Also, has anyone ever had a large shipping crate shipped to the US before? I would love to bring home some of the furniture I find (and maybe a little Vespa and sidecar.) I'm curious as to cost and who to use.
I also write for Babble.com Here are some of my favorite picks this week.
I know what Moses is getting for Christmas!
Restoration Hardware's new line of holiday toys! Love.
Have you seen Dwell Studios new furniture line? I did a whole round up.
We found this hard-to-find fabric. (Plus that room is styled to perfection.)
Someone needs to buy that first sofa, stat. Jennifer DeLonge does it again.
I really need one of these, I just need someone to make a cheaper better looking knock off.
Come summer, you should check out the Palio races in Sienna, there's two.
ReplyDeleteTo prep, you might enjoy reading 'Paris to the Moon', the memoir of a New Yorker writer who took his wife and young son to Paris for a year...if you haven't already.
Shipping furniture back to the US is cheaper if you can prove you've owned it for 6 months.
Brugge or Bruges Belgium is not a non touristy place, but it is off the beaten path and is like stepping back in time. It's a medieval town worth a visit. It's a three hour drive from Paris, so not too far either!
ReplyDeletefalse Turkish map! True for http://www.turkishnews.com/DiscoverTurkey/images/maps/map1.jpg
ReplyDeleteHello Jordon! I follow your blog from Lisbon (Portugal) and I love it! I hope you came to Portugal during your stay in Paris, i'm sure that you and your family are going to love it! The sky lantern festival you talk about in your post is in fact a tradition of an important festivity: São João, 24 June (mainly in the nort of the country: Porto, Braga...). If you ever need informations about Portugal feel free to email me (madeira.teresa@gmail.com)! Bonne chance! Teresa
ReplyDeleteHello Jordan! I don't know if you read my last comment but i'm an spanish girl... and I've only traveled Europe....so I recommend you:
ReplyDelete- Southern France is so beautiful and there are a lot of lovely small towns (Cahors,Cordes-Sur-Ciel,La Couvertoirade,Carcasonne,Saint-Cirque-La Popie)
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/france/conques-abbey (an example)
- Prague: (in Czech Republic) is a magical city. http://www.earth-photography.com/Countries/CzechRepublic/Prague_photos.html
- England: Loooondon... no needs images...hahah
-Bacelona: modernist and so beautiful city: http://www.whatbarcelona.com/
-Berlín: http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/Germany/East/Berlin/
- Amsterdam: http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/Netherlands/South/Noord-Holland/Amsterdam/
- Belgium country: like in France, thereare a lot of lovely small towns
Sorry if my comment is too long ... I just wanted to help you
Hey!
ReplyDeleteI am a reader of your inspiring blog and I have a blog myself but about travel, with a few tips related to places in Europe, Paris for example!
Hope you'll drop by and don't forget to use the Google Translating tool on the left (sorry the blog is written in Spanish).
Hugs from Spain and welcome to Europe!!
You should come see Oslo, and even more so go check out Vesterålen & Lofoten up North in Norway :)
ReplyDeleteLots of pictures here:
http://www.lofotenbilder.no/fokke/Home.html
Have to brag about my small country when I am given the oportunity yes? :)
Have a great weekend!
Hi Jordan
ReplyDeleteI'm a San Francisco to Provence transplant, and give vintage buying tours of my area to my compatriots. I'd love to show you my secret vintage spots here when you make your way to Provence (easy to do, just a 3 hour train ride from the center of Paris). And by the way, vintage is way cheaper outside of Paris, so be sure to check out the provinces before you buy that pricey Paris stuff.
And for the nearby destinations, I can tell you about lots of great places, but the short list:
Barcelona
Bologna
Ireland
Brugge (great suggestion from another comment)
Edinburgh
Sicily
and bazillions of dreamy places within France.
Feel free to email me if I can help you with any questions about life in France for an expat.
Wishing you a wonderful year in Paris!
