Well, I didn’t intend to take a mini blogging break, but I guess I got swept up in the romance of summer in Europe. Instead of words and editing photos, my thoughts are of ice cream cones and cobbestone streets and outdoor cafes. I’m finding it hard to focus on blogging tasks when the weather is so beautiful and the town looks like a fairytale and there’s so much ice cream to be had. Whereas Asia made me want to stay indoors in the AC and create, Europe makes me want to explore and indulge in a carefree summer.
I may be getting ahead of myself! In case you haven’t been following on Facebook or Instagram, we arrived in Europe a little over a week ago! But let’s rewind back to the beginning of the month. And what a hell of a month it has been! June has shaped up to be one of the most active months we’ve had in quite a while. This is going to be a long one!
June 1 – 12: Shanghai, China
We started off June in Shanghai, where we continued our one-month stay. Shanghai has been one of my favorite cities ever.
I think if Asia is a completely new territory to you, then Shanghai is a great starting point. It’s one of the most international cities I’ve ever been to, and yet still retains the distinctive Asian feel in many areas. Almost anything is possible in Shanghai. There are super trendy and expensive dining options for a glamorous outing, but also dirt cheap hole-in-the-wall eateries where a meal will only set you back a couple of bucks. There’s truly something for everyone.
Exploring-wise, we didn’t do too much, but finally on our last weekend in the city, we took a trip to Wuhu, where my dad’s side of the family lives. Originally, we thought that we may stay for one night, just long enough to greet the family, but we ended up staying for three. I have already written about most of our Wuhu trip (including the best xiaolongbao I’ve ever had!), but I have yet to share the most memorable activity (and the reason for extending our stay). If you’re following me on Instagram, I already gave a sneak-peek!
I received the professional pictures about a week ago, and I cannot wait to share them on this blog!
June 12 – 14: Shantou + Chaozhou, China
We made a quick 2 night stop in Shantou, a tiny city in Southern China, for the sole purpose of meeting D’s overseas contractors. This little side trip cost us quite a bit extra (as the flights in & out of it weren’t cheap), but we both felt that visiting them was the right thing to do. We weren’t too sure what to expect out of the weekend. We thought we’d just get in, have a meal together, and get out. Instead, we experienced a weekend of good sightseeing, good local food, and even better company.
If anything, these 2 months of traveling in China has taught me how absolutely amazing Chinese hospitality is. We were blown away by their generosity. Not only did they treat us to both lunch and dinner, they escorted us around Chaozhou (and it was incredibly hot + humid that day, I might add!) so that we could see the historical sites. It makes my heart swell with joy to remember.
I’m excited to write about Chaozhou and introduce you guys to this cute little town! I feel like that this is definitely somewhere not often visited by travelers to China.
And with that, we ended our 2 months in mainland China. Next up:
June 14 – 23: Hong Kong
On our way to Thailand back in October, we had a long layover in Hong Kong and we took the opportunity to explore the city for a few hours. I must admit that I didn’t really like Hong Kong then. I was a Southeast Asia virgin at that point and Hong Kong seemed chaotic and dirty (and the huge cockroaches freaked me out).
This time, with several months of travel through Asia under my belt, I was able to see Hong Kong through new, more experienced eyes. At first, I didn’t love it still, but with every passing day, the city grew on me more and more. And by the end, I had fallen in love with the chaos.
I think there’s not another place quite like Hong Kong. My first impression of the city was that everyone lives on top of each other. City blocks are just crammed full with residential skyscrapers, each one with hundreds of units stacked together like Lego blocks. And indeed, Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated cities in the world!
So, one of the biggest reasons for coming here is definitely food related (what else is new?). While I’m not too crazy about it, D is a huge fan of Cantonese cuisine and was set on converting me into a lover.
Did I like it? I love the roast meats and noodles (and the milk tea!), but I found myself desperately missing the punchy flavors of mainland Chinese cuisine. :P
After Hong Kong, we finally said goodbye to Asia after a long eight months here and flew to…
June 23 – 30: Warsaw, Poland
Back in September, I wrote a post 5 Destinations to Revisit, and I listed Warsaw as one of them. I never imagined that I would actually get to revisit one of them so soon!
Of course when we decided to spend the summer in Europe, we had to put Warsaw on the itinerary to see D’s Polish side of the family. And it also helps that we get to stay in a large beautiful restored mansion when we visit! We stayed here for a week, slowly recovering from jetlag, spending time with his family, playing with dogs, and enjoying home cooked meals. Not gonna lie… it was hard to leave.
But it’s okay because next, we were going to Wroclaw, one of my favorite cities in the world!
What’s going on in July
I’m absolutely delighted to be back here in Wroclaw. We’ve already eaten at Pierogarnia a few times, but this time, we’re making a point to try different restaurants. :)
Next, we’re making a quick 2-night stop in Krakow before flying to Lyon, France, where we will settle down for the next four weeks. I’m so excited to visit the gastronomical capital of France!
