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Berlin - Journal Entry 6/7

6/7: Didn't write in the journal yesterday due to a busy day and lack of motivation, but it was a simple day. Got into Berlin real easy, although it was a 6.5 hour train. Settled into the hostel, watched thrones, got some beer, smoked some boges then got dinner. We went to this German restaurant that made a ton of homemade sausages and such. For dinner I got this white truffle oil asparagus cream soup as its asparagus season in Germany. Damn was that a solid soup. To slight disappointment once again I didn't taste the truffle flavor very much but I'm banking on it in Italy. For dinner I got a lamb sausage with this pumpkin chutney, rosemary potatoes and their house made mustard. Ben got these 5 small beef sausages with pesto and grilled veggies. Solid ass meal. Went back there today after a long walk around Berlin (6 miles) we hit all around the East gallery/Berlin wall and it was really fucking cool to see. Berlin is such a modern city I didn't think it'd be like this but I actually love it here. Not as fast paced as London/Paris/Amsterdam and I feel pretty safe here so that's good. For lunch today we went back to the same spot as last night for a quick bite, got this really nice hemp beer they had on draft, and a spicy currywurst which was delicious. Ben copped a blood sausage with sour kraut. Hanging out at the hostel now, gonna plan out dinner then see where the night goes. Update: 22:45: Just kickin it in the hostel now, made a fruit salad with some pineapple and bananas that we copped before dinner. We got Vietnamese food for dinner tonight. For an app we got sautéed chicken with hoisin sauce which was pretty solid and for dinner we split two entrees. Got this glass noodle chicken salad and this curry duck dish with veggies and thick noodles. Both dishes were pretty great but the eating atmosphere wasn't the best, it was damn rushed, we sat cramped next to two other tables in one table and the waitress wasn't friendly. Nonetheless, a tasty meal but I was excited to leave the restaurant after we ate, although... I wasn't leaving there without some supplemental gift such as a nifty pair of chopsticks. It seems as though it's tradition for me to steal chopsticks from the Vietnamese restaurants I eat at, I didn't "steal" them it was just included with the bill.

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Amsterdam - Journal Entry 6/6

6/6: 10:45: Chilling waiting for the train to Berlin with Ben. this weekend was such a blur/smoke fest it was hard to keep up with writing but it was a damn good time. Amsterdam is an amazing city and I loved it here but still I think I could see myself living in London out of everywhere we've gone thus far. It was awesome being able to cook this weekend, we brought a lot of good food with us for the train to Berlin so that's good. This morning I made an egg scramble with bacon onion chicken sausage Rosemary and Swiss that we had with some fresh bread, it was great. Last night for dinner we sautéed a bunch of veggies, had burgers stuffed with garlic and rosemary and after made a spicy onion peanut chicken sauté which was interesting but delicious. Hopefully gonna pass out on the train to Berlin then drink some great beer and eat brauts.

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Dinner from 6/4 Amsterdam. Too stoned all weekend to keep up with a ton of photos

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Amsterdam - Journal Entry 6/4

6/4: 14:00: Just finishing up on a canal tour of the city and damn this place is absolutely gorgeous. Woke up this morning at like 8:30, went to get coffee with Jakob and Ben then came back to cook some breakfast. Made a 7 egg, Swiss, mushrooms, onion and bacon scramble for us. threw that bitch on some fresh rolls Jakob picked up earlier that morning. smoked a spliff before breakfast, hit the tram to get to central city and then we smoked 2 joints before the boat left. The weed here is absolutely unbelievable and the city is gorgeous. Update: 16:45: At this tiny restaurant we stumbled upon after not finding something for about an hour and a half. This is such a strange experience, the woman who was serving us I'm pretty sure is crazy and she didn't even know the menu when we ordered. She asked to see the menu so she could copy it directly off, I'm pretty sure we're in the back of someone's house as opposed to a true restaurant but it's really cool. Strange experience but cool for sure. Hope the food comes/is actually good. 17:33 Now on the train back to central station. The food ended up coming after an hour and it was surprisingly not that bad for the craziness in the place. I got a sandwich with Brie, honey and pine nuts and another with this deli pork, peanut butter type sauce and an egg which was just crazy. The whole restaurant experience was wacky it's hard to put to words. Gonna hit another coffee shop to smoke another doobie, get more pot and then figure it out. Update: 23:40: Just finished cleaning up the kitchen after a bomb ass meal. We made a spinach sun dried tomato parmagean risotto, smashed potatoes with garlic and parsley, and some burgers. the risotto came out surprisingly well and was really good, burgers cooked nicely and the meat naturally tastes great from this part of the world, and the potatoes were young potatoes that just arrived today. It's so great being able to cook even though we don't have that many spices or pans to use were making it work and using very natural flavors. We've smoked so much and have really done a lot today we're all shot, probably just gonna keep it low key and pass out soon.

