European Edition

For a little over four weeks, we traversed Europe. In that time we absorbed the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of England, Italy, France and Belgium. We stayed for 3 - 7 days each in London, Cambridge, Venice, Florence, Paris and Leuven. The trip was fantastic! It reminded us what we loved and missed about Europe and what we appreciated about home. Temperatures were much cooler than expected (except in Italy where it was wonderfully warm). Shopping was great but generally expensive and predictable. I was looking at clothing, shoes and accessories (at all price points and origins). In general I was disappointed with the shoe and clothing choices. The highlight was jewellery. There were some spectacular pieces on route. A few returned home with me. Others had to wait for adoption by someone with a heartier wallet than mine. Vintage to contemporary in a myriad of colours, Europe was a treasure trove for those "to die for" items that set us apart and turn an ordinary ensemble into something really special.


HIGHLIGHTS:
Shopping - Venice, Brugge
Events - Being at Stade Roland-Garros to watch early rounds of the French Open, Concert in Leuven
Places - Hyde Park at 5.30am, Cambridge, Florence (especially Pitti Palazzo), San Gimignano, Chianti region, Brugge, Leuven, French countryside, Venice (everywhere you looked)
Art - Paintings and gardens - Italy, Sculpture (old and new) - Belgium
Accommodation - London (swanky new hotel), Venice (gorgeous older sprawling hotel on the Lido), Paris (great spacious apartment)
Food - France (everything, everywhere), Belgium - chocolate that delighted every sense!
Transportation - road trip from Florence to Paris (fantastic!), water taxis in Venice and Brugge, walking tour around Leuven, Paris Metro (so easy and so affordable and so fantastic when everything above ground was wet, wet, wet!)


LOWLIGHTS:
Shopping - London and Paris (with a few special exceptions)
Places - Paris, Versailles, Moet & Chandon cellars tour in Epernay (you need to book ahead or be prepared to spend hours waiting for a tour - we opted not to wait)
Food - Italy (our perception was jaded by a chronic bout of food poisoning!)
Transportation - London Underground, frenetic driving in Italy, trying to walk on age-old cobbles in Leuven in heels after a concert (my fault, take flat shoes in your bag if you need to walk home)


The trip was fabulous! Most often it was because of happenstance or a new appreciation for something we had seen previously ... running through Hyde Park when all you could hear was the clopping of horse hooves (the royal mounted guard); appreciation for the beauty of the French countryside (and how much it reminded us of home); getting to talk with artisans in Venice and Montevarchi; hearing the oftentimes brutal stories of conquest throughout Europe; seeing the grandeur of the castles, halls and palaces and appreciating how much better insulated and plumbed our homes are today; finding an excellent supermarket (or even finally finding one that eventually opened in Paris); indulging in strawberries, cream and waffles in an old part of Brugge... having a shower in Hong Kong mid-trip back to Auckland (and feeling almost human again!)


The wonderful things we appreciated on returning home included family, friends and animals, the ease of not having to converse in a European language; knowing exactly where to access what you want; fewer people; the relative affordability of most things; and best of all ... the fresh air!!!


This trip put me face-to-face with some amazing European designers, stylists, and jewellers. I have greater access to new global sources for those "point of difference" pieces. It also reminded me what wonderful items we have in New Zealand particularly if you know where to look ... (if you want some help there is no time like now!).


Check back toward the beginning of November for my next entry. Who knows what new gems may have emerged in the meantime?! In the interim ... great shopping! If you need to get your wardrobe, your image or your "self" in order don't hesitate to give me a call!


Just a quick thought ...
"Take care of the luxuries and the necessities will take care of themselves". Dorothy Parker [1893 - 1967]

If you do what makes you happy and feel great the other things will come!


Geraldine.