Bologna

Via dell’Independenzia

Much calmer than nearby tourist-driven cities, Bologna is a cultural focal point of the Emilia-Romanga region. While Bolognese sauce may be the most easily recognized export, the city also houses the oldest university in the world {founded in 1088}, beautifully-preserved medieval buildings, the headquarters of Lamborghini, and UNESCO City of Music venues. These images bring me back to the serene atmosphere of a recent trip.

Piazza del Nettuno

Near via Clavature

Here are some of my favorite spots.

Sights

~Piazza del Nettuno for the massive bronze fountain
~Palazzo Communale for the seat of government affairs
~Bologna Cathedral for its stunning baroque interior

Shops

~Strada Maggiore for antiques
~Via dell’Independenzia for the main arcaded thoroughfare
~Via dell’Archiginnasio for jewelry

Eats

~Atti for gourmet foodie gifts, Via Caprarie 7
~Ceccarelli for aged balsamic vinegar, Via Pescherie Vecchie 8
~Mercato di Mezzo for an outdoor market, via Drapperie and Via Clavature

Market Day

Mercato Centrale

Outside the Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella

View from the Ponte Vecchio

Silk geometric blouse from the Prada outlet

If you have the time to spend the day taking the train 45 minutes from Florence to a nondescript building marked “Space” in the small town of Montevarchi, the payoff of shopping at the massive Prada outlet is worth the effort. From the Montevarchi train station, just ask a taxi driver to take you to the Prada outlet; it’s only about a 10-minute drive. You will be overwhelmed with last season’s lambskin leather handbags, silk printed blouses, jewel-toned patent sandals-need I go on.

Inside the city, there's an abundance of markets and shops. My favorites are the Mercato Centrale for Alimentari olive oil from the Baroni family and the Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella for magnolia lotion made by Dominican monks. Here are some of my other picks.

Florence Markets
~Mercato Centrale for a wealth of foodstuffs and perfect gifts for foodies
~Mercato Cascine for pottery {Tuesdays only}
~Mercato di San Lorenzo for leather goods

Florence Shops
~Ditta Luca della Robbia for hand-painted pottery, Via del Proconsolo 19r
~Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella for lotions, perfumes, and soap, Via della Scala 16
~Raspini for Italian designers, Via Roma 25r
~Ponte Vecchio for glimmering windows of gold and cameos
~Via de’Tornabuoni for luxe designers

Grand Bazaar

Geometric tiles from the Grand Bazaar

An endless maze of stalls selling pottery, gold jewelry, hanging candle lanterns, silk scarves, and rugs, Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar was a great place to spend afternoons wandering. Just don’t stop too long at a stall or you will be bombarded with requests to look at the shop’s wares! My favorite find was a set of geometric tiles. When we returned home, I mounted and framed them with an aged gold frame.

Entrance to the Grand Bazaar

Grand Bazaar, photo from here

Spice Bazaar

And I couldn't pass up the Spice Bazaar, a smaller vaulted building. While still crowded, the Spice Bazaar was a trove of spices, teas, dried fruits, and nuts.

Mauerpark Flea Market

Patterned blankets

Berlin is a sprawling metropolitan city, with interesting boroughs, lively restaurants, and an intense history. While the museum district was arranged with orderly buildings and tree-lined streets, the Mauerpark Flea Market was a winding path of mismatched stalls. This is a flea market in true form, with boxes of junk or treasure, all up to the eyes of the viewer. It was exactly what I love in a flea market, you never know what you’re going to find.

Costume jewelry

Boots

Luggage and antlers, a great pair

Prague

Trek up to the Prague Castle, Nerudova

A four-hour train trip from our new home, Prague’s aura of mixed architecture, traditional cafes, and beautiful bridges was a stark contrast to our recent Bavarian outings. Our weekend was filled with wandering through the cobblestone streets, eating local cuisine of beef goulash and dumplings, and finding the perfect crystal decanter. We took a midday respite in the Grand Café Orient, a Cubist building true to form with abstract angles and intersecting lines.

