Monday Lunch
I honestly don’t put too much thought into my lunches (I just make sure to have some veggies, carbs and protein), and find that I fall into patterns. This is not to say that eating bagelwich after bagelwich is a bad thing, but sometimes a girl needs a little variety in her life!
This afternoon I enjoyed a salad with lots of toppings.
All Topped Off
In the mix:
- Lettuce
- Black beans
- Beets
- Grape tomatoes
- Carrots
- Annie’s Naturals light honey mustard vinaigrette dressing
Served on the side: A pear (for a pear!) and a stick of string cheese.
Pear
I love cramming a ton of veggies into my mid-day meal. It makes me feel like Super(health)woman!
Now for some FUN stuff! 😀
Europe, Here I Come
I have some exciting news…
In exactly one short month, I will be boarding a plane to Europe!
As you may know, my little sister is graduating from college at the end of April. As her graduation present, my parents are taking our family to Europe! We will be visiting Italy (Florence, Lucerne, Rome and Venice), Switzerland (Lugano), France (Paris) and England (London).
PBF Invades Europe!
I have only been to Europe (Paris) once when I was in sixth grade and I don’t really remember much about it. When my family began talking about taking a trip overseas several months ago, I immediately expressed my interest. I wasn’t sure whether or not the trip would actually happen, so when my parents started talking seriously about it last Sunday, I got really, really excited.
Things happened pretty quickly, and before I knew it, last week I got a text message from my mom telling me that everything was all set!
We will be traveling with a tour group which I think will be perfect since it will allow us to see a lot of different sites without feeling overly stressed about organizing transportation, hotel stays and activities.
My family and I will be traveling for 12 days (goodbye to all of my vacation days at work!) and I plan to blog as often as I can without letting it interfere with our travels. I also have some other fun ideas for the blog during this time that I’m excited to share with you guys. 😀
For now, I need some advice!
- We will each be packing only one carry-on for the entire 12-day trip. This means I will be re-wearing practically everything I pack. I seriously have no idea where to begin when it comes to planning for a trip like this, so any advice you may have for packing light for a long trip to Europe would be amazing!
- What foods do I absolutely have to try on my trip? I’m planning on gaining approximately 30 pounds, so nothing is off limits. 😉
P.S. The Fashion page was updated today!
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Julie! I lived in Florence for a year! Things on the Oltro Arno are much cheaper and more delicious (less commercialized). Thats the other side of the river from where the main attractions (Duomo, statue of David, etc) are.
Go to the Osteria in Santo Spirito square on Via del Michelozzi (If you are standing on the steps of Santo Spirito church looking at the square, Via del Michelozzi is the little alley to your left- there is a sandwich shop on the corner and you’ll see a little balcony on the 2nd story of the corner of the building to your left- that was my room!. Pass Gusta Osteria [this is the place on the same corner of the building with the sandwich shop], and the Osteria I am talking about is on the next corner- just a few steps away. You can see it from the square. If you get to Gusta Pizza, you’ve gone too far!) Their baked chicken dish, roasted potatoes, veggies, omg everything is delicious and healthy too! Prices are amazing! Do a family style meal- everyone share everything! That way everyone can get a little taste of all the deliciousness. If there are 4 of you you may want to order extra potatoes 😉 Also, if you have time, go back for pizza at Gusta Pizza right there on the same corner. 5euro for a pizza that can be shared between 2 people! Ask for Maurizzio- he is our age (about 25) and will hook you up with a delicious pie! He was one of my closest friends while I was living there.
Also, the gelato on the corner of Santa Trinita bridge (the bridge next to the Ponte Vecchio) (looking toward the Oltro Arno side of town, this is the bridge to the right of the Ponte Vecchio) is the best gelato in the city for the best price IMO. I went to all the “famous” gelato shops that are mentioned in travel books and they are all delicious in their own right, but this one was my favorite by far. They always have the best flavors (i like the fruit ones the best! Peach, Raspberry, and Yogurt flavors are my favorites) and their prices are much more reasonable than other places.
I’m sorry I don’t know names! Most of the places are simply called “Osteria” or “Gelato” and are easier to explain with directions! I’ll look through my photos and see if I can send you photos of these places to help you find them more easily.
