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My favorite travel purses – in a short round up video!
Whether you want something compact for essentials, hidden pockets, and can carry even a water bottle, I’ve got you covered. These picks are ideal for Europe trips, cruises, carry-on travel, and staying hands-free while keeping your valuables safe.
OF NOTE, my NUMBER ONE PICK, the Metro Scout Deluxe is discontinued since I made the video! NO!!! The next two that I would consider from MZ Wallace is this cross body small Camera Bag and their #1 best seller, the Crosby Sling.
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Top tips for Paris Travel in 2026. A comprehensive list of what to know before you go! A few things have changed since we last went. Here are some useful tips:
Apps I highly recommend downloading before you trip:
Citymapper – helps you figure out the best way to get from A to B either by foot or with metro or bus lines. I know Google Maps can do this too, but I felt like this map was far superior
Bonjour RATP or Il de France Mobilites. These apps are for the Metro and train. You can buy the pass online. That said, we purchased ours in person as we struggled at the time buying online. We went up to the ticket counter and spoke to a person and purchased it. I suggest buying the weekly or daily pass for the metro, for all zones. Now, for the weekly pass, they consider “weekly” Monday-Sunday. You will need to figure out what is cheapest for you.
We did use the Bonjour RATP a lot to figure out when the next metro trains were arriving, and fastest metro routes from A to B.
G7 Taxi – I used this to arrange for a driver from airport to our hotel. I did this back at home in the states. I put my flight in ahead of time and had a prearranged time. I chose to do this because I could choose a larger vehicle with a car seat. You can also use Uber, but I don’t know if you can plan ahead of time like I did above.
I strongly recommend you watch videos from Les Frenchies on YouTube. They have so many helpful videos that are up to date about getting around in Paris!
>>MUSEUM TICKETS AND RESERVATIONS<<
Many years ago you did not need to purchase tickets in advance to see St. Chapelle. Well, now you do (or you can wait in a long line like we did). Here is a link to purchase them (I believe it is also included in the Paris Museum pass, below).
If you plan to visit many sites in Paris, I strongly recommend that you purchase the Paris Museum pass.
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Carry-on packing list for Europe summer travel. Learn what to pack in a carry on for Europe, including essentials, outfits, and space-saving tips.No checked bags!
One of my most popular posts on my blog is what to pack in a carry on. In that post, I specifically focused on what goes in the carry on bag that you store under the seat in front of you. Today, I am sharing capsule wardrobe with clothing list that I put in my carry on. I tested this out myself recently as we went on a Mediterranean cruise last Summer. We were gone for two weeks.
Here is my packing list, copied straight from my saved notes:
Sandals – a pair that can stand lots of walking and you can wear to dinner.
Lululemon jacket – wear on plane, this jacket I like because it also has a hood that rolls away and is lightweight.
Cotton sweater or long sleeved white linen shirt-wear on plane, I went with a white linen shirt but if you are going to cooler environments, I would bring a neutral cotton sweater
1 pair of Pajamas
8 underwear pairs – so you can wash 7 pairs and wear one
8 pairs of socks
Farm Rio skirt and top – I wore a similar set pictures, I could mix and match the skirt and top with my shorts or tank tops.
Hat – I chose a baseball hat, just choose one that is small and can pack away
*The key to packing light is to bring the minimum number of shoes. Shoes are heavy and bulky. They take up lots of space. I recommend only two pairs of shoes. I don’t recommend only one pair, as it is nice to switch out your shoes as your feet get tired (or blisters, ouch!) after so much walking in the same pair all day.
*Check the weather the night before you leave at your destination. I ditched my jacket last minute as I saw it was going to be 80+ degrees every single day when we were gone. It was a good idea. I just wore my scarf and linen shirt in the cooler morning.
*Do not bring things “just in case.” For instance, you end up really needing an umbrella, buy one there. You can find cheapo tourists ones from street vendors.
*Try on all of your outfits and take pictures of them. If you have an iPhone, you can use your finger to hover over the picture, copy, and paste it into a note. That way you have a visual list of every single day of what you are going to be wearing!
