Coffee
Posts here are devoted to the simple joy of coffee—whether it’s a nitro oat latte in Fargo or a tasting flight during a road trip. I share notes on cafés visited, beans tried and the small moments that make each cup memorable.
- 9:00a: Depart Airbnb
- Take L5 and L4
- 9:40a: Arrive at Paella Cooking class
- Go to market with cooking class
- Make Paella, Spanish Omelette, Roasted vegetables for lunch in class
- Jamie enjoys the red wine
- Wrap up class enjoying Chicken and Shrimp Paella
- Get Tyler a crepe (he wasn’t into paella)
- Make way to Nomad Coffee Bar for delicious espresso and cappuccino
- Tammy and Mazie explore shops a bit
- Tyler and Jamie go to Gemeria to be there when they re-open at 4:30p to see about Pokémon cards
- Gameria is a complete bust but Arco TCG across the street is amazing
- Pokémon exploring, reconnect with Tammy and Mazie
- Take 210 bus many stops into suburbs of Barcelona (note: 210 bus is blue and our cards don’t work but we are allowed on the bus)
- Do Londium Escape Room — #7 in the world!
- Try to return on 210 bus but driver notes our cards don’t work and no go
- Jamie calls Taxi via Uber to get back to city
- 8:15p: Attempt to arrive early to Ali Ocakbaşı for 9p reservation, no go.
- Tyler gets a muffin at bakery that Mazie goes to by internship
- Walk to LearnLife to see where Mazie is interning
- Mazie and Tyler return visit to bakery
- 8:50p We all write up our Londium experience for Escaping Things
- 9:00p Dinner at Ali Ocakbaşı
- Return to Airbnb via L5
- Jamie goes in, Tammy, Mazie and Tyler decide to get a stuffed churro at 10:30p
- Sadly, stuffed churro place is closed. Everyone returns to Airbnb.
- Mazie and Jamie get coffee, tea and baked goods before Mazie goes off to school.
- Tammy on morning run. Tyler relaxes at Airbnb.
- Delightful brunch at Billy Brunch.
- return to Airbnb to get Tammy’s metro pass that she forgot
- Take V21 and V19 buses to Park Güell
- 12:26p get tickets for Park Güell stuff
- Explore Park Güell
- Walk to L1 stop for train
- Stopped into Arte Vistas Gallery
- Go to Picasso Museum Barcelona
- Stopped into Brunells Patisserie for an amazing Croissant de Nata
- Explore Latin District and various shops
- Attempt to find another pastry at another shop but decided to return to Brunells and have another try there with a capuccino this time.
- Walk to our 2nd to last escape room on this trip
- Do Jurassic at Golden Pop! First escape room we’ve gotten dirty doing.
- Take L7 train from Plaza Catalunya to El Puxet
- Meet Christina and Natalie and visit Mazie’s home stay!
- Bring new suitcase loaded with stuff to return home from Mazie’s stay, and get Mazie packed up for Croatia trip with Tammy
- Return to Airbnb on L7 and L5.
- Tammy turns in for the night, Jamie, Mazie, and Tyler return to Pink Buda for a “Barcelona dinner” at 10p.
- Return to Airbnb along the Sagrada Família.
- Jamie up and playing around with Escaping Things website
- Tammy goes on a run
- 9:00a Depart for Escape Room
- 9:11a Miromesnil to Stalingrad
- The Taxidermist — amazing escape room
- 11:51a Metro from Stalingrad
- Incredible lunch at Ladurée
- Walk along the Champs-Elysee to Arc de Triomphe
- Explore Arc for a while
- Look for high-end coffee shop or good boulangerie and sadly didn’t find what we wanted
- Return to Airbnb to drop off things
- 4:31p Metro from Miromesnil to Eiffel Tower
- Explore Eiffel Tower area
- Tyler and Tammy get tickets to walk up stairs to first level
- Jamie realizes not enough time to take elevator and avoid fear of heights
- Tyler and Tammy come back down
- Bateaux Parisiens dinner cruise on the Seine. Very fancy!
- Take in the Eiffel Tower at night all lit up.
- 7:57p Metro from Trocadêro back to Airbnb
- Pack and prepare to leave for Barcelona tomorrow
- 9:45p Learn that Tyler was accepted to go Edina High School Japan trip in 2027!
- Rest a bit in the morning in the Airbnb.
- Walk to crêpe stand on Champs-Élysées for breakfast
- Stop at Cojean for cappuccino on way to Metro
- 10:16a M9 from Miromesnil to Puerte St Cloud
- Walk to Parc des Princes
- Stadium tour of Paris Saint-Germaine
- Shopping at PSG Store: Tyler Jersey, Tammy Sweatshirt, Jamie scarf.
- 1:08p Take M10 Boulogne — Jean Jaurès to Mobillion
- 1:35p Burgers for lunch at Specimen
- Walk around neighborhood exploring
- Visit Notre Dame during day
- Stop at Merveilleux
- Coffee at Strada
- 3:31p M10 Cardinal Lemoine to escape room
- Galactic Mission Escape Room
- Saw super cool race car simulator place
- Walk to Gem La Patisserie for Macarons, but sadly they had closed early
- 6:08p Quatre-Septembre
- Visit Le Coin Des Barons — Pokémon shop in Paris!
- Cookie at Ben’s Cookies
- 7:13p M1 Hôtel de Ville to Arc de Triomphe
- Return to Airbnb
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Wonderful cortado at Gloom Coffee.
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Delightful cortado to start the day at Youngblood Coffee in Fargo.
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Morning stop at Fika Coffee. Best coffee on the North Shore.
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Enjoying a little day trip starting with a coffee stop at Getaway Motor Cafe in Carver.
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Flat white at Hidden Coffee Roasters.
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Escape in Europe — Day 13
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Escape in Europe — Day 12
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Escape in Europe — Day 10
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Escape in Europe — Day 9
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Afternoon cappuccino with espresso starter at Strada in Paris.