiving or Christmas. The news is, the bakery will certainly be larger but owners seek to maintain the same tiny charm (that some find either cozy or claustrophobic) as the location on Bleeker. Haven't been to Magnolia yet? Do it! Their Red Velvet Cupcakes are scrumptious. I hope that by Christmas time I can fulfill my ultimate dream of A Magnolia Cupcake Face Off. Envision this... a Bleeker St. cupcake in one hand...Upper West Side cupcake in the other...taste, compare, enjoy!

I've been a loyal fan of cucpake blog "Cupcakes Take The Cake" for a few years now. The site posts what one famed blogger Rachel describes as "food porn" or sinfully beautiful photographs of cupcakes that literally make your mouth water. In addition to such visual seductions, "Cupcakes Take The Cake" has the scoop on different bakeries all aroung the globe, feautures interviews with some if the most passionate figures in the cucpcake world and gives everyone the opportunity to come together during the monthly Cupcake Meetups. Think of it like a book club for cupcake foodies who live in or around
Manhattan.

This month's meetup was held at Baked in Redhook, Brooklyn. The somewhat lengthy trek involves subways, buses or a boat if you're coming from the village. Yet on a beautiful day like today the trip is quite enjoyable. I had never been to Redhook before today...it's rather cute.

So you might wonder, what happens at a cucpake meetup? Well for starters, we sample cupcakes. The group of us piled into the bakery claiming a section of soft chairs and a full booth (we're a big group for a tiny bakery). The single room, decorated modernly with an art deco mirror behind the counter and a crystal chandelier overhead, smelled of coffee and quiche with a hint of buttercream lingering in the background. The mood was relaxed, yet for the entire two hours we were the line at the counter never waned. The selection of treats was neverending, featuring junior cupcakes, tarts, bars, granola...you name it, Bake bakes it!

Rachel with some junior cupcakes

Now as I said, clearly we sample cupcakes during the cupcake meet up. Baked left us with quite a bunch to choose from. From the vanilla-vanilla, chocolate-chocolate, red velvet, caramel apple and malt chocolate cupcakes...Caramel Apple was my favorite, hands down. It tasted slightly like a carrot cake cupcake, only it was much more moist and had a subtle apple flavor. There was certainly a deep buttery note that came from the caramel drizzle ontop of the cream cheese icing. The red velvet cupcake was definitely special as well. The cream cheese tasted as though it had bits of redhots mixed throughout...it was spicy! Now I'm a fan of the tradition red velvet cake but this was a treat. Many people enjoyed the simple chocolate and vanilla cupcakes as well, yet I believe the general concensus was that the caramel apple cupcake took home the gold medal.

My Caramel Apple cupcake and Red Velvet cupcake

The meetups provide us the opportunity to get together face to face and really share our love for sweets. Friends passed on information about new food events going on in NYC, new books that were coming out, new bakeries to try! Nichelle, another founder of "Cupcakes Take The Cake" and organizer of the monthly meetups, gifted an adorable knitted cupcake to the meetup groupie who had to travel the farthest to get to the event...a girl who had to endure the subway ride all the way from the Bronx. Rachel presented me with "Eat This!"written by Ian Jackman. I won the book after sumitting my story about "the most cupcakes I've eaten in one sitting" for a contest they were having. I was super exciting about winning (I'm really unlucky when it comes to contests). The book focuses on 1001 things to eat before you die. Pretty awesome if you ask me.

Overall, it was a fantastic meetup. It was just such a wonder mix of truly lovely people. I can hardly wait for next month...

Enjoy!

Wow. What a way to wake up. That sentence alone, "Zero-Tolerance for Cupcakes", zaps away some of the happiness from this otherwise sunny morning.

Leave it to Long Island. According to Newsday, many Long Island schools have banned birthday cupcakes from their classrooms in response to the national effort to work again childhood obesity. (Give me a break)

Under the federal "school-lunch law" that Congress passed in 2004, these "wellness" crusades are localized. Each school district is required to create policies that improve their students nutrition and fitness, however every district is free to take action in their own way.

