Colmar is such a cute town, serving as the inspired for the homes in Studio Ghibli’s hit Howl’s Moving Castle. Another item of note, on the drive to Strasbourg we encountered a VENDING machine at a gas station (ZG Raiffeisen Tankstelle Elsässer Str. 3, 77694 Kehl, Germany) that dispensed dry noodles, honey, jam, and eggs…

When you go to Amsterdam, rent a bike. Also, book your Anne Frank Museum tickets ahead of time. A luxury that is not afforded when you spontaneously decide to arrive 72 hours beforehand. Eats The Black Dog – Great service, with pretty basic bar food like nachos, burgers, stews, etc. Café Tabac – Good bitterballen!…

Belgium does have the best waffles. But besides that, not much to write home about. Eats Cappuccino – The first thing I did in Belgium was get a waffle, and the waffle quality only went up from here. This item felt like something straight out of Elf—dripping in chocolate syrup and sprinkles with a side…

I had low expectations for Paris. The common descriptors of the city were dirty, crowded, and sprinkled with rude Parisians. All of which hold some truth. But if you make an attempt to speak French, and alter your Tokyo cleanliness standards, you’ll have a great time. Eats La Mia Pizza (19 Rue Mouton-Duvernet, 75014 Paris,…

The hills are indeed alive. Austria is like Switzerland but less expensive, fewer trains, and not as good chocolate. Interestingly enough, I saw white bell pepper for the first time her as well. Housing – Right on the German border of Austria, an extremely charming cottage with vague check-in instructions, run by a woman who…