my big travel trip in 2022: europe!

Paris

01/04.

We arrived in Paris mid-day and spent some time getting set up [at the hostel](https://www.joandjoe.com/paris-nation/en/) first. By evening, we were ready to leave and talk a walk along the Seine River. I was surprisingly entertained by the posters outside of our hostel and the [Invader street art](https://www.space-invaders.com/home/) sprinkled throughout the streets (we were nearest to the Buzenval metro station). We saw the Eiffel Tower at night, lit up in European Union blue, and at some point found dinner.

I tried a Campari as aperitif and something called blood pudding - didn’t sound appetizing, but was deliciously salty and filling. Finished off the nice with a very pretty “French” coffee with whipped cream and a wafer straw. Thank goodness for Linette .

It was a long day of traveling.

01/05.

We started with a hearty breakfast nearby the Nation metro station at L’Usine de Charrone . For less than nine euro, we got eggs, a slice of cured meat, a hunk of cheese, at least half a baguette worth of crusty French bread, freshly pressed orange juice, and a coffee. I was so delighted - I love eating breakfast <3.

We got on the subway once again and went towards the Champs Elysees. We started with the Arc du Triomphe and took lots of pictures before going through the underpass back to the pedestrian side. I love how many underpasses and overpasses/skybridges there are - we went through plenty more while in Munich!

We went shopping for a bit (being the people who won’t buy anything) through Louis Vuitton, Nike, Chanel, Loewe, Jil Sanders, etc. It was fun! I think because it was the tourist low season, or because it was right after the New Year, everyone was very friendly to us. I really enjoyed it, especially in contrast to New York.

We finally made it to the Place de la Concorde, then walked through the Tuileries and past the Louvre. Another coffee at Le Fumoir was necessary by this point... There was also the Saint Germain l’Auxerrois Church nearby, which we popped into briefly. I like stopping into random churches along the way - you never know how different they are, or what new detail you’ll find, until you step in. The experience is always different.

We continued our romping at the Samaritaine shopping mall and the Centre Pompidou. We had a reservation to make, so we worked our way to Montmarte, where there’s a gorgeous view of Paris at sunset. There were lots of other pre or post 20s kids with us, just kicking back. While we were there, we visited Sacre Coeur Basilica, and finally made it in time for our dinner reservation at Le Cabanon de la Butte - nothing says France like escargot, beef bourguignon, and red wine!

01/06.

This breakfast had me so excited! It was a regular pain au chocolat with a cappuccino and orange juice, but the tableware! I had a yellow napkin, a red saucer, a deep blue cup, all atop a silver tray. It reminded me of the Pop Art color schemes, or the Mondrian pieces, or Italian designs. We all had different colors but same sets, so everything worked together. I love the mix and match of color and utility. Still gushing about it. Was my wallpaper for a day or two.

This was the day we went to Versailles (but not without picking up some delicious treats at the patisserie, like my wonderful nutty mille-feuille). Versailles is beautiful as always, but even better because there weren’t many people. We had so much space to experience and enjoy. They also had a fun exhibit about the animals of Versailles which was different from what I was expecting at least - but still what a welcome show!

We spent some time in the gardens and at Petit Trianon and Gran Trianon. It was a lot of walking... but that’s okay! Early in the trip and still bounding with gusto. We came back to Paris in the early afternoon and made a rest stop at a cafe near Saint Michel. This is where I tried a crepe with Gran Marnier - was okay with the liqueur, didn’t really like the crepe. We walked by the Cathedral Notre-Dame, the Pantheon, NYU Paris, and the Place de la Bastille, before finally calling it a night, grabbing pho and Singha beer, and heading back to the hostel.

Geneva

01/07.

There were a few mishaps getting on our first train of the trip. No matter, nothing a little patience and positivity can’t fix! We finally were in Geneva and made it to [the hostel](https://www.meininger-hotels.com/en/hotels/geneva/hotel-geneva-center-charmilles/). For some reason the ceilings were very high? They were also very helpful and gave us free transport cards as part of our stay - amazing!

