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Sometimes, you find yourself with a VERY busy month of journey — and that’s what June was to me!
That mentioned, the most effective time for a seaside summer time trip in Europe is in early June. It’s a bit earlier than peak season begins, and at instances, it’s principally been me, Charlie and many Germans. (No matter the place you go, there are Germans. They go in all places.)
The one trade-off is that the water is commonly a bit chilly right now of 12 months within the Mediterranean. And certainly, it was a bit too chilly for infinite swimming in Crete in early June — however greater than enough for fast swims. And for me, that’s a good trade-off.
Let’s check out every little thing that went down in June 2025!
Destinations Visited
- Kraków and Wieliczka, Poland
- Prague, Czech Republic
- Athens, Chania, Elafonissi, Milia, Vatolakkos, Agia Marina, Melidoni, Fournes, Drakona, Agios Nikolaos, and Krasi, Greece
- Paris, France
- London, England
Highlights
The remainder of an important journey to Poland. Cailin and I arrived in Kraków late on May 30 and spent our first day visiting Auschwitz. We celebrated her birthday with paczki and pierogi, avenue markets, out of doors cafes, vodka tasting, fancy cocktail bars — and I discovered just a few birthday candles with cat heads on them that she cherished!
The subsequent day, we visited the Wieliczka Salt Mine. Located outdoors Kraków within the city of Wieliczka (VEE-yeh-LEECH-ka), that is the proper half day journey from town. The mine has dazzling rooms, together with their well-known room with hanging chandeliers that may make SUCH a great marriage ceremony or celebration setting.
We had been hosted by Kraków Booking, who’re hosts to great excursions in and round Kraków. We cherished our personal experience in a luxurious automobile to Wieliczka, although you must know all excursions of the mine itself are group excursions. You can see their salt mine tour right here and their different excursions right here.
And two bits of recommendation: this mine is the BEST place to go to on a scorching day! It’s a lot cooler inside. If you’re visiting Kraków within the scorching summer time months, this needs to be a significant precedence for you.
And secondly, for those who plan a visit to Kraków, you’ll see quite a lot of mixture excursions that do each Auschwitz and Wieliczka in the identical day. I strongly urge you not to do that, as Auschwitz is such a heavy expertise that you simply’re not going to wish to do anything that day.
Instead, don’t schedule something within the afternoon, and preserve your schedule gentle. Reflect in your expertise. Maybe take a stroll across the beautiful park that surrounds the previous city. You’ll be glad you probably did.
My first go to to Athens ever! The day after getting back from Kraków, Charlie and I had been off to Athens! Athens has lengthy been certainly one of my largest oversights in Europe, and we spent two days there absorbing the sights.
We visited the Acropolis, bought misplaced within the labyrinthine streets of the Anofiotika neighborhood, dove into all of the Greek meals, sampled Greek wines, watched the altering of the guard, ran across the Olympic stadium like Phoebe in Friends (that was simply me), market-hopped, and loved dinner and drinks with Charlie’s Greek colleagues. I even visited my pal Alexa’s favourite gyro store from her semester overseas, 20 years in the past!
The powerful factor about Athens is that the most effective time to go to is in spring or fall, when temperatures are extra nice — but most individuals pair Athens with the islands and thus go to in the summertime. Such is life. But I’d love to return to Athens when it’s cooler and discover extra in depth.
A unbelievable week in Crete. Charlie and I’ve lengthy needed to go to Crete, and let me inform you — that is an INCREDIBLE island.
We began with 4 nights in Chania within the west, and completed with three nights in Agios Nikolaos within the east. I feel the west is the higher a part of the island, and Chania is a beautiful little metropolis. The day journeys listed here are top-notch, and we did enjoyable journeys to Elafonissi Beach in addition to a cooking class up within the hills.
Agios Nikolaos isn’t as good of a city, however we stayed in a superb resort there — Minos Beach Art Hotel. This is a nicer place than we often keep in, and it was an opulent but laid-back place for our last days. We additionally took a superb catamaran journey!
What did I really like about Crete? The persons are SO heat, welcoming, and pleasant. The meals is astoundingly good. The landscapes are lovely. And I used to be stunned how reasonably priced it was — you possibly can go fancy if you need, however it’s also possible to have a dynamite souvlaki pita or gyro for 4 euros, which I did for a lot of meals.
