I was up at 5am to catch a flight that eventually brought me to Portland. Well, two flights. I’m flying here and back in 4 segments in order to get premier status on United.

Not much to share. Slogging through preparation for this weekend’s Knot Hysteria color retreat. Spent the night reliving Iceland by watching Heima and polishing off a second ball of blue-grey for my first lopapeysa. Made me forget my horrible fast food dinner.

All’s good now. No complaints here. Another early start tomorrow.

Sigur Rós – Glósóli from Sigur Rós on.

Until I get around to corral my myriad thoughts on the recent magical trip to Iceland, enjoy this Sigur Ros video. Rod and Gummi took us to the cliff where the final scene was shot. No, I did not buy a fox cape/hat combo.

(I recommend watching it full-screen. The landscape is really this achingly beautiful.)

Ah, Paris. It’s been a wonderful week so far. This is the view from our apartment.

We are here until le 21 août. More soon.

Siskiyou pass from CA into OR to give thanks with the inlaws in Eugene. I miss my biological family – Seattle sister and western NY parents.

I miss snow, too.

…and I just got up!

All this cross-country back and forth, up and down, and today’s driving round and round is exhausting. Work has me in Toronto to do store checks for two days. As someone who takes no pleasure in shopping or riding in cars (as driver or passenger), this is not how I’d choose to spend my time. The fact that the 60 locations are in suburbs (including Niagara Falls) makes it all the more tedious. Bright side? East Coast + Canada = trip down memory lane, albeit my first time in Toronto.

On an even brighter note, my old mini iPod fell out of my jacket in the hotel bar and I didn’t notice until hours later after we had eaten down the street. I ran down to the lobby and the front desk said to check with the bartenders. Sure enough – the waitress found it and held it aside for me.

Lesson learned: always be nice and chatty because you never know when you’ll want another person to remember you. Thanks, Sandy.

Now? Back to prone. G’night!

I saw on Twitter nau was looking for photos of people sporting their clothing, so I made my sister take this picture during our afternoon in Seattle.

As a knitter and designer, it’s very rare that I buy a commercially-knit garment. I’m very particular about both aesthetics and fibers. I had no qualms about adding the Bunny Goat Hoodie to my closet: simple clean ribbing adds well-placed structure to a luxuriously decadent person cozy. It’s a favorite wear for its warmth, looks and packability. cashmere and angora? C’mon!

Thanks, nau, for having (and keeping) my back warm!

This was just packed this morning in Port Ludlow, WA. It’s now sitting downstairs in the kitchen as I lay me down to sleep with my little doggie. I’ve got to unpack & repack it tomorrow morning to get my butt across the country and into the one just north.

Toronto, here I come! Rumor has it I’ll be hanging at Lettuce Knits tomorrow night. Another rumor has it that me and my office girlfriend / colleague will be traveling to Niagara Falls as part of this work trip! It’ll be just like Superman 2. I only hope that I’ll be a healthier version of myself.

After being awake for the last 23+ hours, I don’t have much to offer than this cheese spaetzle from the Munich airport sports bar that pales in comparison to the American recreation that I eat at our local East German restaurant.

We woke up at 6am Paris time to be on the metro by 7:30 for the airport and our 11:35 flight home via the above lunch stop. The highlight of that three-hour layover was seeing Kris who’s planted a tiny little marathon seed in my head (but there remains the mystery of the sore foot).

The long flight back to San Francisco was made shorter by knitting and movies. I couldn’t have thought of better films to ease the transition back to reality and underline the Paris part of our honeymoon.

• First up, Coco Avant Chanel. A French language biopic with everyone’s favorite mignone, Audrey Tatou, aka Amélie. What’s Frencher than that?
• Next, Julie & Julia. Given that so much of my trip was food-centered and driven by blogger recommendations, this was a visual delicasy, even for this vegaquarian.
• Lastly, The Time Traveler’s Wife which was nowhere near as good as the book. Knowing the intensity of the love story from the original source, I sobbed nonetheless.

There was still more time for films, but neither The Soloist and The Taking of Pelham 123 speak to our time there, although I’d love to hear cello in Paris ans we did ride the subway—but that’s a bit of a stretch.

One thing we’ve talked about to keep this trip alive is weekly Paris movies. Not quite the same sentiment, but I’m thinking La Femme Nikita and Diva. Do you have any Frenchie favorites?

It’s closing in on 4pm on our last day in Paris. This time tomorrow we’ll be leaving Munich after a three-hour layover. Hopefully, we’ll have spent an hour or so of airport visiting with Kris, Fräulein Bockstark Knits and Victor, Herr Elemmaciltur.

After debating between being responsible and packing or heading down to the Seine and getting ice cream, we finally settled on having a beer in a café on rue Bretagne near the apartment. Ice cream wasn’t my first choice anyway, but before the hate email comes in, Berthillon is closed on Monday and Tuesdays. This beer (Belgian?) is a nice chill way to end a chilly week here.

Travelling always make me hungry for more on one hand, and appreciate what I have on the other. It goes without saying that I’m missing Janie Sparkles something fierce. You may be surprised that I’m eager to get back to work. Granted, I’ve only spent four days on the job there, so I don’t have anything I want to avoid! It’s all exciting and new. (Leaving Clif Bar & Company after nine years will have to be a post for another day.)

I’m hoping to hang onto some of my memories of wanderlust by learning how to cook some of the great food I’ve enjoyed here. There are also many a design kicking around my head that will need to be knit one day. Plus, I never give San Francisco its due, or perhaps I’m too set in my ways for my own good, and there’s plenty of city exploration and gems to find (and write about?). Why not be a tourists chez nous? Maybe I’ll even look up some Alliance Française events! (Sois gentil!)

It’s sad to end a trip, but so exciting to return home to the familiar. That’s why we call it home, eh? Refreshed, inspired, grateful, and alive. You can’t ask for anything more.

ETA: I finished writing this at 17:25, for full disclosure.

Just a little scribble from Paris, from our honeymoon (one year ex post facto). It’s been a wonderful trip of wandering, eating, happy happen-stance and only-in-Paris moments. If you follow me on Twitter or Flickr, I’ve been trying to share a taste of the trip. It’s like we’re all gay-married together!

I want to acknowledge and thank two bloggers (whom I’ve never met) who’ve been invaluable with their food recommendations that have made this trip perhaps the best of my life.

• David Lebovitz – we were given his book a few months ago, but spare reading time hasn’t existed for me for quite a while… You can bet your bottom dollar, Lil’ Orphan Annie, that I’ll be picking it up when I’m back in the states!
• 101 Cookbooks – Heidi is the wife of a guy I barely knew in high school, but always looked up to. We’ve threatened to catch up since the summer, but haven’t made it happen yet. She’s also an award-winning cookbook author on whom many foodie friends have culinary crushes.

If you’re ever planning on going to Paris, do check them out. Your tummy will not be disappointed! As writers and people creating great work around their passions, they’re rather inspirational as well.

à bientôt, mes amis!