Marat
@marat1.bsky.social
I travel places. I eat things. I meet people. And I write about it.
#Storyteller #Writer #Travel #Food #Wine
Substack: https://travelogues.substack.com/
#Storyteller #Writer #Travel #Food #Wine
Substack: https://travelogues.substack.com/
Smells are like time-travel. Cooking is a time machine.
One whiff of garlic and thyme in butter, and I’m back in my friend’s kitchen. It's where I learned to put a dish together. Where recipes met improv, the air thick with laughter and Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
Where talent became a “Chef’s Whim”
One whiff of garlic and thyme in butter, and I’m back in my friend’s kitchen. It's where I learned to put a dish together. Where recipes met improv, the air thick with laughter and Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
Where talent became a “Chef’s Whim”
November 13, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Smells are like time-travel. Cooking is a time machine.
One whiff of garlic and thyme in butter, and I’m back in my friend’s kitchen. It's where I learned to put a dish together. Where recipes met improv, the air thick with laughter and Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
Where talent became a “Chef’s Whim”
One whiff of garlic and thyme in butter, and I’m back in my friend’s kitchen. It's where I learned to put a dish together. Where recipes met improv, the air thick with laughter and Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
Where talent became a “Chef’s Whim”
Cooking drunk with a friend sounds chaotic—and it is.
But chaos, however, has its own rhythm. Recipes take a backseat to laughter. Ingredients are tossed in between swigs of wine and Chef’s whims. Caution is told to fuck off.
But sometimes, that’s where the best meals come from.
#Writer #Travel
But chaos, however, has its own rhythm. Recipes take a backseat to laughter. Ingredients are tossed in between swigs of wine and Chef’s whims. Caution is told to fuck off.
But sometimes, that’s where the best meals come from.
#Writer #Travel
November 13, 2025 at 4:18 PM
Wine is something truly unique.
It’s a conversation in a bottle. Grown by farmers. Fermented by winemakers. Selected by friends. Poured in moments that we try to capture forever.
It’s art in a glass meant to caress the moment and savor the event.
#Writer #Travel #Storyteller #LifeInParts #Wine
It’s a conversation in a bottle. Grown by farmers. Fermented by winemakers. Selected by friends. Poured in moments that we try to capture forever.
It’s art in a glass meant to caress the moment and savor the event.
#Writer #Travel #Storyteller #LifeInParts #Wine
November 13, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Wine is something truly unique.
It’s a conversation in a bottle. Grown by farmers. Fermented by winemakers. Selected by friends. Poured in moments that we try to capture forever.
It’s art in a glass meant to caress the moment and savor the event.
#Writer #Travel #Storyteller #LifeInParts #Wine
It’s a conversation in a bottle. Grown by farmers. Fermented by winemakers. Selected by friends. Poured in moments that we try to capture forever.
It’s art in a glass meant to caress the moment and savor the event.
#Writer #Travel #Storyteller #LifeInParts #Wine
We often forget how personal and sensual cooking can be.
Every sizzle. Every scent. Every touch. A sprinkle. A dash. A stir. A decision. It’s a slow dance. New recipes are discovered when creativity tells you to close the cookbook and do your own fucking thing.
It’s a “Chef’s Whim”
#Writer #Travel
Every sizzle. Every scent. Every touch. A sprinkle. A dash. A stir. A decision. It’s a slow dance. New recipes are discovered when creativity tells you to close the cookbook and do your own fucking thing.
It’s a “Chef’s Whim”
#Writer #Travel
November 13, 2025 at 3:52 PM
There’s a strange kind of magic in dishes that take hours.
The ingredients are diced and prepped. Slowly, they all simmer on a stove that changes them forever. It’s a moment of alchemy that creates something completely, sublime.
Like friendship—built slow, simmered deep, and worth every moment.
The ingredients are diced and prepped. Slowly, they all simmer on a stove that changes them forever. It’s a moment of alchemy that creates something completely, sublime.
Like friendship—built slow, simmered deep, and worth every moment.
November 13, 2025 at 3:37 PM
There’s a strange kind of magic in dishes that take hours.
The ingredients are diced and prepped. Slowly, they all simmer on a stove that changes them forever. It’s a moment of alchemy that creates something completely, sublime.