Email me or find me on twitter (@22cef) if you need/want more info- I’ve been to London several times and Rome and Venice too! Venice is one of my favorite cities in Italy. You are going at the perfect time of year too! It is beautiful right now.
love your blog. I couldn’t be more excited for you! Sorry for the super long comment!
i love family-style eating! that sounds amazing!
Crepes, carpaccio (Paris)
Indian food, pub food if you must (England)
All things Italian food, but that’s a no brainer 🙂
I am beyond excited about your trip! When I graduated college, I was he last of my sisters to graduate so we did a very similar trip with my family. We went to Paris, Venice, Florence and Rome.
I have a few tidbits from all places but the #1 thing you MUST do is get the Travel guide by Rick Steves and download is tourguide podcasts (for free). He gives walking tours of all the major areas of the city and even individual tours of things like the Louvre and the Colliseum. Also, the gelato everywhere is to die for. In Ricks’ book he will mention a particular place in Rome and another in Paris that are the best. Trust him, they are!
Here are my other little suggestions:
Paris: The Eiffel Tower light show is really neat to watch at night. Don’t get sucked into the Latin Quarter too much, I think my family missed out on a lot of good restaurants because we fell into the tourist trap. On a side note, Paris is 100% my favorite city in the world after that trip. Enjoy it!
Venice: Get the waterbus pass for while you’re there. We could hop on whenever, wherever we wanted to and never had to worry about paying. Overall it is just a beautiful city to enjoy! Oh, and my sister Beth at swimbikerundc.blogspot.com could talk to you for days about the pasta she ate there!
Florence: Definitely go see the prisoners and David. There is also a very cool church on top of a high hill. Can’t remember the name of it but we went and ate pizza just below it and then climbed to the top to watch the sun set. It was the best moment of my entire trip.
Rome: There is so much to do in Rome and it is all worth it. Have so much fun!
I’m sure 1,000 people have commented on shoes but just wear whatever is comfortable on your feet for A LOT of walking. I wore my reefs every single day and felt fine. Don’t forget a light jacket, the weather differs daily!
On a safety note, please be careful with your items. My family was robbed in our locked sleeper car on a night train from Paris – Venice. Pick pockets are everywhere so keep an arm and hand on your bag at all times!
I am so jealous of you right now. Ugh!
The hill she is talking about in Florence is probably Piazza de Michelangelo… you can see the entire city and it is certainly worth the trip up there! Plus you’ll burn a lot of calories if you walk! You get there by crossing the arno to the Oltro Arno side and walking to the left when you get off the bridge. The road will lead you up there!
this all sounds amazing! thanks for taking the time to detail all of this for me!
Are you going to Spain? i am from Spain but i live in Tampa. Let me know any questions about Spain 🙂
no, i wish we were! next time! 😉
wow, how exciting! my gosh, I wouldn’t know where to start food wise. When in doubt I always ask the waiter what their favorite dish is or what the staff is eating because then you know it is really authentic! 🙂
Oh what a coincidence- I’m headed to Italy & Greece one month from today also with 2 of my best girl friends from college! (we all graduated in ’06)
We’ve done a ton of research & our “must-dos” are Pompeii/Mt Vesuvius, Amalfi Coast/Capri & the usual sights- Rome, Athens, etc. We’re going for 10 days & also only packing 1 bag. We are taking those big backpacks b/c we’ve heard the streets are hard to roll suitcases on & hard to carry. We’re packing lots of sundresses, a few sweaters (chilly at night), scarf or two & 2 sandals (wearing jeans/tennis shoes on the plane).
I’d be happy to send over more details as we’ve got a ton of stuff planned!
What an amazing trip!!! I’m excited to *see* it through your blog 🙂
How exciting! You’re going to have so much fun. I’ve been all over Italy many times since my family is from there as well as my husband’s family.
Obviously you’re going to want to load on fresh pasta, pizza and gelato in Italy. Since you’re going to very touristy areas I highly recommend trying to have a meal or two outside of the main towns. You find the best food in the little towns where there are no tourists around and there’s a grandma cooking in the kitchen!
Also, you have to get a cornetto at a coffee\pastry shop. They’re filled croissants that are just amazing!
i LOVE croissants so a cornetto sounds right up my alley!
