All posts filed under: Wanderlust Diaries

Afternoons at Café Angelina

I always have a delectable ritual whenever I’m in Paris regardless of what district I’m staying in. And, this ritual simply includes always having to make a quickie at Café Angelina after visiting the Louvre for their divinely rich cup of hot chocolate – the perfect blend of a bitter/sweet symphony for true chocolate lovers. It seems this tradition doesn’t only run deep with me but also with my fellow Jetsetter Problems crew members. Here’s a glimpse at us all up to the same old habits during separate visits to Paris…vive le chocolat!!! Cesarin eagerly anticipating his cup of bliss to descend from the heavens… The second coming is upon us, the one & only Angelina hot chocolate! Let’s all take a moment to relish in its deliciousness before going h.a.m! Too rich and thick to gobble all at once, it must be savored with a spoon which lends equal points to keeping it classy and playing fake French…Oui, Mademoiselle V!! Umm take a cue from Mel, attempting to interrupt this euphoria is a negative! But having …

Jetsetter Problem #1: Where To Go Next! (Finale)

Unlike Rihanna who hung out with the entire German locker room after the World Cup finals, I can’t exactly say I was hot & bothered by the results. In fact, when Mario Goetze made that crucial last minute goal, I flew into a tizzy! It would have been AMAZING to see Argentina win, not only because I’ve never been before, but also to breakup Europe’s dominance over the championship. To cope, my foodie brain immediately lunged into overdrive. My tongue watered and whined about wanting more vacío over schnitzel all the while settling for swallowed pride and muttered congrats to German fans on ending a 24 year drought. Eventually, my thoughts shifted from soccer stats to travel memories. My first adventure in Deutschland took me to the capital city of Berlin. If you’ve never visited, Berlin is a great intro to modern German history due to its balanced diet of old East and West remnants seamlessly blending in with the new. It’s also a cool city to check out: Great art in all forms (beer included!)…Outside of classics like …

#Art Life: The Bowery Mural

Like a true Brooklyn girl who still wells up at the sound of Jay Z’s “Empire State of Mind” when thinking of home, no matter how highbrow an art experience I encounter at classic museums around the world, there is always a special appreciation I have for the street art adorning the walls of New York City’s concrete jungle whether as “high” as commissioned, public art pieces or as “low” as illegal graffiti tags. The landmark Downtown NYC spot for street art aficionados alike is the infamous Bowery Mural located at the corner of  Houston (pronounced HOUSE-Ton for non-New Yawkers 😉 ) & Bowery streets, one of my favorite places to periodically visit when home. The wall was first christened by the iconic Keith Haring and Juan Dubose in 1982 and has since showcased an impressive list of established and up & coming artists splattering their vivid imaginations across coveted NYC territory. The Bowery Mural is Downtown New York’s interactive allegory with bright colors, patterns, tags and graphics telling tales of life and culture once experienced and presently observed by its residents. It is a constant …

Jetsetter Problem #1: Where To Go Next! (Part II)

Fresh off the heels of an exciting 4th of July holiday weekend coupled with migraines gained from watching some pretty riveting soccer matches (namely the Netherlands vs. Costa Rica heart attack special!), I’m ready to dive back into using the World Cup as a means of narrowing down my next international destination! Unfortunately my desired pick from last week, Colombia, was eliminated by Brazil, which means it’s time to draw a new card for the semi-final rounds… The remaining countries left in the pool for World Cup domination are Brazil, Germany, Netherlands and Argentina.  These choices pose a 2:2 dead heat ratio of places I’ve visited in the past and places yet to be discovered. My new desired pick would be Argentina. Buenos Aires has been a city high on my list for quite some time now. Who can honestly go wrong with the solid combination of fine wine, sizzling steaks, sexy tangos, fascinating architecture, a fantastic arts scene and a chance to recreate an even cheesier rendition of Madonna’s “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina” at …

Jetsetter Problem #1: Where To Go Next! (Part I)

One of the toughest decisions for a travel addict like myself is narrowing down my endless wish list of places to roam. In true Liz Lemon fashion, I WANT TO GO TO THERE…EVERYWHERE…ALL THE TIME! This of course isn’t the easiest feat… So finding fun ways to be decisive about where to visit next are always welcome. Rather than tossing a coin to decide my next trip – one of my tried and true methods for resolving cliffhangers – I’ve chosen instead to toss my fate up to the hands of the world’s game…that’s right, FIFA 2014 baby! This year, FIFA Fever has been at an all-time high as unexpected brilliant performances have come to pass (hello Costa Rica!) and rekindled my interest in revisiting my bucket list. As a result, I plan to translate my rousing cheers at my TV screen into camera-shuttered glimpses of astonishment by visiting the country of the winning World Cup soccer team by the end of this year. Anybody else with me?! Currently, the countries still in the running …