Giant summer update, part 3 (England and France).

I fled the hot, still air of Spain in search of cooler climes -- England! First, I spent a weekend on my own in Canterbury. The cathedral is a sight to behold, and I attended choral services there every day. At the hostel, I got upgraded to a private room, so I had a chance to rest and detox.

From Canterbury, I took a train to Birmingham to visit my cousin and his family. I met my 2-year old niece and 3-month old nephew for the first time. My niece Maddison has fiery red hair -- hard to tell she's 1/4 Filipino! But we hit it off right away, and we were best friends during my 4-day stay in Birmingham. She's really mild-tempered and smart, and so very British! "Mmm, cuppa tea! That's lovely!"

In Birmingham, we had a family day out at the Safari Park (basically, a safari-themed zoo). The main feature of the park is a car tour, a la Jurassic Park. But unlike Jurassic Park, they let you feed the animals! The animals start to expect hand-feeding, so some get really bold and put their entire head in your car! Yippee!

Another chocolate binge later (at this point, my backpack contained an impressive collection of international chocolate), and I was off to Paris to close out my trip. My friend Stephen (from the French lunch table at JPL) and I chose to avoid the Parisian tourist traps in favor of jazz clubs, walks down the Seine river, and a day trip to Fontainebleau to watch a national equestrian competition. Also, his girlfriend is a fantastic cook; she sent me off with a fantastic chocolate and banana tart. I really hope chocolate is good for you!

I'm back in LA now, fully rested and jet lag free. Pics are here!

Giant summer update, part 2 (Switzerland and Spain).

Ten days after I got back from Portland, I ventured off on yet another travel adventure -- Europe! Emily was leaving Switzerfrance soon, and I still hadn't visited her! Bad me. So, I cashed in my miles and headed out!

The area surrounding CERN was strangely familiar: scientists, Americans, people speaking French... it was like being back at JPL! And the drunken geek parties -- definitely familiar territory. :)

In Switzerland, we explored a few cities on Lake Geneva by train and boat. Switzerland is beautiful, green, wealthy, and the food is amazing. Wine every day, delicious chocolates, authentic fondue, mmmmm. Even a simple plate of eggs benedict was wonderful -- the yolk on this egg was orange. Orange! And exploding with yolky goodness.

After Switzerland, I spent a few days visiting my aunt and uncle in southern Spain. Wine every day, paella, flamenco, and romps in the Mediterranean. I didn't think this was possible, but I actually started to get sick of wine. (When staying with family, the plate and the glass are filled automatically!) After a big night out of food, dancing, drink and merriment, I was ready to crash at the house, yet my aunt and uncle still wanted to party more. They are hardcore! They say I'm not used to the "high life." Kids these days!

Giant summer update, part 1 (Portland).

Hey y'all! Apologies for the lack of updates. I have been all over the place this summer!

Last July (gosh, it seems so long ago) I took a road trip to Portland, Oregon. It's a 2-day drive, and we took the long way (I-395) in order to avoid the dismal agricultural dust cloud along I-5. I know 2 days isn't that long on the road, but my ass still hasn't quite forgiven me.

Our surprise discovery along the way was Lassen Volcanic National Park. Volcanic rock, cinder cones, and sulfur vents, oh my! If it weren't for the conifers and snow, I'd have thought I was back in Hawaii.

In Portland, we hit some major tourist attractions (Powell's bookstore, art museum, science museum, Japanese gardens...), but also spent some time just looking around the city. My first question: where are the Asian people? Answer: on the not-so-nice outskirts of town. Portland isn't without its social problems, but some people say Portland is the next San Francisco -- young, bohemian, a city with a future. I can see what they mean. The city abounds with beer snobs, bicyclists, and hip people in glasses. It was a little disconcerting at first, but I can get behind a city full of green space, rock music, and no traffic. Maybe we'll cross paths again, Portland!

Check out pics from my Portland trip here.