I lived in Rome, you’ll love it! Do not pack heels! The streets will ruin them and you’ll be miserable!! I wore mostly dresses and skirts, but I visited Paris in the middle of July and it was so cold I had to buy warm clothes.. So pack for all kinds of weather! I’m Rome you MUST try a suppli at any pizzeria. They are to die for!! Also you can not have bare shoulders in any church throughout Italy. I had a scarf that I would tie over mine (like a shawl) that worked otherwise your out of luck and won’t be able to get in (at the Vatican) or you have to weak this paper bib thing- not cute in pics. Have fun!! I’m jealous!!!
oh that’s good to know about the shoulders! thanks!
I totally need to send you an e-mail on packing light because I OVER packed and had to store most of my stuff at the airport!
I took 1 cute dress, shorts and t-shirt. 1 rain jacket and pj’s. Flip flops and tennis shoes. I was in Europe last June and went to pretty much of the same places 🙂
you are very lucky! i went to russia and the czech republic for a study abroad program in the summer of 2007. since we flew into st. petersberg (above the arctic circle) and traveled by train down to volgograd (latitude similar to maine) i found that i needed a pair of jeans and a light jacket for the colder days, and lots of tank tops and light t-shirts for warmer days. bring items that are easy to wash. we had to wash our clothes by hand in our tubs in russia, so keep in mind that there probably isn’t a washer and dryer near by all the time. for days you do a lot of walking/hiking just bring some workout clothes you don’t mind getting dirty. lastly, i would try to keep your purse small and easliy accessble. never know who is around you, plus you gotta be ready to buy fun stuff!
Dresses are super easy to pack rolled up, 2 pairs of pants, one skinny one trouser and roll those shirts up tight, you can do it!!
Definitely go for the gelato and crepes! Also, I’ve been served EPIC fruit salads in Italy– some of the best fruit in my life!
In the fall I’ll be studying abroad over there in a touring group with my professors- 12 European countries and Israel in just 14 weeks!! Hopefully I’ll get some suggestions from your blog of where I need to go!
AHH! I am so happy and excited for you!! I’m going to equador this summer you can read about it here!!:
http://snackgirlgoeshealthy.wordpress.com/2011/03/26/decisions-decisions-dog-park/
I also have about 98347598347 cute pics of my doggy on this post so you should stop by!!
Is Ryan coming? WOW! I am so happy! My sister went and traveled all of Europe a few months ago!! She brought back so much fun stuff! She even went to Israel and brought back YAMIKAS! ahaha.
That’s so exciting! I’m so jealous. I went on a 12-day trip through a student travel group to London, Paris and Rome (so actually pretty similar) and I LOVED it. I especially loved going with the travel group – it was really nice to have everything planned for you and transportation figured out.
I second those who said to bring layers – I was surprisingly cold in London/Paris. And seriously, as long as you have comfortable shoes to walk in (they don’t have to be sneakers, I wore my favorite pair of gladiator sandals everywhere 🙂 ) you’ll be fine.
Pretty much all I ate in Paris were crepes… so good! And pretty inexpensive, there are a lot of street vendors with both dessert and savory crepes. The bread was also super amazing everywhere! Any food I tried in London that was considered an English type of food was pretty gross (no offense to any English readers!) and it was SO expensive there. And Rome = pizza. Pizza. Pizza. Was so unlike any pizza here and SO delicious!
I’m so excited for you! Can’t wait to relive those cities through your blog’s eyes 🙂
Gelati in every Italian city (it’s seriously way better there than in North America). Everything else food wise is over-rated and over-priced in Italy (in my experience). Pizza is your best bet though, over pasta, for meal type food… with prosciutto! mmm!
Macarons in Paris – go to Paul on Champs Elysees! But even their McCafe’s have pretty good macarons! And moules and frites (mussels and fries) anywhere. And crepes (lemon and sugar is really yummy) from the street carts. Really any food, and any dessert, anywhere in Paris! Seriously! You’re so lucky you get to go a second time around.
Don’t eat the fish and chips in London. Best food I had in London was a belgian waffle from a street cart. Oh and some really good Indian food in the Shoreditch area.
Unless you HATE being scared, do this tour in London: http://www.newlondon-tours.com/daily-tours/grim-reaper-tour.html. It’s all about the creepy history of King Henry VIII and Jack the Ripper, and they’ll show you to all these cool/scary sites, for only 10 pounds. I love ghost tours, they really set an atmosphere for the amazing history of a city!
Oh please please please eat some pizza for me in Rome. And in Venice and Florence and Lucerne, too 🙂
No carb left behind!