Like friendship—built slow, simmered deep, and worth every moment.
The ingredients are diced and prepped. Slowly, they all simmer on a stove that changes them forever. It’s a moment of alchemy that creates something completely, sublime.
Like friendship—built slow, simmered deep, and worth every moment.
You can taste the love and care in a glass of wine.
Believe it or not, part of a wine’s flavor is the love of the winemaker, the friendship of the person that selected the wine, and the patience of its discovery. Every pour holds a story, every toast a promise.
Sip slowly. Savor.
#Writer #Travel
Believe it or not, part of a wine’s flavor is the love of the winemaker, the friendship of the person that selected the wine, and the patience of its discovery. Every pour holds a story, every toast a promise.
Sip slowly. Savor.
#Writer #Travel
November 13, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Even the most well run kitchens are chaos.
Pots boiling, flames dancing, food plating, wine pairing, conversations flowing, laughter spilling over. Perfection isn’t precision—it’s presence.
And we were always, absolutely present.
#writer #travel #storyteller #lifeinpart #MichelinStar
Pots boiling, flames dancing, food plating, wine pairing, conversations flowing, laughter spilling over. Perfection isn’t precision—it’s presence.
And we were always, absolutely present.
#writer #travel #storyteller #lifeinpart #MichelinStar
November 13, 2025 at 8:54 AM
Even the most well run kitchens are chaos.
Pots boiling, flames dancing, food plating, wine pairing, conversations flowing, laughter spilling over. Perfection isn’t precision—it’s presence.
And we were always, absolutely present.
#writer #travel #storyteller #lifeinpart #MichelinStar
Pots boiling, flames dancing, food plating, wine pairing, conversations flowing, laughter spilling over. Perfection isn’t precision—it’s presence.
And we were always, absolutely present.
#writer #travel #storyteller #lifeinpart #MichelinStar
A great chef once said, “Life’s too short for bland chicken.”
That’s not just cooking advice—it’s actual fucking philosophy. In your kitchen, don’t spare the salt, the garlic, the parsley. Create flavor with love and determination.
Spice it up like you mean it.
#Writer #Storyteller #Travel
That’s not just cooking advice—it’s actual fucking philosophy. In your kitchen, don’t spare the salt, the garlic, the parsley. Create flavor with love and determination.
Spice it up like you mean it.
#Writer #Storyteller #Travel
November 13, 2025 at 7:59 AM
A great chef once said, “Life’s too short for bland chicken.”
That’s not just cooking advice—it’s actual fucking philosophy. In your kitchen, don’t spare the salt, the garlic, the parsley. Create flavor with love and determination.
Spice it up like you mean it.
#Writer #Storyteller #Travel
That’s not just cooking advice—it’s actual fucking philosophy. In your kitchen, don’t spare the salt, the garlic, the parsley. Create flavor with love and determination.
Spice it up like you mean it.
#Writer #Storyteller #Travel
What’s the secret ingredient in every great meal?
It’s not salt. It’s not garlic. It’s not any actual seasoning. It’s not even the wine you pair with your meal (apologies to all of the oenophiles out there).
It’s actually conversation. Stir it often.
#Writer #Storyteller #Travel #LifeInParts
It’s not salt. It’s not garlic. It’s not any actual seasoning. It’s not even the wine you pair with your meal (apologies to all of the oenophiles out there).
It’s actually conversation. Stir it often.
#Writer #Storyteller #Travel #LifeInParts
November 12, 2025 at 6:35 PM
What’s the secret ingredient in every great meal?
It’s not salt. It’s not garlic. It’s not any actual seasoning. It’s not even the wine you pair with your meal (apologies to all of the oenophiles out there).
It’s actually conversation. Stir it often.
#Writer #Storyteller #Travel #LifeInParts
It’s not salt. It’s not garlic. It’s not any actual seasoning. It’s not even the wine you pair with your meal (apologies to all of the oenophiles out there).
It’s actually conversation. Stir it often.
#Writer #Storyteller #Travel #LifeInParts
Want to become a time traveler? Cook a meal with a friend.
Mise en Place becomes the time machine. Laughter becomes the soundtrack. Wine becomes the fuel. Memories become the spice.
That’s the recipe every kitchen adventure should start with.
