The Blog
Like the way we think about travel?
This is where we work it out: routes and rhythms, the ethics of a cheap flight, the right way to miss a train. If it lands, Mise en Place is the same voice once a month, and the My Life in Burgundy waitlist is open.
Browse our articles…
Prime Parking: Europe's Best Parks for Picnics and People-Watching
(7 minute read)
A great park is more than grass and a bench. From grand city gardens to hidden local favorites, this guide rounds up Europe’s best spots for picnics, people-watching, and doing absolutely nothing. Pack snacks, claim a patch of shade, and let the continent entertain you.
La Dolce Vita Isn’t a Vacation—It’s a Practice
(6 minute read)
La dolce vita is not a mood board or an itinerary flex. It is daily rituals: espresso at the bar, slow lunches, evening passeggiate, and noticing beauty on purpose. Learn how to travel Italy with attention, and bring the sweet life home.
Anthropology in Aisle Seven
(7 minute read)
You came for water. Three hours later you are leaving with seven cheeses and a crash course in local life. This playful guide shows how European supermarkets reveal a culture’s priorities, snack obsessions, and etiquette, plus a five-minute “field study” for your next trip.
Untranslatable European Words That Say It All
(6 minute read)
Some European words do not translate, they unlock a way of living. From flâner and saudade to sobremesa, lagom, and Finland’s kalsarikännit, this list turns vocabulary into travel advice, showing how to wander slower, linger longer, and feel more alive.
A Totally Subjective Guide to European Pastries That Could Ruin You (In a Good Way)
(6 minute read)
Some pastries do not just taste good, they rewire your standards. From a properly bronzed French croissant to pastel de nata crackle, cardamom buns, Sicilian cannoli, and Vienna’s Sachertorte, this biased guide shows what to order, when to eat, and how to avoid tourist traps.
Decoding Europe: A Field Guide to North vs. South
(10 minute read)
From Finland to Spain, Europe’s contrasts run deeper than weather. This field guide decodes North vs South rhythms: punctuality and rules versus flexibility and flow, direct talk versus expressive warmth, fuel versus feast. Learn to read the room and travel like a good guest.
How to Eat Well in Europe on a Budget
You can eat brilliantly in Europe without blowing your budget. This guide shows how to shop markets, follow lunch menus, embrace bakeries and street food, picnic in parks, and avoid tourist traps. Spend less on mediocre meals, more on unforgettable bites.
The Ground Rules: Europe’s Coffee Culture
(4 minute read)
Coffee in Europe is a ritual with rules. Learn when cappuccino becomes taboo, how to order like a local, and why fika, café terraces, and Viennese coffeehouses slow time. A quick tour of the continent’s coffee personalities, with practical etiquette you can use tomorrow.
Sundays, Siestas, and Strikes: Navigating Europe’s Surprises
(5 minute read)
Europe runs on its own rhythm. Sunday closures, midday siestas, transit strikes, and sudden holidays can derail a tightly planned itinerary. This guide explains what to expect, how to spot disruptions early, and simple backup strategies so your trip stays smooth and stress-light.
Do Not Disturb: It’s August in France
(3 minute read)
Ever landed in France in August and found Paris eerily quiet, bakeries closed, offices on skeleton crews? This short read explains les vacances d’été, from 1936 paid-leave roots to today’s quality-of-life ethos, plus practical tips to plan around the national pause.
Manual Labor: The Real Rules of Driving in France
(5 minute read)
My 1992 Peugeot is banned from central Lyon. How France's low-emission zones, autoroute tolls, speed cameras, and the priorité à droite rule really work, from someone who drives here every day.
You Will Never Blend In
(7 minute read)
You will be spotted in your first sentence, and it costs you nothing. What actually matters: the bonjour rule, when la bise happens (rarely, to travelers), the single principle behind cutting cheese, and why the French correct you with their face.
Take the Blue Bike
(6 minute read)
Three days and sixty kilometers on a Vélib'. What the passes actually cost in 2026, why the electric bike is the whole point, the per-trip minutes trap that catches everyone, and what a backwards saddle is trying to tell you. From people who live here.
An Incomplete and Biased Guide to French Toilets
(6 minute read)
What toilets in France actually cost, why Paris street toilets are free and fully accessible, what a squat toilet really demands of you, and why the staircase, not the fixture, is the real problem. Written by someone who lives here.
Knead to Know: Somebody Has to Get the Bread
(7 minute read)
There are no shops in our village, so somebody drives to the boulangerie every morning, and it is usually me. Two years of getting it wrong: the salt-free Italian loaf, the Thursday closure I never remember, the tradition versus the ordinary baguette, and the flour sack that feeds horses.
The Best Thing We Ever Did in Paris Was Have No Plan
(7 minute read)
Two travel planners argue against the Paris itinerary. Aimless walking that takes twenty minutes to stop feeling like a waste, the café as a pause rather than a destination, and the night a shopkeeper in the 20th locked up at midnight and took us dancing. Plus what spontaneity costs.