Category Archives: TRAVEL

MONTREAL PHOTO DIARY, PART 3

May 21, 2013

Filed Under : TRAVEL

montreal photo diary / the style eater

Real talk: I got tired of looking at my own Montreal photos so I needed a little break between photo diary 2 and this one. But now I’m back and feeling really positive about the experience. We all need a little break sometimes, ya? In this last installment of Montreal photos (I’ll share our favorite restaurants/shops next), we visited the beautiful botanical gardens, hung out on the roof of our hotel, and explored the city by night.

On this particular day, the temperature dropped dramatically and I thought my face might freeze over. We tried to ride the city’s bixi bikes in the morning but then I lost feeling in my hands and ears. Spending the day at the botanical gardens, with it’s regulated climates and breathtaking greenery, was exactly what we needed. Plus, one of the greenhouses was filled with the most beautiful butterflies I’ve ever seen. FILLED. I’m not talking 5 or 6 butterflies. I’m talking hundreds of them and strong feelings of should-I-be-scared-because-they’re-kind-of-creepy-and-keep-landing-on-my-jacket??

Oh and don’t even get me started on how gorgeous Montreal looks at night. I didn’t take many night photos because I never really bring my camera out at night. Big mistake. The one night I brought it out, I took about a hundred photos and I’m so glad I did. This city is pure magic! I miss it already.

montreal photo diary / the style eater

montreal photo diary / the style eater

montreal photo diary / the style eater

montreal photo diary / the style eater

montreal photo diary / the style eater

montreal photo diary / the style eater

montreal photo diary / the style eater

montreal photo diary / the style eater

montreal photo diary / the style eater

montreal photo diary / the style eater

montreal photo diary / the style eater

montreal photo diary / the style eater

montreal photo diary / the style eater

montreal photo diary / the style eater

MONTREAL PHOTO DIARY, PART 2

May 15, 2013

Filed Under : TRAVEL

We spent a lot of time in Old Montreal because it’s just so dang beautiful and otherworldly. Also, our hotel and favorite lunch place were both there too, so that made it easy to just wander around those cobblestoned streets all day long. Note: riding the city’s bixi bikes on cobblestoned streets, on the other hand, is not easy. Things get real bumpy. Fair warning.

We didn’t have too many plans in Montreal so we were more than happy to explore the area and take a million photos of buildings. Besides endlessly wandering, we rode bikes along the water, visited the Museum of Contemporary Art, and did a little shopping. Oh! We also had the best meal of our lives on this particular night. There is a grainy photo from it below, with a chalkboard menu all in French (talk about living on the edge), and me looking a bit terrified for what’s about to happen. But just like I did with NYC and Brooklyn, I’ll share all our favorite eats and shops soon!

MONTREAL PHOTO DIARY, PART 1

May 14, 2013

Filed Under : TRAVEL

So I thought I could cut down my photos from Montreal into one post and I was very wrong. VERY WRONG. Instead, there will be a few more, and consider this a fair warning. This was the first part of our Canadian adventure, where we tried to speak French (ca va?), still paid for everything in US dollars, and were lost 95% of the time (by the end of the week, we were sayin “eeh?” after every sentence like true Canadians). We explored the downtown area of Montreal, hiked through a wooded forest to the top of Mont Royal, strolled through the cobblestoned streets of old town, and shopped at Marche de Jean-Talon (a beautiful food market).

We walked about 8-9 miles a day in that vastly spread-out city and loved every minute of it. Of course, they have other amazing public transportation services that we used constantly as well, like their impeccably clean metro line and the bixi bikes lined up throughout the city. Everything about Montreal was accommodating and easy – you gotta love a city that looks out for its people. Speaking of the people! If Canadians aren’t the nicest humans on this planet, then I don’t know who is. LOVE THEM.

aaaaand a grainy selfie:

CONNECTICUT PHOTO DIARY

May 9, 2013

Filed Under : TRAVEL

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After our adventure in New York (photos here, here, and here), we took a train from Grand Central Station up to New Haven, Connecticut. My cousin, Anabel, goes to Wesleyan University in Middletown and our plan was to hang with her for a day before road-tripping to Montreal. We arrived really early in New Haven and took a mini-tour of Yale to kill some time. I geeked out a bit because it looks kind of like Hogwarts. That’s how you know I went to a public university in CA –> I think Ivy League schools look like Hogwarts. Anyway, the campus was beautiful and we kept searching for any and all trapped doors that led to secret societies.