We really wanted to try fondue so we got a recommendation for the Les Bains de Paquis, some Turkish baths and restaurant. My kind of wack place. The fondue itself was a mild Swiss (?) cheese base with cured horse meat, small onions, small pickles, and crusty, chewy dark bread. I ordered a vin chaud, which I have fallen in love with. I quite liked it, I just wish the cheese had more flavor. The gimmick wore off pretty quick. However, there were swans in Lake Geneva, and near the changing rooms, a massive The Garden of Earthly Delights* by Hieronymus Bosch curtain. It was kind of funny that that was the backdrop they chose for the baths. What kind of debauchery do they plan for at Les Bains?

It was pretty late by then, so we called it.

01/08.

We started the morning at Utopia Coffee. I tried a “Swiss toast” - a chewy dark bread with whipped cream cheese, plums, banana, caramel and chocolate chips, with a mochaccino to wash it down. Yummy!

We got on one of the topside trams toward CERN (got lost a little bit) and finally made it to the exhibit! They were very COVID-safe! I really loved this exhibit because I love how creatively they explain new topics. There was a fun foot pedal that you could press that would speed up a visualized large hadron collider - I have no idea how it works but it let me work through the concept.

Interesting note about Geneva - the topside trams are very quiet and very smooth. Inside, there are TVs showing advertisements and PSAs... there were a lot of them concerning reporting sexual assault or gender discrimination. Outside, where there are usually more ads, there were also (their equivalent of billboards) posters of Bible quotes. No website, no phone number, just a quote.

We then made our way to the United Nations campus and saw Broken Chair. Big broken chair symbolizing advocacy against the use of armed violence on civilians. I quite liked that it was right across from the U.N. building, almost like it was their seat at the table, waiting and watching diplomats’ decision-making.

We hopped on a water taxi across Lake Geneva and saw the fantastic Jet d’Eau. Honestly when we first passed this I thought it was such a gimmick - like why just shoot water up into the air? This is cool? But when you get on the water near it, and you see the height of it and how the water sprays through the sky, it’s pretty cool. I’m on board.

We got off in the shopping area, walked by the L'horloge fleurie, which as expected was just a flower clock, and browsed the stores. I was super excited to into one chocolate store in particular because a) they had great hot chocolate (got it dark, 68%?) and b) they had poubelles! Poubelles are apparently a Geneva classic - they’re mini chocolate trash can shells with creamy chocolate inside. I’m starting to think that there’s not much to actually do in Geneva if you’re a tourist (and not incredibly rich), so they’re working on inventing things for you to enjoy.

We got lost - again - trying to find dinner at Les Grottes which was a cool area, but a little more drinky-drinky than we were looking for. We ended up getting huge dosas at a local Indian restaurant, paired with a light draft beer.

Milan

01/09.

We swiftly got on the right train this morning but in the wrong car. We were all so excited because the chairs were super plush and wide - then we realized we were in first class. Second class wasn’t bad by any means though. I enjoyed watching the shape of the rooftops as we passed by Lausanne, the water as we crossed Pully, and the snow of the Swiss Alps at Charrat. We got off at Brig to switch trains and were on our way.

When we arrived at Milano Centrale, I was amazed by the grandeur at just the train station. The Neoclassical architecture is so nice to admire and really makes you feel the power of a place. We got on the subway to get into the city and I was particularly delighted by the almost garish McDonalds colors at the platform. I don’t think it’s very pretty but it is! very fun! It’s much more exciting than a New York City subway platform, and brighter. It didn’t feel as scary, and because there aren’t columns on the platform, it felt a lot more spacious.

We arrived to our hostel and settled in. This was probably the smallest room we had gotten, but I loved that the hostel had 2 public terraces and a cozy lobby. Students and twenty somethings were often just hanging out in the lobby for a coffee or for a nightcap. It made it feel really lively and like we were where things happened.