My sister-in-law lives in Basel, Switzerland. Beautiful. Obviously not off the beaten path, but well worth it. And the train ride through Switzerland is amazing.
ReplyDeleteI follow you from France but not Paris and if ever you need some piece of advice, don't hesitate to ask. Bye. Tartangirl.
ReplyDeletecome to Copenhagen!
ReplyDeleteThe Morgestaich parade in Basel Switzerland is one of the neatest things I did in Europe. Here's my blog post about it (scroll down towards the last third of the post):
ReplyDeletehttp://harwoodgruss.blogspot.com/2007/03/fasching.html
Strasbourg France is pretty as is little Riquewihr also in the Alsace region.
Cambridge England is a charming place...take the path known as the Grantchester Grind about a mile out of Cambridge (and along the Cam river) to the village of Grantchester and have tea at the Orchard (one of my favorite places in the world!).
Another one of my favorite places ever is the Dingle Penninsula of Ireland.
And I agree the Bruges Belguim, while filled with tourists, is worth a look-see.
I kept a blog while my husband and I lived in Germany for two years here at harwoodgruss.blogspot.com and my current blog here at babyannequilts.blogspot.com (click on the Travel topic on the right margin) where you may get travel ideas!
You'll love it! My husband and I have been plotting to get back to Europe ever since we left!
I'm really happy for you that you get the chance to spend some time abroad. My husband and I lived in SF for a couple of years and have now returned to Belgium. Lots of things to see and do in this small country of ours (for as long as it still exists). Definitely visit Antwerp, where we live: it has history, shopping, antiques, good restaurants,... I would be delighted to give you and your family a tour, together with my little girl.
ReplyDeleteHey Jordan,
ReplyDeleteI’m from Germany but now I live in Basel/Switzerland. It’s five minutes away (no joke) from the french and the german border.
My favorite german cities are Hamburg and Cologne. Both cities are full of creative peopIe and sweet little shops plus there are always nice concerts. I think „easy jet“ offers cheap flights from Paris to Hamburg. Last week the „Hello Handmade“ Market took place in Hamburg - I’m sure you would have loved it.
Leipzig and Dresden are well worth a visit.
Switzerland is a very small country and although Basel is the third largest city in Switzerland (after Geneva and Zurich) it’s tiny. But there are a lot of houses and buildings from medival times. As a contrast in Basel and around, there is a lot of contemporary art in the museums like the Vitra Design Museum. And in june the huge art fair called „Art Basel“ takes place.
And as Heather recommended: The Morgenstraich. It’s part of a very spezial type of carnival which lasts three days.
So if you like the mountains, hiking or skiing, green grass, cows, goats and marmots, cheese and chocolate, you have to spend some time in Switzerland ... maybe in the Grindelwald area....
All the best and if you want to know more about Switzerland or Basel.....
Chrissi
There is a FABULOUS flea market in Tongeren, Belgium you have to visit! You'd love it.
ReplyDeletehttp://livingingk.blogspot.com/2007/10/tongeren-antique-shopping-at-its.html
Strasbourg, France/Germany is a lovely border city. Germany is very underrated, btw.
Also, years my family and I went to Trollhättan, Sweden to pick up a Saab, and ended up falling in love with the country! Beautiful coast, beautiful people, beautiful everything!
Good luck and have a fabulous time!
you used to be very expensive to ship from paris because you had to pay for a whole crate now it has been made easier because items are combined( securely with others who are doing the same) all you have to do is go to the dock and they will take care of the rest, made simpler if you go ahead of time and get the information and papers you will need!
ReplyDeleteoh you will love living in paris and the amazing finds you will find, also italy has amazing vintage markets!
i am partial to bruxelles as well!
Oviedo, Spain is a wonderful little city nestled between the northern mountians of Spain and the coast. La Dia De San Juan is a fun festival to be present for in late spring.
ReplyDeleteCharlecote, England is a beautiful country town with sweeping fields and a lovely old church with an ancient graveyard.
