Friday, May 2, 2014

five on friday: european travel extravaganza!

linking up with april and friends for a little five on friday action!



for most people, moving across the country is enough of an adventure for one summer.

apparently, we are not most people.

when a family friend posted on facebook about needing a house- and dog-sitter for six weeks in a small town in burgundy (yes, as in burgundy, france), we realized we had a pretty near once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. with no apartment lease holding us down (it's remarkable how freeing not paying new york city rent can be!), our belongings in storage for a surprisingly fair monthly fee, and my ability to work remotely from anywhere, we jumped at the chance.

but why just go to burgundy when you can also spend two weeks flitting about the continent? yes, we added even more, because why not? (if i was still allowed to say #yolo, i think it would fit quite perfectly here, but i'm really trying hard to move away from that). so for the first two weeks of our trip, here's where we're off to!

stop 1: london
staying with some friends in friggin notting hill... could it be any more perfect? we'll ease ourselves into our european summer by hanging out here for about three days, just enough to find a favorite pub and of course swing by for tea with wills, kate, and george. 



stop 2: ohringen, germany
my step-dad is german, and he, my mom, and my little brother spend a few weeks visiting his family each summer. we're going to hang out with oma and take advantage of more free lodging. i expect to gain at least 15 lbs in the few days we're staying with oma... she is famous for ensuring that you're stuffed to the brim at every meal.



stop 3: heidelberg, germany
as a proud graduate of heidelberg american high school (which has now since closed!), i spent my senior year here, and considered it home while i was in college. i haven't been back in about six years, so i'm excited revisit my old stomping grounds and show blake around! and yes, that's the castle at which our prom was held. no, i'm not joking.



stop 4: paris
the last time i was in paris, i was 16, and though shopping at the gap on the champs elysees was the height of sophistication. this time around, we're staying in an airbnb and can pretend we're real parisians. the only thing on my agenda is strolling around and sitting in outdoor cafes, people-watching with a glass of cotes-du-rhone. 



stop 5: semur-en-auxois
our home base for the rest of the summer is this tiny town about two hours from paris. here's hoping my high school and college french comes back (it's a wee bit rusty...). we'll happen to be here during the world cup too, so i'm pumped to root for france from the village brasserie! it'll be slight change of pace from nyc, but i'm excited to check out the great wines and beautiful countryside. 


so yeah, not much going on this summer. once we're back stateside at the end of july, we'll hang out in seattle for a bit (because why not?), and finally make our way down to LA to start our new life at the end of august. i honestly can't decide what part i'm most excited about... but not paying rent for a good three months is definitely up there. 

happy friday!


4 comments:

  1. We have some family friends who live in Philly but have a vacation house in Burgundy! We're also the only ones in the family who haven't made it there to stay with them yet. MUST DO!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. WHHHAAATTTT oh my gosh, yes you have to! i'll make sure to keep a list of must-dos and -sees when we're there. it still seems pretty surreal!!

      Delete
  2. I used to live in Germany, and Heidelberg was one of my favorite places!!! Those Doner Kebabs are life changing!!! The hubby and I are going to Germany next summer, and we're seriously considering adding a few countries to our list. We'll see if we can make it happen (oh, we'll have a 1-year-old by then, too)! :)

    I found you through the link up! I hope you have a great day!
    I found you through the link up! I hope you have a great day!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. that's so awesome, where in germany did you live?? my dad was in the army, we moved there when i was in 8th grade and lived in kaiserslautern, mannheim, and heidleberg. a donor kebab is DEFINITELY on my list - i can't wait to be back there!

      Delete