We skedaddled our way downstairs along way to the Duomo and stopped for dessert. I got a Star Dessert (?) which was very yummy and wolfed it down. We had made it quite a way since eating breakfast. At the Piazza del Duomo, you can see the Museo del Novecento, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, and of course, Duomo di Milano.

I love big squares like this. I don’t like them quite as big as the Place de la Concorde, though. Those big squares get modernized and just become intersection/roundabout hellholes. Milan’s Piazza reminded me of the main square in Lima, Peru, which had similarly intricate facades.

We were saving the Duomo for another day, but I got my church fix in at San Babila, a small church with gorgeous side chapels. I love the geometric set stone, use of mosaic, and skylights. They also had an assortment of silver heart medallions - not sure what they’re used for, but so shiny... so sparkly... We kept walking through to the Castello Sforzesco, where the very smart question of “why are there holes in the wall?” began its torment on me, and where I had my “movie moment” by walking on the edge of the big fountain. Good enough!

We walked back towards the Piazza del Duomo and I had a cioccolata calda con panna as a snack. This trip really put me on hot drinks! Finally, we had dinner and drinks at Miscusi, a cheap but delicious spot. We had bruschetta and burrata for the table, and my aperol spritz went perfectly with the carbonara. We capped it off with chocolate salami and tiramisu, as you definitely should, and finally went back for a good night’s sleep.

01/10.

We started with breakfast today at Hygge, a cute spot that had really good salmon (and aioli to pair). Chef’s kiss. So hungry. I got some cake to go and got to Galleria Vittorio.

We shopped in Prada, Moncler, Bottega Veneta, Issey Miyake, and Bershka! I really liked a bracelet I saw at Prada, but it cost more than my spending budget for the trip, so it’s a no from me. We then amazingly made our to Starbucks - which I get it, why? - but it was great. I ordered an affogato, because I’m too wimpy for espresso and want ice cream all the time, and they churned my ice cream right before my eyes. It was milky and stiff and soft and amazing and totally worth the eight euros. I got it fresh.

Then we rushed to get back to the hostel and got ready for dinner. One of the people I traveled with was celebrating their 21st birthday, so we got a reservation at a place a little out of the city center. Restaurant Ribot was well-reviewed and looked like an interesting spot. It’s based in the clubhouse of a horse racing track! We got a bottle of cabernet sauvignon, pate, and prosciutto for the table. But my entree really took the cake for me - maccheroni montalcino. Big maccheroni tubes with a salty lentil sauce. Mmm.

The service at Ribot was amazing too. They brought out their complimentary dessert fondue (I tried gooseberries for the first time) and a small cake for the birthday girl. Truly gems. We got another bottle of prosecco to celebrate once we got to the hostel but it’s an occasion!

01/11.

Today we went inside the Duomo! Before we went I read a little about this place. Apparently there are strong opinions on if it’s a marvel or a dud. This *fabulously Gothic* Gothic church is massive and filled to the brim with art. Tall stained glass windows on all sides, painted canvases hanging along the central nave, and statues and monuments at every chapel. It was complex, detailed, and exquisite. I have such a fondness for the awe I get when I walk into a church, but for me, this one wasn’t a favorite. I think the way dark stone and dark wood work together can make for a really moody, angsty church. No wonder the people wanted change.

It was very cool to go into the archaeologic foundation of the church. I bet it’s really fun to puzzle together what all the symbols and purposes of everything are. But it also gets boring fast when you can’t read any Italian, so we moved on and on to the roof!

I LOVE the way churches sometimes have you take stairs to get to the top. It’s literally no-risk-of-harm adventure and I’m always here for it. We went up the squashed stairs and onto the second level of the roof, where we got to see the flying buttresses (and the gutters) up close. Everything is decorated. Everything is named. It’s outstandingly ridiculous. It’s flair at flair’s best. Unfortunately, the top floor of the church was closed because of the layer of snow/ice, so we didn’t get to see Milan from way up, but it was still beautiful.

