Happy New Year!
This is a continuation of my post reflecting on 2015, A Look Back at 2015, Part I. This is Part II, and essentially is a very condensed summary of my three week around-the-world trip. It's hard to fit three weeks worth of content in a reasonably-sized blog post, but I'll try my best!
Bryan had seen a sale for "around-the-world" tickets on American Airlines over six months ago. At the time, we had toyed around with the idea of planning a big trip in celebration of my milestone birthday. Since I'm one of those people who can never commit to anything, Bryan went ahead and booked a general itinerary which included 
I promise I will write about all these places in much more detail in the upcoming months (yes, I actually believe it will take that long to cover everything). Of course, I will intersperse those travel posts with Boston restaurant posts and some cooking posts as well.
For now, here's a preview of how we spent our time from mid-November to early December!
Stop #1: Alba,Italy
The Piedmont region in Italy is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited. There are rolling hills full of grape vines, rustic Italian houses, and stunning views. The people are friendly, the food is phenomenal, and the wine! Barolo, Barbaresco, and Nebbiolo, oh my!
We flew into Milan International Airport and immediately were greeted by our driver, who we had booked through 
The price was not too crazy - 250 Euros (about $250 USD) for a 2+ hour drive in a comfortable black car all the way down to Alba. We were so jetlagged and tired, we were relieved that we didn't have to drive! We were really impressed with the level of service we got. You can book the black car in advance; all drivers are certified limo drivers; they promise to monitor your flight; and they will wait up to an hour for you at the airport.
In fact, just recently, Bryan decided that he would switch to using Blacklane for all his business trips because he finds that it provides a lot of service and value for about the same price as a taxi (a least in Boston!).
{disclosure: Blacklane provided me with a free voucher for the trip. All opinions are my own}
We chose to arrive in Alba on November 14th for a very specific reason. It was the last weekend of the annual 
Not only is the area known for white truffles, it's also known for its excellent wine. We spent one day exploring Barolo and another day exploring 
We made sure to eat white truffles every day (and even did a truffle hunt)! They taste the best over eggs or shaved over pasta, but they are often served over steak tartare, meat, and other pastas as well.
Stop #2: Bordeaux, France
The city of 
In a span of less than three days, we visited multiple wine regions, including 
We tasted many wines, and even bought a case of Bordeaux from 
Thanks Peter & Chia Chi (and your parents for watching your daughter!) for all your hard work in organizing the winery visits, picking out great restaurants, and even driving us around on those crazy, narrow, cobbled-stoned streets of Bordeaux! We had a blast.
Stop #3: Paris, France
Paris.
It had been only a week after the horrible terrorist attacks on the city. Security was crazy tight. In fact, we weren't even allowed to carry our own luggage into our hotel room. They insisted on scanning it first. Our hotel was so hyper alert, they woke me up the next morning with a phone call.
"There is a person from security outside your door. Would you please let him it? We see a suspicious package outside your window."
It turned out to be a shopping bag someone had left out there, but it still rattled my nerves quite a bit.
All museums and shopping malls remained open, but were outfitted with metal detectors. Security presence, from both the police and the army, were 
We very much enjoyed our time there. I will never tire of Paris. It is truly one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
Stop #4: Tokyo, Japan
The longest part of our trip was in 
This year, we came during peak foliage season, so we took a day trip to hike Mount Takao, a surprisingly steep but very well developed mountain. The hike took less than two hours, but we were pretty tired near the top. At the summit, we were thrilled to find all sorts of fun stalls selling hot drinks, snacks, and even ramen! There is an elaborate temple at the top that you can visit as well.
I discovered dango, soy sauce glazed mochi on a stick. It's sooooo good, especially when they cook it on a fire right in front of you!
We also got pretty good views of Mount Fuji from the top of Mount Takao.
We visited all of our favorite stores (Yodabashi Camera in Akihabara for Bryan and various "character" toy stores for me). I somehow ended up adopting yet another stuffed Domo to take home with me.
Of course, we had phenomenal food. Bryan finally was able to take me to 
I loved my sushi lunch at Sushi Ya, a relatively new sushi place opened by Takao Ishiyama, an alum of Sushi Kanesaka. Funny thing is, Chef Ishiyama served me the last time I visited Sushi Kanesaka. When I saw him at Sushi Ya, I immediately recognized him as the guy who's in all my photos.
We also had the famous truffle rice at 
Finally, I finally made my pilgrimage to Shirohige Cream Puff Factory, the only place officially licensed to make Totoro cream puffs and cookies. Apparently Miyazaki is a co-owner, and the cafe is full of Totoro stuff. It is super cute!
We saw some dear friends who live in Japan now, and spent Thanksgiving Day with them. Even though we weren't home, it felt like we were with family.
Stop #5: Hong Kong
Finally, our last stop was 
Food was excellent. I had incredible dim sum at 
I leave you with a fun photo of this crazy Star Wars Lego exhibit at Times Square Hong Kong.
I will follow up with much more detailed posts about all of the places we visited, including wineries, restaurants, and noteworthy sites. It was most certainly a trip of a lifetime. [Update: Posts are complete and hyperlinked throughout this article]
Thank you Bryan for taking the initiative to book such a crazy birthday trip. I never would have had the guts to do it myself.
Us at a restaurant in Bordeaux on my actual birthday
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