#writer #Travel #Storyteller #LifeInParts #France
Mise en Place becomes the time machine. Laughter becomes the soundtrack. Wine becomes the fuel. Memories become the spice.
That’s the recipe every kitchen adventure should start with.
#writer #Travel #Storyteller #LifeInParts #France
November 12, 2025 at 5:23 PM
Want to become a time traveler? Cook a meal with a friend.
Mise en Place becomes the time machine. Laughter becomes the soundtrack. Wine becomes the fuel. Memories become the spice.
That’s the recipe every kitchen adventure should start with.
#writer #Travel #Storyteller #LifeInParts #France
Mise en Place becomes the time machine. Laughter becomes the soundtrack. Wine becomes the fuel. Memories become the spice.
That’s the recipe every kitchen adventure should start with.
#writer #Travel #Storyteller #LifeInParts #France
Some recipes can’t be hurried.
Coq au Vin teaches patience better than any self-help book. You can’t rush depth. You can’t speed up soul. A dash here. A dice there. Then let the simmer do its magic. Its alchemy on a stove.
Sometimes, you have to let time do the heavy lifting.
#Writer #Travel
Coq au Vin teaches patience better than any self-help book. You can’t rush depth. You can’t speed up soul. A dash here. A dice there. Then let the simmer do its magic. Its alchemy on a stove.
Sometimes, you have to let time do the heavy lifting.
#Writer #Travel
November 12, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Les Halles de Dijon is a basilica for the food-obsessed.
You don’t shop here; you worship. Every stall, a sermon in flavor. Every vendor, a preacher of taste. Every row, a pew for the devout of color, of flavor, and fragrance, of texture.
Step in. Pull out your basket, and wander.
#Writer #Travel
You don’t shop here; you worship. Every stall, a sermon in flavor. Every vendor, a preacher of taste. Every row, a pew for the devout of color, of flavor, and fragrance, of texture.
Step in. Pull out your basket, and wander.
#Writer #Travel
November 12, 2025 at 3:43 PM
We talk a lot about “slow living.”
But in Dijon, it’s just called living. We pause occasionally in our busy days to reflect on a time when the hours of the day seemed to stretch, instead of bolt.
Maybe we’ve complicated what’s supposed to be deliciously simple.
#Writer #Travel #Storyteller
But in Dijon, it’s just called living. We pause occasionally in our busy days to reflect on a time when the hours of the day seemed to stretch, instead of bolt.
Maybe we’ve complicated what’s supposed to be deliciously simple.
#Writer #Travel #Storyteller
November 12, 2025 at 3:28 PM
We talk a lot about “slow living.”
But in Dijon, it’s just called living. We pause occasionally in our busy days to reflect on a time when the hours of the day seemed to stretch, instead of bolt.
Maybe we’ve complicated what’s supposed to be deliciously simple.
#Writer #Travel #Storyteller
But in Dijon, it’s just called living. We pause occasionally in our busy days to reflect on a time when the hours of the day seemed to stretch, instead of bolt.
Maybe we’ve complicated what’s supposed to be deliciously simple.
#Writer #Travel #Storyteller
Veterans Day is coming. On November 11th, Vortic Watch Company is releasing the 7th edition, Military Edition. Recently, they converted my Hamilton Navigators watch… and it has an amazing story.
#Writer #Travel #Storyteller #vorticwatchcompany #WorldWarII
#Writer #Travel #Storyteller #vorticwatchcompany #WorldWarII
The Navigator’s Timepiece: Restoring A Military Classic
The Vortic Watch Company. Part watchmakers, part necromancers, breathing new life into old American pocket watches that were forgotten in time, lost in shoeboxes and old dusty drawers.
open.substack.com
November 10, 2025 at 11:00 PM
Veterans Day is coming. On November 11th, Vortic Watch Company is releasing the 7th edition, Military Edition. Recently, they converted my Hamilton Navigators watch… and it has an amazing story.
#Writer #Travel #Storyteller #vorticwatchcompany #WorldWarII
#Writer #Travel #Storyteller #vorticwatchcompany #WorldWarII
In a French summer, the air is seasoned with butter, wine, and laughter.
It’s a moment of pure bliss, filled with local flavors and a chef’s whim of love and creativity.