*What luggage do I use? International size carryon. As for the luggage itself, it is expensive but I only use Tumi. I also adore this Tumi one they just released, if you want a hard shell. They are excellent, we have had them for years without any problems. I see many other people buy cheap luggage and then end up with broken wheels, etc. If Tumi is out of your budget, the next one I would consider buying is Away. That said, I have never used them so I cannot speak for the quality myself, but they have many positive reviews.
*You will need to do laundry. You will either need to do it a laundromat, through the hotel or or crusie, or in the sink. We pack these detergent sheets in a Ziplock and do laundry in the sink.
What do I carry in my smaller carry on that I stow under the seat?? CHECK OUT THIS POST HERE! I have updated it for 2026!
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Are you driving with children from the Bay Area or Sacramento to Los Angeles or San Diego and looking for a place to let them play and get their wiggles out? Let me share with you the best stop of them all – Bravo Farms! They have two locations. One is located on 99 and one is located on I-5. The location is about halfway between LA and Bay Area. PS – not a paid article, I just wanted to share this tip because it really fantastic, especially for kids!
I-5: Kettleman City exit 309
Highway 99: Traver exit 106A
They have bathrooms, a playground, a shop for snacks, restaurant, fudge and cheese shop. They have animals! Traver location has Tesla chargers (I don’t recall if Kettleman city location does, by I do know there are other electric vehicle chargers nearby).
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I have been on the hunt for a lightweight travel stroller for my preschooler. Needless to say, I am sick of lugging my UppaBaby Cruz V2 (the new V3 version it out) around. It served us well for when my daughter was smaller, but now I need something lightweight. Even though she does do a lot of walking now, I am finding that on longer walks or when it is very hot out, she really wants to be carried. She is now too heavy and big for me to carry for extended periods of time… so enter: the Bugaboo Butterfly 2! While this is a review for the Bugaboo butterfly 1, they have just discontinued it. The difference between the 1 and the new 2 is they added a small back pocket, slightly bigger wheels and more adjustments allowed in the seat position. Otherwise it seems it is the same stroller and has all of the features that I love!
I spent countless hours trying to decide on the best lightweight travel stroller. I watched every YouTube video I could find, read every article and every internet review. I ultimately chose the Bugaboo Butterfly because it looked like it could hold the tallest, heaviest child AND go in the overhead bin in many airplanes. I am trying to max out how long I can use this stroller – hoping to get through ages 4 and 5 years old with this stroller. The color we chose was desert taupe.
Now, this stroller has the highest backrest and weight limit I could find in the lightweight travel stroller category! It measures 21.5″ from seat to the top of the backrest, and then 24.5″ to the very top of the canopy from the seat. The seat itself measures about 10.5″ from the back to the front. It measures 14″ wide in the seat. It also has an adjustable leg rest, which measures also 7″, although I find I have not needed to use it. NOTE: The new bugaboo butterfly 2 seat to canopy height is 26.8”, so an additional 2 inches more than the first version!
It has an adjustable recline. This is a little annoying to move up and down when the child is in it, but it is doable. It has a very generous canopy for sunlight and then a mesh panel too to help air circulate. I found the one-handed fold to be a *little* bit harder than every video I watched. It seems like you have to push the handle bar in a little bit first to get it unlatched. Overall, though, it is a minor complaint.
Cons:
price, it is not the cheapest stroller
it does not include a cupholder or snack tray; both are sold separately. It also does not include a bumper bar – we purchased the bumper bar, but it made folding/unfolding more challenging and less compact, so we returned it.
The other strollers we considered and why I did not purchase it:
ZoeBaby Zoe Traveler (but it only holds up to 45 pounds) but the price is right. They also have a small double stroller that I would choose if I needed a stroller for 2 kids.
City Mini GT2 stroller – holds a bigger, taller child than the Bugaboo butterfly but it is not a lightweight stroller weighing 22.4 pounds, and cannot fit in the overhead bin.
Bob Stroller – if you are looking for the stroller that holds the highest weight limit at 75lb, this is your stroller. It though is not a travel stroller.