My husband and I went to Barcelona in 2009 for our honeymoon and it was amazing. My favorite part of the trip was the day we spent in a little town about and hour's train ride north of Barcelona called Girona. http://www.girona.cat/turisme/eng/activitats.php
ReplyDeleteIt's close to France, gorgeous, and definitely has the smaller village feel you're going for!
Love that Bruges! Ate so many delicious pastries there that I got sick! :) Tough life.
ReplyDeleteI used to live in Prague so did a bit of Europe exploring myself. Check out these places for poss visits:
ReplyDeleteKarlovy Vary, Czech Republic - a spa town and host of Czech Film Festival
Hvar, Croatia - beautiful lavender island and Hvar town is a gorgeous little harbout with shops & restaurants
CROATIA! Go there!
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite countries while backing Europe was Prague.
ReplyDeleteGo there, and then take the 2-3 hour bus ride {or rent a car} to Chesky Krumluv. It's beautiful and has retained it's 18th century charm.
I'll be stopping by Little Winter this weekend. I'll have to introduce myself! :)
*oops meant to say favorite country was Chezk Republic! :)
ReplyDeleteThese aren't necessarily off the beaten path, but I consider these must-see places if you're going to be living in Europe for a year.
ReplyDelete-Berlin
-Dresden
-Prague
-Florence
Other places I wouldn't want to miss if I was going again: Cinque Terre, Athens, Morocco, Egypt.
Venice was so so for me.
Hallstaat in Austria is more off the beaten path. It's maybe 30 minutes to an hour away from Strasbourg (another fun, smaller city); it's a super quaint Alpine village on the lake that is only accessible through a tunnel. The village is built up the side of the mountain, which is really fun. But if you aren't already in the area, I don't know that Hallstaat is worth the trip just by iteslf. Goregous countryside surrounding it, though. Great mountain vistas.
oh my this sounds so wonderful and i'm sure i will live vicariously through you. i'm sure you've been to france before right? if not i have a small list of must visits if you're interested.
ReplyDeleteIf you are a foodie or interested in that, the Spanish capital for food is San Sebastian--up North and close the the French border. Many Michelin starred restaurants, but I would just do the pintxos bar-hopping and try all the little dishes in the different bars. Very delicious gourmet-type food in relaxed settings. I'm so envious!
ReplyDeletehello! i'm from portugal, from Porto (you call it Oporto) and we do have the sky lantern festival you talk about! it's great because everyone launches their sky lanterns and you see the sky at night full of those! it's a fun tradition we have here, and it's in the 24th June! here you also have the port wine, the river, the ocean and the beaches, and other beautiful places to see! and the weather is great, especially between june and ocotober! in Porto we have ryanair (check it at ryanair.com), so it's very cheap to fly here from other european countries (i went to london, barcelona and florence and paid about 30€ for each flight!)
ReplyDeleteMy sister spent some time in the Czech Republic and while she enjoyed Prague, she LOVED Cesky Krumlov which is in the south end of the country.
ReplyDeleteHave an awesome time!
i have had a friend ship stuff from china in the train car size carriers, and it is about $3000 - $5000. That should give you a rough idea, if you were shipping that much stuff.
ReplyDeleteWe went all over Sweden and Norway when I was in college. Two stand-outs--aside from Stockholm, which is just amazing--are Mora, Sweden, where we went to a huge carnival, and Andalsnes, Norway, right in fjord country.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxis7Y1ikIQ
ReplyDeletejk. i wish i could live in europe.
I'm heading to Portugal for the month of December. Do you know when or where the lantern festival is taking place?
ReplyDeleteHands down, you must go to Iceland. We just got back and it is fantastic.
