After falling in love with Bruges, Belgium, we looked to explore similar cities in the "Battlefield of Europe." (Yes, this is Belgium's nickname). We chose Ghent, a port city in northwest Belgium known for its medieval architecture and authenticity. The city, nicknamed "Medieval Manhatten" (seriously, who comes up with these nicknames), was largely spared from the wars … Continue reading Weekend in Ghent, Belgium
Travel is returning to normal, masks are disappearing, and we have nearly exhausted all possible weekend trips by train. Now, we are taking advantage of easy direct flights from Lyon. And to be honest, we are close to exhausting these options too. When we had a free weekend between our Easter Amsterdam weekend and my … Continue reading Let It Be London
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to go to the movie theatre in another country? It’s not something I’ve ever given much thought to. But I hope you’re at least curious to read on. While I avoid finishing up my blog posts on Amsterdam and London, let me tell you about our first experience … Continue reading Going to the Movies in France
As a cruel April Fools joke, the weather brought snow to Lyon for the first time all year on the first of the month. A quick reminder that while it may be Spring, it's not Spring weather yet! April Fools Day in France is known as Poisson d'Avril, literally translated to the fish of April. That name almost seems like … Continue reading Skiing in the Alps Part Two
Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to learn how to surf. The Disney Channel original movies Johnny Tsunami or Rip Girls released in my pre-teen years were my sources of inspiration. I loved the ocean and was pretty good at boogie boarding, but I wanted to do more. Well, fast-forward twenty-one years, and … Continue reading Surfs Up in Lisbon
Choose your side. Are you team "Valentine's Day is an artificial holiday created is a holiday created by candy and card companies to sell more products?" Or are you team "Valentine's Day is the most romantic day of the year" and think of grandiose plans to spend the day? For me, I'm more of the … Continue reading Valentine’s Day in France
The message widely shared by the France government is "ski resorts are closed." While the actual ski lifts are not running, the resorts are still open. Nevertheless, take away the ski lifts, the bars for a relaxing apres-ski drink after a long day on the mountain, the restaurants for warm soup and fondue, and what do … Continue reading Snowshoeing in the French Alps
They say when life hands you lemons, make lemonade. But what happens when you drink too much of it? Is too much of a good thing actually a bad thing? All that acidity is sure to damage your teeth, and there's a lot of sugar in lemonade. We've been making a lot of lemonade lately in Lyon, … Continue reading How Much Lemonade Can Be Made From Lemons?
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Shanes! We are wrapping up our week in the Maldivian sun and will return to France to ring in the New Year. We hope everyone got to spend time with family, whether in person or virtually. Here’s to hoping 2021 will bring more time with friends and … Continue reading Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Last week, I wrote that Christmas had been canceled. So, we decided to venture out and see if we could find the Christmas spirit in Lyon. Here's what we found. On Saturday, Jordan and I went to go pick up a package. As you know, it's relatively difficult for us to receive packages in Lyon. The package … Continue reading Christmas Spirit in Lyon