I think the Bugaboo Butterfly 2 stroller is perfect for travel, Disney World, Disneyland, Europe trips, and cruises! And I know I will probably get some comment about why I’m not making my preschooler walk. First, it’s none of your business. Second, when we are traveling, naps and sleep schedules are messed up. Sometimes the little one is tired and wants to be carried, but we have places to go and see, so a stroller is needed. This allows for a nap or just a place to sit (out of the direct sun, too!). You can buy it here at Amazon, above link is for Nordstrom.
I hope my review of what I think is the best travel stroller for preschoolers helps you. Check out my review of the Disney Aulani Resort
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We recently were fortunate enough to travel to Oahu and stay at Disney’s Aulani Hotel in Oahu, Hawaii. Here’s a quick review of our stay at the hotel.
Since having a child, we have found that our view on vacations has changed from being DINKs (dual income, no kids). We used to sit at a peaceful zen like resort – those days for us our gone – and that’s okay! Now we are embracing our full inner child to play with our actual child – and that includes staying at the Disney Aulani!
The lobby is beautiful when you walk into the hotel – big, spacious, feels like you walked into a large Hawaiian resort. My only very minor gripe is that you can’t see the ocean very well right from the lobby. Check in was very smooth and our room was ready early. Then we headed straight to the pools.
The pools are the BEST part of the hotel. The lazy river is the best lazy river I have ever been on. I went around it more times than I could count. The hotel provides the inner tubes so you don’t need to worry about lugging any over. Plus, they have life jackets free for the kids to check out if you desire. Below is a quieter pool. They have many pools and 2 water slides. They also have a splash pad (pictured above). What I did not like about the pools is people save chairs and don’t sit in them. I never saw Disney enforce the “1 hour and we will remove your stuff” policy they have posted everywhere.
The beach the hotel sits on is a man-made lagoon so the water is very tame, which is perfect for kids. I read somewhere they have nets so there aren’t supposed to be any sharks either, which is one less worry. I personally prefer other beaches but the kids certainly love this one! The hotel shares the beach with the Four Seasons next door, a wedding chapel as well.
The food and surrounding restaurants I thought were mediocre. Granted, I am vegetarian and Hawaiian cuisine is not up my alley, so I am aware of that. We did a lot of cooking ourselves as we stayed in a villa with a full kitchen.
One thing I was worried about staying here is that it would be “too Disney” and not enough Hawaiian feeling. The hotel is not “in your face Disney” – you certainly don’t feel like you’ve walked into Disneyland. That said, they do have free character meet and greets. You can choose to go to them or not. I did see a character or two walk through the pool area, but it’s only for a brief moment, like below with Mickey walking by.
The other thing they have at the hotel is their own salt water lagoon. They have viewing windows so it’s like you’re visiting an aquarium! You can snorkel in the lagoon too but that is an extra charge. I saw the line to get a spot started early int he morning and then it was sold out. I think it is great for children who want to snorkel but perhaps aren’t quite ready for the open ocean. Our daughter was too small to do this at this time.
So, is staying at the Aulani “worth it?”
I would say yes – if you have kids. Is this a hotel I would have chosen to travel to without kids? No. But, if you are a Disney fan without kids then I would say yes, worth it. But Disney certainly knows how to cater to families and the Aulani is no different. The pools are absolutely hands down the best. The cost of the hotel is certainly a decision factor. We went during low season and rented DVC points through a third party company to get a deal. Would I go here during high season peak week? No, I would not.
Now, I’m going to share a travel must have for young kids… the best little suitcase! The kids can pull it themselves. If they get tired they can ride on it and you can pull them. It can unfold into a bed on the plane! It is FANTASTIC!
below in the widget to shop are some other finds. The travel set is wonderful for the airplane! I also found the perfect swimsuit for those wanting a little more coverage but don’t want to wear a one piece!
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A quick guide to Bellagio on Lake Como – a recap of our day trip!
Getting There
Getting to Bellagio isn’t the easiest thing to do. You can drive around the lake (uhh, the roads are curvy and somewhat scary… not for the faint of heart!). The easiest way is to take the ferry. We stayed in the town of Como and took the ferry over. You can get to Como from Milan via train. Or you can get to Varenna and take the ferry over to Bellagio. You can get to Varenna via Train from Milan as well.