Districts such as Huntington, Locust Valley and West Babylon have expelled the traditional birthday treat from their classrooms. Others have even gone as far as removing homemade baked sales for PTA fundraisers or using candy as a reward/teaching tool in lessons.

What do these schools see as an alternative? Games. What! A child would rather play Duck, Duck, Goose than bite into a tiny soft cake, blanketed with sweet pastel frosting and a dusting of sanding sugar? Not a chance. Not only would games take more teaching time away from the classroom, they just don't seem to have the same thrill as being able to bring a special treat to share with all of your friends. Some schools have suggested making angel food cake cupcakes or other lower calorie options. Others assure us that there's nothing wrong with having a special treat from your child, it just cannot be passed on to any other student. That sounds democratic. "No problem, fatten your kid up while the rest of us stare and drool over your delicious cupcake."

(I have a great lemon angle food cake cupcake recipe if you're interested. BUT come on, give these kids a break!)

I don't even know how to react at this point. I had always envisioned myself growing up, having kids and BAKING THEM CUPCAKES TO TAKE TO SCHOOL ON THEIR BIRTHDAY. Maybe the schools should spend more time and energy regulating the nutrition of their school lunches, rather than worrying about the occasion treats parents bring in. I think their focus is misdirected. Have they ever heard of the little phrase, "everything in moderation"? Do schools really believe that a cupcake every once and a while will put a child at considerably more risk of becoming obesity, than regularly eating school lunches notoriously laden with sodium and fat? What sounds more ominous?

Think of it this way, a normal sized cupcake is usually anywhere from around 250-400 calories depending on fillings, frostings, etc. Children are often given snack time at school. I'm sure there are plenty of parents out there who supply their children with healthy snacks but there are certainly a large number of other parents who throw in a bag a chips or cookies with just as many calories. Why not this, on a birthday day instead of bringing your own snack YOU EAT A CUPCAKE. By the end of the day you've consumed around the same number of calories as you would on a normal day. Not to mention, home made cupcakes are not filled with mystery ingredients and processed chemicals like some packaged snacks are. Eggs, butter, milk, flour, sugar...whoa scary! You know what, if that isn't enough for you, make a Birthday Day once a month. One treat a month is nothing for a child who is busy growing and exploring all day long in their classroom setting. Those calories would burn off in a few playground sessions alone.

What do I think of the Zero-Tolerance for Cupcakes push? Rubbish! Leave the birthday cupcakes alone. You have bigger fish to fry, starting with the fried fish right in your very own cafeteria.

Good afternoon New York, it's been a while since we've had a chat. I apologize for the delay. Class has been really stressful. The thought of doing more writing this week was terrifying.

Last Friday was my dear friend Rachel's 21st birthday. To celebrate, we decided to take Rachel out to dinner, but the night was much more daring than I had expected. The restaurant my friend's chose was Gya-Kaku a Japanese BBQ in Cooper Square. Apparently Rachel had gone with her boyfriend a few months before and loved it. I agreed that it was a lovely idea in vain having no idea what a Japanese BBQ actually entailed. Let's just say, I was pleasantly surprised.

The six of us met outside of the restaurant around 8:30pm. The streets were already energized with crowds of partygoers and bar hopers. Upon entering Gya-Kaku the mood was no different. The dining room was abuzz with loungy music, dim lights and the sizzle of the grills. Tables were separated by privacy screens, curtains of silky beads and tall wooden pillars. Young, trendy and hungry diners filled every seat. I couldn't keep eyes off of the smoking grates in the middle of every table. As our group was escorted to the back, it finally clicked "Wait, do we have to cook our food ourselves?" The laughter was all the answer I needed. Indeed, we would be our own chefs tonight. (I do surround myself with fellow Martha fans so the idea of paying to cook your own food IS a "good thing" for us.)