I’ll be writing extra in depth about Crete sooner or later, however for now, my largest recommendation is to deal with Crete as THE vacation spot, not a part of the vacation spot. Lots of vacationers (significantly from the US) go to three or 4 Greek islands for just a few nights every, and Crete is a kind of. Instead, keep in just a few completely different spots in Crete and also you’ll like it.
After so many summer time journeys to Italy and Croatia, I feel we’re hooked on Greece now!
Seeing Bruce Springsteen in Prague. Well…for a part of the live performance, anyway. Charlie and I went, and this was our first time seeing Bruce stay. But about 45 minutes into the live performance, it began raining actually exhausting, and it was thundering and lightning.
We caught it out for a bit, then bailed after we figured they might cancel the live performance because of the lightning. And you already know what? They didn’t! We loved what we noticed for an hour or so, however will certainly pack our ponchos for the long run!
(Also at that live performance? The Czech president, Petr Pavel, simply hanging out within the GA space with everybody.)
Seeing Beyoncé in Paris. This journey was a bit on a whim, lengthy after the tickets had gone on sale — however I really like Beyoncé, and I really like Paris, so why not?? I actually needed to go to the Renaissance tour in 2023, as that’s my favourite album, however I didn’t wish to threat getting COVID so near my two weddings.
The good factor was that Beyoncé carried out a ton of Renaissance songs at this live performance, too! And Miley Cyrus was the shock visitor — she and Beyoncé carried out their duet “II Most Wanted” for the primary time stay, ever!! And after all I cherished seeing Beyoncé’s daughters Blue and Rumi carry out.
The live performance was wonderful, although I used to be type of in an ungainly seat and I want I had spent extra so I might really see the massive display screen. I’ll preserve that in thoughts for the long run.
I cherished seeing everybody of their cowboy costumes, although I didn’t participate in that myself (as an alternative I wore a flamenco-style ruffled shirt for her music “Flamenco”). It was actually enjoyable seeing everybody in cowboy hats on the airport and throughout Paris.
In truth — that is the primary time I’ve been surrounded by folks in western put on and really felt protected. Like, no one right here had a gun. It was a bizarre however great feeling, and I’m grateful to Beyoncé for giving us that.
A stunning journey to London. After Paris, I took the Eurostar to London (Charlie left Prague about the identical time and we raced to our lodge. I beat him by 4 minutes). We stayed for the weekend to have a good time my father-in-law’s milestone birthday.
In addition to having a very nice celebration with household and buddies, we noticed The Book of Mormon (how did I’m going so lengthy with out seeing this present?!), loved Chinese meals and cocktails.
And I took the time to see Rachel Zegler sing “Don’t Cry For Me, Argentina” to the group outdoors the theater the place she’s starring in Evita. The crowds had been insane, however she sang so fantastically, I cried. It was so extremely price it.
She sings round 9:00 PM on the London Palladium, and I’d suggest getting there not less than 45 minutes early.
Good instances with buddies. Too many to say. Though I did do my first Escape Room of all time, and we had a blast!
Challenges
Heraklion Airport is the worst airport I’ve ever skilled in Europe. I do know lots of people have one dangerous expertise and declare an airport the worst ever — however this one was BAD.
It was extremely scorching inside, there was nowhere close to sufficient enough seating, and in a primary for me, I had lounge entry however the lounge didn’t even have its personal rest room. The solely ladies’s rest room within the space had 5 stalls, two of which had been out of order, and a wraparound line across the airport.
For what it’s price, they’re opening a brand new airport in Heraklion quickly. They want it.
And for transparency: my picks for the worst airports on the earth are Kathmandu and Manila, whereas my favorites are Amsterdam and Qatar.
Packing an excessive amount of in. I spotted this month that between May 21 and June 23, I had precisely sooner or later at dwelling with out entertaining out-of-town guests. And in consequence, it left me unmoored and a bit irritable.
I’ve gotten higher at not scheduling an excessive amount of journey again to again — what actually did me in was having so many family and friends visiting, as a result of I at all times neglect how a lot vitality it saps out of me. I really like having folks go to, however I must be higher about recharging.