Things to Do
Take a Stroll. We strolled up and down the streets. And by up, I mean UP. This town is on a hill. The majority of the town is a pedestrian only zone because the streets came from ancient Roman times and were made this way so the rain runoff would go straight into the lake.
I’m going to let you on a secret. There isn’t really anything “to do” in this town. It is a small town with a few streets. We actually toured the whole town in about 1 hour (we are speed walkers). You just need to relax and enjoy the quaintness of this town!
2. Sit Back and Relax. We sat by the Lake and simply enjoyed the view on a beautiful day. It is vacation after all… who says you have to be in a hurry?
3. EAT! Eat some good Italian food.
We dined at Ristorante La Barchetta. There is an upper terrace with a better view, or a few tables down an alley which serve the same food but at cheaper prices. We ate in the cute alley and enjoyed the food below. YUMMMMM.
The little alley we dined in.
This wine bar below also is a popular place to eat.
4. Go on a Boat Ride.
Depending on how you got to Bellagio, you may not have been out on the lake yet. I HIGHLY recommend going for a boat ride. Here’s a huge money saving tip. Just take the ferry and sit outside or by a window. You don’t need to pay tons of money for a private boat ride. The ferry does the same job for literally a fraction of the price.
There are a ton of tourists, as pictured below. There are tons of shops, but honestly we weren’t there for shopping. we were there just to enjoy the town! While this town is beautiful, I actually enjoyed our impromptu decision to go to Varenna across the lake – and Varenna ended up being my favorite town on Lake Como!
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Our next stop on our trip to Lake Como was Villa Carlotta.
Villa Carlotta has beautiful gardens and has a museum inside. The Villa was completed in 1745.
We went for the botanical gardens. Isn’t it pretty??
The inside was beautiful too! Why yes, I’ll take this tapestry for my house, he he…
I thought this ceiling was pretty.
A view from the Villa… you can see Bellagio in the distance.
To get to Villa Carlotta, you take the ferry. You can get off at the stop Tremezzo. Some of the ferries will stop at Villa Carlotta, but not all of them. You’ll want to check the time table. We got off at Tremezzo, ate lunch and walked a short distance to the villa. Then, on the way back we hopped on a boat at the Villa Carlotta stop.
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Continuing my Swiss/Italy trip recap today, you can read about our visit to a Swiss chocolate factory and Lake Maggiore here. We were up early the next day and drove to Lake Como in Italy.It was just over an hour drive from Lake Maggiore.
The fastest way to travel to the various villages around Lake Como is to take a boat. They have a very great ferry system which surprisingly runs on time. Just buy your ticket at the office at the dock. We just told the boat dock guy where we wanted to go and he would give us the right ticket.We parked at the Tavernola stop, which has free parking.
Our first stop was the Villa del Balbianello. It is located off of the Lenno stop. After deboarding, you can walk from the ferry terminal to the villa which is uphill and apparently a 20-30 min walk. Alternatively, you can catch a small private boat shuttle for €7 round trip. It leaves at the opposite side of the bay from the ferry dock.
First, we grabbed gelato because we were starving.What we didn’t realize was how long it takes to get around the lake by boat.It takes about 1.5 to 2hours if you are staying over by Como and are trying to get the touristy spots.
I recommend taking the boat shuttle to the villa because it’s quite romantic to arrive to the villas private boat entrance! You also get great views of the villa.
Below, the entrance via boat!
If the villa looks familiar to you, it may be because this villa is where they shot some scenes for James Bond Casino Royale where he is recovering. Star Wars Episode II Attack of the Clones was also filmed here. This was Padme’s house and where Anakin and Padme got married at the end of the movie.
The Villas gardens were pretty. I loved the big tree below! It was so pretty!
I also loved all of the floral pots!
You can tour the inside but we opted not too. The only option was a guided tour and we don’t like guided tours.
Then we took the boat back and caught a ferry to the next town.
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Last Fall we went to Switzerland and Italy. I am just finally getting around to sharing our trip! On the first day we went to a chocolate factory in Switzerland and then drove to Lake Maggiore! Below is Lake Maggiore!
