Travel Reflections

Hello friends!

After being home a couple of days and having some time to think about my trip, here's an overview of each city I visited:

Nice: Nice probably had the prettiest views out of everywhere I went and the prettiest ocean water I've ever seen. The French Riviera is one of the most beautiful places in the world! I liked that it had an Italian influence, especially in terms of the food-pizza, pasta, gelato, wine-all my favorites. I loved walking around, especially through Old Town Nice. It was a great place to just relax and had a resort-type feel. If you love the beach, this is the place for you! If you love seeing sights and a faster pace of life, you may prefer Paris or London. I'm more of a city gal myself.

Paris: I mean, Paris is just Paris. To me, it was every bit as enchanting, magical, romantic, and charming as everyone says it is. And Paris at night is just unbelievable. I WILL go back, and I WILL be with a love interest! Sorry parents, it's just not the same. There's just so much to see. I don't even really consider myself an art person, but I found myself fascinated in all the art museums. The people are trendy, sophisticated, and fabulous. Not to mention, nice! Everyone we met was so helpful. I'm a big fan of sidewalk cafés and macaroons, goat cheese salads, and omelettes topped my list of favorite foods. Paris is the most visited city in the world, and I can see why!

London: Seconds upon arrival in London, I already knew I loved it. Being the most "American like" European country, I instantly felt at home there. I have a slight fascination with British culture, especially the Royal family. I'm also kind of obsessed with accents, and I wish I spoke with one. England is home to some of my favorite artists (Mumford & Sons, Coldplay, The Beatles, Elton John, Spice Girls-yeah, that's right) and some of my favorite movies (The Holiday, Pride and Prejudice, Notting Hill, Love Actually). All the delicious vegetarian food was a highlight-I already miss Food For Thought! I also loved learning about all the history that took place there, being the most interesting (to me) and relevant to my life. If I had to choose a city outside of the US to live, London would be it.

Recent Eats:

Banana chia oats with blueberries and sunflower seed butter.

Whole Foods salad bar loaded up with grilled veggies, squash salad, asparagus, chickpea and roasted vegetable salad, tortellini, and curried tofu.

Strawberry Oikos topped with Arrowhead Mills Almond Squares.

Veggie lasagna adapted from this recipe. I healthified it up by using whole wheat lasagna noodles, part skim ricotta, part skim mozzarella and adding spinach and an extra can of tomatoes!

Berries + Chocolove dark chocolate.

Stonyfield yogurt with strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, Arrowhead Mills Almond Squares, and Justin's Maple AB.

Vanilla Oikos, Love Grown Foods Apple Walnut Delight, berries, Justin's Maple AB. Got my red, white, and blue breakfast a week late!

Fuji apple slices.

Dr. Praeger's Bombay Curry Veggie Burger on a sandwich thin with brussels sprouts on the side (they were frozen veggies for the sake of convenience). I'm a recent fan of all things curry, and these burgers were no exception!

In other news: Has anyone heard about the controversial editorial published in the Journal of the American Medical Association that suggests obese children should be taken away from their parents and put in foster care?

I actually think that taking a child out of his own home would be taking things a little too far and causing more harm than good. However, I could see where this would be necessary in cases of abuse or neglect or if a parent was incapable of taking care of his child. Like all other things, I guess it would depend on the situation.

Man, it's crazy how out of hand this whole obesity issue has gotten. I guess I have my work cut out for me!