Since you are responsible for grilling your own portions, the menu at Gyu-Kaku looks quite odd. Of course they include some "precooked" options, yet the bulk of the items are separated into proteins, marinades and vegetables. It took us a while to decipher what some of the meats were. Ultimately we decided that liver and tongue would not be the best choices for our Texan birthday girl. We stuck with what we knew, chicken, beef and shrimp. Everyone had the opportunity to choose their own marinade ranging from teriyaki, garlic to pesto. Within no time at all, little trays of raw meet were presented to us. Our vegetables were neatly wrapped within tinfoil pouches. The beauty of cooking your own food is that you don't have to wait for an overwhelmed kitchen to prepare it for you. We took turns passing around the four pairs of tongs, flipping the meat, checking the veggies and praying to God that we didn't set anything on fire. The process of eating may take longer when you cook as you go, however we all agreed the grilling was as much of a form of entertainment as it was of nourishment. Unanimously it was decided that a Japanese BBQ would make a great date place since it was "interactive" and could ease awkward silences..."Sorry, I was concentrating on flipping my chicken."

The highlight of the event was watching Rachel order her first drink! We thought it was a Kodak moment she'd loved to share with her children. Everyone is just growing up so fast here in NYC...

Overall, our meal was delicious. All of the marinades were tasty, the meat was tender and it really was exciting to cook as a group.

Of course, what would a birthday be without a sweet treat? We topped off our BBQ'ing experience with a round of s'mores! There was the option of either milk or dark chocolate...clearly we chose to the later. YUM. Along with a fresh grill we all received a skewer, a graham cracker, chocolate and a marshmallow. I was the boob who tried to warm her graham cracker on the grill. The thing started smoking, the chocolate melted and I made a fatal error...I went in with the hands. It was chocolate! I wasn't going to let it die and go to waste! I wanted to eat it. One thing let to another...I basically tried to pick up melting chocolate from a BBQ grill and scorched my fingers in the process. What a girl will do for dessert. That really must not reflect to favorably on me. Oh well! We got a great laugh out of it.

Gya-Kaku was a momentous way to celebrate a truly special occasion. Happy Birthday Rachel!

Yeah...be jealous. This treat was created in a dorm kitchen. After running into Sam Talbot of last season's Top Chef this morning on my way to the Palladium gym, lets just say I was inspired to make something oh so tasty. Baby sweet potato cakes with charred marshmallow and candied pecans. I dont know which was more deserving of the "yum" factor...the real candy or the eye candy. Oh my, how I love living in New York.

Kilograms or ounces? Degrees celsius or fahrenheit? Is there such thing as canned chicken broth here? Cuit means the bacon is cooked, right?

While Paris can charm any foodie into sensory overload with the tastes and smells waiting to be discovered in the local markets, it can drive a home chef mad with frustration when trying to prepare a specific meal. Trying to navigate a world of unknown ingredients and proportions is challenging at the start. Luckily, the sheer seductiveness of fresh produce, robust meats and pungent cheese can drawn the frustrated gourmet out of their dismay. As the aroma of the storefronts sinks into the cobble stoned streets, one can find the inspiration to throw the recipe book to the wind and start cooking from the gut. It's about taste. It's about fragrance. It's about feeling driven to create just by looking at the beautiful ingredients waiting to be picked. How could one not fall in love with food in France? It's an experience all on its own.

To quickly give you an idea of my first real attempt at a gourmet meal in Paris, let's start off at the Marche Moufettard. This outdoor market is open Sunday mornings right up the hill from my apartment next to the Pantheon. The market is more like a festival rather than a simple place to buy fresh groceries. There was music, dancing and little girls running round eating cartons of raspberries as their mothers chased after them. As much as I was customer like everyone else, I felt more like a fly on the wall watching a gorgeous sunday ritual unfold.

