Every Monday Boarding Pass looks at the way people travel and see the world. I’m so pleased to have fellow American-living-in-Paris (and graduate of my master’s program), Lindsey Tramuta at the helm today. Lindsey runs a delightful blog – which you’ve heard of here before – called Lost in Cheeseland, that chronicles her adventures in ex-pat living (with a big focus on food, which is so perfect for Paris). And for all of you who commented on my post about water in Paris, you can’t miss Lindsey’s piece about going to the gym in France. Enjoy! {Thanks, Lindsey!}
last trip taken:
Philadelphia/Washington D.C. I’ve taken my husband to most major cities on the east coast and Washington was the last on the list. Since it’s only 2.5 hours from Philadelphia, we took a trip with my father for a couple of days before New Years. Aside from the bitter cold, it was great to be in the capital. The French influence was undeniable.

next trip on deck:
London to visit a friend that recently moved from Paris. But the big trip of the year will be in August to the West coast of the US to San Francisco, Yosemite, Monterey, and perhaps Seattle. My husband will stay longer to rock climb throughout California with his buddies.

one place you would go back to again and again:
Amsterdam in the Spring. The landscape took my breath away. I’d love to go back every Spring. In the states, I would go back to Hilton Head Island, SC. I used to go every summer for two weeks with my family but haven’t been back in at least 6 years. I would love to show my husband a place that I will forever associate with my childhood.

place you’d most likely recommend a friend go visit:
Seville, in a heart beat. The people are wonderful, the culture is rich and the landscape is stunning. In 2 and a half days I feel like I got a good first taste of the city (and the heat!). I wouldn’t recommend going in August like I did, it was 40°C (104°F) by mid morning!

preferred method of transportation:
Train! The US has a lot of catching up to do. French transportation really is worth writing home about and travel is usually uneventful. It saves time and frustration of airport lines and security. However when I travel to major cities, I prefer to see everything on foot. Cheaper and more conducive to seeing as much as possible often in a short period of time.

place you’ve never been but dying to go:
Barcelona. It’s not original since everyone and their mother has gone, but a good friend of mine studied and lived there for a year and raved about all that the city has to offer. From architecture to food, I think it would be a great change of scenery from Paris.

place you’d never go back:
Naples, Italy. While it was worth going to take the ferry over to Capri, it was filthy and dangerous. The food was excellent but we had just come from 6 days in Rome and were sick of Italian food!

most memorable trip in 2 sentences or less:
The second time I came to Paris ranks pretty high as my most memorable trip because it was during that 7 week stay that I met my husband! Otherwise, my trip to Italy which was the first vacation I ever took with my husband when were still dating.

{Never a dull moment in Paris}

how do you prepare for a trip?
Making sure I have everything organized that I plan on bringing, double checking travel itinerary and reservations, and reading about the less touristic spots to hit.

how do you record your travels when you’re traveling?
Usually through photos or collecting posters and postcards. I’m not big on keeping a journal so photos are the easiest way for me to keep everything fresh in my mind.

what is your favorite thing to photograph in a new place?
The buildings – architecture varies so greatly from place to place that I love having shots of different styles. After, I juxtapose images of one style with another to compare.

on an average, how many pictures to you take on a trip?
Hundreds, most of which get deleted after the fact. I try to capture everything and then after the trip I go back and filter. I typically only keep those that stood out for me or have more than superficial significance.

what do you do after a trip? how long after a trip does this happen?
Blog and share the photos online. Most of my photos stay digital at this point because I’m more likely to go back and look at them again on my computer than I would if I had them all printed and scrapbooked. I hoard too much stuff as it is!

favorite souvenir/thing to bring back?
Business cards from restaurants. I keep them filed away (alphabetically too, how organized is that?) for future use and to share with friends who are planning trips to the places I’ve already been. I’m my own food guide! Otherwise, I always try to bring back a local specialty – be it sweets, cheese or wine.
what’s the last cultural thing you did in Paris?
A macaron baking class at La Cuisine Paris! I love the concept and I think very highly of the founder. The facility is awesome, the instructors are talented and knowledgeable and the themes of the classes are original, both in French and English. I think I’ll be sending my mother-in-law there for Mother’s Day! It’s a great outing for tourists and locals alike.

Links:

• Blog: Lost in Cheeseland
• on Twitter

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