Europe by the numbers

All right friends.  One more non-baking post, and then I’m done.  I swear.

I’m back in Texas!  It is full of summer.  There is sun, sun, sun as far as the eye can see.  Pool water, agua fresca + club soda, and lots of salsa is basically all I require in a day.  I missed it, and I love it.

But.  Lots of things happened in Europe that we haven’t talked about yet!  Let’s break it down by the numbers.

A crowded Pont des Arts at sunset.

Twelve cities visited: Tours, Reims, Lisbon, Marseille, Madrid, Bayeux, Geneva, Fribourg, Biel, Zurich, and Vienna.  Oh, and Paris.  Two of which (not including Paris) have gotten stuck in my brain and I cannot recommend them enough, nor can I wait to go back – Madrid and Vienna.

Switz!

(At least) 140 miles walked through the streets, bridges, parks, and gardens of Paris.  From Port Maillot to La Géode to the Promenade Plantée to Parc Montsouris.  Set foot in every arrondissement.

Plaza Mayor, Madrid

Seventeen times I thought about buying super cushy slippers and never wearing real shoes again.

Gontran Cherrier, Jean Charles Rochoux, Le bonbon au palais, and Du Pain et des Idees

27 patisseries/boulangeries/confiseries visited.  About 50 I passed up and thought about stopping in, but couldn’t because I was on a serious mission to a different one.

Omaha Beach, Colleville sur Mer

Thirteen times a day I considered calling the Weatherman and telling him we were moving to Paris.

Buildings in Vienna

Zero times I missed the gym.

L’As du Falafel in the Marais

Four hours spent in line waiting for the Hermès sale to open.  Two gorgeous scarves for the price of one.

Sunset on Lake Zurich

Seven cod croquettes consumed by the Weatherman at Casa Labra (MUST go in Madrid)  in a 12-hour period.  3 as last tapas of the night, 4 as breakfast the next morning.

cod croquettes at Casa Labra

Two visits to Pozzetto, the best gelato shop in Paris.  A total of five flavors tried: pistachio, fresh cream, strawberry, chocolate hazelnut, and peach.  Yes.  The best.  Ever.  Go.

The time I spent in Paris and traveling around was amazing.  My host family was incredibly welcoming and friendly, and I hope that I’ll get to see them again soon, either here in the states or back in France.  There are a hundred little moments I hope I’ll never forget, and over 1200 photos to help me remember.

Paris treats

I got to speak French, teach English, eat pastries, learn about champagne, drink coffee in Vienna, hike in Switzerland, and drink sherry in Madrid.  I saw castles, beaches, the English Channel and the Mediterranean, mountains, cathedrals, and about a hundred different kinds of roses.  And the only way it could have possibly been better?  Just one more thing to count…

One proposal.

Wait.  What?

YES.  THAT.  One proposal.  On Pont Alexandre III.  With Invalides glittering behind us and the Eiffel Tour glowing to our left.  One photographer the Weatherman had hired.  One completely fooled Hannah thinking we were just having some pictures done in Paris.  Three steps taken backward – not to run away, duh – to try to understand what was happening.  And one completely unforgettable moment in time, thanks to an incredible amount of planning by the Weatherman.  Let the wedding pinterest-ing begin!

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