The produce was spectacular. Although there were only a few stands, each table was bursting with plump tomatoes, bushels of herbs and the most gigantic strawberries I have ever seen. I ended up with mushrooms, garlic, onions, three different kinds of berries and some thyme.

As I walked back towards my apartment, I stopped at the local butcher from some bacon. The young man joked with me about how little jambon I wanted. In french he suggested, "Why do you not buy some more and have me over for dinner. Works for both of us." As tempting as it was, my menu was set for three ladies that evening and a superfulous amount of bacon would not be necessary.

The next stop was the Fromagerie. I was looking for riccotta cheese to sweet and serve with the berries. Of course, one would wonder why I was set on buying italian cheese when I was in the heart of Paris. Unsurprisingly, the first two fromageries told we they did not have any riccotta and that I should try the Italian specialty store down the way. In an attempt to keep my meal as local and authentic as possible, I asked the fromagier if perhaps she knew a different kind of soft cheese I could sweeten and serve with fruit. Before long, she dipped her hand into a large tub of soft white curds and plopped the contents onto a piece of parchment paper. With a few skillful twists, a signature move of the french store owners, the cheese was bundled and ready to go. My dilema now is that I absolutely loved the cheese and have no idea what is was that she gave me. I'll have to return next sunday for the name of my mystery fromage.

The meal was a success in many ways. I pulled ideas from a 2000 Gourmet magazine special issue on Paris that my Nanny Murphy gifted me for Christmas. It is one of my most prized possessions. My menu included cereal bread from Eric Keiser's boulangerie, a mixed green salad with avocado, tomato, apple and a mustard vinaigrette, chicken marengo, whole wheat pasta with roasted haricoverts in a parsley, garlic and olive oil dressed and for dessert, home made crepes filled with a mystery soft cheese, sweetened slightly with a bit of sugar and bursting with fresh berries. We were filled to the bring by the time our dinner party came to a close. We enjoyed the meal and each other's company so much, it was far past midnight when the last bites were taken. Our meal together was perhaps one of the most memorable nights in Paris so far. Sharing delicious food with close friends is as fulfilling as it gets.

For your viewing pleasure, here are some photographs of how the meal developed. Enjoy!

The knot I managed to tangle in my stomach while sitting on the crowded bus to Beauvais Aeroport literally throbbed with each passing street sign. My nerves were inconsolable. The travel folder I had prepared weeks in advance sat open on my lap. It overflowed with confirmation numbers, receipts and photocopies of all of the documents one might need in any crisis; catastrophic or small. Over and over I read the papers. Double checking. Triple checking...sounds like a fantastic time, right?

Indeed it was! The worst is now over. All of the nail biting anticipation leading up to my first weekend excursion (sans assistance from any greater authority) was well worth it. On behalf of myself and two other NYU adventurers, I'd like to announce that Barcelona 2008 was an enormous success.

When it comes to organized travel, I must admit NYU Paris leaves a bit to be desired. There are only two trips planned outside of the Île-de-France in the coming weeks. A group of us will be escorted to Nimes for a "French Cowboy" and Roman ruins escapade on March 14th. In early April, another group will be traveling to Marseille. While it's appreciated that we only have to pay 30 euro for our voyages, as compared to the AUP students who shell out a bit more, I'd gladly empty my wallet for greater options. My dear friend Carrie, an NYU student currently studying at AUP, explains that they have the opportunity to go to all different location both in France and abroad during the semester. True, the prices are "steeper" for a student budget. Come on though. No matter what, we're all traveling at a discounted price.

To remedy our frustration, we have taken matters into our own hands and have planned trips accordingly. This past weekend began our exploration of the rest of Europe. First stop. Spain.

After an hour and a half bus ride from Port Malliot to Beauvais, an hour and a half flight from Beauvais to Girona, and finally an hour and a half bus ride from Girona to Barcelona...we found ourselves outside of #24 Qua Roger de Lluria.

