A glimpse into my 35-day EuroTrip with my love, via iPhone 5
May – June 2015
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| Alicante, Spain |
Beach time with my Neeks — Niko studied abroad for a semester in Alicante, where the beach was only a half mile walk from his apartment
Enjoying the sunset after hiking to the top of the Santa Bárbara Castle
100 Montaditos — one of our favorite inexpensive restaurants. 100 different sandwich options; 1 euro each! The sandwich on the left comprised sweet cookie bread stuffed with Oreos and cream!
Nighttime adventures on the rooftop of Niko’s friends’ apartment
Slurping down margarita pitchers — the restaurant gave us about a dozen straws to split between the two of us!
Sale and Pepe — another restaurant favorite. We loaded up on bruschetta, pizza and wine each time we went!
Fine dining on the top floor of a hotel overlooking Alicante with Niko and Wouter, one of Niko’s closest friends during his study abroad
Niko couldn’t leave Spain without cooking a traditional American breakfast for our Dutch and Irish friends! The meal included pancakes, eggs, bacon and mimosas
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| Palma, Majorca |
Our beautiful Airbnb — filled with artwork by the homeowner and a miniature spiral staircase leading to a cozy loft
Beautiful downtown Palma — almost every restaurant offered outdoor seating because the weather is so wonderful
Neek taking a snooze after a long day of traveling and walking
That WATER *heart eye emoji*
That MAN *heart eye emoji*
This was the most magical, fairytale-like vacation I’ve ever experienced. Majorca marked the first time I cried actual tears of happiness
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| Helsinki, Finland |
My love’s second home! This was the first time I met Niko’s extended family, who are incredibly kind and generous. In the photo above, we had drinks at a rooftop bar in central Helsinki with Niko’s cousin and her boyfriend
Sunset at 10 p.m. at the top of Torni Tower // The cutest couple, Milena (Niko’s cousin) and Matti, who we spent most of the week with
Boating on the lake right outside of Niko’s grandparents house
The Aarnio’s fabulous countryside home! Most of the furniture was designed by Eero Aarnio himself — Niko’s very talented and successful grandfather. Peep the Pony Chair.
Boat cruise for lunch in Helsinki
Suomenlinna — a sea fortress just a boat ride away from downtown Helsinki
Eating and making meals all week long
The famous Eero Aarnio Bubble Chair — one of my personal favorites 🙂
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| Callosa d’en Sarria, Spain |
Natural park with the most stunning pools and waterfalls, only a bus ride + a hike away from Alicante. Niko and I spent the day jumping off rock ledges into crystal water, swimming underneath waterfalls and basking in the sun atop cliffs and underneath blooming trees decorated with bright pink flowers
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| Brussels, Belgium |
We lucked out with a luxurious penthouse apartment Airbnb. When we arrived, our Airbnb host informed us that there was an issue with the kitchen sink. He compensated us with a bottle of wine and 50 euros, which was more than generous, and we had a splendid stay!
Brussels was our shortest stay, so we packed in lots of walking and exploring. One of our favorite things to do here was find a bench in a park and people-watch while sipping on wine
We of course had to visit Delirium, a famous bar in Belgium known for it’s wide selection of more than 2,000 beer brands! The extensive beer list is both remarkable and exhausting — especially if you’re indecisive
Sorry, PDA in a Belgian park!
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| Paris, France |
Shameless selfies with all of the major Parisian monuments
We acquired the cutest, tiniest penthouse apartment in central Paris for only 70 euros a night! From the window, you could see Sacré-Cœur Basilica in the distance, and that bright red couch transformed into a comfortable pull-out bed
One of the first things we did upon arrival in Paris was check out the local grocery store so that we could stock up on food. For dinner, we made a delicious chicken pesto pasta, and for brunch we had eggs, ham, brioche and mimosas! We kept the meals simple and delicious
The famous love lock bridge
Admiring the Eiffel Tower sparkle at nighttime
The Louvre museum — we waited 2+ hours in line in order to get in, but it was well worth it
Jardin du Luxembourg
Pure exhaust by the end of our trip — but I couldn’t have asked for a better travel partner and experience 🙂