Winding streets under the Charles Bridge

View of the Tyn Church from the Old Town Square

Grand Café Orient, Ovocny trh 19

Prague Sights, Shops, Eats, and Sweets

Sights

~Vaclavske Namesti: Wenceslas Square

~Karlov Must: Charles Bridge

~Narodni Divadlo: National Theater

~Prazsky Hrad: Prague Castle

Shops

~Moser for beautiful glassware, Staroměstské Náměstí 15

~Pařížská třída for Prada and Valentino window shopping

~Pražská Tržnice-Holešovice for flea market finds, Bubenské nábřezi

Eats

~Café Savoy for a sophisticated lunch, Vítězná 5

~Grand Café Orient for crepes and champagne, Ovocný trh 19

~U Maleho Glena for Pilsners, live jazz, and hearty meals, Karmelitska 23

~U Mecenase for traditional Czech food, Malostranske namesti 10

Sweets

~Bakeshop for spinach quiche and carrot cake, Kozi 1

~Bohemia Bagel for a huge poppy bagel with cream cheese, Lázenská 19

~Hajek & Bousova for honey cake, Vodickova 39

Chocolat

While a St. Honoré or millefeuille are my standard favorite sweets, I’ll never pass up good chocolate. In Bruges’ chocolate shops, I loved to peek behind the counters to see chocolatiers pouring chocolates into molds. Dumon and Pralinette won me over with their traditional caramel and praline-filled confections. For exotic fusions, The Chocolate Line’s flavors included dark chocolate with ginger and caramel ganache with Cabernet Sauvignon and pine nuts.

Dumon, 6 Eiermarkt

The Chocolate Line, 19 Simon Stevinplein

Bruges

Bell Tower, Markt

Bruges might be one of my favorite European cities. With winding cobblestone roads, narrow canals, and chocolatiers on every block, it makes for the perfect fairytale town. Amidst the grandeur of the Markt, it is easy to imagine its former self, a jousting arena.

Canals, Groenerei

Former Court of Justice, Burg

Iron Door Detail

Other Bruges Sights and Shops

Sights

~Basiliek van het Heilig-Bloed for ancient relics, 15 Burg

~Church of Our Lady for Michaelangelo’s Madonna and Child, Vrouwekerkhof Zuid

~Sint-Janshuis for a historical windmill

~Minnewater for lake swans in a picturesque park

Shops

~Bier Tempel for the world’s best beers, 7 Phillipstockstraat

~Deldycke for specialty foods, 23 Wollestraat

~Dille & Kamille for inexpensive homegoods, 18 Simon Stevinplein

~Maison Pickery for handmade lace, 8 Briedelstraat

Brussels

Jardin d’Egmont

Coat: Marc by Marc Jacobs

Scarf: 12th Street by Cynthia Vincent

Boots: Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti

Handbag: Chloé

Brussels was a bustling mix of French and Dutch influences, from the triumphal arch to the Flemish townhomes or Art Nouveau districts. I loved the formalism, especially the impeccable Jardin d’Egmont or glass-roofed arcades in the Galeries Saint Hubert. Although it was a cold February weekend, it didn’t stop me from spending hours exploring the city.

Arc de Triomphe, Parc du Cinquantenaire

Roof Detail, Grand Place

Galeries Saint Hubert

Other Brussels Sights and Shops

Sights

~Cathedrale St. Michael and St. Gudula for a church modeled after Notre Dame

~L’Ilot Sacre to wander through the medieval streets

~Palais Royal to view the Dutch King’s palace

Shops

~Chine for silk dresses, 82 avenue Louise

~Marrolles for flea market finds, place du Jeu de Belle

~Mary for chocolates, 73 rue Royale

~Mmmh! for gourmet food and kitchenwares, 92 Chaussée de Charleroi

~Modes for vintage, 164 rue Blaes

~Place du Grand Sablon for a mix of specialty shops and cafés

Naschmarkt

Mangos, papayas, and dragon fruit

The Naschmarkt is Vienna’s outdoor food market and a visual feast. Stalls offer exotic fruits and vegetables, a wooden barrel filled with sauerkraut, and tulips in every color. The bazaar-like atmosphere also showcases an eclectic mingling of influences, from Persian caviar to French oysters.

Sauerkraut

Brioche and whole-grain baguettes

Roasted pork "knuckles"

Tulips

Sales in France

Regulated by old merchant laws, sales in France occur twice per year {January and June}. This year, most January sales start today. I’ll be heading to Strasbourg this weekend to search for some Sandro and Claudie Pierlot pieces.

La Petite France

Petite France, rue des Moulins, Strasbourg

Blouse: Yves Saint Laurent

Skirt: self-made

Shoes: Repetto

Handbag: Chloé

Strasbourg is a charming town just inside France near the border of Germany. Its Alsatian character blends both French and German culture. In the “Petite France” district, I love to stroll along the bridges spanning the picturesque canals. Then, I usually pop over to one of my favorite restaurants, La Cloche à Fromage, for fondue. After, I head to Les Frères Berthom across the walkway for a Trappistes Rochefort 10 beer. Of course, French pâtisseries from Naegel, filled with everything from light Chantilly cream to decadent salted caramel, are never left out.