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Amsterdam - 6/3: Home cooks + white widow nugs. Both were incredible. Just another unreal day.

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Amsterdam - Journal Entry 6/3

6/3: 23:45: Amsterdam - holy shit it's been one hell of a day. to start it off once we got into Amsterdam we picked up the keys to the apartment and then immediately went to a coffee shop right around the corner. Picked up some bomb white widow and damn it was dank, not to mention we haven't smoke in a week which is a first in a long while. So then we decided we were going to walk the hour to the apartment and everything was going according to plan until we couldn't find the entrance to the apartments. It was a really low key entrance with a shitty door lock that once confirmed I had the right key, still took a while to open. Ben and I ended up wondering for 2-3 hours after all was said and done with our packs on the whole time. Afterwards we arrived to the place and oh man is it nice. it's an absolute retreat, a studio apartment in a really new complex. it has a porch... with a hammock on it! the kitchen is equipped enough, in fact I actually cooked dinner tonight! Once we got settled in for a minute we hit the grocery store and got a shit load of stuff. Tons of veggies, meats, bread, eggs, etc. just stuff to have. For dinner tonight I made honey bbq chicken with ratatouille (tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, onions, mushrooms, garlic, basil, black pepper, salt) and some Curley fries we got at the store. Ben and I originally planned to have a multiple course meal and we almost followed through. After the heap of chicken, fries and veg I seared these pepper crusted steaks we got and damnnnnn. The pepper was so strong and the meat was tenderly rare, it was awesome. It was great to have eaten a cooked meal where you're in control of the cooking process behind it the whole time. The list of food we got is huge, and all for 47€, pretty sure we got enough to eat here for the rest of the weekend. Crazy times getting here although we kept pretty calm, damn it's incredible to be here.

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Paris - Journal Entry 6/3

6/3: 11:45: Paris - Chillin in the room right now before our train. Copped a chocolate croissant this morning for brekky and a shot of espresso. The chocolate croissant was probably the best i’ve ever had, it was warm, flakey, and smooth the way it should be. Watching some gravity falls with Ben then heading out, can’t fucking wait for Amsterdam. After all was said and done, Paris really is a great city and I definitely would come back, if for nothing else I’d at least come back for the impeccable culinary scene. More updates to come later.

Update: 14:18: Currently on the train to Amsterdam, picked up a real nice baguette on the way over, although I've been slacking today forgetting to photograph my meals but it's nothing exciting. Just can't wait to get to Amsterdam and cheef.

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Eats of 6/2. Last full day in Paris. Description posted below

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Paris - Journal Entry 6/2

6/2: 12:48: Paris - Currently on the train to the crepe shop we went to the other day. After brunch we're going to head to the Buddha museum which I'm very excited for. We made dinner reservations at this restaurant tonight that should be really interesting. They have a stuffed quail with duck foie gras on the menu and bens thinking about trying it. Last day in Paris, I'm sure it's gonna be a good one. Update: 15:00 - Just finished at lunch, I got a Swiss chorizo and egg crepe on their delicious buckwheat wrap. During lunch Ben and I met this couple from Canada and we chatted for a solid hour and a half. It was a great time, they were wicked chill. Split different ways because they were going to drink more and were opting to go see the Buddha museum but I'm content with that decision. In the long run I think it'd be better to see the museum, we exchanged numbers so maybe we'll meet up later this evening for some dranks. En route to the museum, hope it's free and or well worth the bills. Update: 17:45: Just got back to the hostel from the museum, ended up needing to pay 7 euro for the museum but it was totally worth it. Such a cool place to check out, tons of artwork, tons of sculptures and it explored many cultures. My favorite part was exploring the Nepal section and the India section of course… also there was this exhibit that was only open from April 2016 - September 2016 and it followed this japanese artist/photographer who had some really unique work. At first there were tons of close up pictures of flowers and it had a beautiful description as to why he chose to photograph them, and then it went onto him photographing women tied up in various ways, which sounds strange but it was really cool to see. Stopped at a little market in the train station on the way back to the hostel and picked up a coconut yogurt and a fleeb since we have dinner reservations in two hours just need a little something to hold us over. It was cool, in the little yogurt i got on the very top of the container was a mini foldable spoon for the consumer and thats something I haven’t seen in America. Cool shit. Gonna get a nice buzz going then head to dinner around 19:30 as our reservation is for 20:00. TBC. Update: 22:00: Just got back from dinner and it once again was delicious. To start I got a poached egg dish with a creme sauce, parmagean puff pastry crisp, and fresh seasonal mushrooms. For dinner I got this chicken dish with a cream sauce, seasonal mushrooms and this buckwheat risotto almost, absolutely superb. To follow for dessert Ben and I shared this chocolate souffle with a hazelnut cream, not quite ice cream but similar in texture. The chocolate souffle tonight was outta control. Although, I must say I do regret drinking a full bottle of wine before the meal, it made my stomach unsettled and it just wasn’t the smartest move. Oh well, you live and you learn. All in all, another great meal and a delightful way to end off Paris. Watching gravity falls for the rest of the night and then passing out. Packing up tomorrow morning then off to Amsterdam for usual shenanigans!!