Doing this re-cap is only serving to remind me how behind I am with blogging. There’s SO much I want to share. I really hate when too much time has passed between the event and the post. (Ideally, I’d love to be able to post everyday, but I know that will never happen). Well, I hear that the temperature is dreadfully hot in Lyon (into the 100F’s!), so perhaps I will be spending more time indoors, and soon it will be back to regular posts. :)
How was your June? What are your plans for July?
Oh! And if you’re in the U.S., Happy 4th of July!
I’m so happy you’re enjoying Poland again! Wonderful! What made you two decide Lyon for a month? (maybe the food?)
Yep!! We chose Lyon purely because it’s considered the gastronomical capital of France! I didn’t really get to eat french food last time in Paris so I’m super excited to eat a ton of french food!
Really love your re-caps :) And excited to hear lots about your time in Lyon… eagerly awaiting all of those food posts ;)
I hope to have tons and tons of good food in Lyon! So excited! But I still have A LOT of Asian food I haven’t gotten around to writing about!!
I’m going to miss your Asian posts, but I’m excited to see what you all get up to in Europe! (Hope the sticker shock isn’t too overwhelming!)
Oh don’t worry, I’m so behind on blogging that I’m not even halfway through with everything I want to write about Asia!
Since we’re just in poland right now, the prices are pretty low (similar to prices in China), but I think when we get to France, it’ll be a huge shock!
I love exploring Europe in the summer! Last month I spent a weekend in Cologne, and then 10 days in Greece for my birthday. July unfortunately is being spent cleaning, painting and decorating my flat in preparation for moving house, so I’m also falling behind with blogging as a result of that. There are simply never enough hours in the day! ;-)
Greece!! It must have been amazing! I’ve been neglecting my Instagram feed too so I’ll have to check out your pictures!
Ugh moving houses is seriously the worst. I hope the new place you’re moving to is an improvement though!
What a recap – I’m in awe that you find any time to blog with all your travels! I’m looking forward to reading your thoughts on Lyon! If you have time, you won’t be too far from Annecy, a super cure French town right on a lake, surrounded by mountains. Who knows, maybe it will be a little cooler there? And are you going to be in Paris at all at the end of July? Turns out we can’t stay away for too long and will be there at the end of the month to go to a friend’s wedding :-)
Ahh that’s awesome!! I can’t believe that you’re coming back to Paris *already*, lol! How long are you staying?? We already have plans to go to Paris on August 5th (already bought the tickets). Will you still be there??
Aww that is too bad – we’ll just miss each other. We leave on Aug 3rd. It’s a short little trip that worked out last minute. Hope you have a wonderful time in Paris!!
Oh man, so close! We’re going up to Paris to meet up with D’s uncle + his family, and then flying out the next day to Italy, so it’s just a really short trip too. Have a great time in Paris too!!
WHOA. i love the headpieces on your traditional Chinese costume photos. you look all kinds of awesome. =) now which one is the ‘fox spirit legend’? =)
I know! How awesome are the traditional costumes?! The fox spirit is the first one, but I’m not sure what the legend is!
Everything about your travels is awesome! x
I feel so super lucky to be able to travel like this! Thanks for reading, Amanda! x
I really want to read more of your most memorable activity in Wuhu!
I’ll write about it and share the pics soon!
What an awesome month you had :) So cool that you got the chance to revisit one of your favorite places ever!!
Yeah! We always wonder if we should go somewhere new or go back to somewhere we loved. I actually really like going back to a place we loved. It’s almost like going home!
Wow, what an awesome June! I bet that week of recovery in Warsaw was super nice. Can’t wait to hear about France!
It was so nice to be at the mansion for a week again with home cooked meals! I don’t think I’ll get around to France for a long long time. I just keep on getting more and more behind!
I’m forever trying to keep up with my life on the blog, sometimes I do well, but mostly, I’m at least a month behind if not more as evidenced by the Amsterdam post I wrote for today…
So much food! And I can’t wait to here all about your stay in Warsaw – before September, OK?! ;)
Hehe I noticed when I saw you finally wrote about amsterdam ;). The time just goes by too fast!
Don’t hold your breath on warsaw. We really didn’t do much except for some family gatherings and relaxing. We did go to the Chopin house though, which is a ways out of the city, so I’m not sure if that’s really a worthwhile trip if you only have a few days (unless you’re a HUGE Chopin fan).
Ah, can’t wait to read all the detailed posts about your trips in June! :) I really want to go to China now… just for the food! Looks amazing. My June included a trip to Arequipa, Peru… and if I ever get back into blogging, I’ll blog about it! July includes a trip to the Andes, and I can’t wait! Enjoy Poland!
Oooh I hope you blog about it so I can read about it!! And the Andes sound so fun! I never made it there. I hope you do get a chance to go China someday because it’s amazing!
Man oh man I love recaps — especially yours! It’s been fun to read about your time in Asia and I can’t wait to hear about Europe! :)
I still have A TON of stuff from Asia to talk about, so there will be more! Europe is really fun so far, as always. :)
You look gorgeous in those photos! Can’t wait to see the professional ones! Hope you’re having fun in Europe :)
Thanks Kelly! I’m excited to share the professional ones, if I ever get around to making a post, ha!