L' Oliveraie Restaurant: Marseille, France

Visiting France is all about the food. We have all heard about french technique and how good french food is, but have you ever eaten this mythical french food that everyone is raving about? It stands to reason that if you want good french food, a good place to start is in France. The minute we got to Marseille I could understand why it was famous. It's breathtaking. However, I had a mission to eat, and there was no room for failure.

Walking around the port we unsuspecting found an incredibly beautiful little restaurant, that forced us to stop. To be honest I wasn't sure of the name at first but looking at the menu I was certain there was a good time to be had there, plus the set menu came with wine. You couldn't go wrong with that.

My parents aren't exactly the biggest fans of European food. However the food here was undeniably good. There were not subtle flavors. Everything was bold to the point of feeling like an assault on your tastebuds. However, by that time the dish is done and you are wishing for more. Almost, like a culinary Stockholm Syndrome. The best part of eating here was that I felt as though the ingredients were good, but that wasn't the reason the food was amazing. It was in fact the cooking. Someone in that kitchen knew what they were doing. They were looking to take hostages. They wanted to make love in your mouth. Developing flavor is no easy task, however at L' Oliveraie it seemed like effortless art.

This experience was enlightening because it made me truly understand the notoriety of French Food. Good ingredients but better technique. It is how you use those ingredients to carry the products to the next level, to make a cuisine.

If you want to visit this incredibly underrated restaurant while in Marseille, check out there TripAdvisor page. And let me know where you would like to travel just to eat the food, in the comments below.

Barcelona

I think I'm in love. I'm vibing with this city like there is no tomorrow. Sitting in a corner cafe writing, drinking a beer while a skate competition happens behind me and a bunch of people walk on by.

Granted I haven't been here very long and I am barely here long enough to say I've experienced life in Barcelona, but its a fantastic first date. I want to come back here. I am definitely going to come back.

The guys style is shirts, shorts and loafers and I can definitely get down with that. The more I travel the more undeniable it becomes. I fit in with Spanish cultures, maybe its the brown skin or the Caribbean thing but I'm so comfortable and happy in Spanish cultures it is crazy. Now I need to learn more of the language so that we can actually have conversations. Until then I will be a silent admirer. Loving what I see unable to interact.

Now I'm sitting in the marina, chill in the grass with my shoes off. Life doesn't get much better than this.

Leaving Switzerland

Moving here was a incredibly unlikely move for me. When I first started researching schools, The Swiss Hospitality Management School (SHMS) was by far the most unrealistic choice. It was far away, it was expensive, it was in a country I'd never been to, it was just too nice. The problem is when I get crazy ideas, sometimes they happen. Its a blessing and a curse really. (Read more about my experience moving to Switzerland here.)

Luckily, hindsight is 20/20 and now that its all done, I still can't believe was has gone down here. Seriously, how did I move to Switzerland and do my masters? I was present every step of the way but I always expect something to happen that brings everything to a screeching halt. But it never happened. Everything just worked itself out, for better or worse, I'm still here.

I knew getting into this I never wanted to live in Switzerland forever, but it will always have a special place in my heart. I wondered if I could live somewhere that wasn't an island. Somewhere that was completely unlike what I'm accustomed to. And I realized, in the mountains, that it is possible. While this experience has taught me that I can't do everything, it has also made me realize, I can survive more than I thought.

Now I'm getting ready to leave this immaculately beautiful country and all I can think to myself is, I hope I can learn as much somewhere else. Switzerland, you've given me so much and I can't thank you enough. I probably won't see you any time soon but that doesn't mean I can't take you with me everywhere I go.

Tell me about your experiences leaving somewhere you never expected to go. Or better yet, what crazy ideas have you had that just seemed to work themselves out?

Moving To Switzerland

This post is long overdue. I've been in Europe for a while, I think I've alluded to it a bit but I haven't officially said anything. But I'm here. And its great. It's not quite what I expected, but I am enjoying myself.

Before this trip, I had only been to London in Europe and it was great. I got the sense that Europe was the same as everywhere else I had been but just with a little bit more history. Switzerland for me is a whole other beast.

I chose to come here because of the school, The Swiss Hospitality Management School (SHMS, I may be referring to this guy a lot in my future posts). Like New York, I never really saw myself moving here but I was persuaded under the right circumstances. I was actually really scared to move somewhere that wasn't surrounded by water. But so far it has been an incredible experience.

Before I came here I'd never been to Switzerland. It was a leap of faith and it has worked out marvelously so far. What I'm trying to say is, sometimes you don't know where you will end up and why you will end up there. But that doesn't really matter. Just go. See what happens. And know that whatever shit you get yourself into, it will be alright. And Switzerland is an incredible place which you might not think of going automatically, but its definitely worth a visit.

My stay here is actually coming to an end, and I will be on to my next adventure soon but thats for another post. So, where have you moved to? Why did you move there? And how was that experience? Let me know in the comments below.