We came down and went to Piz, where people looked at us funny for ordering three pizzas for five. (In Italy, it’s one pizza per person). They did give us white wine as we walked in, so everything’s forgiven. They had really good pizza - like comparable to how good my Miscusi experience for pasta was. So good. We had a margherita pizza, a bianca pizza, and a marinara pizza if I remember correctly. The Keith Haring-esque interior was a fun contrast to the trodden cobblestone outside. We went another street down to Cioccolatitaliani. I got fior di latte and a crema custardy gelato. Again, really so good, but I was so full.

Some of us went back to the hostel to take a siesta, while my friend and I kept walking. We visited Libreria Verso and walked by the Colonne di San Lorenzo nearby the Basilica di San Lorenzo. We picked up one more friend and walked towards the park near the castle to get the Triennale Milano.

I love me a good museum, and Triennale Milano really went for it. It was big and spacious and circular, which is an interesting way to make space. I like the natural flow of exhibition better than the European Paintings area at The Met. I like most exhibition plans better than the European Paintings at The Met. Their permanent collection was really cool. I liked how design principles and values were used to section furniture, technology, decor, and even toys - instead of just by era. I kept finding work by Enzo Mari fun.

There were also multiple smaller exhibits which were delightful. I love that these were shorter, smaller, and more recent. Sometimes with large museums you get the sense that they’re just bringing stuff out of storage instead of sourcing and curating new art. At Triennale, they were thoughtful and complete exhibits. Really well done. They had one called *The People I Like* by Giovanni Gastel, a posthumous exhibit of Saul Steinberg (*New Yorker* cartoonist), *La vita moderna* by Raymond Depardon, *Il mestiere di grafico – oggi,* a collection of typefaces, **and a permanent installation of *Casa Lana*. I splurged a bit at their gift shop... I’m looking forward to this year’s International Exhibition: “Unknown Unknowns: An Introduction to Mysteries”.

We had dinner at Felice a Testaccio, which was again so good. I had Mezzemaniche alla gricia for my primi piatti and a chunky Abbacchio al forno as a segundi piatti. So good - especially with the Teroldego wine for the table.

Venice

01/12.

We got on our train and sped through cities like Brescia, Padua, and Verona before we arrived at Venezia Santa Lucia train station. Less of an exciting train station, but that immediate view for the canal across from you and the variety of buildings is splendid. I love that there’s more natural color in Italy - in Georgia, there’s just different colors of brick and stucco. In Venice and in Milan, there were pinks, reds, yellows, and greens everywhere.

We got tourist tickets for the water bus and got going. The water buses are really interesting. It’s been hundreds of years and they’ve still stuck to this system of transportation. There is one really strange looking bridge over water that I did not like at all because it looks like a funny spine. Our hostel was in a neighborhood called Giudecca, and we started with some small snacks at the cafe nearby. I have no idea what I ate - there was one piece of bread with an octopus leg sticking out and another with white fish.

We went back to the main island to walk around San Marcos and got dinner at a nearby restaurant. It was a little tourist trap-py: they had menus in Italian, French, Russian, English, Chinese, at least. They did start us with a complimentary glass of white wine, so I’m still pretty happy. We finished up with some drinks at a bar near Dorsoduro with some other young people and finally went back to the hostel.

01/13.

We really had blessed weather while we were on this trip. Venice was gorgeous with blue skies and glassy water. In fact, we wondered if Murano, our destination for the morning, was inspired by the way the water chops into little glassy bits. We shopped around (I got earrings and a necklace) and found Ferro Toso, a Laboratorio artigiano where a very friendly man showed us how they made their wonderfully tiny glass mosaics. It was really sweet to get to chat with some locals.

We got lunch (and a drink, because why not) at Puppa Bar, an awesome location for food, drinks, and art. Most of the art on the walls were donated by patrons. It was also just really good carbonara and a cheap aperol spritz.

We walked lunch off by going to the Rialto Bridge over the Canal Grande. As soon as we stepped off, we couldn’t help ourselves and got onto a gondola. Our gondolier Emanuele was such a charmer. He told us about how in 30 years, apparently 75% of Venetians left. He shared stories of tourists being tourists, and gave us lots of fun facts about his little boat tour. With the sun going down, we walked towards the Venice Biennale gardens and came across the leftovers of their Christmas festivities. Us three girls had a bit of fun on a spinny-ride and then promptly decided to go back to the hostel.