We landed in Zürich and then drove to Bilten where the chocolate factory is located. The chocolate factory we toured is Läderach.The chocolate factory tour was 10 CHF pp but then you get 5 CHF off at the factory store. The tour starts with the star of the show: the cacao tree! Did you know chocolate comes from these huge pods?
The pods are broken apart, leaving the nibs. Then the nibs get roasted and then ground.
Unfortunately not all of the machines were running when we were there.We were all hoping for an I Love Lucy moment when she famously starts stuffing the chocolate into her mouth when she couldn’t keep up with the production line. Below, a look in the factory. Lots of storage for cocoa beans!
Alas, we learned later that hey actually decorate the chocolate at another facility and the facility we were at was where they strip the cacao pods down into processed chocolate.
Next comes the best of the tour… the tasting!! First, you taste raw chocolate. Have you ever had raw roasted chocolate? It is very bitter and honestly, horrible!
Obviously my favorite part was the chocolate fountains.There are dark, milk and white chocolate fountains.
You get your own chocolate tasting spoon. I may have gone back a few times to decide my favorite. I personally preferred the dark chocolate. We kept the spoons as souvenirs and use them to stir our tea and coffee at home!
After the tour, you get to shop! They have truffles and other goodies, but we love the sheets of chocolate like below. So delicious!
Unfortunately they do not have any shops in the USA! I think there are only a handful of shops located outside of Switzerland. A selection of their cute chocolate figures! Läderach seriously has the best chocolate EVER. If you are ever in Switzerland, please do yourself a favor and try some.
After stuffing our face with chocolate, we then drove to Lake Maggiore.
Lake Maggiore is in the southern part of Switzerland and shares its shores with Italy.This part of Switzerland is called Ticino, which is the Italian speaking part of Switzerland.To me it felt more like Italy than Switzerland.
The views from our hotel were beautiful. Below is the view from our room. Hard to believe there are palm trees in Switzerland!!
We didn’t spend much time here. We were so jet lagged after being up for 30 hours. I don’t have many pictures since we essentially drove here, napped, ate dinner, then slept!
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Have you heard about the cow festivals in the Alps? I hadn’t either… until I went to one. I had so much fun and then I went to another!
Every year at the end of Summer, the sound of bells can be heard ringing through little Alpine villages of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. What does this mean? The cow herds are descending from their Summer pastures to their Winter pastures.
The entire village joins in on the celebration and is decorated – the people wear their traditional folk dress and the cows are dressed up too! They wear special headdresses!
The farmers lead their herd down the hill. It’s really funny watching the cows… they follow one after the other in a line, most of the time.
Except when they see green grass, then the line gets broken and they try to make their way to the grassy fields. The farmers then use their sticks and wack them back into line!
In addition to costumes, there is traditional Schuhplatteln dancing, Alphorn blowing and music.
The locals wear their traditional costumes. Love the little girl being pulled in the goat cart. Sorry I blurred their faces as I don’t know European law about faces in pictures.
Speaking of goats, there are often little goat herds in the festival too! They don’t get to wear crowns like the cows, but they all have little bells on them. This little girl below was funny – she looked behind at her goat the entire time and kept her tight on her leash… perhaps she’s been known to eat through a rope or two?
This ceremonial cattle drive is called the Almabtrieb, however in the Allgäu it is called the Viehscheid.
The cows wear traditional “Fuikl”, which are special crowns worn only for the Almabtrieb.
The farmers create the crowns them selves, often from the fir and spruce branches and wildflowers.
The cow with the biggest and prettiest crown of each herd is the Kranzrind, “The Crown Cow” and has a special job as it is the lead cow and leads the rest of the cows home. Below, in between the two people you can see the “Crown Cow” – it has the biggest bell and the biggest crown.
The loud bells around the necks of the cows are designed to protect them from “hostile demons” as they descend into the valley.
There are two types of cowbells – “Glocken” which are cast and “Schellen” which are from plate metal.
The locals really do party ’til the cows come home. Hmm… wonder if this is where the saying originates?
The festival pictures above are from two separate festivals in different years – one was in Switzerland and one was in Austria.
I do hope you enjoyed reading about the cow festivals in the Alps! We liked going to these over going to the Oktoberfest. I know many people travel to Germany for the Oktoberfest… perhaps you’ll find time to make it to one of these festivals!
