Marseille & Aix-En-Provence

{SS} here... BEWARE photo heavy post ahead!! :) 

While in France, I was lucky enough to get a day tour of the city of Marseille from a Marseille native. It is a large city and a bit dirty and sketchy in some areas but I really liked it. We were staying in a house not far from Aix-En-Provence so we spent a Saturday morning enjoying the market, doing a bit of shopping and a having a nice lunch.  Here are some of my favorite photos:

{ Overlooking Marseille }

{ Hot day in Marseille equals happy beach goers at the Sea }

{ Wandering the streets in Aix-En-Provence }

{ Had to hit up Naf Naf! }

{ Posing with my brother AS }

{ Two Different Brides in Aix }

 

{Saturday Market}

Sorry for the lack of text but sometimes it's fun just to look at photos :) 

xo, SS

Train Travels

After a wonderful week in Amsterdam, it was time to head to France-- we {SS, BS and AS} boarded a train from Amsterdam which took us through Antwerp and Brussels to Paris. In Paris we quickly caught a cab in the rain (with a fantastic driver who sang "Sur le pont d'Avignon" with me) from one Paris train station to another and got on another train to Marseille.



We happened to strike up a conversation with the woman sitting next to us in our little quad spot on the train. {Leonie}, who was traveling from Rotterdam to Nice and then to Thailand with her boyfriend, was a fantastic English speaker and we had a great time chatting. We talked about the differences between Europe and the United States, style, and the excitement of a trip to Thailand. When I told Leonie about my blog she was excited and we thought we should take a picture. It's always fun to meet new people when you travel. I can't wait to hear all about your travel adventures Leonie!

My new friend {Leonie} who shares a second name with me :)

xo, SS

Amsterdam Favorites

{SS} here and now that I'm back from my Mini-Europe tour I have lots to share with you. I spent the first week of my trip in Amsterdam -- a mighty Stylish city!  A few of my favorite things in Amsterdam were, the Cafe's throughout the city, Flowers, Street Markets, Seeing all the Bicyclists and the Canals. 

{ Cafe's }

Amsterdam is full of street cafe's (something I have found fairly common in many European cities). On our first morning as we set off in search of some breakfast, we stumbled upon a sweet little cafe that we ended up going to almost every morning. We also found several others which proved to be the perfect spots to stop for a quick afternoon refreshment, break and a bit of people watching.  

{My brother AS & I}

We found this sweet little cafe tucked into a neighborhood behind our apartment. It was the perfect spot for a quick meal and lots of people watching!

{ Flowers }

Amsterdam is known for it's extraordinary tulips and other bright blooms and there is certainly no shortage of flowers in the city... window boxes boast sweet arrangements, the canals have flowers planted in boxes on their bridges and street markets are full of gorgeous bouquets and seeds for purchase. 

{ Street Markets }

Just a few blocks from the apartment we were staying at was the Albert Cuyp Street market- the largest street market in Amsterdam. It was a long row of booths selling all kinds of things from cheese and meats, to vacuum cleaner parts, to clothes and shoes, and fresh flowers. Had I had a bigger suitcase I am sure that I would have come home with much more from the market, but was happy to score a pair of Birkenstock sandals for a great price. We also bought lots of meats and cheeses to make sandwiches in our apartment. 

{ Bicycles }

I have never been somewhere so full of bicyclists, especially so many beautifully dressed ones! Because Amsterdam is so flat people bike everywhere and aren't afraid to wear dresses and heels as they pedal. On any given street you can find hundreds of bikes parked. As a pedestrian walking through the city you not only have to look out for cars but also bicyclists who prove to be just as much of a threat as cars! 

{ Canals }

Due to the fact that it has over 90km of Canals, Amsterdam is called the "Venice of the North". Canals line the city beautifully. 

This stylish couple was enjoying a sunny Sunday afternoon floating down a canal with their champagne and newspaper... totally my style :) 

xo, SS

Home

I'm home, which is so bittersweet. It was wonderful to get home and be lovingly welcomed back by my mom, bf and neighbors, who had a delicious meal for me ready to eat outside. At the same time though, I miss {Europe} already... the bustling city life, the quietness of towns that have been around for centuries and centuries, flowers I haven't seen here, the smell of fresh foods, chocolate croissants, being with family, hearing snippets of conversations I couldn't quite understand and then those that I could, the sea and all those stylish Europeans!! Plus, I wish I would have had enough room in my tiny suitcase to bring back so much more... I guess I will have to go back :) I have TONS of great photographs and lots of posts I'm excited to share so stay tuned. Europe is full of great style and {confidence}. I love it. 

A Bientot! 

xo, SS