That’s true gastronomy.
#Writer #Travel #Storyteller #Story #lifeinparts
It’s a moment of pure bliss, filled with local flavors and a chef’s whim of love and creativity.
That’s true gastronomy.
#Writer #Travel #Storyteller #Story #lifeinparts
November 10, 2025 at 4:52 PM
In a French summer, the air is seasoned with butter, wine, and laughter.
It’s a moment of pure bliss, filled with local flavors and a chef’s whim of love and creativity.
That’s true gastronomy.
#Writer #Travel #Storyteller #Story #lifeinparts
It’s a moment of pure bliss, filled with local flavors and a chef’s whim of love and creativity.
That’s true gastronomy.
#Writer #Travel #Storyteller #Story #lifeinparts
The carousel on Place François Rude spins—tourists, children, parents, old lovers all take a turn as its spins around and around.
It’s nostalgia. A moment of childhood relived. A reminder that joy doesn’t always need a destination.
Take a spin—just for the memories. #Writer #Travel #Storyteller
It’s nostalgia. A moment of childhood relived. A reminder that joy doesn’t always need a destination.
Take a spin—just for the memories. #Writer #Travel #Storyteller
November 10, 2025 at 4:39 PM
The carousel on Place François Rude spins—tourists, children, parents, old lovers all take a turn as its spins around and around.
It’s nostalgia. A moment of childhood relived. A reminder that joy doesn’t always need a destination.
Take a spin—just for the memories. #Writer #Travel #Storyteller
It’s nostalgia. A moment of childhood relived. A reminder that joy doesn’t always need a destination.
Take a spin—just for the memories. #Writer #Travel #Storyteller
Some cities pulse with excitement. Dijon hums with appetite.
Here, joy comes from another glass poured, another bite shared. Another course. Another gastronomic work of genius and art.
Brown it. Plate it. Pair it. Present it. Just don’t forget to make the yummy noises. #Writer #Travel #Storyteller
Here, joy comes from another glass poured, another bite shared. Another course. Another gastronomic work of genius and art.
Brown it. Plate it. Pair it. Present it. Just don’t forget to make the yummy noises. #Writer #Travel #Storyteller
November 10, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Some cities pulse with excitement. Dijon hums with appetite.
Here, joy comes from another glass poured, another bite shared. Another course. Another gastronomic work of genius and art.
Brown it. Plate it. Pair it. Present it. Just don’t forget to make the yummy noises. #Writer #Travel #Storyteller
Here, joy comes from another glass poured, another bite shared. Another course. Another gastronomic work of genius and art.
Brown it. Plate it. Pair it. Present it. Just don’t forget to make the yummy noises. #Writer #Travel #Storyteller
Some people collect souvenirs. I collect aromas.
Garlic browning in butter. A cork popping open. Espresso on brick-dusted air. A medium rare steak still sizzling on a hot plate.
These, you can’t photograph, but they will stay with you forever.
#Writer #Traveler #Storyteller #LifeInParts
Garlic browning in butter. A cork popping open. Espresso on brick-dusted air. A medium rare steak still sizzling on a hot plate.
These, you can’t photograph, but they will stay with you forever.
#Writer #Traveler #Storyteller #LifeInParts
November 10, 2025 at 4:21 PM
Some people collect souvenirs. I collect aromas.
Garlic browning in butter. A cork popping open. Espresso on brick-dusted air. A medium rare steak still sizzling on a hot plate.
These, you can’t photograph, but they will stay with you forever.
#Writer #Traveler #Storyteller #LifeInParts
Garlic browning in butter. A cork popping open. Espresso on brick-dusted air. A medium rare steak still sizzling on a hot plate.
These, you can’t photograph, but they will stay with you forever.
#Writer #Traveler #Storyteller #LifeInParts
Food writers talk about “terroir,” but it’s not just about the wine—it’s about the moments.
The clink of cups, the vivacious hum of a well run bistro, the glow of a summer evening in France during the golden hour.
Every beat, a moment of sublime joy.
#writer #Storyteller #Travel #France
The clink of cups, the vivacious hum of a well run bistro, the glow of a summer evening in France during the golden hour.
Every beat, a moment of sublime joy.
