European June
Nice, Paris, Rome, Copenhagen
HELLO!
I know I haven’t shared an update in 4 months, but the following (plus a soon-to-be-written second post) should hopefully explain why I’ve been too busy to write all summer.
Let’s start from the beginning…
5 Days in Nice
At the beginning of June, my cousin, aunt, uncle, sister-in-law, and I flew to Nice, France to cheer on my 71-year-young mother at the Hyrox World Championship, where she came in second place in her age group!! I suppose we can now call her the second strongest 70+ gal in the world.
Here were the food highlights:
Cafe Fino - Super fresh breakfast, coffee, and smoothies.
La Villa Massenet - Delicious food just around the corner from the very busy tourist area. A true hidden gem!
L’atelier Du Carnivore - Holy hell, this place was amazing. We went here after the Hyrox competition and were all blown away (one of the best burgers I’ve ever had in my life!). As embarrassing as it was, we actually applauded the chef after our meal because it. was. that. good.
Fenocchio - This ice cream stand was swarmed, so I unfortunately didn’t get a chance to leisurely sample some of their kookier flavors, like olive! or ‘milk jam’! or avocado!
1 Week in Paris
Since we were already in France, my mom, cousin, sis-in-law, and I obviously hadddd to visit Paris. In college, I went on a whirlwind backpacking trip that included some brief (2 nights, max) visits to Nice, Paris, and Rome—but I was only in Paris for about 19 hours. Having now spent a full week there, I’m glad to report I finally get what all the fuss is about. Paris is beautiful and delicious and, actually, everyone was pretty friendly!
We stayed in the Latin Quarter at Hotel Diana and spent our days strolling, shopping, eating, and drinking—as one does in Paris.
We took a day trip to Versailles, and I think my favorite part was watching the grounds crew meticulously trim the topiaries.
My mother and I attended a croissant class, so it’s possible I might one day make croissants for some especially lucky people in my life. Could be you?
Paris Highlights:
Eating!
La Grande Épicerie de Paris - A humongous gourmet grocery store with so many yummy things to discover. (Did I spend €14 on what a translation error led me to believe were “butter candies”? Yes. Did they turn out to just be individually wrapped bon bons of delicious French butter? Yes. Did I eat one of the butter balls straight from the wrapper as if it were a candy anyway? Yesss.)
Yes, I read the ingredients but somehow I still thought it would be candified? Bistro du Périgord - Located right next to Hotel Diana, this family-run restaurant makes the best French onion soup I’ve ever had.
Bistrot de la Place - Come here for a dreamy outside dinner on the square and order the beef cheek and asparagus salad.
L’Îlot Vache - Another astoundingly good, steak-forward meal, located in a cozy corner locale and run by super sweet people. The snails were good too!
Le Ju’ - A very fun brunch spot with some good protein options for when you need more than just bread. However, the croissants and pain au chocolate were also fresh out of the oven and therefore incredible. Sit outside and people watch!
Jozi Café - Exceptional brunch and coffee! (I visited three times in one week) We waited for almost an hour one day (oops) but I still say it was worth it. I was particularly mystified/delighted by the egg cracker that came with my soft boiled eggs.
Chapon Et La Chocolaterie de l'Eglise - This one’s for the chocoholics. Choose from a menu of chocolate mousses and eat it straight out of a paper cone as you window shop your way home.
Le Petit Josselin - Traditional buckwheat crepes from the Brittany coast, served with hard apple cider. We got the egg/ham/cheese/mushroom crepe, the pear/frangipane crepe, and a jug of cider—and I am still thinking about this meal. (This was an incredible recommendation from my friend who studied abroad in Paris!!)
Le Petit Pontoise - This was our last dinner in Paris and I only wish we found it sooner. Cozy spot, shockingly fast service, and of course, the food was out of this world. I ordered the “lamb cooked with love 7 hours” and we split the tarte tatin. (insert drool emoji)
Shopping!
Thanx God I’m a VIP - Very cool, very extensive vintage shop organized by color. They have separate stores for women, men, and sale all next to each other on the same block. I only bought a belt but would happily return for a coat or fancy outfit.
goodJo - Luxury vintage store that I had absolutely no business being in. Too embarrassed to leave after immediately realizing I wouldn’t be able to afford even a single sock, I stayed to thoroughly browse/admire their jaw-dropping collection.
The Vintagelovers - Affordable vintage shop with a variety of fun, wearable pieces!
Absolution - I dragged my family on a pilgrimage to the flagship location of one of my new favorite clean skincare brands. (Fave products: this cleanser & this facial mist)
3 Days in Rome
This was my second time in Rome and I hate to say it, but I still feel pretty meh about the city. I think I would probably like it more if I were to visit during any season but summer and/or if I made the Sistine Chapel part of my itinerary. One day I will shell out for some more culture! That being said, I had plenty of fun celebrating my cousin’s 40th birthday with lots of pasta, spritzes, and one excessively luxurious pool day.
Day 1: We meandered for ~12 miles in the heat and my sandaled feet swelled up so much that one of my toes went slightly numb for a few days! We ate delicious pasta for dinner.