ReplyDeletehttp://lisetteandcameron.blogspot.com/2010/10/reykjavik.html
http://lisetteandcameron.blogspot.com/2010/10/golden-circle-thingvellir-geysir-and.html
http://lisetteandcameron.blogspot.com/2010/10/road-to-kirkjubaejarklaustur.html
http://lisetteandcameron.blogspot.com/2010/10/road-to-hofn-makes-for-birthday.html
I've shipped things both way from Europe and you just have to sign a form saying you've owned it for a certain amount of time and it's your own personal items and not for resale. Cost wise a container is pricey- I would say $8-12k realistically France-CA. We used Stevens Worldwide last time and really liked them. You could call and ask for a general estimate. I wouldn't bother with any kind of car/scooter b/c the US taxes you a lot on importing those even if they are your own and you have to have a lot of testing done on them so it ends up costing way more than it is worth.
ReplyDeleteGood luck and enjoy the adventure.
PS. I also recommend Paris to the Moon!
Utrecht in The Netherlands is lovely.
ReplyDeleteIt has many of the charming features of Amsterdam -- canals, rowhouses, little shops, etc. -- but less of the chaos, tourists, drugs, Red Light district, etc.
There are beautiful walking paths immediately outside the town.
My favorite off-the-beaten-path destinations are Villandry (a castle with gorgeous gardens about a 15 mile bike ride from Tours, France) and Interlaken (an adventure sport paradise in Switzerland).
ReplyDeleteP.S. I tweeted at you the other day but I would love to hear your advice for getting into a creative career path! Have a wonderful weekend!
I loved my visit to Hallstatt, Austria. If you get there by train (the best!) you get dropped off in the woods and have to walk on a path through the woods (like 20 seconds) to a ferry that takes you across the lake to the town. Nestled between the mountains on a picturesque lake--ultimate bliss! The little bakery in town had fabulous pastries and I found the people there to be so nice and accommodating! Good luck on your travels, can't wait to read all about them!
ReplyDeleteHi Jordan - If you have any interest in visiting Ireland, I'm originally from Dublin and put a wee Ireland travel guide up on my blog earlier this year. Am happy to help if you have any questions etc. http://seenandsaid.blogspot.com/2010/08/ireland-guide.html
ReplyDeleteJane
xx
CORSICA. In June, before the school holidays start. You will not be disappointed!
ReplyDeleteThe little village of Die in south eastern France is wonderful and charming!
ReplyDeleteMy uncle has a freight forwarding company. I think they mostly work with businesses but they might do shipping for individuals if you really have a crate worth. Check them out: http://www.go2uti.com/
ReplyDeleteLucca, Italy. One of my favorite places ever. It's one day trip for a lot of tourists coming from Florence and the surrounding area but my husband and I spent four days there during our honeymoon and loved it. It a small walled city and you can rent bikes and ride on top of the wall. So cool. Totally charming medieval city. We are going to retire there someday.
ReplyDeleteWe stayed at the coolest bed and breakfast there - http://www.laromea.com/ There was a gorgeous print shop right next to the bed and breakfast where I could have spent my life savings on lovely lovely prints.
Also, the Piedmont area of Italy is wonderful. In October they have a truffle festival in Alba and you can go truffle hunting with dogs. Fun! Asti, nearby, has its own palio - the oldest in Italy - in September.
I am SO JEALOUS!
I HIGHLY recommend Lugano, Switzerland which is in the Italian canton just over the line from Italy. The climate is sub-tropical so there are palm trees, but it also snows. Pretty crazy.
ReplyDeleteIt's the most amazing little spot b/c it has tons of italian culture but with the swiss efficency. And it's on a lake!
So exciting! I recommend Ljubljana, Slovenia for somewhere a little off the beaten path... It is a stunning city that I truly fell in love with. And of course, spend every second you can in Barcelona. You will not want to leave (OK, if you get to go back to Paris, it might be easier). I cannot wait for you to get there so I can live vicariously through you!
ReplyDeletexoxo
If you want somewhere peaceful, quiet, small, car-free, and with amazing views of the Alps, visit Gimmelwald in Switzerland. Coolest place we've ever been!