We snuck in pizzas and beer from nearby and chowed down in our room. When we had caught our breath, we went back to the lobby to try some things new to us on the drinks menu - I tried aperol, Select , Cynar, and limoncello. I’m really fascinated by drinking culture in Europe - aperitif, digestif, dessert wine, liquers, beers, etc. So much to learn and so much to try!

01/14.

We woke up early and got breakfast at small cafe. We took a small detour to a coffee supplier storefront, Caffe Girani], and got matching cup and saucer sets. Apparently they’re the oldest artisanal coffee roaster in Venice. They had a very sweet dog, Josie, and many photos and memorabilia about the first owner, Giuseppe. I loved the pride they took in their products and the family roots in the business.

We then went to the Palazzo Ducale and toured inside. They have a nice 4-in-1 ticket package where you get access to multiple sites in the San Marco plaza. There is so much detail packed within that place - apparently they have one of the biggest rooms in Europe (?). Venice had a very complex political system from the Roman Republic, and the rooms reflected that. There were rooms and panels dedicated to the Doges, to the Advocates, and to various Virtues. It was crazy. I also loved the texture of the windows and the curtains - everything’s beautiful. Side note: there were at least two restoration projects in place while we were there. It must be extremely expensive to take those on, and must be so difficult. I imagine the salt content and humidity in Venice make preserving canvas and wood very tedious. Some of the art on the wall panels seemed to be (pretty good) copies, which makes sense if they were taken elsewhere.

We followed up at St. Mark’s Basilica right next to the Ducal Palace. It is overflowing with abundance: gold mosaic lines the ceilings, carefully placed geometric mosaics in the floor. Each of the domes was decorated intricately. I also thought it was interesting how there were panels of different art styles immediately facing each other - from more Orthodox, static positions to dynamic Renaissance scenes.

Our last two museums included in the ticket were the Museo Correr and the Museo Archeologico di Venezia. These museums kind of bleed into each other. I couldn’t tell when we passed from one to the other. It was interesting to see how the development of the naval status of Venice came about, but you got the sense of limitations. It would have been cool to visualize the naval and trade fleets. I still think so much about the Canal Museum in Amsterdam, or the National Science and Technology Museum in Beijing. I like the idea that museums can change and adapt with technology to improve how they teach. It’s for the people, anyways, but maybe the notion that the museums are for tourists prevents those developments anyways.

We ended up getting a late lunch at another nearby tourist trap restaurant - I had something with mushrooms. It wasn’t the best but it got the job done. I am astounded by how much pasta they give you in Italy, but imagine getting twice that. That’s about as much as they give you in Little Italy in New York. Outrageous. So filling.

There wasn’t too much else to do at this point, other than find a place to get our aperitif on, so we went to the Libreria Acqua Alta. It’s a bookstore that was flooded and had to come up with novel (ba dum tss) ideas to preserve their books. They also had like 6 cats, if you had the time to find them all.

We walked by the Arsenale and Giardini’s Greenhouse, then watched the sunset before we went back to the hostel. We got ready for our only overnight train and spent a good few hours at the train station.

Munich

01/15.

The train ride was nice. It was quiet, our wagon was private, and the air conditioning was pretty adequate. I stepped out and looked into the Alps a few times and was taken by the cold wintry scene. I almost wish we had taken a day train so we could watch it go by, by 8 hours on a train in the day would have been a real bummer too.

We arrived at Munich around 9 am and left our bags at the hostel. We were living just minutes from the Hauptbanhof. I got off the train and I was ready to EAT. I was really tired because I had slept badly while we were on the train. The Italian police stopped our train twice, and the German police once. Oy.