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6/1: Paris - Todays eats. Another phenomenal day of eating. Description of meals posted in journal entry below as per usual. 

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Paris - Journal Entry 6/1

6/1: 16:45: Paris - Just got back home from a day out, woke up around 11 this morning which was refreshing. We had reservations at 13:30 at this meat and cheese place that Ben really wanted to try so we left a little early and walked around the area until it was time to eat. At the restaurant it was a beautiful little shop, very modern, very nice, very friendly workers. We got "le Tour de France" which was a big plate of 6 cheeses and 3 meats picked by the staff based on our tastes. They asked us if there was anything we didn't like and I said no blue cheese please!! Many of the cheeses were in French but I remember a couple; One was a truffled Brie cheese, a basil cows milk cheese, a goat cheese, a cheese made from sheep milk, etc. The meats were 2 sausages and one year aged ham. I don't particularly like cured meat like that but it was such an experience of course I tried them all. It came with some delicious fresh baguette and on top of it all I got a fat glass of espresso to end the meal. Afterwards we walked to the Luxembourg gardens which was absolutely beautiful, and then we departed for an hour walk home. On the way back I stopped at a crepe shop and copped a dark chocolate banana crepe which was phenomenal. Resting up a little now, figuring out dinner, and planning the rest of the time in Paris. TBC.  

Update: 22:00: Back from dinner after looking for a restaurant for 2 hours with Ben. Sure is a bitch to spend so much time looking for a place to eat but we found a spot that was 30% off meal and drinks so that was pretty sick. Once again, dinner was phenomenal. I’ve started to come to an understanding as to why Paris is such a great city, at first I just don’t think we understood it. What makes this city so great is not the city itself, but the vibe thats entailed once you step foot into once of thousand great restaurants. Stepping into each restaurant is a breath of fresh air essentially, everything slows down and an aura comes over you thats like no other. Dining really is something special when it comes to Paris, France. To start it off tonight we got a wonderful bottle of red wine. Today for dinner Ben and I shared an appetizer of raw scallops with an arugula salad&shreds of parmagean cheese, it had this citrus oil with what seemed to be cayenne pepper flakes with a berry reduction sauce on the side of the plate. The scallops had a strong flavor of the citrus at first, but once you continued chewing you got that raw fishy scallop flavor. At first Ben and I weren’t sure what to make of it having never tried raw scallops, it really has that fishy flavor but nonetheless they were very good. Although, I completely blanked and forgot they had a fried squid and chorizo dish on the menu that I wish we had gotten, but not to fret, no regrets. For dinner I had a delicious veal chop with a blend of sautéed mushrooms, and delicious roasted potatoes (almost like fries, except they weren’t very crunchy and crisp) absolutely packed with flavor. Although, my veal was a little over cooked, the waitress wasn’t sure what I meant when I said I wanted it cooked rare due to the language barrier, then I translated medium rare but I’m not sure if she knew what i meant. Next time I think I’m going to say less than medium to avoid confusion, but regardless it was delicious. To follow for dessert, we got a lavender creme brulée which was absolutely incredible. On first taste you got that creamy, sweet custard filling with subtle hints of that burnt sugar on top and then once the lavender hits you, game over. Lavender is an aroma I truly love and to eat a dish, let alone a dessert that has hints of it perfectly infused was breath taking. Once again, an incredible meal and I can’t wait to see where eating tomorrow takes us. Nothing planned as of yet, but definitely going to plan something special for the last night in Paris. On the way home copped a bottle of grapefruit rosé wine for 4.45 euro which is surprisingly phenomenal. Really been digging grapefruit flavored alcohols. Planning to watch Ratatouille with Ben, drink this bottle, and pass the fuck out. Cheers.

