My first and only keynote at a Luxembourg tech event! I got to kick off tonight’s Techsense TNT Symposium talking about human-first innovation. I also shared some stories of how Luxembourg companies are making people’s lives better, and how Amazon is trying to help address the climate crisis and the technology skills gap. ❤️🇱🇺

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I managed to escape the conference for a final fancy dinner with the Snook before we head back to Munich. I had potato soup (with mushroom and truffle), chicken stuffed with escargot 🐌(delicious!), and a chocolate dessert. He had butternut squash soup with scallops, veal with truffle and celeriac, and white chocolate mousse. A lovely way to end our final trip in Europe!

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Heading to one last new country – Luxembourg! “You better enjoy this high-speed rail one last time. We won’t be going this fast in Australia without an airplane…”

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Luxembourg Wantermaart! Glühwein and roasting chestnuts and lots of holiday gemütlichkeit. 🍷🎄🎅 (2022 Christmas markets: 4)

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When we were at the Tuileries Christmas market the other day we saw several stalls selling what appeared to be potato casserole. I later learned this is ”Tartiflette” and I had it for dinner last night. YUM. It’s potatoes and bacon and onions with cheese melted all over the top. (And they served it with even more potatoes and a salad!) Today I’m bookmarking the recipe so I can make it at home… https://www.seriouseats.com/tartiflette-recipe-5217300

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Walking tour of historic Paris. Sadly Notre Dame is off-limits due to the reconstruction, but we still had a lovely time exploring the Left Bank and Les Halles. Made a special pilgrimage to the Centre Pompidou before refueling with pizza…

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Time to finally see the most famous painting in the world… #monalisa

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We were watching the #WorldCup earlier, so dinner obviously was a choice between Argentinian empanadas and Mexican tacos. The empanadas won. 🇦🇷

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Highlights of Versailles. The statues and fountains were sadly packed up for winter, but on the plus side, the palace itself wasn’t crowded at all. I was also particularly delighted to visit the Petit Trianon and Marie Antoinette’s hamlet where she’d pretend to be a shepherdess. ☀️⛲️🐑

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Thanksgiving Bretagne style with galettes, crepes, and cider. (We miss you, Eman.) ❤️

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Quick lunchtime visit to Sacré-Cœur on a beautiful sunny day. What a view! We had some fun spotting the filming locations from Amelie. (No phone booth, and the telescope has changed! Carousel is still there though.) ☀️⛪️🎠❤️

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Ooh la la! 😘

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More Amelie-spotting: the Cafe des 2 Moulins where she worked; Collignon’s grocery; and one of the few remaining analog photo booths left in the world. 📸

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After a long day of work – for me; he went to the Curie Museum – we went out to dinner at a Parisian craft brewery/burger joint/tattoo parlour. (Why yes, we *were* the least cool people in the place.)🍔🍻

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Dinner at a lovely French brasserie, then a stroll through La Magie de Noël aux Tuileries! (2022 Christmas markets: 3) 🍷🎄

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Happy birthday Uncle Mike!! 🎂

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Time to head off on our final European adventure! Early morning TGV train means we’ll be in Paris by lunch… 🚄🇫🇷

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Whizzing through picture-perfect French countryside at 200mph (320kmph) – the fastest we’ve ever gone on land. Feeling very happy and fortunate.

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Finally getting to see the sights in Paris! The rain stopped long enough for us to have a wander to the Arc de Triomphe, down the Champs-Élysées, over to the Seine, and then to the Eiffel Tower. 🇫🇷❤️

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18 years ago today two silly young people got hitched on a Vegas adventure… and tonight we celebrated on a dinner cruise along the Seine in Paris, with wine and truffles and lobster and chocolate and moonlight and architecture. Because sometimes things do have a happy ending, and I’m very very lucky, and he is just the best. ❤️

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