We started walking towards city center (had the pleasure of going in an underpass!) and got to the Schneider Weisse beer hall. Google Maps said they were open for breakfast and I wanted to see what a Bavarian breakfast was like. A Bavarian breakfast is basically these white steamed sausages with a sweet mustard. It was very yummy and texturally interesting. There were also a handful of 60 and 70 somethings hanging out, drinking beers at 9 am, so... when in Munich! I started with a double filtered beer. What a morning!

We got more coffee at Man vs. Machine. I probably should have ventured beyond my comfort zone of cappuccinos, but they just are so nice and easy. I really liked the saucer.

Although I was very worn out, I was super excited to go to the Asamkirche. It is a ridiculously ornate church, with pink and green and white marble throughout and excessive Baroque details. Gold is everywhere. The paintings and frescos drag you upward and make you feel small. I love the extra spire painted on the ceiling - it doesn’t really make sense, like how would a roof function as a roof *and* have an extra *and* have a pathway to God? But it’s that kind of ostentatiousness I like about Baroque churches. It’s maximalist but old...

It was getting really dire. I think this is also the day I got pooped on by a bird. We went back to the hostel and napped.

For dinner, we went to Steinheil 16 and got massive pork schnitzels with fries. It’s really good. We had Strongbow apple ciders too. I was feeling the vibes so we took the subway to True Brew Brewing Co. I had a fun beer called “Glow On”, a yummy extra pale ale. I’m not usually a big beer person, but I really like the sentiment: something light to sip on while you chat with friends. The bar itself was very casual and more like a lounge. Everyone was sitting and mostly in groups of 3s or more - friends hanging out on a weekend.

There was a strong curfew in place in Munich of 10 pm. We decided to call it and head home to recover from the long train ride and the day we had.

01/16.

We got Sunday brunch at Vollaths outside under heaters. It was very good, simple breakfast. It then took us at least two tries to find the Museum of urban and contemporary art but we finally did! It was small but I really liked it - the exhibition design of the museum itself is very fun and uses space and installation curiously. They had these wire frame person-tall buildings that help you feel the position of Street Art, while elevating the art to exhibition.

I definitely need to explore more, but it’s interesting that artists of this genre are brought into a museum exhibit. The bulk of their work is publicly sustained art (graffiti or installations), yet they’re garnering the attention of the traditional art world, historically a cost-prohibitive social circle. It also makes me wonder if prominent street artists would be able to avoid police action, if they were to reveal themselves, because of their status of celebrity (makes me think of Caravaggio, the old rascal). Even the history of identity/celebrity in art is a cool evolution. If I have time... There were artists like Banksy, Mina, Os Gemeos, Invader, Richard Hambleton, and Barry McGee featured at MUCA. Very cool.

We then went to Frauenkirche which was also gorgeous. It had very high ceilings, ribbed with sandy stone. The devil’s footprint feature was an exciting bit about the church. I think folk stories are so interesting - we chatted about the story of stone soup, if you’ve heard of it. I really like the German Christmas decorations? They’re thin wood paper rolled into designs and snowflakes. So cute.

There was a crypt with a gruesome Impressionistic Pieta painting downstairs. That was very haunting compared to the straightforward clarity of the church’s nave and decor. Lastly, this church smelled *great* and the gift shop even had potpourri for sale. Outstanding.

The last church we went to was the Theatine Church which was outrageously different from the first two. It had an all-white interior, decorated with Neoclassical acanthus and cherubs. Each of the chapels were accompanied by dramatic frescos. Probably my favorite of the churches. I like the way sunlight brightens the white interior, making everything seem like it’s beyond in purity and glory.

We kept walking around the Munich Residence gardens. I learned that the Wittelsbach were the leading monarchs in Bavaria... more will come later.

We got kebab at a nearby Turkish restaurant for dinner. I tried salgam (purple carrot juice). I thought it would taste like chicha morada (purple corn drink), since they’re the same purple-red color, but was I disappointed. It was still fun to experience, no complaints.

We did face masks before we slept - no pictures, we looked very goofy.

01/17.

We traveled back to the States on this day. The details of travel and commuting around are not that interesting, so we’ll skip it.