3 weeks in Europe - a recap!
My friend Meg and I recently went on a the trip of a lifetime! 3 weeks in Europe! Pinch me. It was such a “shot in the arm” of creativity, rest and delight — all things that I believe really matter. We started in Milan, stopped in Florence, flew to Nice and explored surrounding French Rivera towns, made it to Aix-En-Provence, went to Uzes and ended in Paris! This is a brief recap with some recs! Enjoy!
First stop: Milan
We flew directly from Atlanta to Milan. When we landed, we couldn’t believe it. Meg cried at the site of our first cappuccino. In the fall of 2019, I lived and studied in Milan, Italy. It was such a dream to be back. I love this city so much! I would argue that it’s one of Italy’s best kept secrets. It’s more metropolitan than Rome or Florence and has a bit more of an authentic feel to me! Many Italians actually live and work here. That fashion scene is also unreallllll. Dream life.
We stayed in Milan for 3 nights.
Transportation note: There is an easy train (about 45 minutes) from the airport to one of the stations. At these stations, you can jump on the subway to your stop in the city! Google Maps always tells me which stops on the subway to take. It’s very easy!! The subway is a great way to get around Milan.
Where we stayed: We stayed at Hotel STRAF right by the Dumo. Honestly kind of a weird hotel but a great location! Staying right in the center of Milan was amazing. I would recommend staying by the Duomo or in the Brera area.
Where we went:
Fondazione Prada - cool and very modern museum. Take the subway a bit outside the city center to get there!
Bar Luce - This is the bar at the Fondazione Prada. It’s amazing!! Designed by Wes Anderson.
Parco Sempione - a beautiful park to people watch, lay in the sun, and eat some gelato!
Easter Mass at the Duomo - we went to Easter mass here and it was wonderful. You can go to mass any day and skip the line to see inside. Just go to the security guards to the left of the door when you’re facing the front and tell them you’re there for Catholic mass! I used to go to daily mass here when I studied abroad, and it was magical.
Last Supper - we didn’t make it to the Last Supper this trip but it is cool to see! I recommend getting tickets ahead of time.
Teatro alla Scala - We also didn’t make it here this trip but it’s a great place! See a show or just take a walk around - full of inspo!
The Armani Silos is also a fantastic fashion museum.
Where we shopped:
Wait and See - this is my absolute favorite store in Milan! A must go.
10 Corso Como - This is a famous concept store. It’s soo cool. The cafe is also a great place to get a spritz or a bite to eat!
Bivio - This is my favorite designer resale store in Milan. I used to frequent it. Fabulous, unreal finds. If you go, tell Kristy that I sent you!
Cavilli E Nastri - another amazing (more upscale) vintage store.
Brera Area - Brera is full of great shopping. One of my favorite areas! More boutiques and local designers. Also, a great place to grab lunch in one of the restaurants.
Duomo Area - every store you can imagine! So fun to walk around.
Where we ate:
Navigli for Aperitivo - The Navigli is a canal in Milan lined with resturants that do aperitivo. Great place for a drink, some people watching and a place to see the sun go down! So fun.
Panzerotti Luini - I dream about this place. Right by the Duomo, famous, and incredible. Pizza pockets but better. Words don’t do it justice.
Next up: Florence
We took an easy train ride from Milan to Florence! I’ve been to Florence twice before, and Meg studied abroad here! It was so fun to show each other our favorite spots and stand outside each other’s Italian apartments.
We stayed in Florence for 3 nights.
Where we stayed: In this cute AirBNB. Lots of charm but really low ceilings and soooo many sets of stairs to get a suitcase up / down. Very cool view of the Duomo through the skylight in the bedroom. Vintage Italian grandma kitchen!
Where we went:
Santa Maria Novella - amazing perfumery in an old monastery. My favorite place we went in Florence!
Ferragamo Museum - We popped into a fantastic exhibition on Wanda Ferragamo in the Ferragamo store. So fun!
Gucci Museum - I love this place!!! Worth getting tickets beforehand if possible.
Boboli Gardens - So beautiful! Great place to walk around.
Uffizi Gallery - I went to the Uffizi with my family many years ago. So much history and art. Very beautiful!
Piazzale Michelangelo - We climbed to the top with a bottle of wine and enjoyed the sunset. So beautiful!!
Where we ate:
The first night, we made pasta in our cute little kitchen. It was one of my favorite meals. So fun to go to the Italian grocery and make something ourselves!
La Menegere - beautiful place for lunch or brunch. It's a great little shop, too.
Santo Spirito - the perfect square to enjoy an aperitivo!
Where we shopped:
The leather markets are so fun! You can always bargain with them! There are so many great gifts and leather goods.
Nice
We then flew from Florence to Nice. This was quite the trip. We had to leave really early for the airport and then had a connection in Rome before getting to Southern France. Lots of planes, trains, and automobiles. We were sooo exhausted by the time we got to Nice. We feel asleep on the rocky beach for an hour before checking into our AirBNB (LOL). But it was still worth it!! We stayed in Nice as our “home base” for traveling to surrounding Rivera towns.
We stayed in Nice for 3 nights and spent one of these days traveling to the surrounding towns below!
Where we stayed: This unreal AirBNB. The views were amazing! It’s a bit of a walk / tram ride to the city center of Nice. We probably would have liked to stay closer in - but these views were unbeatable!
Where we went:
Parc du Mont Boron - We walked to the top of this park and the views were amazing!
Markets - There are so many excellent markets in Nice on certain days.
Wanted to but couldn’t make it: Musée Matisse
Where we ate:
Right when we got there we had lunch at one of the beautiful beach clubs along the water in Nice. So cool.