I had found this apartment through Nicestay Barcelona. If you ever find yourself in Barcelona I highly recommend you use this site. Basically, you rent out a room in an apartment for a few nights at a ridiculously affordable price. To give you an idea, for three girls and three nights we ended up paying just under 60 euro each. Total.

We had a double bed, a pull out and a well loved mini-fridge in our bedroom. There was a bathroom down the hall that was all our own. We had access to their computer, kitchen, living room, balcony and extensive Spanish DVD collection (which unfortunately we never tapped).

I suppose the real question is, how do you milk the most out of a city like Barcelona in just three days? You hit the ground running, that's for sure. We set off right away to see some of Antonio Gaudi architecture.

The first Gaudi we came upon was the Casa Batlló. Some people call it the house of bones. Wedged between traditional spanish homes and your typical skyscrapers, Gaudi's work may seem more Disney than designer. Yet upon taking a second look, you realize just how impressive these buildings are. I wish I knew more about architecture so that I could appreciate the magnitude of creativity that must have went into making these homes. I was more taken by the odd shape of the windows and by trying to figure out how one would go about framing a structure like this. You can rent out rooms in the casa for different events. How awful would it be to have a wedding there? "House of Bones"...romantic. It just seems like a bad omen.

Casa Milà is only a short walk up the street. I was mislead by a guidebook that suggested the windows represented yawning mouths. Apparently, the lines of the building reflect the curves of the ocean waves. Let's just say it's shapely. We opted not to go into their building. Student Travel Tip: If you're working on a tight budget, prioritize. Which attractions you're willing to spend money on and where can you cut corners? While the insides of Guadi's buildings are certainly noteworthy, the general structure and facade are what one really must see. Instead of spending 16 euro to enter...we appreciated the free view from across the street and kept our wallets tucked away.

Clearly my largest priority in any situation is food. A great meal is one thing I am not willing to sacrifice. Of course, wherever you are, there are great eats at even better prices. Barcelona was no exception. We thought it only appropriate to kick off our spanish adventure with some regional faire. One paella pan and a pitcher of sangria later, ay Dios mio, our bellies were singing Barcelona's praises!

Our meal was followed by a siesta, which after a long travel day, ended up turning into a full night's rest. No harm done though. We were fresh and ready to go early the next morning. Carrie, Kristine and Myself strolled down the main street La Ramblas searching for a place to grab a strong cup of spanish coffee amidts the cafes and stores bustling with weekend visitors just like ourselves. Directly across from the opera house is the Cafe Opera (surprise, surprise) famous for both its dishes and its fantastic view. Student Tip: prioritize! Where as it would be nice to munch on warm pastries from such a well loved spot, we knew our needs would be just as well met by the popular "Cappuccino" next door. . After all, coffee was our immediate goal. "Cappuccino" even shared a terrace with Cafe Opera. Why splurge on your morning beverage when you don't have to? We sipped and chatted quite contently as we reminded one another, "Hey, we're in Barcelona right now." Caffeinated and ready for action, we then made our way to Placa de Catalunya.

Last year, my stunning godmother Aunt Eileen vacationed in Barcelona. Repeatedly she told me I simply had to use the "hop-on, hop-off" bus when I visited. Never underestimate the fantastic judgment of a well traveled family member! In one afternoon we were able to see more of Barcelona than we did during the rest of our time combined. It was just as vital to our experience as Aunt Eileen had explained.

Barcelona Bus Tours features three different lines: Red, Blue and Green. While some of the colors overlap at certain stops (scandalous, I know) for the most part the different paths take you to all different locations around the city. There is a ticket booth at Placa de Catalunya where you can buy a day pass for only 20 euro. There are over 40 stops that you can visit. You can get on and off the bus as many times as you'd like, for as long as you'd like, all day long. Even better, you get free headphones and a coupon booklet with discounts for all of the museums, sites and various restaurants around the city. Did I mention it's an open air bus?

