Ok, I fess up, my husband and I plan our travels around food! There I said it. We are foodies, that is, according to our definition of what a “foodie” is, which is not just about being at the “it” or snooty or Instagrammable place, it’s about the whole experience!
There’s nothing like traveling to a place where your senses can be awakened, teased, challenged, satisfied, intrigued or transformed. And that’s just from the food! Add to that the people around, the sounds you hear, the setting, then it becomes a feast!
Part of the Chef’s Tasting menu, a cheese tasting tray for you to indulge in.
Knowing little of the town, we took a golf cart tour with this Frenchman who didn’t speak a word of English! But with the help of technology, he Facetime’d his son who was practicing his English speaking skill and thankfully, my husband dusted off remnants of his college French classes enough for us learned of its rich history.
Falling under the Roman colony in the 28 BC, a number of Roman structures were saved by the locals which helped it survived through out the centuries. Influences of Spain and Moors can also be found in this once trade crossroads.
Since we were in that region, we figured we’d maximize our adventure. We hopped on the train and took a day trip the next day to Lyon to further gain calories to burn during our walks (it’s a good excuse we tell ourselves). And there we paid a visit to what is considered the “belly of Lyon”, an indoor food market, Les Halles de Lyon.
We walked in perusing each stall to see what we’ll have for lunch when, against my own will, I was hypnotized by the delicious smelling food coming from the stall in front of me. And that’s when I had my first cuisses de grenouilles (take a guess). It was tasty but I still prefer the real chicken!
We pushed ourselves to walk to Vieux Lyon (Old Town) after lunch and wished we had more time to explore before we headed back to the train station. Although it gives us another reason for a return trip.
But this food-trip isn’t as crazy the one we did when we took an inter-island hop on Hawaiian Airlines from Kauai to Oahu to have lunch in Chinatown at the Pig and the Lady. It gave us the chance to explore that part of Honolulu away from the tourist area. Serving Vietnamese cuisine, with some peppering of other Asian items, the food, the service was amazing! It was buzzing with only good vibes (as posted). Thankfully we made reservations way ahead of time so it saved us from waiting in the long line.
While the vibrant Waikiki is always fun, we couldn’t wait to fly back to our beloved, beautiful and lush Princeville, Kauai. This North Shore section of Kauai has a chill vibe that renting a condo will be your best bet when you want to stay for a week or so (without the delightful high-pressure timeshare presentations).
Speaking of Vietnamese cuisine, if you’re looking for a place to travel to where it’s warm during Fall, here’s a thought, head to Vietnam! My husband and I will be on a “we-don’t-want-to-worry-about-anything” trip to Vietnam & Cambodia on board AmaWaterways, Amadara.
Aside from nourishing ourselves with healthy local Vietnamese cuisine, we’re looking forward to experiencing the local markets, seeking respite from the daily noise and taking in all the good stuff that comes with smooth sailing: river cruising. Like food and travel? Maybe you’d like to join us on this adventure.
For more information about travel to the places mentioned in this article, or any other experiential travel, individual or group, please contact us at (626) 491-2657 or by email at Marjorie@mstravelplanner.com. We’re a FULL-SERVICE Travel Agency- CruisePlanners, here to help you design and book the trip that works for you. Follow us on Instagram @mstravelplanner or on Facebook @mstravelplannercp.