Then we rented a car* and drove to Middletown to spend the day with Anabel. First of all, this girl is such a dream and I love her to pieces. So smart and witty and gorgeous. Kyle and I had a great time hanging around her school and pretending we were young college students (sigh, miss those days). I’m so glad we had a day to just relax and chill with my cousin before the whirlwind that was Montreal!

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*okay how adorable is our mini coops rental car? kind of wanted to steal it…

NYC & BROOKLYN: WHERE WE ATE/SHOPPED

May 8, 2013

Filed Under : TRAVEL

nyc restaurants1

New York City: We arrived into the city on a Thursday night and headed straight to the Bowery Ballroom for a concert, which was super fun. After the show, we walked down the street to La Esquina for late-night tacos and enchiladas. I was skeptical about the taco situation in NY but these were really delicious. On Friday morning, we had breakfast at Cafe Gitane and our minds were blown by the avocado toast. Plus, Shoshanna from GIRLS sat next to us, which really upped the overall NYC experience. Late in the afternoon, we hustled our bums over to Shake Shack for some cheese fries, a portobello burger, and a chocolate shake. Was it worth waiting in line for 45 minutes? Probably. Friday night, we kind of failed at dinner. I made reservations at 5 places and we ended up not going to any of them. Why? We were kind of full from Shake Shack, not gonna lie. Instead we popped over to the Maritime Hotel for pizza at La Bottega. Low-key and easy. On Saturday morning, we brunched at Peels and it was by far my favorite restaurant experience in NYC. Their biscuits trump all biscuits. TAKE ME BACK. After brunch, we headed to Brooklyn for the day and came back into the city for dinner that night. We ended up at Cafe Cluny in the West Village and loved the classic meal and lively vibe.

As for shopping in NYC, we were only in the city for a day so we stuck to one area (Soho) and didn’t venture far. Of course, in that timespan we popped into a million shops so I probably can’t list them ALL for fear of losing your attention. Instead, I’ll suss out the highlights. We loved Saturdays Surf, Le Labo, the new Warby Parker store, the new Steven Alan home store, Aritzia, and Rag & Bone.

brooklyn places

Brooklyn: We didn’t eat much in Brooklyn, which is unfortunate because there are so many top-notch restaurants I wanted to try. We just didn’t have enough time. We did do a late morning break at Blue Bottle Coffee, which was totally worth it, and then lunched at Smorgasburg on the waterfront. It’s an outdoor food market with vendors offering all types of cuisines, from Chinese dumplings to sandwiches to s’mores. We each got a hot dog from Asia Dog (mine with sesame slaw on top, Kyle’s with kimchi) and LOVED it. Afterwards, we relaxed at the rooftop bar of the Wythe Hotel and I’m pretty sure I want to live there.

As for shopping, I can’t stop thinking about Joinery and Brook Farm General Store, both of which have great online stores, but their actual shops were so well curated and amazing. I would’ve stuffed my luggage with rugs, Turkish towels, wooden serving spoons, and enamel cookware if I had the room. I also stopped by two favorite jewelry stores, catbird and Mociun. At catbird, I picked up a tiny gold ring to add to my collection, and at Mociun, I stared and stared and stared at the beautiful rings until my heart literally stopped beating. To say I’m obsessed with Mociun rings would be a gross understatement. I loved and needed them all. Plus, the shop was filled with all sorts of unique pottery and trinkets as well. Kyle loved Hickoree’s and Pilgrim Surf Shop – both are men’s stores right up his alley. He spends more money on clothes than me, I swear. Loved the Baggu shop too. We merely scratched the surface of the Brooklyn shopping scene, but loved (and I mean LOVED) all the places we did get to experience.

Tomorrow…our jaunt up to Connecticut!