ReplyDeleteOh, you should come to Copenhagen! If you ever need the non-tourist go-to-places in Copenhagen, just ask me!
ReplyDeleteBTW - think the entire moving to Paris for a year is so awesome. I just finished reading Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love (a million years after everyone else, I know)and I wish I were as brave as you guys.
Carina
Hi ! I am a French reader of your blog, living in a small village near Nantes, I really hope you will enjoy my country. Please do not idealize too much France, just wait and see... If you want to visit North West of France, feel free to contact me (vincent.caroline@libertysurf.fr), I will tell you about many many charming places ! Have nice dreams and nice trip, lucky ones !
ReplyDeleteHi Jordan!
ReplyDeleteI'm a graphic designer and love love love your blog. I'm working on rebranding an international relocation company based in San Francisco called Bloom International. They basically relocate your entire life overseas and to an amazing job. The entire operation is family owned and operated which I personally look for in a business. You can see more info on their site (which has not been redesigned yet btw)
http://www.bloominternational.com/
good luck!!!
Cancale - about a 4 hour drive from Paris (near St. Malo) it's where all the mussels are brought in. teeny tiny seaside town, the residents reside on the cliff above the town, so cute, and the visitors stay down by the water - it's cheap, and the lobster bisque at the "fancy" restaurant is still, to this day, 6 years later, the best thing I have ever put in my mouth!
ReplyDeleteThere's no place on earth like budapest in the spring. They've got a great may day festival. I'd take budapest over prague aaaaaaaaaany day. But that's just me.
ReplyDeleteTallinn is a great city (go mid-week to avoid British stags). You can easily get the ferry to Helsinki. Great vintage shops, too.
ReplyDeleteAly, Sydney
Hi Jordan,
ReplyDeleteIm a wedding gown designer, Swiss Italian living in LA with my hubby right now and I envy you.. I miss back home.
My first pick is Lugano Switzerland. It is my city, but believe me there is no other like it! It is Swiss but with a mediterranean flair. We speak Italian there and people are warm.
Very small, such unique picturesque city, on Lugano Lake surrounded by mountains.
One of the best way to get there is by train. Let's put it this way, you've got to go to Italy on your trip, well there's no best way then go through Switzerland.. It's a very small country after all.
Oh you don't want to miss the amazing Swiss view you get on a train. It is one of the most amazing things you could do!
Lugano is only 20 minutes away from Como Italy. Yep the border is right there. It has fantastic weather, it is called the "Sunshine Canton of Switzerland" for something. All the seasons are amazing, palm trees and snow.. has got it all. But I think summer tops it all with its great music festivals, crafts markets, great finds..
If you are interested I have lots of suggestions for you.
I've been a "tour guide" for friends and friends of friends around that area for years. There's a lot to do, great mix of cultures, events, more places to see around it and oooooh good food.
I've always been amazed how everyone that visits that city just falls in love with it. It is my city after all :)
Good luck and enjoy every minute!
p.s. take a look:
http://www.lugano-tourism.ch/en/32/tourist-information.aspx
Wow, you have so much to discover!
ReplyDeleteI'd say Berlin, Florence, Rome are unmissable. The South of France is pretty special. If you fancy stunning beaches and the sense of an ancient way of life, Sicily is wonderful (and very cheap to visit.) I don't agree with the Bologna recommendation someone has given - choose Florence over Bologna every time. (Had a crap weekend in Bologna!) Oh and maybe Venice is essential, go over winter month to avoid tourist scrum. However, be warned, there are tourists everywhere, fairly hard to avoid unless you go during mid-week and during winter months.
UK-wise, York is extremely quaint, an old Roman city, with very quaint shops. London. Wales is beautiful. Edinburgh is beautiful.
You have such an amazing year coming up!
Oh, and how about Russia? St Petersburg or Moscow over Christmas....woahhhh! And a good time to go to Germany is the run up to Christmas, lots of Christmas markets, I think you'd enjoy those. :)
ReplyDeleteRead a few of the comments. I would also recommend Lofoten in Norway. I went a few years ago and it was spectacular. Also took a ship ride through the fjords above the arctic circle.
