The second day took us to the neighborhood of a friend from Berlin who had recently moved to Paris. Time to sit and enjoy the sun. The third day was filled with sights of the city as we biked around. I'll leave the photos of Notre Dame and the Louvre behind, in favor of these quieter images of small scenes from the day. Above, a characteristic sign above the metro, with the rising sun shining on the house behind.
A friend from Berlin recently moved into a flat in Paris, with a lovely stairwell.
Early Sunday morning on the Seine.
Browsing through the bookstands along the Seine on a Sunday afternoon.
A small door on a quiet street.
I probably should have known it wasn't going to be a conventional weekend when, as we drove away from Amsterdam and towards Paris, Marcus turned to me and said, "I could use a beer and a sausage." We certainly weren't on our way to Germany though.
The carousel in Montmartre, at the foot of the steps leading to Sacre Coeur. 
Behind the crowd of people, Sacre Coeur.
The cute nook tucked in a back alley, which was the only parking spot available on Friday night.
Art on the wall of Terminus Nord, which served the most decadent meal I have ever eaten.
Terminus Nord, a seafood restaurant opposite Gare du Nord.
The Arc du Triomphe on a Saturday night.
Half inspired by my upcoming trip to Paris and half by a lovely blog post about foreign films by 
Next weekend, we're off to Paris. My first time! Most people find this fact unbelievable, but when I chose a holiday destination in the past, it was more likely to be Berlin, Zurich, Krakow, Budapest, Prague... really anywhere other than Paris. Most people either love Paris or hate it and my experience with many non-French Europeans is that they don't see the appeal.
Beautiful collection of 
A little project by 
Last Friday afternoon, I arrived home to find a package from my sister waiting for me. The perfect start to a weekend. Not only did she send some yummy treats, but she also sent along my growing collection of ordered items that I couldn't bear to ship individually across the Atlantic.
"A sudden minor shock or meaningless/meaningful interruption...here is a blip of the land of the rising sun." Beautiful 
This weekend I had the chance to enjoy two online magazines, 
Last year, for the first time in my life, I ate a fig. A friend brought an array of fruit to a dinner party and fresh figs were among the selection. I loved the flavor and especially the beauty of the purple skin and pink, seedy flesh. At the market this morning, I picked up a few for the weekend and wondered once again, how I could have only encountered them in my 20s. Perhaps it's not much of a surprise, since I grew up in the Pacific Northwest and figs grow abundantly in the Mediterranean regions. Still, in a time when food is quickly shipped around the world and the produce section of the grocery store is without seasons, it's nice to know that there are still new things to discover (image from 
Feeling an itch to get away for a weekend. The only remaining question: where to go? Floating through my head are ideas of France, Italy, Spain, and Ireland. Paris is only a train ride away, the other locations probably require a short flight. Just a chance to walk over some unfamiliar cobblestones and breathe in the air of another city.
Inspired by the work of French philosopher Jacques Rancière, a 
It's quickly turning to autumn here in Amsterdam. Yesterday evening I biked through the rain to a colleague's wedding, wondering if my dress and hair would survive. They did and it was a lovely night, which has led to a slow morning. But now the sun is peeking through my window and it's time to throw on a scarf and go for a walk.
I was thrilled when I 
All I need right now is one, small thought. I am on deadline to come up with a big idea for a little project.
Ah, I want to live here. Most rental apartments in Amsterdam - like mine - come completely furnished, down to the teaspoons and bathroom towels. Kind of weird, eh? The sense of impermanence for foreigners in this city makes it hard to get the motivation to do a redesign. But if I did, this would be it (image via 
Fall has arrived in Amsterdam and it's time to write a few letters delayed by the summer weather. I posted the first one to my grandfather in Oregon yesterday - I hope the ink survived the rainy trip from my jacket pocket to the mailbox.
When I came to Europe for the first time in 2004, I stayed in Dresden for two weeks, en route to Rome. I had friends studying there - translation: a free place to crash - which made Germany the perfect place to start and end my trip. Little did I know that the time I spent in Dresden would spark a love of Germany that continues today. While living in Amsterdam for the past four years, I have spent a fair amount of time exploring other parts of Germany, especially my Lieblingsstadt Berlin, but I always venture back to Dresden at some point. Even for just a day.