Charlie and I are speaking about going to Italy in October, and I’ve already mentioned that I want two weeks at dwelling after my huge Madagascar journey earlier than we go elsewhere.
New on the Blog
25+ Fun Things to Do in Portland, Maine — I feel the East Coast Portland is among the most underrated cities within the US. Don’t simply pace by right here on the way in which to Acadia — really cease for just a few days and revel in a very nice metropolis.
Most Popular Reel on Instagram
My hottest reel in May was all in regards to the Umbrella Cover Museum on Peaks Island, Maine, simply off the coast from Portland!
This is well the quirkiest museum I’ve ever seen (and I’ve seen many). I imply, it’s a museum not dedicated to umbrellas, however particularly the sleeves that maintain the umbrellas.
The museum is run by a enjoyable girl named Nancy, who’s so obsessed with her assortment. You will completely fall in love with this place.
You can watch this reel on Instagram or watch it on TikTookay. I’m @adventurouskate on each platforms.
What I Watched This Month
I actually loved The Four Seasons on Netflix. An ideal little comedic miniseries with a bunch of actors you like. Tina Fey, Will Forte, Steve Carell? I’ll watch them in something. And whereas Colman Domingo is certainly one of my favourite actors for the time being, it was so good to see him in a comedy.
Another good factor about this collection is that it’s a couple of bunch of fifty-somethings with fifty-something issues. You don’t at all times see that age group represented in romantic comedies (dramedies?).
And I loved the fantasy of getting such good buddies, you go on 4 journeys collectively yearly!
What I Listened To This Month
I’m listening to all 500 of Rolling Stone‘s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, which I am enjoying immensely. I am loving discovering new artists and listening to albums I’ve by some means missed my whole life till now!
In June, I listened to albums 340-319. I didn’t take heed to something whereas I used to be in Greece, in order that’s why there weren’t as many. This month was a little bit of a slog — it was a VERY male assortment of albums with few feminine voices, and a bit an excessive amount of of Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis.
Here are the highlights:
Favorite Discovery: Norman Fucking Rockwell! by Lana del Rey. I’ve by no means listened to a Lana album earlier than — I’ve perhaps heard two or three of her songs? — and this totally blew me away. Her songs are lovely and darkish, ephemeral and messy.
On prime of that, these are each songs of affection gone fallacious, and an attention-grabbing reflection of a model of American life in the present day. I at all times get pleasure from darkish perceptions of California. Now I have to dive into extra of her stuff.
Other Favorite Discoveries: Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814 by Janet Jackson, Doggystyle by Snoop Dogg, Abraxas by Santana, Endtroducing… by DJ Shadow, A Rush of Blood to the Head by Coldplay.
Favorite Revisited Album: I haven’t listened to any of this month’s albums in full earlier than (perhaps I listened to Madonna’s Like a Prayer at a pal’s home after I was a teen?), so let’s simply go along with there was no full album to truly revisit.
Favorite Songs: “Incident at Neshabur” by Santana, “Come Back to Me” by Janet Jackson, “A Quick One, While He’s Away” by The Who, “Under My Thumb” by The Rolling Stones, “Mariners Apartment Complex” by Lana Del Rey, “God Put A Smile Upon Your Face” by Coldplay.
Get the playlist: I’m making a playlist of my favourite songs from the five hundred albums — most one per album — on Spotify. You can take heed to it right here.
Lowlight of the Month: Los Angeles by X. Another late 70s/early 80s album sitting squarely between pop and punk — a selected style that I’ve found out I completely hate at any time when I hear it. The complete album appeared a bit juvenile for my style.
Random Music Thoughts: This month, two extra artists I listened to on the highest 500 albums handed away. RIP to Sly Stone and Brian Wilson. Thank you to your music.
Part of me hopes that their ascension closed the darkest timeline that started with the deaths of Prince and David Bowie.
Coming Up in July 2025
The month started with a fast in a single day journey to Frankfurt to see Kendrick Lamar and SZA in live performance! And it was completely FANTASTIC. It is so, so price it to see the artists you like essentially the most in live performance.
And that’s just about it for July. No different journey, as I get pleasure from time with the kittens and recharge earlier than my weeklong Slovakia-Poland journey in early August.
What are you getting as much as in July? Share away!