ReplyDeleteAs for scooters..... I have shipped a few from Italy. I have a friend who sells Lambretta parts and scooters and has a shipping company in Italy. Fb me if you are interested in the contact.
We shipped a pallet of stuff from England to WA state using a local (to London) shipping agency. It cost a HUGE amount of money and took several months (on a ship and then across country). I think it will be expensive any way you do it.
ReplyDeleteMy mom said she has heard that if you have a military connection, it costs less to ship to a Base.
*LOVE your blog!
jordan - i love your blog! you are amazingly creative and talented. AND i love - that y'all are moving to france!
ReplyDeletesome of my favorite places in france - cassis (coastal town near marseilles) & sarlat! what a beautiful adventure!! *croatia is also pretty gorgeous.
It's been ages since I've been there, but I loved Hamburg, Vienna, Dresden, anything along the Mosel River in Germany and Luxumbourg (heavy on the German speaking places, but that's what I know).
ReplyDeleteConsider contacting Tina?? at travelingmama.net... seems they do much international travel, US as home base. Crates and shipping have been discussed there.
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I spent 4 months in the south of France two years ago and the Luberon area was by far my favorite. There is the cutest little B&B near Lacoste that is just perfect. Here are a few of our pics...
ReplyDeletehttp://livehsm.blogspot.com/2008/07/room-with-view.html
We also loved Amsterdam, Barcelona, Cadaques in Spain, Macroom and the Ring of Kerry in Ireland, Mont St. Michel in northern France and of course Montpellier, where we spent most of our time with my family.
so many good suggestions but i'm surprised no one has suggested cortona (tuscany) and antibes (french riveria). i just came back from a europe trip and realized that as much as i love florence and paris, it's the quaint little towns with charm that i love. wished i could have made it to provence, but you know. the french were striking.
ReplyDeleteIt's not exactly "off the beaten path", but I loved champagne tasting in Reims. It's only a short train ride from Paris.
ReplyDelete"De Parade" in the Netherlands is a fantastic theater festival to attend. Also when they light the candles in the castle and the gardens on summer evenings at Vaux-le-Vicomte is a poetic experience.
ReplyDeleteSo many wonderful places to visit once in Europe!
ReplyDeleteThe Netherlands is an amazing country. Most people just think of going for Amsterdam, but The Hague is a wonderful city full of interesting government and administration buildings, as well as Leiden, which has a ton of beautiful canals and is very student-y in a good way.
Other than that I'd suggest Malta as it's a beautiful tiny island that is well worth visiting. Rent a car and you can drive around the whole island in a matter of hours. :)
Ballyvaugan in Ireland is awesome.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ballyvaughanireland.com/index.html
It's a really cute small village surrounded by the most unbelievable natural beauty. You can get most places on a rented bike. There's the Cliffs of Moher, Galway Bay, caves, dolmen and a fantastic art school in an actual castle.
I just read all your comments. We've been to a ton of places recommended. Here's the secret: follow rick steves. He's nerdy but also writes the only travel books that are thoroughly researched. Hallstatt, Brugges, Gimmelwald, Cesky Krumlav, the small towns in France... -ALL these places are his "must sees".
ReplyDeleteAlso, use Ryan Air for flights. We flew from Dublin to Brussels for $30. No frills but so super cheap.
If you need more suggestions or need help planning, you know where to find me. You are freaking going to love your year in Paris.
I didn't read through the comments so I'm not sure if this has been suggested or not, but I spent 3 weeks in Morocco. Mostly in Rabat. But I highly suggest taking a camel trek in the Sahara Dessert and also this little town called Assilah. Its absolutely beautiful .
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to venture away from Western Europe, I recommend Croatia! Dubrovnik is a great seaside town, with many beaches and vineyards within driving distance. Orebic- about 1.5 hours north- is stunning. You can also take day trips into Bosnia and Montenegro (visit Perast if you head to Montenegro).
