q&a.

Our lovely friend Ammi send us an email the other day with some great questions about our trip so far. Questions so good we thought we should share the answers here.

What's the best and worst meal you've experienced thus far?
M: Worst= Not because of taste, but because of the after effect, the worst I have eaten was a horse steak I cooked in Paris. It tasted very nice and Kim and my grandma enjoyed. However the next two days was spent on the toilet.

Best= My grandma in Paris is an amazing cook. Her quail with grapes, chestnuts and bacon is the best. But I think The Oyster Bar in New Yorks Grand Central Station was my favourite meal. Clam chowder with a big pint of Brooklyn Winter Ale. We sat at the lunch counter (a individual galley style kitchen with benches all around it.) The place was packed with people and the atmosphere was amazing. This was one of many things Brian Ferry recommended us to visit. Well worth it.

K: A McGriddle was the worst, off the breakfast menu at McDonalds in East Harlem, New York. It was recommended by a lovely friend Derek, and consists of two pancakes with maple syrup throughout it acting like a bun for a Bacon and Egg Roll. It could have been because I was feeling a little off already, but I couldn't finish it. It was horrible.

Since it is the middle of winter, Morgans uncle pulled our a couple of the preserves that had in their store room. We had a Duck Confit, green beans, and Cepe mushrooms, and finished off with an amazing platter of cheese and fresh baguette. It was and incredible meal and I cannot describe the taste of the duck other than sensational.

Any new revelations about French people?
M: Sometimes French people are very honest, and sometimes a little too honest.

K: French people love to have a little of every food group in every meal. This is a big generalisation, but a meal will consist of some protein, salad or some kind of vegetable, and will finish with some kind of dairy like cheese or yoghurt. Lunch meal will most often always finish with an espresso (any maybe even a little square of chocolate). Its pretty great eating in France.

What's the one item you didn't bring that you wish you had?
M: A bag of nice fresh coffee.

K: A tub of Vegimite. It's silly, but I do miss it.

Funniest memory so far/ or best experience?
M: The funniest moment was in Iceland in a flea market. Sarah and I were looking at a ring, the lady said in her Icelandic accent "It's Diesel" (she meant the brand). Sarah replies "Sorry, I don't speak Icelandic".
The best experience was Iceland as a whole. Blue Lagoon, frozen waterfalls, amazing creative people and tasty food.

K: One of the strangest and funniest moments was when we were in Iceland we went on the Golden Circle Tour. Our tour guide was this hilarious strange Icelandic man. There were many strange things, like when he stopped the tour van to pick up a free newspaper for himself, or when he stopped the van, reversed 100 meters down the road, and then got out to pick up a random object on the road and threw it in the boot. We still don't know what it was. Or the time, after getting everyone back on the bus he tried to drive one wheel of the van up onto a rock, failing and then telling us the tour has been postponed 15 minutes. Apparently he was trying to check to see if the exhaust pipe was still on. I think the one that takes the cake though is on the long drive home he talked for an hour about the "hidden people" (elves and trolls) and about how they came about. Good times.

What is the one item you brought along that you couldn't live without?
M: I bought a Red L L Bean wool flannel in Michigan at a thrift store and it has gotten me through many cold days.
K: My iPad. Its been incredible to use instagram, emails, skype, read magazines and play games to learn french words. So grateful for that.

If you have any other questions you would like to ask, comment below.
m&k