The weather was intoxicating. Much warmer than Paris. The three of us plugged in our headphones and listened to the guided tour while we sat on the sun-drenched bus. Not a bad way to experience Spain, huh? There was even elevator music in between the dialog. Thanks for the tip Aunt Eileen!

MNAC

Since we had seen the Gaudi's the day before, we stayed on the bus until we reached Poble Espanyol, an open-air art museum near the MNAC. The "museum" itself is set up as a village with buildings inside representing the different periods of spanish architecture. The areas house museum exhibits, galleries, art classes, shops and cafes. We were dying to visit the Art Therapy workshop but it was closed. Instead we invaded the sculpture garden. Unintentionally we stumbled upon a glass blowing studio tuck away in one of the plazas. I had never seen molten glass before. It's blinding! I go to school in Manhattan, I know bright lights, but the glass was something else. Of course, with each new location comes a new opportunity to eat. I wish I had a better picture to share with you. We ate on the terrace of a cafe that was shaded by orange trees. You know how there are those handful of moments where you just close you eyes and wonder "how did I get here? Is this actually my life?" This was one of them. The buildings, the smell of oranges, the sun sinking in the sky and a piece of fresh melon draped with aged prosciutto...a more skillful writer would do the scene much more justice. I'll just let you enjoy the photos.

The rest of the afternoon was filled with other sites and bites. We went on a gondola ride that over looked the city.

On our way to the old port we passed all sorts of interesting sculptures. I think the sculptures were my favorite part of Barcelona. The Barcelona Aquarium was quite a treat as well. Not only did we get to see penguins, which made us so nostalgic of home, but there was an underwater shark tunnel as well. We might also have found Nemo...incase you're interested, he lives in Barcelona.

This is known as the "Happy Lobster Sculpture"

We wrapped up the touring part of our day with cotton candy and tango. What could be more perfect? Sweet and spicy.

One of the things we had planned was a visit to Milk, a lounge in the Gothic Quater that I read about on a food blog. It was voted one of the "Top 3 New Bars/Bistros" in Barcelona by Elle Magazine. Elle certainly knows best in this case. What a gem. Not only was Milk's menu completely creative, the decor was plush and their one Irish staff member quite attentive to our every need. The next morning we returned for their famous brunch. Fluffy pancakes with bananas and peaches drenched in Canadian maple syrup...they won me over, heart and soul. I think Carrie was afraid she might have to drag me out. Then again, her salmon eggs benedict was worthy of some plate licking as well.

Sunday, our final day in Barcelona. Carrie and I explored Barcelona on our own while Kristine made her way to the Soccer Stadium. We did have a stroke of bad luck for a while. Everything we wanted to see was closed. I keep forgetting the Sundays in Europe are not the same as Sundays in Manhattan. The most heartbreaking loss was missing out on the market near Ramblas. It's all I had been reading about prior to the trip! We shook off the defeat with two huge cups of coffee and a walk up to the "diagonal" street where we passed a Zara and a Mango while on the bus the day before. Since they are two Spanish based companies, it's said that their stores in Barcelona as very reasonably priced. Discounted Zara? Of course we were going to take the walk. Unfortunately, clothing store are also closed on Sunday in Barcelona along with everything else. By that time, the MNAC (another location on our list for the day) was closed. On our walk back we did see a sign for "free entrance" to the Spanish Art Museum. Yet the only part of the Spanish Art Museum that is opened to the public on Sundays is the lobby. What a deal. We salvaged the rest of our day with aimless meandering that proved to be very successful. We found some artisan stands that peeked our interest and went into the cathedral in the Gothic Quarter. The cathedral was beautiful. It was lush and tropical in a way that seemed too luxurious for a place of worship. Carrie, in an attempt to comprehend Christian extravagance, questioned why you'd had to pay to get into a gathering place for your own religion and why a building that should be associated with piousness was so obviously opulent. "Cathedrals are all a part of the 'My church is more bad-ass than yours' battle of the past", I explained. As for the price tag attached to 'the house of God', it's a question I often ask as well. Regardless, we enjoyed our time there. We were smitten with the swans.

