Recommendations: Cool places in/around Paris/France (incl bordering countries)

[keefe]

The 6 months before the trip I continually asked her if the tour was on the back of a Sherman tank.

Frankly, I would have opted for a P 47. The Jug is a much better ride!

[Chicos' Buzz Scandal Countdown]

Word of Wisdom for any travel outside the U.S.:Global Entry. You barely break stride re-entering the U.S. through Customs.

In my last job it prevented several nearly-missed flight connections through Atlanta.

[ATWizJr]

I must disagree about Brussels. You can spend a day/night in the old city and get a nice heaping of Belgian culture. And by culture I mean beer and mussels. The Grand Place has to be one of the best plazas in all of Europe.

But really, your search should start and stop at Aix-en-Provence. Take the high-speed rail 3 hours south of Paris and boom, you're in Aix (pronounced "X"). The Impressionists used to ramble through there and for good reason. Stroll through the city and the museums. Bike into the countryside and bring a couple bottles of wine with you. The food, the scenery, the air. You won't regret it.

As for Paris, the newly-reopened Picasso museum is simply spectacular. If you're into it, download the audio guide app ($1.99 I believe) on your phone before you go and it adds a bit of depth to some of works while you're there. The Clos Montmartre vineyard is a pretty cool visit if you're in Monmartre (and you absolutely should be at some point)...it's a tiny vineyard right in the middle of the city. Interesting place. Finally, if you're waiting for a train out of Gare du Nord and need a good restaurant, scope out Chez Casimir nestled down a side street. Cheapish pre-fixe menu including an incredible cheese tray. It's a real find for an area with mostly mediocre restaurants.

Bons voyages.

  Mussels in Brussels, eh?

[keefe]

  Mussels in Brussels, eh?

The best mussels in the world are Penn Coves from Whidbey Island in Puget Sound. Nothing else comes close.

I always bought the street fries in Belgium.

[77ncaachamps]

Word of Wisdom for any travel outside the U.S.:Global Entry. You barely break stride re-entering the U.S. through Customs.

In my last job it prevented several nearly-missed flight connections through Atlanta.

How does Milwaukee have an enrollment center but San Jose AKA Silicon Valley doesn't?
http://www.cbp.gov/global-entry/locations

[Chicos' Buzz Scandal Countdown]

How does Milwaukee have an enrollment center but San Jose AKA Silicon Valley doesn't?
http://www.cbp.gov/global-entry/locations

when I got mine I was living in Milwaukee but had to drive down to Chicago to complete the interview, etc. still worth it!

[WellsstreetWanderer]

The best mussels in the world are Penn Coves from Whidbey Island in Puget Sound. Nothing else comes close.

I always bought the street fries in Belgium.

  Keefe

Any recommendations for foodies in Amsterdam?    Spending time there before my daughter's wedding in Eire. We're rocking Reckless Kelly's " Seven Days in Eire" in anticipation.  Also can't imagine traveling outside the U.S. without Global Entry anymore.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

  Keefe

Any recommendations for foodies in Amsterdam?    Spending time there before my daughter's wedding in Eire. We're rocking Reckless Kelly's " Seven Days in Eire" in anticipation.  Also can't imagine traveling outside the U.S. without Global Entry anymore.

Elephant,  The Netherlands is not really known for any food (although my kids loved the waffles).  What was recommended to me and what I enjoyed was Indonesian food.  As a former Dutch colony there are plenty of restaurants in Amsterdam.  They do serve the closest to an American breakfast in Europe.

[keefe]

  Keefe

Any recommendations for foodies in Amsterdam?    Spending time there before my daughter's wedding in Eire. We're rocking Reckless Kelly's " Seven Days in Eire" in anticipation.  Also can't imagine traveling outside the U.S. without Global Entry anymore.

I don't have any specific restaurants as I don't recall the names but Amsterdam has phenomenal Indonesian food (Batavia was a Dutch colony for almost 400 years and the spice trade then oil were a major source of Dutch capital accumulation.)

There are two cuisines that are exceptionally well represented in Amsterdam - Javanese Rijstaffel and Sumatran Nasi Padang. Think of both as Indonesian forms of tapas - a leisurely stroll through the incredible diversity of the source of the world's most precious spices.

Rijstaffel is Dutch for 'rice table' and it was a Dutch colonial convention designed to sample as many of Java's flavorful dishes - all built around rice - in one sitting. These are usually set menus but I have never been disappointed in what the various chefs have selected.

Nasi Padang is a Sumatran cuisine that involves sampling a wide variety of dishes - all fiery hot.

If you want the ultimate experience I would go for Rijstaffel. But I love spicy so Nasi Padang is also an excellent choice.

Dutch food is good but it was a lot like my wife's German-based cooking (which she learned from her Oma growing up in Thiensville) so when we passed through Amsterdam I always went for Indonesian.  

I am sure your concierge can recommend what are now the best Indonesian places. It may seem odd to recommend Indonesian food in Holland but, like in the UK, the best restaurant on High Street is usually the Indian curry shop and not the English inn.

  

[Babybluejeans]

  Keefe

Any recommendations for foodies in Amsterdam?    Spending time there before my daughter's wedding in Eire. We're rocking Reckless Kelly's " Seven Days in Eire" in anticipation.  Also can't imagine traveling outside the U.S. without Global Entry anymore.

Elephant, if you're a beer drinker (as a presumed Marquette alum, this should be implied), don't miss out on Amsterdam's brown cafes. They're not cafes, per se, but really old taverns that look like they haven't been touched since the 1600s...when most of them opened. I'm partial to Cafe De Pieper, Cafe Hoppe, and next to the fireplace at Cafe De Wetering. But the absolute gem is Café De Dokter, a tiny spot off a side street that will give you the best-received Instagram photo of your trip. And given the alcohol content in some of their better beers, you may feel moved to saunter over to those *other* cafes that Amsterdam is known for. 

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Elephant, if you're a beer drinker (as a presumed Marquette alum, this should be implied), don't miss out on Amsterdam's brown cafes. They're not cafes, per se, but really old taverns that look like they haven't been touched since the 1600s...when most of them opened. I'm partial to Cafe De Pieper, Cafe Hoppe, and next to the fireplace at Cafe De Wetering. But the absolute gem is Café De Dokter, a tiny spot off a side street that will give you the best-received Instagram photo of your trip. And given the alcohol content in some of their better beers, you may feel moved to saunter over to those *other* cafes that Amsterdam is known for. 

Too funny.  Mid-90's, my friends and I wandered into what must have been one of these (all beer that we never heard of previously and all had that high alcohol content) and had great interesting conversation with locals all evening on the EU, what the Dutch thought of other European countries and their love (no joke) of Tool Time Tim and Home Improvement.  They wouldn't stop talking about the show.