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Today I’m sharing a trip report about visiting Laduree in LA! I have written many times about my love for macarons in the past, so I was very excited when Laduree opened a store in Los Angeles.
I had been salivating over when I was going to eat my next Laduree macaron and bothered my husband for quite some time (…every month since it opened…) to please go to LA so I could eat a macaron and some other pastries.
Finally we were able to clear some time in our schedule for our trip. Laduree opened two locations in Southern California – one at the Grove and one in Beverly Hills. We went to the one at the Grove.
Beautiful macarons galore! Sorry my pictures are not the greatest, I was sneaking pictures as I wasn’t sure if they were allowed!
This pastry counter did not have as many people at it as the ones in France – good! More time for me to stare the delicious desserts!
Ok, let’s drag ourselves away from the pastry counter. Time to sit down and eat.
I love all of their logos!
I had wished we dined inside, but the opportunity to dine outside at the end of January when it was 80 degrees was impossible to pass up, so we dined outside. We ordered “normal food” – I ordered a salad which was delicious but frankly it is not as pretty as pastries so no pictures of it! Frankly nothing special.
I ordered my favorite tea – the Mélange Ladurée tea. It is a mix of China black tea, Sri Lankan black tea, and rose petals. It also has essences of orange, caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, bergamot, and black currant. If you love Earl Grey, you’ll also love this blend! It is my favorite – you can buy tea to go home with. I tried to stock up but they were sold out. That’s okay… I still have a box from that time I made us to go Ladurée in Zürich, Switzerland (that’s another story, but it involved parts of driving down a train track and a pedestrian zone, on accident of course).
I love their china – yes I was discreetly tacky and turned over the plate to see who made it. It is by Bernardaud (of course) and this pattern is made special for Laduree. My husband ordered a cappuccino.
Yes, they even have the mini Diet Cokes just like Paris – made me giggle so I took a picture.
Now for dessert! Below, we enjoyed a crispy Dacquoise cake with hazelnuts, praline and milk chocolate topped with milk chocolate whipped cream.
Next, the rose raspberry Saint Honore. It is rose filled choux pastry topped with rose chantilly cream. The base has a raspberry compote hidden beneath the pillows of rose cream. It is so beautiful – and the great part was that it felt “light” – meaning I still had room for macarons!
Alright, time for macaron pictures! Having been there before, we knew which ones were our favorites. The white ones are orange blossom and are our favorite! Then there is raspberry and pistachio.
I do confess I like to collect cute little boxes to use for decorating – tucked here and there. I purchased this solely for the box, does anyone else do that?
Below, an assortment. Let’s see… raspberry, pistachio, rose, lemon, salted caramel and vanilla!
Here’s my final review: The macarons, pastries and food taste just like they do in Paris. But, the setting is not like Paris – there is nothing like dining on the Champs- Elysees! That said, this is *much* closer and *much* cheaper for me to go to this location than to Paris! Of course I’ll be back.
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Today I’ve put together a little guide of fairytale towns in Europe. I have visited all of these picturesque villages and towns and their charm has lasted in my memory.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany
Located in northern Bavaria, this little village is like a walk back into the Middle Ages – minus the plague! It is located on the Romantic Road in Germany. Many of the buildings age from the 1300s to the 1600s. It is surrounded by a medieval wall and is German’y best preserved medieval town! I’ll let the pictures to do the talking.
Oberammergau, Germany
This town located in the Bavarian Alps is famous for its adorable buildings with painted facades. The facades depict fairytales, religious scenes, and trompe-l’oeil. It is also known for hosting the passion play which occurs once a decade. The play was first performed in 1634 and it is the result of a vow made by the inhabitants of the village that if God spared them from the effects of the bubonic plague then sweeping the region they would perform a passion play every ten years.
The village is also famous for its woodcarving. The Bavarian State Woodcarving School is located here.
Ok, so this is not a painted building, but I had to include the chicken lace drapes!
The Cotswolds, England
This is a region in England. Cot means sheep and wolds is farm – so there are surrounding sheep farms in this area. I couldn’t choose just one town to feature, so my pictures are a collection from various towns and villages. Not only are the buildings cute, but so are the town names: Upper and Lower Slaughter, Chipping Camden, Stow-On-The-Wold, Burford, Bourton on the Water.
