Plinius Eurosummer has started!
Our summer plans and favorite places to visit.
The ‘Plinius Eurosummer’ has officially started.
Ellen kicked things off with a little week in Bologna, followed by a road trip through Le Marche, all the way down to the very, very South of Italy: Puglia, where she celebrated a wedding in one of our beloved cities, Nardò.
I kicked off my own Eurosummer in an extremely hot Paris, right in the middle of Fête de la Musique.
The coming months, we’ll be traveling through all kinds of places, mostly between Italy and France. Let’s share our plans!
Ellen’s Eurosummer:
Before heading to the South of Italy, Ellen spent a little week in Bologna. That was all about good food, tortellini, little gems, arcades, more tortellini and antique Hunting.
After a quick pit stop in Ascoli Piceno, a beautiful little city in Le Marche, they continued further south to Alberobello.
Alberobello is known for its trulli: be aware, this is a very special village but also a touristy place. But of course Ellen knows where to find the gems.
A tip: explore Alberobello early in the morning, before the crowds arrive. Start around Trullo Sovrano, the only two-story trullo in town and once a noble family's residence, and wander freely from there. Breakfast at Dulcis: https://www.instagram.com/dulcis_barpasticceria/
Ellen stayed at this gem: https://plinius-homes.com/en/collection/property/alberobello-puglia
And she also disovered this beautiful farm to table restaurant where she enjoyed a beautiful lunch: Trattoria Terre Madre
Next up on Ellen's travels: even further south to Nardò, a place we discovered a few years ago and keep returning to. After that, Ellen will travel back north, via Napoli, to Lucca, where she'll spend a month, dividing her time between the city and the Tuscan coast.
Shari’s Eurosummer
I started my Eurosummer in Paris. Days in Paris always evolve around food and art, and that was no different this time, where I saw the covered Pont Neuf and two beautifull exhibitions of Matisse and Calder. If you have Paris on your list, I would highly recommend going to these two exhibitions.
Foodwise, I had to try this new restaurant that @maragrimm claimed was one of the best new restaurants in Paris. If Mara, a Dutch food critic with an amazing newsletter (De Tafel van Grimm), says something like that, of course you have to check it out. It resulted in a cozy table full of Dutchies, which I thought was hilarious, but it also took away a bit of the fun of eating out in a small Parisian restaurant. Nevertheless, I'm happy I tried it, because Mara did not lie: the food, the meat (this place is actually a butcher), is really good!
And then there was a lot of dancing (Fête de la Musique) , there were long siësta’s, and many cold brews, there were classic bistro’s, croissants and another stretching lunch at Cafe du Coin.
I stayed at Château d’Eau, a hotel I’ve stayed at the last three times I’ve been in Paris because it’s so comfortable and, compared to other places, much more affordable. I really like the place and the neighborhood too.
July and August will mostly take place in and around Amsterdam, which I’m so excited about, because these are my favorite months in the city! (I never really share anything about Amsterdam, but let me know if you’d like that.) I’ll make a little birthday trip to Antwerp with my mum, and I’ll spend a long weekend in the South of France, at my boyfriend’s family house near St. Tropez. For my favorite places around there, check this article:
Beyond Saint-Tropez
Usually, we write about Italy—because of our beautiful holiday homes and our frequent visits. But what few of you may know is that both Ellen and I are big francophiles. Ellen actually lives in Provence, and I visit the area around Saint-Tropez at least once a year with my boyfriend, as his family has a home in La Croix-Valmer.
And then, when peak summer is over, my real Euro Indian summer starts, with trips to Liguria, Greece, Tuscany, and Lago Lugano.
Can’t wait for it!!!! And I’m also so curious where you’re all heading this summer, let us know in the comments <3
Next up here will be my Interrail series, from Turin to Provence and Marseille. We have a long Bologna article coming, and more on Puglia. What would you love to read first?
And one more thing: since we've been putting more time and love into this Substack lately, and want to build a real community of travellers around it, we'll be moving to a paid model soon. We'd also love to take the time to give more travel advice to our travel community. If you've enjoyed being here, we'd love for you to stay with us.
X Ellen and Shari