After almost 19 months staying local and taking the occasional domestic trip as safely as possible, I boarded an international flight and spent a week in Europe. And it was GLORIOUS.

First, let me rewind…

A few months ago, JetBlue had a sale to London since it was just starting its New York to London route, and at the time it was fully refundable to book, so I figured it couldn’t hurt to book the flight. Long story short, after months of watching the COVID situation in the UK and tracking entry requirements for Americans, I ultimately decided not to go to the UK. As much as I would’ve LOVED to go to London, the combination of uncomfortably high cases and frequent testing felt both like a hassle and like maybe their measures weren’t working?

All this to say, I canceled my London flight but had the week off from work and knew I wanted a proper vacation abroad. After reviewing both the trend of COVID cases and entry requirements for various countries, I landed on visiting Madrid for the very first time, where a good friend of mine lives, and Paris, which was a city I know well and where I wanted to end my trip abroad.

It was so good. So, so good.

I left Europe feeling immense gratitude and the hunger to travel abroad again (of course).

I felt rusty and actually had to remember where I even kept my passport after not using it for 19 months and having moved recently (don’t worry, I found it). Anyway, once I got going, it was like slipping back into a comfortable pair of shoes AND like traveling for the first time again - the feeling of being in a new place and discovering its essence combined with the feeling of being in a place you’ve been many times but seeing it through much more appreciative eyes. I left Europe feeling immense gratitude and the hunger to travel abroad again (of course).

Some highlights from my trip:

Spain

My bike tour around Madrid - I love cycling, and what better way to explore a new city than a bike tour? It was also a beautiful afternoon in Madrid, and the bike tour gave me a comprehensive tour of the highlights of Madrid, including Retiro Park, Almudena Cathedral, San Miguel market, and Plaza Mayor.

Wandering the Salamanca neighborhood - One morning I met up with my friend for coffee/chai tea at the very cute cafe and record store, Faraday, followed by wandering around the beautiful area of Salamanca. I loved the quiet, beautiful, tree-lined streets. I also later returned to the area to have a delicious lunch of Spanish tortilla at Casa Dani.

My day trip to Toledo - This was a last-minute decision after a wine tour I’d been eyeing became unavailable. And to be honest, I’m really glad I did this tour. Even though Viator says it’s five hours, it ended up being from 9am-5pm, which worked out better since the tour gives you time to explore the City of the Three Cultures (where Christians, Muslims and Jews all once cohabitated). I also had an incredible lunch of ham and cheese croquettes, octopus and Spanish Chardonnay at La Cábala Taberna-Restaurante.

An afternoon at the CaixaForum Madrid- One of the unusual but amazing things about my time in Madrid is that I went there with only one confirmed plan - to see my friend for dinner and drinks my first night. Everything else was a relatively spur-of-the-moment decision (not my usual style but it worked out so well), including my visit to the CaixaForum Madrid, which I passed during my bike tour. This museum and cultural center had one of my favorite exhibits ever - La Imagen Humana, a thought-provoking exhibition on the human body as art, identity and symbolism. I loved it, loved it, loved it.

The final sunset - During my final afternoon in Madrid, I knew I had to see the sunset from one of the city’s many terraces. It’s the perfect way to end a beautiful day in Madrid, and I was admittedly feeling a little fancy, so I made my way first to the rooftop bar at the Four Seasons Madrid, which has a stunning view of the city as the sun slowly disappeared from the sky. I then met my friend on the rooftop of The Principal Madrid Hotel for a final nightcap and the perfect sendoff to Paris.

France

My first meals in Paris - I’ll be honest, Paris and I got off to a little bit of a rough start: I vastly overpaid for a “rapid” PCR test that I didn’t need (and wasn’t even rapid), I couldn’t find my Uber driver at the airport for way too long though he somehow miraculously stayed and there was no waiting fee, and a restaurant that I had read about and contacted not one or two but THREE times via email and Instagram more than a week in advance (hello, Mokonuts) told me they didn’t have space for one when I chanced going there on a Thursday for lunch (and by this point I was borderline hangry). Luckily, things went up from there and I ended up having a simple but great lunch at La Cuillère, and an even better dinner with one of my colleagues in Paris who took me to one of her favorite neighborhood brasseries, La Maison. C’était parfait!

My day trip to Champagne - I considered doing a standalone blog post on my Champagne day trip because I just loved it sooooo much! But then I got lazy and decided to just squeeze in how much I loved this day right here. After my initial tour was canceled due to a positive COVID case, I booked what was ultimately a semi-private tour with four others and myself. On what was an absolutely perfect fall day, we visited Moët et Chandon and got a tour of their vast cellar and then enjoyed a birthday bottle of champagne with stunning views of the Champagne region for one of the women on the tour who was celebrating her birthday in the best possible way (in my humble opinion). After we finished the birthday bottle and had a mini photoshoot in the vineyards, we enjoyed a relaxing lunch (with many tastings) at a small, family-owned Champagne house called Julien Chopin, and ended the day at a cooperative called Dom Caudron. This was simply one of those days I will always treasure and never, ever forget.

My incredible dinner at L’Ami Jean - Anyone who’s a true foodie knows the feeling of when you know you’re about to have a really good meal. You know what I’m talking about! When the bread comes out and you know just from the bread alone that you’re in for the most delicious ride. The giddiness is real. That’s how I felt at L’Ami Jean, where a friend and I had dinner on my last night in Paris. The complimentary glass of wine while we waited for our table, followed by the bread with the salted butter and the unbelievable fricassee chanterelle mushroom appetizer made it clear that this.was.going.to.be.a.MEAL! For our entrees, my friend and I shared the roasted pig and veal confit, which came with hearty root vegetables and the creamiest mashed potatoes that have ever existed. We then ended the dinner with their famous rice pudding, which just tipped me right over the edge into Happily Full Land. It was just…perfection!

My epic 36,000-step day around Paris - It’s safe to say that my last full day in Paris (same day as my dinner at L’Ami Jean) was one of the best days I’ve ever had and was the day I fell head over heels in love with Paris again. You see, even though I’d been to Paris numerous times over the years, I felt like my love of Paris had become eclipsed by my love of London. But now… I can no longer say with certainty which city I love more. Paris is back to being one of my favorite places in the world and this particular trip completely sealed it for me. I walked and walked and walked until my feet started to hurt and I shuffled my way back to my hotel with a full heart and some great shopping finds. I saw friends and sat in parks and ate macarons and watched the Eiffel Tower twinkle at midnight and took pictures of whatever caught my eye. It was just the best.

And now for some more favorite photos from my European travels:

Hoping for an early 2022 return to Europe. Until next time…