Canals, quai des Bateliers

Cathédrale Notre Dame, place de la Cathédrale

La Cloche à Fromage, 32 rue des Tonneliers

Les Frères Berthom, 18 rue des Tonneliers

Naegel {paris brest, millefeuille, caramel macaron, religieuse}, 9 rue des Orfèvres

Other Strasbourg Sights, Shops, and Eats:

Sights

~Cathédrale Notre Dame for a towering view, place de la Cathédrale

~Palais Rohan for museum browsing, 2 place du Château

~Parc de l'Orangerie for an afternoon picnic, avenue de l'Europe

Shops

~Annick Goutal for perfume, 12 rue des Hallebardes

~Flea Market for antique treasures, Wed and Sat 9am-6pm, rue du Vieil Hopital

~Printemps for Sandro and Claudie Pierlot, 1 rue de la Haute Montée

Eats

~Christian for mont blancs and pain au chocolat, 10 rue Merciere

~Jeff de Bruges for chocolates, 19 rue des Orfèvres

~L’Epicerie for lunch, 6 rue du Vieux-Seigle

~Le Tire Bouchon for Alsatian specialties, 5 rue des tailleurs de Pierre

Pearl of the Adriatic

Stara Luka {old harbor outside city walls}, Gradska luka

Tank: Tory Burch

Although I enjoy the storybook winter months that drape Germany’s historic towns in white, sometimes I dream of the mild year-round climate back in California. For a much shorter trek, in September I took a trip to Dubrovnik, Croatia. The weather was still warm, but the summer tourists had left. Carved into the hills, the picturesque Stari Grad {Old City} is filled with stone buildings, tile roofs, and cypress trees. Outside the city walls, my favorite beach was Sveti Jakov, reached by climbing down the steep hillside overlooking the old city.

Franciscan Monastery, Placa 2

Rector’s Palace, Pred Dvorom 3

Seafood platter at Arsenal, Pred Dvorom 1

Other Dubrovnik sights, shops, and eats:

~Assumption Cathedral for ancient relics, Kneza Damjana Jude 1

~City Walls for panoramic views, accessed next to the Pile Gate

~Onofrio’s Fountain for a unique snapshot, Placa

~Daily Farmer’s Market for arancini {candied orange peel}, mijenduli {candied almonds}, and smokva {dried figs}, Gunduliceva Poljana

~Maria for women’s fashion, Sv. Dominika

~Café Festival for espresso and ragtime piano music, Placa 28

~Lokanda Peskarija for buckets of fried calamari, Na Ponti

~Niko for burek {savory puff pastry with spinach and ricotta filling} and krempita {custard cream cake}, Prijeko

To Market, To Market

Saint-Ouen may be the largest flea market in Paris, but I prefer the intimate atmosphere of the Porte de Vanves flea market. The two streets that make up this market are lined with vendors selling mainly small wares, from ink pen etchings to porcelain and linens. My favorite was a stall selling beautiful vintage containers and ephemera. Pharmacy boxes, candy tins, bakery glassine bags, sewing notions, and bottle labels were teetering on tables. I told the shop girl I could stay there all day.

Marché aux Puces de la Porte de Vanves, avenue Marc Sangnier and avenue Georges Lafenestre

Paris

Paris is my favorite city. Now that I live in Germany, I can take the train and be in Paris in five hours. I’m a California girl, and it would take me five hours to drive to Los Angeles. I was in Paris last week to finalize details for my wedding next Spring. I love wandering the streets with my list of things to see and eat. Here are a few spots. Next week, I’ll show more.

Sights
Along with The Thinker, The Musée Rodin showcases many other works by French sculptor Auguste Rodin in perfectly manicured gardens.

Musée Rodin, 79 rue de Varenne

Coat: Milly

Shops
Galerie Vivienne is a neo-classical shopping gallery with beautiful mosaic tile floors. It is packed with great shops and cafés, including A Priori Thé {almond tart}, La Marelle {designer consignment}, and Wolff et Descourtis {silk and wool scarves}.

Galerie Vivienne, rue Vivienne and rue des Petits Champs

Sweets
Mont blancs at Café Angelina. The light meringue and whipped cream base mix with an intensely sweet and dense chestnut cream topping. I was on a lovely sugar high after eating one accompanied by their rich hot chocolate.

Café Angelina, 226 rue de Rivoli

Eats
For a late afternoon lunch at 3pm, there was still a wait at Le Comptoir. With good reason, the foie gras with caramelized onions was delicious. I also had an enormous cheeseboard with rustic bread for 9€ and a glass of house white wine for 3€.

Le Comptoir, 9 carrefour de l’Odéon