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful time on your European adventure!
..BERLIN....young, creative, full of history and insane fleamarkets.
ReplyDeleteWe are getting ready to move back to Europe from SF in January ourselves! My husband is from Paris though which makes it all much easier...
I will be checking out your parisian posts! Good luck.
Well - I live in the UK, and I've travelled all over Europe and these cities are pretty cool... Paris, Marseilles, Amsterdam, Copenhagan, Malmo, Stockholm, Barcelona, Naples, Granada.... and of course London!
ReplyDeleteBut my favourite European city? Berlin, by about a million miles. There is SO much vintage on sale there - loads of cool little boutiques, DIY designed stuff everywhere, and some truly incredible flea markets (the one in Prenzlauerberg on a Sunday will blow your mind - it's enormous and I've never seen so much cheap vintage furniture anywhere). My boyfriend and I have decided when we buy a house we're going to rent a van, drive over to berlin, buy a load of vintage furniture and drive it back to the UK. You can bet it'd be cheaper than buying it here!
If you're coming to the UK, definitely visit London - also Bath and York are two really lovely little old-school cities (cobbled streets etc).
have fun!
I visited Copenhagen last fall and my life has forever changed. I would move there tomorrow if I could. I highly advise you visit.
ReplyDeleteCiao!
ReplyDeleteI'm a reader from Italy! Yuo must absolutely come here! ti aspetto! If you need some informations email me (rossarc@libero.it)! I leave in the north, near Milan!
baci
Rossana
Hi!
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I are Americans (from Oakland) that just recently moved to London. We're both graphic designers and love vintage shopping. If you ever venture to London (just 2 hours from the Chunnel) Check out this girl's blog (under guides): http://thisisnaive.com/ - She documents amazing finds and takes cute pictures. Good luck on your venture!
Mily
I know it's been mentioned before but Amsterdam is a really beautiful city and it's easy to get away from the main tourist areas. The Dutch are all about vintage and reuse of furniture and in Amsterdam there's the adorable district of the Jordaan (made up off little restaurants, vintage stores and the historic buildings and canals)that you should definitely visit.
ReplyDeleteOn the 30th of April the Netherlands celebrates the Queen's birthday which is reason for massive parties during the day at the many squares of Amsterdam with live music and drinks everywhere.
The streets of Amsterdam turn into markets with food and 'antiques' and the Vondelpark (Amsterdam's Central Park) is one massive fleamarket. Beware though, it gets busy with Queensday and you will have to wear something orange.
Each year at the beginning of November there's the Museumnacht (Museumnight) when all the Museums in Amsterdam are open at night. There are many special programs at each of the museums and you just buy one ticket to get into all of them. It's more of a local thing so I don't know if there would be much info in English.
Gent is a beautiful city in Belgium that doesn't get that much tourism.
i lived in Prague for awhile and LOVED it and i recommend it to anyone and everyone, but i would avoid it in the summer, since it gets too hot and more touristy. also - definately check out Kutná Hora and visit Sedlec Ossuary (the bone church)...and Český Krumlov - a little mini-Prague.
ReplyDeleteI'm also deeply in love with Florence and Venice!...and Cinque Terre....!
When we lived in Paris, one week we went doen to Vezelay. We went in February and there was no one there. It was awesome. There is a beautiful cathedral there with a candy striped ceiling. Behind the cathedral were little hobbit like homes. We ate the most delicious French onion soup in a little house/restaurant while we there. Loved.
ReplyDeleteOn our way back to Paris we stopped in Noyers, a small medieval town east of the A6. There were zero tourists and not that many people, so we were able to wander around looking at ancient homes and buildings. It was so beautiful. I highly reccomend it and it is close to Paris.
