Le food.

London: I actually didn't try any fish and chips when I was in England, because our host said that it actually a food that's mostly bought as take out, not for a sit in restaurant. The one thing my brother told me to that I must eat was a kebab, and these places were everywhere! This one in particular was the first one I saw in Dalston.  There were actually a lot of kebab places in Amsterdam and Paris as well.

Amsterdam: So we used our Iamsterdam cards to get discounts or free things throughout the city, and we pretty set on going to get discounted pancakes for breakfast. That didn't happen. After an hour of roaming around different blocks in Amsterdam and asking at least 5 different people about the restaurant, we gave up. Luckily, that little adventure led us to a really cute restaurant with a great view of the canal that served omelettes and what Rachel referred to as the best chocolate milk she'd ever had. Ever. (There are more pictures of the place in my post about Amsterdam.)

France: Once I met up with my aunt in France is when I really felt as though I started eating good food. I had tried out crepes and such with Rachel, but nothing too amazingly impressing. Partially cause they were very directed towards tourists and seemed like they would be easily replicated in the states. It wasn't until I experienced the home cooking of friends in Lyon and La Rochelle when I really knew what it meant to eat well. Apparently it's quite common to pair some cantaloupe with with salty ham as an appetizer. I really loved it. Every meal in France went on for hours, as I mostly sat around focusing on my food since I couldn't really understand the conversations going on in French. But that was okay with me. I think one of my biggest regrets was not capturing the cheese. Haha, don't I sound crazy? But the fact that every meal ended with cheese and wine followed by a cup of coffee stood out to me so much and was definitely one of my favorite parts. I miss it.

I still tell people that if I had gone to France, didn't see the Eiffel tower or visit the Musee d'Orsay, and ONLY ate food, I would still be happy. But then again, the food came with the magnificent sights, like drinking some cognac in a castle from the 15th century in Cognac, France or walking along a vineyard, eating grapes straight from the vine at sunset. I was very blessed to have such generous, unforgettable hosts who really knew how to cook. I think food makes any trip just that much more memorable, even if it's the Chipotle you visit after a long weekend of easy macs and ramen in the wilderness. I was fortunate enough to feast on foie gras and drink way too many glasses of wine on numerous occasions.

This was my last and favorite meal of the trip. Potatoes fried in duck fat covered in bacon bits, a simple salad with home grown baby tomatoes and a vinagrette, way too much foie gras and a rose wine. This was the meal where I ate about 25 dollars worth of foie gras in one sitting and went to bed in pain from how much food I ate. No regrets.