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5/31: Paris: Today's eats. Description posted in journal entry below. Still not over that duck breast at dinner. Truly delicious

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Paris - Journal Entry 5/31

5/31: 15:43: Paris - Woke up this morning at 08:30 to try and figure out how to possibly get to Belgium because we aren't thrilled with Paris, plans fell through fuck the trains. Not bad though, making the most of it. Got a small cheese pastry for breakfast today then went to the Eifel tower. We got tickets and went all the way to the top and goddamn was it high up. Sketchy ride up, and it was absolutely freezing. Found a dope crepe spot for lunch and got a duck confit crepe with potatoes, cheddar&a French cheese, potatoes, and parsley. Followed by espresso to round off the meal. The crepe itself was absolutely incredible, they used a buckwheat batter instead of a flour batter which was pleasant and the duck confit in the crepe was riDUCKulous (ha ha HA) made up for the average confit last night. Just got back to the hostel and just kickin it figuring out the rest of the day.. trying to change our train to Amsterdam for a day earlier so hopefully that comes through. Update: 23:50: Just got back from dinner with Ben at L'Arlequin Cafe and I do not have enough nice things to say. The meal as a whole was absolutely incredible. Started off with some delicious house rosè wine, followed by a dozen escargot split with Ben. The escargot were in a olive oil, garlic, basil, fresh herb sauce which was so beyond tasty. I was skeptical at first because they were snails but once I gave them a chance they were fantastic. Then I got duck breast with this honey, thyme, cherry&balsamic glaze with zucchini and potatoes which was fucking delicious. One of the best entrees I've eaten in all honesty, I didn't want it to end. For dessert I got a chocolate soufflé with ice cream and a raspberry sauce which was the perfect way to end a perfect meal. The ambiance in the restaurant, as well as the food, the service and the vibe made me rethink all the negative thoughts about Paris. The culinary scene here really is tremendous and now I'm quite excited to delve deeper into it. Again, not enough nice things to say other than absolutely perfect. Here's to that delicious meal 🍷

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Eats in Paris 5/30, meals posted in journal entry below

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Paris - Journal Entry 5/30

5/30: 16:00: Paris - Currently in the train en route to Paris, to much surprise Ben and I ended up sitting first class. Which entailed free wine, lunch consisting of either roasted salmon or a quiche, bread and butter, a berry jam tart for dessert, coffee/tea, and since we ate right before the train I only got dessert, coffee and wine 😋 Very nice train, can't wait to step foot on French grounds!! 5/30: 23:00: Paris - Got back from dinner a bit ago, we went to this small bistro type place and got a price fixed dinner. I got French onion soup and duck confit, it was good but nothing spectacular to be honest. The duck was flavorful but didn't seem to be seasoned with much of anything. It's been very rainy since we got here and it'll be rainy for the rest of the week so the forecast says which is shit. Honestly, Paris doesn't even appear to be that nice and its quite disappointing. I don't feel very safe in this city, maybe it's the language barrier, maybe it's just me but I'm hypothesizing the city has gone to shit after the attacks. Currently trying to figure out ways to get to Belgium instead of Paris because of the weather, the vibe, etc. So we'll have to see what we can do. Sipping an Amsterdam max intense beer, 11.6% alc by volume, very strong but good. If we end up staying in Paris, hopefully it gets better.

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Final eats of London. Description of meals in previous journal entry. Delicious send off meal 😋

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London - Journal Entry 5/30: End of Chapter 1

This marks the end of the first time in London on our trip, but we’ll be back at the end of our trip 🙂

5/30: 12:43: London - Woke up this morning hoping to find thrones on the files after waiting until 2 am last night just to find out HBOgo is only available in the states, luckily it was!! The episode was unreal. Hit Camden town afterwards with Ben and stopped into Vape and Volt a shop I was eager to check out but it didn’t work out the other days. Coolest vape store I’ve ever been in. The samples were all contact free and it shot out in a stream for the consumer to just inhale. I picked up a Pink grapefruit juice which I'm very excited about, one of the first grapefruit flavors I've seen. Currently at a coffee/tea shop called Yumchaa which is awesome!! The tea selection they have is unreal, fresh loose leaf, brewed to make. I got a white chocolate raspberry muffin and an americano as usual, simply delicious. After this heading back home to pack up, hit central London, grab a bite then catch the train to Paris!!

Update: 15:06 - At St Pancras international station waiting for the train to Paris. On the way in we had to send our bags through security which was a little bit of a surprise but totally makes sense. Unfortunately it nullifies our plans to bring nug from Amsterdam for the rest of the trip but maybe we can figure something out. Had lunch at this little Indian spot near the station, little hole in the wall and I didn’t expect much from it but it was delicious. I got chicken chaat, chicken curry, rice and naan as a lunch special for 8£ which was a very good deal. Boarding the train to Paris now, weeeeeee 🚈