Le Plongeoir - Meg made reservations here! I will admit that it looks much cooler on photos than in person, but it was a very neat experience! Eating lunch on a rock in the ocean - it can’t be beat!
So. much. bread. They serve so much bread with everything.
Where we shopped:
Open-air markets - soap, gelato, flowers, bliss! All around!
There is a fantastic shop called Showroom 54 on your way to Le Plongeoir. We got sun hats here! They had such cool stuff, and the owners were so nice.
Eze
We took the bus from the city center of Nice to Eze. It was very quick and easy (but also a very crowded, hot bus on windy roads - risk of serious car sickness hahaha). It was truly sooo beautiful! We spent half a day here and then took an Uber to Villefranche-sur-Mer to spend the rest of the day by the beach!
We were in Eze for half a day.
What we did:
Just walked! Climb to the top, enjoy!
Fragonard Perfume Tour - There is an amazing Fragonard factory in Eze! They have a lovely tour and will teach you all about perfume.
Villefranche-sur-Mer
We were here for half a day!
What we did:
Got a spritz (duh!)
Walked around! Enjoyed!!
Lounged on the beach. So fun to people-watch on the beach!
Where we ate:
I am still dreaming about the Nicoise sandwich I had from this snack shack on the beach!
Cannes
Next, we left Nice and went back to the airport to pick up our rental car. This was quite hilarious. Meg and I took to the French highways and rolled through small towns, blaring Taylor Swift. We were a little nervous at first - but the driving was just like the US - just a different language!
We drove from Nice to Cannes for lunch.
What we did:
Quick walk around!
Where we ate:
Boujee beach club restaurant called Mademoiselle Gray. So good! Such a different vibe. Very movie star-oriented.
AIX-EN-Provence
After Cannes, we got back in the car and drove to Aix. We loved it so much. It's probably my favorite city we stopped in.
We were here for one night! We could have easily stayed another.
Where we stayed: This amazinnggg hotel - Hotel Aquabella. Complete with a pool, French spa, and amazing breakfast. Life hack: We booked a honeymoon package and got massages, a night stay, and breakfast for very cheap. Keep your eyes peeled for that!
What we did:
Got massages and enjoyed the spa!
Cezane’s house tour - get tickets ahead of time! Very neat.
Open-air markets! Around every corner!
Enjoyed the charm!
What we ate:
Warning - All the restaurants close in the late afternoon between lunch and dinner, and Meg and I (read me) almost had a meltdown because we were so hungry and had no food options. Eat at lunchtime! Don’t wait!
We went to a great random sushi restaurant here, too!
Where we shopped:
The Sezane store here is magical. All the stores are magical! Enjoy!!
Uzes
After Provence, we drove to Uzes. My parents have French friends who live here, and we stayed in the airBNB in their basement! It was so fun. Servane and Jacques-Pierre welcomed us with so much wonderful food, activities, and laughs. It was such a rich experience - we were both so glad we made this stop! Uzes is a quiet and cute local town!
We were here for two nights.
What we did:
French yoga with Servane. They played ‘Snow on the Beach’ by Taylor Swift in yoga class and I will never forget it.
Best Farmer’s Market on the weekends! Right in the town square.
The Medieval Garden - lovely! You can climb to the top of this castle/tower for amazing views.
What we ate:
Amazing French lunch by Servane! Unforgettable.
Paris
After Uzes, we drove to the Avignon train station. We returned our rental car here and took the high-speed train to Paris. It was so nice! The first night in Paris we stayed in Sacré-Coeur with the nuns - such a cool experience! For the rest of the trip, we stayed with my parents who planned to be in Paris for a month. Meg stayed a few days and I stayed for another week with my mom and dad. Such a special time I will treasure forever!
Where we stayed: More info on staying with the nuns here! Just email them! So fun to stay in Sacré-Coeur - a very unforgettable experience.
There are endless things to do in Paris! Here are just a few highlights. If you’re going to Paris for a long time, I highly suggest Habitually Chic’s Paris guide. It’s chock-full of all the best Paris has to offer.
What we did:
Dior Museum - so beautiful! Worth the wait in line.
Rodin Museum - so great on a sunny day!
The Orangerie Museum - home to Monet’s water lilies!
Luxemburg Gardens - a must-do. Fun to walk around, eat a crepe, and people-watch.
Musee D’Orsay - beautiful art!
Stop in the Ritz Paris - must go!
Claude Monet’s house - My parents and I took a day trip to Monet’s house, and it was my favorite things EVER. I loved it so much. So much color. So many tulips (we were there in late April).
When I studied abroad, I had my portrait done by an artist in Place du Tertre right by Sacré-Coeur. It’s something I still treasure! Such a fun thing to do.
I didn’t make it this trip, but one of my favorite things in Paris is the Yves Saint Laurent Museum. So special!
Where we ate:
Le Refuge des Fondus - fondue and wine in baby bottles. So funny. I’ve always had a clear memory of my parents telling me they went here in 2nd grade. I always thought of it as the most other worldly place - so I had to go!! It was so fun to live my 7-year-old dreams.
Lauderee - a classic.
Cafe Leporuse - best to sit outside! Great food.
Girafe Paris - views of the Eiffel!
Lots of dinners made by my dad in our Parisian apartment!
Where I shopped:
Le Bon Marché - the best department store! Also has a fantastic grocery store.
Samaritaine - so unique! Another very cool department store.
Zara! - Is there anything better than a European Zara? No.
Hope this helps you plan your own European adventure! Enjoy!
C