Day 2: We toured the Colosseum and Roman Forum and then ate delicious pasta (and pizza) for dinner.
Day 3: It was 100 degrees Fahrenheit on my cousin’s birthday, so we bought a day pass to the Rome Cavalieri hotel pool. We ate delicious pasta (elsewhere!) for dinner.
Food Highlights:
Elle Effe - This was maybe my favorite meal, and not just because all the guys working there were hot. We came back the next night for post-dinner drinks.
Giulio Passami L’olio - Cozy vibes, ultra cool waitresses, and perfect pasta. (Did we replay countless Poog episodes trying to find Jacqueline’s favorite Rome restaurants? Yes, and this was the only one we could suss out.)
Renato e Luisa - More perfect pasta! My only regret with all of these restaurants is that my stomach wasn’t big enough.
Fischio - Casual & cool cafe/cocktail bar near the Vatican that is essentially just a sidewalk kiosk. It was swarming with young locals every evening, so we had to stop by and see what the fuss was all about. Highly recommend if you’re in the area and looking for something off the beaten path.
5 Days in Copenhagen
After Rome, I had 5 days to spare before I needed to be in New York for a wedding, so I zipped up to Copenhagen for some solo time. This was my first time visiting and, as advertised, the city is indeed expensive, pristinely clean, and obsessed with children. While it’s not thaaat much more expensive than NYC in most ways, it did cost me 7(!) American dollars to mail a single postcard to the U.S. (to one of my dear paid subscribers).
I spent the majority of my time biking around the city (highly recommend renting a bike through Donkey Republic), scouring countless secondhand shops and flea markets, drinking coffee, and watching the EuroCup.
My favorite part of this trip was going to the Palads movie theater to watch Inside Out 2 (in English with Danish subtitles). The best part was their concessions area, which offers a scoop-your-own Scandinavian candy store experience—plus pre-scooped popcorn and self-serve drinks for maximum efficiency. I was running late, so I frantically bagged up some gummies and licorice without taking any photos. It thrilled my cinephile soul so much, I almost went back a second night!
Another lovely experience (that was recommended by everyone who’s ever been to Copenhagen) was visiting the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humblebaek, which is a short train ride out of the city. In addition to having good art on the inside, it also has beautiful outdoor sculpture gardens and a little beach where you can lounge and swim. I would go to more museums if they all offered swimming features.
Shopping Highlights:
Clean Your Closet - This was by far my favorite secondhand store. Full of gorgeous dresses, coats, pants, and sweaters from primarily Danish brands, I came here two separate days in an attempt to buy anything. Thankfully for my wallet (and suitcase), nothing fit exactly right, saving me at least $200. However, I did learn I apparently love Stine Goya. I would love to come back here to shop for a fun party dress.
Veras Market - Fashion-forward flea market under a bridge! I’m not sure how non-Danes (or even non-Europeans?) can actually buy anything because all the sellers just had their bank info listed for payments and Denmark is pretty cashless. (The same went for the other seemingly self-organized flea markets I stumbled upon.) Apparently they also have a storefront, but I somehow missed that.
Lula 2ndhand Luxury - Honorable mention to this nicely curated store that wasn’t too outrageously priced.
A few days into my trip, I saw these oddities through a window. It wasn’t until I saw them again in the gift shop of the Louisiana Art Museum that I realized the small ones were egg cups. Having become a soft boiled egg girl in Paris, I simply had to purchase one. Check out ANLOSK for more kooky ceramics.
Food Highlights:
I was on a budget, so I tried to keep my meals as thrifty as possible in this less-than-budget-friendly Scandinavian metropolis. Hence, I avoided all fine dining in favor of cheaper, casual eats.
Madglad Cafeteria - Very fresh and affordable, Madglad offers one 1-2 daily specials, served with bread and a variety of vegetarian salads. If you eat in, you get unlimited seconds, which is why it’s slightly cheaper to get your food to go. I did both :)
Mad & Kaffe - Yummy, vibey brunch spot! I came here twice. (photo of food above)
Sidecar - Another good brunch spot with a buffet of cute and yummy bites.
GRØD - A restaurant chain dedicated entirely to porridge. Need I say more?!
Gasoline Grill - Great for a fast lunch, I’d say these burgers are worth the hype.
Bootleggers Craft Beer Bar - Good beer and food, great for watching sports.
Nón Lá Coffee - Best coffee I had in all of Copenhagen. On my last morning, I got coffee here and took it to Mad & Kaffe.
Hart - Created by the baker from Noma, this place is also worth the hype.
East Coast July
After Europe, I went to New York for a beautiful wedding, and then down to rural Virginia for a week of creek floating and cat cuddling.
Then, I spent 6 weeks in Brooklyn becoming a yoga teacher!
More on that soon…
Wonderful I felt like I was joining you on your vacation You have a gift for descriptive writing
I loved everything about this! Your photos, your beautiful, descriptive writing, and the wonderful recommendations. Now I know why we hadn’t heard from you. What a fun summer!