When hunger struck, we shared some street sweets. Here's Carrie with our delicious juice. Honestly, fruit has never tasted better. It was just a blend of fresh mangos, pineapple and bananas. Eating in transit is an act we've pretty much mastered since we started sharing food with one another in Paris. We synchronize our pace with our sipping/eating. One sip, pass. One sip, pass. One bite, pass. One bite, pass. The juice was just the overture to the real treat though.

You didn't think I'd leave Spain without visiting a bakery did you? Of course not. For lunch we choose a selection of cookies from the plentiful display. The decision was difficult, I'm not going to lie. We ended up with an espresso shortbread, a hazelnut biscuit, a dipped cookie, a cream puff of sorts and a mystery cookie that I still can't identify. We sat in a plaza near the cathedral and munched. We attempted to console one another about the exams we had the following morning as soon as we arrived in Paris. The decision was made that we'd return to the apartment so that Carrie could snooze and recharge a bit and I could grab my books to go study.

I promise I was on my way to go study before I was distracted by my own desire to meander through the Gothic Quarter. For a few hours I got lost within the narrow streets and different parks. There were gardens, sculptures, dark corners and uneven cobble stones. Perhaps there was some gelato and falafel thrown in there as well. Eventually I did find a quiet plaza to study in. It just seemed unfair to Spain to focus all of my attention on memorizing French vocabulary while in the belly of one of it's finest cities.

The whole process of traveling as a student is amazing. The business of discount travel for young people, especially university students, is enormous and appears to be growing still. I'll definitely have more to share on this subject as the weekends pass and my suitcase is weathered. In the meantime, check out Ryanair, Easyjet, Skyscanner, Kayak, SNCF and Hostel World. Those are the sites I've used so far.

Things to watch out for:
-Traveler's insurance: it's an extra charge on the airline's websites. Say you don't need it and your tickets will be cheaper.

-If you're abroad and don't have access to a printer in your apartment, think twice about choosing the "online check in" option. If you can't print a boarding pass, and you opted for online check-in, you'll have to pay the 4 euros at the airport and they only take it by credit card.

-Don't pay more to check a bag. Select the carry on only option. Save money and the stress of heavy luggage. It's a weekend trip, how much could you possible need? Watch your liquids though. As long as they fit within one of those large plastic bags, you're good to go.

-Take note of what city you're flying into when using discount travel sites. For example: Ryanair says "Paris" but it's really "Paris-Beauvais". Beauvais is definitely not Paris. You'll have to plan transportation and transfers accordingly. Make sure you have an afforable way to get from the airport to your real destination. Otherwise, you might as well explore the option of paying a bit more for your ticket but actually getting to were you need to go.

-If you're paying on European based websites with a US credit card, there's an additional charge. Just be mindful of it.

You've got me. Midterms aren't over yet but I can't resist, there's much to share. Let us return to the weekend before last, March 7th-10th.

Friday morning I met Lee at the Gare de Nord train station, weekend bag in tow. Our excitement over taking the SNF train for the first time was muffled by the ungodly hour of our departure and our temporary lack of caffiene. We just made our train. On board, we tucked into a little four seat set up complete with a table and a garbage can (we travel in style). It wasn't until the end of the trip that we found out there were assigned seats. Our luxurious lay out on the way to London was completely not what we payed for. Oops.

We arrived at King's Cross-St. Pancreas station just before 9 o'clock am. After finding Lee's hotel and dropping off our bags, we were in dire need of an energizing lunch. We met up with Carrie, who we hadn't seen in ages! The American University in Paris already had their spring break. Carrie had been off exploring Spain without us. NYU in Paris doesn't break until April 16th...we're hanging in there.