Eating
Italy – Gelato in Rome is amazing, there is the Old Bridge (by the Vatican) and Millinieum is also good. My sister studied in Rome, and I asked her to put together a list of places to visit, I will forward you the email once she sends it to me. In florence you have to have pasta, and bread and wine. In Venice go to Harry’s Bar it is where they created Bellini’s but they make them with Peach rather than orange juice. The glass studios (murano) in Venice along with all of masks are amazing, if you can its worth purchasing
Switzerland – Lugano is the swiss version of the french riveria the food will be a combination of both swiss and italian and will be amazing. In Lucerne you will have to a traditional swiss fondue with meat and bread, as well as reclette (which is melted cheese with potatos). Make sure you get your fill of swiss chocolate as well (lindt, toblerone)
France – In Paris there is restauant called Angelina’s which is a block from the Louve, they have the most AMAZING hot cholocate there, it is literally like drinking a bar of dark/semi-sweet chocolate. It is so rich that they give you unsweetened whipping cream to cut the sweetness of the cholocate drink. The food is amazing as well. Stop into any patissarie to get fresh breads and pastries.
England – If you like indian food this is the place to get the best outside of India – there is a huge Indian population in London. Traditional british food had gotten better as pubs have tried to make things more upscale. If you have time you should do high tea at either Harrods, Browns, the Ritz, Fortnum & Mason’s, or Claridge’s Mayfair.
Packing
I agree that dresses are a good option, along with a pair of jeans, shorts and a skirt. Make sure you pack sweaters/long sleeve shirts as you will need to have your shoulders covered to enter some of the churches, etc (esp the vatican).
thanks so much for the breakdown, melissa! now i’m craving fondue!
Hi Julie, how exciting to be planning a trip to Europe. I would say the best food in England is in Cambridge where I live, but London’s good too! 🙂
My foodie recommendations for London are to try a traditional English afternoon tea somewhere. The Ritz is expensive but amazing. Beautiful silverware and tiny little cakes and sandwiches. You’ll feel like Royalty. Other tea shops and hotels will do versions too. Anything with scones, cream and tea served from a pot.
Also, try the food hall at Harrods, lots of sweet and savoury tasty treats.
I am SO jealous- I absolutely loved Italy and Paris when I was there, I’ve yet to visit anywhere else in Europe though.
As for packing- I’d bring a pair of jeans and mostly sundresses and leggings (super lightweight and take up virtually no room). Flat sandals and probably a pair of sneakers, especially if you’re planning on getting some workouts in. I’d also check the average temps for the cities that you’ll be visiting for late April/ early May as they will probably be around those temps. And definitely don’t forget an umbrella. It rained most days when I was there (both Paris and Rome). Also, if you forget anything, you can always go shopping ;). Oh, and the Louis Vuitton in Paris is awesome- it’s designed to look like a giant suitcase on the outside (or it was when I was there in high school haha)!
Food- eat anything and everything! Absolutely eat gelato, caprese panini, and pizza in Italy and pastries in France! Traditionally, northern Italy is known for creamier sauces and the southern portion of the country is known for tomato sauces. Seafood is extremely popular in Italy, so you won’t have a problem with getting your seafood fix on either. Also, if you ask for ketchup anywhere in Europe- you’ll get really funny looks haha.
Oh and as far as packing goes my favorite comfy, but still cute shoes to wear are TOMS. Also, find some blister block (at most drug stores) for other shoes. It’s a lifesaver on vacations that call for lots of walking.
You HAVE to have macarons in Paris.
Couldn’t agree more about the running shoes comment.
Julie that is SO EXCITING!!!!!! I legitimately squealed with joy when I read that you were going!!!
I lived and studied in London for 6 months a few years ago, and traveled for about 12 days (too!) afterward, so I’ll leave a few thoughts here but if you want to discuss anymore, please let me know and I’d be happy to do a little gchat action!
So as far as re-wearing your clothes, totally go for it. I brought too much stuff and I ended up re-wearing the same things anyway. You will want to bring a towel with you because it can seriously come in handy when you least expect it. It’s also nice for washing your face if the towels they have are rough. (I stayed in hostels, so I was really roughing it!)
A few essentials:
– comfortable but CUTE shoes (you are instantly spotted as an American if you are wearing running shoes and some people will not treat you as nicely/respectfully right off the bat. I didn’t find this in London, but I did in other places, especially Italy). You could even have some super cute Puma-type sneaks, but actual running shoes are a no-no.