It is known for its rolling hills, idyllic villages with surrounding farms. Many of the houses are built of stone. This church is from the 12th century.
Like most things in Europe it seems, these little houses are from the 1500 and 1600s and still standing!
Also many cute storybook-worthy thatch roof houses here.
Colmar, France
This little village is located in the Alsace region of NE France, which sits on the border of Germany. There are both French and German influences here.
It has belonged both to France and to Germany – depending on who won which war. The timbered buildings are so beautiful.
I personally love the Alsace region of France – you can get both a fabulous croissant and a pretzel all from the same bakery!
Many of the buildings are from the 1500 and 1600s. It is sometimes called little Venice since it is located on a canal.
Honfleur, France
This little town is located on the Normandy coast of France. It sits on the Seine’s estuary. The townhouses are from the 16th-18th centuries.
It is hard to believe these old buildings are still standing and not all demolished from the war.
This adorable fishing town was actually quite rich as it made its money from the port.
It is has been a favorite of many artists including Claude Monet.
Hallstatt, Austria
This scenic town sits on Lake Hallstatt in Austria. I was there so many years ago unfortunately the pictures I shot are not up to par. Hallstatt is located in part of the Salzkammergut region in Austria – where you literally feel that the hills are alive with the Sound of Music.
The town is full of 16th century traditional houses and is Austria’s oldest village. Nearby there are the Hallstatt salt mines – you can tour them in your bunny suit and slide down salt slides! It was so fun. It is outside of Salzburg – and frankly, prettier than Salzburg! Take a boat tour and let the hills sing to you.
Honorable Mentions
Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria, Germany
I can’t write a fairytale town post without mentioning the ultimate fairytale castle, Neuschwanstein castle in Bavaria. The inside isn’t that pretty to be honest as far as European palaces and castles go, but the outside is the one that inspired Walt Disney and I think is what most of us think of when we think of a castle!
St. Gallen, Switzerland
Ok, so there is a cute little town square here that I had to include mainly because I think this building is just the cutest thing ever. St. Gallen has the oldest library in Switzerland, built in 937. I have no pictures of it as photography wasn’t allowed. The library itself is a world heritage site. St. Gallen also has a textile museum and a beautiful rococo church.
Strasbourg, France
I was keeping this list limited to fairytale towns and Strasbourg is certainly no town – it is a major city and is actually the capital of the EU! But I had to include this picture since it is right out of a fairytale book!
I do hope you enjoyed my list of fairytale towns in Europe. Have you ever been to any of them? Also, I’ll be including some more travel posts this Summer since everyone seems to be traveling right now!
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In this Post – 18th century decorative arts at the Louvre Museum
When we were in Paris at the Louvre a few years ago, we stumbled upon a newly reopened section in the 18th century decorative arts.
We were absolutely delighted to find original antiques from King Louis XIV-XVI and Marie Antoinette!
Below is furniture from the aunts of King Louis XVI from the Chateau de Bellevue
As you may know, many of the originals from Versailles were stolen and those that are in the museum today are replicas.
… but some of the originals are housed inside the Louvre!
There were plenty of other precious pieces housed here as well.
Below is a music room from the 1780s.
Below, a room from Château d’Abondant. The draperies are restored by Pierre Frey. It took them hours studying the tattered originals to remake them!
How do you like this beautiful piece?
A commode from Madame du Barry.
Unfortunately I do not know who makes the beautiful service below!
Below, a collage of French chairs! Which one is your favorite?!
Below is from the salon of Marie Antoinette. Isn’t it pretty?
Salon of Marie Antoinette
I love the sterling fruit on top of this tureen!
I love this faience piece with the birds!
This beautiful room and objets d’art were from the hôtel de Villemaré- Dangé, circa 1750. I love the pale yellow chaise.
Below, a closer look at the room where this pretty chair was sitting!
I was in awe by this harp! Do you see the face carved in the silver?
A pretty painting owned by own of the aunts of King Louis XVI.