I also loved Luxembourg. Not a lot of Americans go there for vacation, but truly it is a beautiful. We went to Vianden, an intact castle there and wandered around the town of Vianden. We stayed in a hotel where Victor Hugo had stayed and had arguably one of the best European breakfasts we have ever had. There was even a little house that looked like a Smurf house. Again, we visited in November, but it was beautiful and there were no tourists.
We also went ice skating at a rink in Lux and it was just us and allthe Luxembourgish kids. THe most fun ever. The scenery was beautiful, I felt like I was in a movie. The Grund, an area in Luxembourg City is beautiful as well.
Finally, Bury St Edmonds, a town northesat of London, was another beautiful place. There is an abbey there that is beautiful. My husband doesn't love England, but he LOVED Bury St Edmonds. We were surrounded by British school children everywhere and never saw a tourist. Again, this was in March.
If you have any questions about places to stay, car rentals, etc, email me. We have traveled a fair amount and we have two small children as well. We currently live in Turkey and have seen some French people visiting the beaches here, so be sure to add Turkey to your list! My email is mzirks9[at]yahoo[dot]com. Good luck and have so much fun!
Oh, you need to go to Midnight Mass in Notre Dame on Christmas Eve, if you are there. Must see. Just saying. We are heading to Salzburg for Christmas this year, so I'll let you know if it is worth it.
ReplyDeleteI am a Canadian, currently living in Paris and I just spent the weekend in Krakow, Poland, and it was amazing. Amazingly cheap, beautiful and of course there's so much history. I would highly recommend it!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletelet me know when you arrive in paris! i live here and would love to meet you sometime!
ReplyDeletebisous,
katie beth
Sarah Anderson shops in Paris at least once per year. You could probably get info from her, or even share a container with her, depending on how much you wind up buying.
ReplyDeleteParis - once there I am not sure you'd want to leave! It's one of my favourite cities - visited many times - think homemade marshmallows from Au Pain du Sucre or beautiful buttons and ribbons from Entree des Fournisseurs.....just wandering the streets is amazing. I've got a lot of posts about Paris on my blog.
ReplyDeleteBut if leave you must, then beautiful places include Copenhagen (amazing shops and design and a beautiful cosy feel), try Edinburgh for a little touch of Scotland (fly with Easyjet), Amsterdam and other towns in the Netherlands are beautiful and great for wandering. Northern Spain - start in Santander and drive along the coast to Bilbao from Gehry's amazing Guggenheim and on to the beautiful villages on the coast - Ribadesella, Llanes, Oviedo. Or to Italy for the Cinqueterra on the northern coast, the villages of Tuscany, Orvieto - gosh there are too many places......Aachen in Germany for the amazing cathedral and if staying long enough, the Christmas markets...
Budapest is a pretty amazing city. And there are some great flea markets - the textiles are OUT OF THIS WORLD, especially ones from Transylvania. (Seriously.) And I second (third? Fourth?) Croatia.
ReplyDeleteWe just finished a trip around europe for 3.5 months and if you really want to get off the beaten track, i highly recommend eastern europe - particularly the black sea coast in bulgaria and also macedonia and montenegro. Croatia is also beautiful but much more touristy. Southern Spain is also amazing, especially if you love food - definitely make sure you visit Granada & Seville if you are heading down there. Loads more info on our little travel blog from the trip, which is still being updated www.bumblebeetakeseurope.com
ReplyDeletewell u asked for it, and I see that anyone who has experienced this is dying to share. We lived in Switzerland for a few years (Basel and Lucerne), it seems as I browsed the comments that there are several readers who have lived or do live there. It was fantastic and I would not trade it for all the cartons of french furniture I could buy! A few of my favorite little places- some are not-so-off-the-beaten-path but totally worth doing:
ReplyDelete•Colmar France (Alsace Region)
•Lucern Switzerland
•Lauterbrunnen Switzerland
•Zermat Switzerland
•San Margharita & Portifino Italy
•ANY where in Provance was great!
• drove around Tuscany and Chianti regions of Italy.Towns are accurately described in guild books but the country side was soooo undescribably beautiful.