– a one-occasion-fits-all black jersey dress (or something similar) that you can dress up or dress down. It will be great for wandering around when you want to look cute, but if you want to throw on some dressier shoes and a cardi, you can go out to dinner. This can be re-worn a zillion times, and who really cares if it smells a little…worn at the end? Haha.
– comfortable dressier shoes/sandals. These will be for nights out, but make sure they are neutral colored so you only need to bring one pair.
– flip flops in case there is a gross shower somewhere or you go to the beach! (it can be really warm sometimes, you never know!) But don’t wear these just walking around — I learned that in France, flip flops are literally considered prostitute shoes. Hardly anyone wears sandals, and they think flip flops are shower shoes only!
– two or three plain, fitted t-shirts — these will work great for everyday wear and you can focus more on getting out the door to go site-seeing rather than picking out an outfit!
– a neutral, lightweight jacket that will go with everything
– a cardigan (neutral, goes with everything just like the jacket)
– one nicer top
– a cute colorful or patterned scarf. everyone wears them in Europe, especially when it’s spring or fall, and you can dress up the basic colored T’s and dress to mix and match outfits
– a few necklaces/earrings/bracelets for the same reason above
– a cross-body purse. You will be SO thankful to not have to constantly be slipping your shoulder bag back onto your shoulder, and with a cross-body purse, you can tuck it into your jacket if you’re worried about theft (something to be wary of in France)
– one or two complete workout outfits made ENTIRELY of quick-dry/wicking material so that you can rinse them out in the hotel sink/shower and let them dry overnight instead of packing extras (this is only if you intend on running/exercising though) This may sound gross, but you can save yourself from bringing 12 pairs of undies or socks by doing the same washing method!
– two pairs of jeans that you love and are comfortable (I recommend skinny jeans because that’s what most women tend to wear)
– a cute, neutral or brightly colored above the knee length skirt that will go with the tops you’re bringing
And there you have it! this should all fit in a carry on, and while I’m sure you’ll want to bring a few extras, these are great basics. Re-wearing is totally legit for traveling and you will be having so much fun you won’t even notice! Also, I would recommend just buying toiletries when you get there to save yourself the hassle of packing them — they have drugstores everywhere and it’s not much more expensive.
When you are in Italy, order ANYTHING with tomatoes. The simplest, freshest dishes are the best ones. When I wasn’t eating entire pizzas (margherita with bufala mozzarella is the best HANDS DOWN) I ordered a lot of pasta with fresh tomato basil sauce. Italian tomatoes have a completely different flavor than they do here and you won’t be able to get enough! But definitely eat loads of pizza too 🙂
As for London, if you want some specific stuff it might be better to email you because I have waaaaayyyy too many good things to say about it after living there 🙂
Sorry this is so long! Let me know if you want any more tips!!!
Oh, and don’t let anyone tell you that British food is bad, I seriously had some of the best meals of my life there! Bangers and mash, fish and chips (from a REAL pub though) and mushy peas (a regional specialty that i can’t find anywhere else) are a must.
The spot for Indian food is called Brick Lane. Make sure to stop in the food hall at Harrod’s (it’s a huge and famous department store), you will feel like yuo have died and gone to heaven with the selection of food + candies/chocolates! Okay, I am gonna stop now 🙂
oh my gosh thank you so much for this!!! i’m going to copy/paste this and print it out. i LOVE the idea about the jersey dress and i recently purchased a cross-body purse that i will definitely bring. thanks you for taking the time to write this out for me!
I’ve always been kind of scared of beets, but I’ll have to give them a try. Your food recommendations haven’t let me down yet! 😀 I can’t wait to read all about your trip… how fun!!!
I think many above have hit on it. I travel a lot for work and personally as well. I always base my outfits on the color black and then fun jewelry and scarves, cardigans, etc for the pop of color. Makes for super simple outfits easily pulled together and all in just one carry on. Oh, and roll your clothes rather then fold them, they take up less space.
this is so exciting! im actually living in Florence in right now for study abroad, you are going to LOVE it!! i read your blog everyday over here still, and from the looks of it you will probably be in heaven here! I could go on and on about the delicious food here, but three places you absolutely have to try are
1) gusta pizza (for a super cheap/absolutely delicious pizza–> try the margherita or the “gusta pizza” one, so yummy!)