Below is sterling and a porcelain piece by Sevres for Madame du Barry.
A collection of china from Marie Antoinette below. The middle pot is for Charlotte-Louis.
I hope you enjoyed this tour of 18th century decorative arts!
This collection is located in the Richelieu wing. Good luck finding it! We did not know it was here and stumbled upon it as we were lost wandering around!
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For those of you that regularly follow my blog, you may know that I visited Switzerland in the Fall of 2016. I have not yet had a chance to write about my trip because I love writing about Fall and Christmas decorating.
Now, though, in the middle of Winter, I thought it would be a perfect time to write about my trip!
When I first was researching about my trip I was a little iffy about hiking in the Swiss alps because I was unsure of how good of shape one needs to be in to go hiking in the Alps!
Well, I can tell you that there are some easier hikes in the Alps for those of us who aren’t hardcore hikers!
For this hike, we got off the train that goes to the top of the Jungfraujoch at the station Eigergletscher.
We started our hike here, below. We were treated to spectacular views of the mountains and glaciers!
From the Eigergletscher, we hiked down to Kleine Scheidegg. Below, the train leave us. In this direction of the hike, we are looking towards the Lauterbrunnen Valley.
Kleine Scheidegg is a main train station and a place with hotels, bathrooms, and restaurants.
From there, we continued on our hike and made our way to Männlichen. This part of the hike I believe is called the Panorama Weg. It seems most people were hiking the opposite way as us – our tour books recommended going from Männlichen to Kleide Scheidegg because it was mostly downhill – however we went the opposite direction.
The reason we went the opposite direction is because we went to the top of the Jungfraujoch in the morning (the mornings are the best weather), and then hiked our way back down. We combined several hikes. Eigergletscher to Kleide Scheidegg and then Kleide Scheidegg to Männlichen.
There were only a few parts on the Panorama Weg that I thought were a little hard going uphill, but it was only for about 10-15 minutes of the hike. Just take your time.
We were treated to beautiful views and beautiful weather. This hike took us longer than projected due to us pausing constantly to take in the view.
And also we had little Schockolade (that means “chocolate” in German) breaks as there are benches along the way to sit and enjoy the views.
Here we crossed over babbling brooks and enjoyed a Schockolade break.
I may have been singing The Hills are Alive along this hike.
As you can see, the trail is fairly wide. This part of the hike was relatively flat. You can see in the distance one of the glaciers that we were at!
Our hotel was in that valley a mile below!
Here is one of the benches along the trail. And, you really do hike next to the cows!
I still cannot believe we were hiking in such a beautiful place!
Here is the cable car from Männlichen back to Grindelwald. It drops over 1 mile in elevation. I did *not* enjoy this cable car ride back down. I have a total phobia of heights. But I sucked it up and closed my eyes (okay and then opened them and proceeded to look out with sweaty palms until we made it back down!).
If you have a fear of heights, as I do, I say, suck it up, close your eyes, and then open them and look out! This is a beautiful place that should be visited. I overcame my fear of cable cars and gondolas to go hiking here! Okay, never mind, I still am afraid of them, but I would get on one again if I am treated to this view!
Above is a picture from our hike the next day. What was neat is that you could see exactly where we had hiked!
I *strongly* recommend this hike. You don’t have to do the Eigergletscher – Kleide Scheidegg, as it is way harder (although hiking down was easier), but I *strongly* recommend the Männlichen-Kleide Scheidegg hike, which was the second half our our hike.
Most of the tour books recommended taking the cable car to Männlichen, then hike to Kleide Scheidegg and then taking the train up to the Jungfraujoch.
I recommend instead getting up super early, going to the Jungfraujoch in the early morning when it is most likely to be clear so the views are the best, and then getting off the train early and hiking just like we did above!
Below is the hiking map that is all over the place when you visit the region. Make sure you study this before you go!
I thought this hike was reasonably easy and not too difficult, granted there were some places I huffed and puffed!! Although you should consult your physician before hiking at elevation in the Alps if you have health conditions!
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We dined at 
Finally we were able to clear some time in our schedule for our trip. Laduree opened two locations in Southern California – one at the Grove and one in Beverly Hills. We went to the one at the Grove.