Our lunch was strategic. We sat and drafted one of our famous 'napkin lists' of things that must be accomplished before returning to Paris. Item #1: Find Harry Potter. Harry was then followed by become a Princess, eat an inhumane amount of Indian food, find out why 'Big Ben' is called 'Big Ben' and afternoon tea.

First stop, Harry Potter. We made our way to Platform 9 3/4. We were in King's Cross Station after all...

I'm sure you can imagine our despair when we found out that we could not make it the entire way through the wall. The train to Hogwarts must have left without us...we'll have to find Harry next time.

The other girls continued their day at Harrids and Hyde Park while I met up with my dear friend Lauren. Lauren and I were best of friends in elementary school until she moved back to London with her family in 5th grade. While the other girls were exploring in the city of London, I was thrilled to spend the weekend at Lauren's home in Chorleywood. Chorleywood is still considered London, only nothing about it resembles the bustling streets of double-decker busses one might imagine. Chorleywood is a quintessential country town complete with fields, forests, rugby fanatics and hearty grub. In fact, I was told that Chorleywood was voted the "happiest village in Britain" last year. Only 45 minutes outside of the center of London, you feel like you're in a entirely different world.

Our time in Choleywood was delightful. I had already seen the main sights in London during my last trip. What I was craving was the taste of family life that I've been missing desperately being so far from home. After a few days of home cooked meals, a handful of family outings and a couple of dog walks later, I was feeling great! There's just something about sitting in your pajamas and eating cereal with everyone around the table that warms you right up. Speaking of breakfast, one morning we all piled in the car ( Lauren's sister Bella needed to practice for her driving test...seat belts were needed) to go to Home and Colonial. This local gem is four floors of pure heaven. The bottom three are chocked full with antiques goodies and modern housewares, yet the top floor is certainly the most delicious. The attic of the old building is the cutest cafe I have seen in a long time. (This coming from a girl who lives in Paris) The rustic table and chairs were softened with cotton table clothes and cozy cushions. Tea cakes lined the walls, families passed plates around the tables and newspapers were lying around everything for you to read as you sipped coffee. We munched on scones, coffee and a full english breakfast: fried egg, sausage, bacon, sauteed mushrooms, tomato and toast with jam. Could it get any better than that?

Twice the girls and I took the train into the center of London. First, we went in to meet Carrie and Lee for dinner and dancing. Wagamama is a fusion chain around Europe that is perfect for the college traveler. The food is creative, always tasty, and surprisingly cheap. It's a great place for a fun dinner out with friends or just a nice way to get in a spicy fix between your croissants, baguettes and mellow cheeses.

That night we followed Lauren to the quirky dance location Punk. Apparently Kate Moss had her 30th birthday party there. It was a great place to let loose to all of the old American dance classics that are so hip whence transplanted abroad.

Our second excursion into the city was to explore the Bricklane Market. As you can tell from previous post I'm a huge market fan here in Paris, but the Bricklane Market was a knockout in comparison. The market combines vintage clothing, work from struggling artists and jewelers, indie music and the most amazing ethnic food I have ever come across. Everything was packed within rows of dusty tents, a melange of different treasures, something to suite everyone's fancy.

We lunched at an organic spot called Leon. It reminded me of Grey Dog in the village only a little larger and a little more daring in terms of their menu. We tried the roasted sweet potato falafel with brown bazmati rice and sesame slaw.

We spent our last moments together savoring an afternoon tea at Schipps. There's no possible way you could feel unfeminine sitting around the doily covered table with crumbly scones. Sipping tea with your pinky up was an absolute must. The best feature of all...cupcakes! A sight for sore eyes! I hadn't seen a frosted little beauty in over two months! A perfect ending for a charming British weekend.

5:30 Monday morning, Lee and I made our way back to King's Cross station the minute the metro opened. As our train pulled out of the station we said goodbye to Harry Potter, goodbye to Big Ben and goodbye to all of the signs that say "mind the gap while exiting the train" in English. Back to Bonjour's and s'il vous plaît's.