2) “la carraia” for gelato- it is one of the cheapest and by far the most delicious gelato ive had in florence!
3) ristorante acqua al 2- you can get samplers for each course and try a whole bunch of their dishes, but you can’t miss out on the blueberry steak for the secondo dish- it sounds so weird but literally the most delicious steak i’ve ever had!!
if you have ANY questions about florence email me! ill actually still be here when you come! I made a blog mostly for my family to keep up with my life but feel free to check it out for more food/sightseeing in Florence!
thanks so much! i can’t wait to check out your blog now!!
How exciting! Can’t wait to hear all about your fabulous trip! 🙂
After traveling a bit, my mom taught me a really great trick to fit everything into your bag (even if it’s just one). All you have to do is roll all your clothes and put them in a larger ziploc bag and then take all the air out with a vacuum and seal the bag. That way, your clothes only take up a fraction of the space that they normally would!!
Anytime you don’t know what to say to anyone in Italy…just say “prego!” It’s like an all-purpose word that means thank you, hello, goodbye, okay…hahahah I used it all the time 😉
LOL – thanks! i’m sure i’ll use this.
Ahh! How fun! You’ll have such a great time. All I can suggest is to eat a TON of gelato in Italy 🙂
The gelato stand by the Trevi fountain is a MUST!!!!
i second this, best hazelnut gelato i had in italy
so exciting!!!! i’m jealous, i want to go to europe so badly!
For the clothes, just pack a TON of sundresses and maybe one pair of shorts with a bunch of tops so the outfit will look fresh without having to change too much. Italy will be very hot so you need something light!
As far as Italy goes, OBVIOUSLY you must try gelato from a stand. You must also try Roman style pizza, which is cut long and square and you eat it folded in half like a sandwich.
In London, they are really famous for their Indian food. I know it’s kind of strange but honesty, the Indian food there is some of the best in the world. Also you must try fish and chips (beer battered cod and fries!).
And, in Paris…CREPES. Savory crepes, sweet crepes, crepes with Nutella and crepes with cream. One of the days I was in Paris I had an egg and cheese crepe for lunch and a strawberry/nutella crepe for dinner. DIVINE. Just remember, all of the walking you’ll be doing will burn tons of calories! I actually lost weight when I went to Europe a few years ago and I ate my body weight in crepes every single day!
i seriously had no idea about the indian food in london!
and i can’t wait for the gelato & crepes!!!
Me neither until right before I left!!!! Curry takeaway (their word for ‘takeout’) is all the rage over there.
You’ll never want regular ice cream again. It won’t be the same lol!
When I saw you were able to wear shorts and not freeze to death today, I thought I was jealous. Now I’m far more jealous! How exciting for you! I would recommend comfortable shoes as a #1 priority. Definitely bring something cute that you can wear the heck out of without getting blisters or foot pain! As for food – croissants, bread, and wine in Paris, fish and chips in England, and gelato, gelato, gelato in Italy!
Ahh!! I’m so excited for you Julie!
I made a similar trek through Europe when I was in college with luggage constraints and found that packing basics like a couple of t-shirts, cardigans, a pair of shorts, a skirt, and a jersey dress, like many others have mentioned here, worked well.
Additionally, on the plane I wore jeans, a sweater, pashmina and a trenchcoat so they didn’t take up any room in my luggage. Layers were essential, especially in London and Switzerland!
I’d also recommend wearing or taking a pair of sneakers and a comfortable pair of ballet flats and maybe even a pair of Toms! Leave the heels at home as it’s almost impossible to navigate cobblestone streets in cute pumps.
Finally, ENJOY! Eat Fish and Chips, Bruschetta, Gelato, and Fondue (Switzerland) to your heart’s content.
Black pants, no flipflops or tennis shoes or shorts, and make sure you have a cardigan or something like with you at all times. Some of the sites will not allow you in if you have bare arms and shoulders.
Paris has the best inexpensive lingerie. and the tastiest Macarons.
Florence has the best inexpensive scarves in the marketplace, (about 10 euros) but the leather goods are a ripoff (don’t forget to haggle), In Rome visit the fresh markets if you can and try to go to dinner in the Trastevere area across the river (it’s less touristy) and there is some great night life there as well. My favorite piazza in Rome is the Piazza Della Rotunda where the Pantheon is. (unfortunately there is also mcdonald’s there) but there are also good cafes there which are excellent for people watching.