#writer #Storyteller #Travel #France
November 10, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Food writers talk about “terroir,” but it’s not just about the wine—it’s about the moments.
The clink of cups, the vivacious hum of a well run bistro, the glow of a summer evening in France during the golden hour.
Every beat, a moment of sublime joy.
#writer #Storyteller #Travel #France
The clink of cups, the vivacious hum of a well run bistro, the glow of a summer evening in France during the golden hour.
Every beat, a moment of sublime joy.
#writer #Storyteller #Travel #France
To say that Segrada Família is my most favorite Basílica in the world would not even scrape the surface.
Antoni Gaudí was an artist, a revolutionary, and a visionary.
It might seem impossible, but the Basílica gets more beautiful every time I see it.
#Writer #Travel #Spain #Storyteller
Antoni Gaudí was an artist, a revolutionary, and a visionary.
It might seem impossible, but the Basílica gets more beautiful every time I see it.
#Writer #Travel #Spain #Storyteller
November 9, 2025 at 9:15 PM
To say that Segrada Família is my most favorite Basílica in the world would not even scrape the surface.
Antoni Gaudí was an artist, a revolutionary, and a visionary.
It might seem impossible, but the Basílica gets more beautiful every time I see it.
#Writer #Travel #Spain #Storyteller
Antoni Gaudí was an artist, a revolutionary, and a visionary.
It might seem impossible, but the Basílica gets more beautiful every time I see it.
#Writer #Travel #Spain #Storyteller
Even in the rain, Barcelona is stunning.
Umbrellas. Raincoats. Puddles.
People running about their day. Off to work. Off to school. Off for a walk.
Umbrellas. Raincoats. Puddles.
People running about their day. Off to work. Off to school. Off for a walk.
November 6, 2025 at 8:42 AM
Even in the rain, Barcelona is stunning.
Umbrellas. Raincoats. Puddles.
People running about their day. Off to work. Off to school. Off for a walk.
Umbrellas. Raincoats. Puddles.
People running about their day. Off to work. Off to school. Off for a walk.
A single cappuccino, when made right, can clear the deepest morning fog.
It’s a moment of pure relaxation. That first sip at Espresso-T in Dijon reminded me that some joys are small, but seismic.
It’s a morning ritual that always jolts my soul awake. #Writer #Travel #Storyteller #LifeInParts
It’s a moment of pure relaxation. That first sip at Espresso-T in Dijon reminded me that some joys are small, but seismic.
It’s a morning ritual that always jolts my soul awake. #Writer #Travel #Storyteller #LifeInParts
November 4, 2025 at 10:27 PM
A single cappuccino, when made right, can clear the deepest morning fog.
It’s a moment of pure relaxation. That first sip at Espresso-T in Dijon reminded me that some joys are small, but seismic.
It’s a morning ritual that always jolts my soul awake. #Writer #Travel #Storyteller #LifeInParts
It’s a moment of pure relaxation. That first sip at Espresso-T in Dijon reminded me that some joys are small, but seismic.
It’s a morning ritual that always jolts my soul awake. #Writer #Travel #Storyteller #LifeInParts
Bad coffee is an unforgivable sin.
If perfection is even possible anywhere at all, it’s in a well-crafted cappuccino. Something to good that it will silence conversation.
Taste it. Enjoy it. Let it ruin you for mediocrity forever.
#Writer #Travel #Storyteller #France #Coffee #LifeInParts
If perfection is even possible anywhere at all, it’s in a well-crafted cappuccino. Something to good that it will silence conversation.
Taste it. Enjoy it. Let it ruin you for mediocrity forever.
#Writer #Travel #Storyteller #France #Coffee #LifeInParts
November 4, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Bad coffee is an unforgivable sin.
If perfection is even possible anywhere at all, it’s in a well-crafted cappuccino. Something to good that it will silence conversation.
Taste it. Enjoy it. Let it ruin you for mediocrity forever.
#Writer #Travel #Storyteller #France #Coffee #LifeInParts
If perfection is even possible anywhere at all, it’s in a well-crafted cappuccino. Something to good that it will silence conversation.
Taste it. Enjoy it. Let it ruin you for mediocrity forever.
#Writer #Travel #Storyteller #France #Coffee #LifeInParts