In Venice, Harry’s Bar is touristy, but worth it. Try to take a trip to Murano from Venice if you can via water taxi for the blown glass and mille fiore.
If you like wine, it is worth it to find a good winestore in Florence or Rome and ship some back home.
Have fun!
You are so so lucky!!! I would eat my way through Europe in a heartbeat!
That sounds like sooo much fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Definitely pack clothes that can have multiple uses….like shirts that can be worn with either jeans or a skirt. Also, make sure you have comfy shoes, and I’d recommend wearing tennis shoes on the plane so that they don’t take up room in your luggage!
That is so exciting! Make sure to try the hot chocolate in both Paris and London…and croissants and basically all the pastries. London also has great Indian food.
How exciting!
Congrats! You are going to have a BLAST! In Paris, Pierre Hermes Macarons and Aligot at Les Ambassades D’Auvergne are musts! (Think the most cheesy mashed potatoes on EARTH!) For everything delicious in London, check out these pages on my blog: http://fritosandfoiegras.blogspot.com/search/label/London
whatever you do, do NOT miss borough market!
have a blast!!!
Hey that sounds so exiting!
I’m French and I feel your trip will be very “gastronomique”! ^^
I think you should stick to the simple things and the typical dishes but I’m sure you’ll have a great time and hopefully a good weather! Try the bread, cheese, wine, crepes, pastries and viennoiseries (like pain au chocolat or croissants), and well, I’ve run out of ideas. You’ll enjoy yourself I’m preety sure of it! Can’t wait to read about it!
Strawberry beer in London!!!
YES, fruli is AMAZING! it’s beer with pureed strawberries so it’s cloudy. i’m not a beer girl but i could drink pints of that, soooo yummy!
Ohmygosh, I am SOOOO excited for you!! I’m definitely going to be living vicariously through your posts while you’re there.
I just did a single carry on when I went to Italy for 10 days last October… I tried to find items that were really versatile so that I could wear them in a bunch of different combinations. I also looked for things that would travel well (e.g., would look okay somewhat wrinkled). And, I wore all my heaviest / bulkiest things on the plane so that I had the most room possible in my suitcase.
When you are in France, do yourself a favor and pick up a jar of Speculoos spread to bring home. Think a cross between a graham cracker and a shortbread biscuit, in spread form with a peanut butter-like consistency. Consider your life changed forever.
I get to go to London this summer too! I’m planning to take just one carryon too and originally it was going to be for a 14 day trip. (I’ve cut it short to go to Ecuador!) So packing rewearable stuff is definitely something I’m working on.
That will be soooo much fun! I am leaving for Europe in 14 days for my honeymoon. We are going to Spain, Italy, France, Greece and Switzerland for a total of 5 weeks. I will try and send you the packing list my friend is sending me and if there is anything that is must do I will try and remember to send it to you.
I love your blog! Sooooo excited for you!
Hey Julie! I just recently spent 3 weeks in Greece (yes, it was as amazing as it sounds haha) and this is what I packed:
-2 pairs of shoes (one was worn on the plane)
-lots of colorful scarfs
-1 black and 1 white boatneck 3/4-length sleeve shirts (I just prefer this style and they are good for finicky weather)
-leggings (comfy for the plane!!!)
-2 pairs of jeans
-one windbreaker (the really lightweight ones that ball up well)
-nude and black bra (wore one on the plane)
-Comfy oversized sweater (wore on the plane)
-one t shirt/shorts combo for sleeping
this does not include toiletries, but this was my basic list and it lasted me for 3 weeks. I just washed things out in the sink and let them dry over night. But having lots of colorful scarfs helped because I was able to jazz up some of the basic tops I brought and make my outfits different.
Hope this helps!
How exciting! I just read that this summer is one of the best times to go to Europe. I wish I had tips but the only time I was overseas was for a trip to Israel. If you ever go, though, make sure to get a falafel 😉
Well, if you’d like the French version of your classic egg breakfast sandwich, get a croque madame! It’s an egg and cheese sandwich, most often on WONDERFULLY fresh bread, with a fried (dippy) or poached egg on top. heaven on a plate, oui oui!!
I am going to Europe this summer too for 5 weeks! I’m starting in Athens, Greece and ending in Barcelona, Spain. SO EXCITED! 🙂 I will need to check up on these comments because I need packing advice too!