AK Month-to-month Recap: June 2025

Typically, 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 season trip in Europe is in early June. It’s a bit earlier than peak season begins, and at occasions, it’s principally been me, Charlie and plenty of Germans. (Regardless of the place you go, there are Germans. They go in every single place.)

The one trade-off is that the water is usually a bit chilly at the moment of yr within the Mediterranean. And certainly, it was a bit too chilly for infinite swimming in Crete in early June — however greater than ample for fast swims. And for me, that’s a good trade-off.

Let’s check out the whole lot that went down in June 2025!

Locations 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 ideal journey to Poland. Cailin and I arrived in Kraków late on Might 30 and spent our first day visiting Auschwitz. We celebrated her birthday with paczki and pierogi, road markets, outside cafes, vodka tasting, fancy cocktail bars — and I discovered a number of birthday candles with cat heads on them that she liked!

The following day, we visited the Wieliczka Salt Mine. Positioned exterior Kraków within the city of Wieliczka (VEE-yeh-LEECH-ka), that is the right half day journey from the town. The mine has dazzling rooms, together with their well-known room with hanging chandeliers that may make SUCH a superb marriage ceremony or social gathering setting.

We have been hosted by Kraków Reserving, who’re hosts to great excursions in and round Kraków. We liked our non-public trip in a luxurious automobile to Wieliczka, although you need to know all excursions of the mine itself are group excursions. You may 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 sizzling day! It’s a lot cooler inside. When you’re visiting Kraków within the sizzling summer season months, this must be a serious precedence for you.

And secondly, if you happen to plan a visit to Kraków, you’ll see a number 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 need to do the rest that day.

As a substitute, don’t schedule something within the afternoon, and maintain your schedule gentle. Mirror in your expertise. Perhaps take a stroll across the pretty 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 have been off to Athens! Athens has lengthy been one among 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 Mates (that was simply me), market-hopped, and loved dinner and drinks with Charlie’s Greek colleagues. I even visited my good friend 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. However I’d love to return to Athens when it’s cooler and discover extra in depth.

A improbable 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 Seashore in addition to a cooking class up within the hills.

Agios Nikolaos isn’t as good of a city, however we stayed in a wonderful resort there — Minos Seashore Artwork Resort. This can be a nicer place than we normally keep in, and it was an opulent but laid-back place for our closing days. We additionally took a wonderful 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 shocked how inexpensive it was — you may go fancy if you would like, however you can even 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. Plenty of vacationers (significantly from the US) go to three or 4 Greek islands for a number of nights every, and Crete is a kind of. As a substitute, keep in a number of totally different spots in Crete and also you’ll like it.

After so many summer season journeys to Italy and Croatia, I feel we’re hooked on Greece now!

Seeing Bruce Springsteen in Prague. Nicely…for a part of the live performance, anyway. Charlie and I went, and this was our first time seeing Bruce dwell. However about 45 minutes into the live performance, it began raining actually arduous, and it was thundering and lightning.

We caught it out for a bit, then bailed once we figured they’d cancel the live performance as a result of lightning. And you understand what? They didn’t! We loved what we noticed for an hour or so, however will certainly pack our ponchos for the long run!

(Additionally 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 need to danger getting COVID so near my two weddings.

The great 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 Needed” for the primary time dwell, ever!! And naturally I liked seeing Beyoncé’s daughters Blue and Rumi carry out.

The live performance was wonderful, although I used to be form of in an ungainly seat and I want I had spent extra so I might truly see the massive display. I’ll maintain that in thoughts for the long run.

I liked seeing everybody of their cowboy costumes, although I didn’t participate in that myself (as a substitute I wore a flamenco-style ruffled shirt for her track “Flamenco”). It was actually enjoyable seeing everybody in cowboy hats on the airport and throughout Paris.

In reality — that is the primary time I’ve been surrounded by individuals in western put on and truly felt secure. 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 resort. I beat him by 4 minutes). We stayed for the weekend to have a good time my father-in-law’s milestone birthday.

Along with having a very nice social gathering with household and associates, we noticed The Guide of Mormon (how did I’m going so lengthy with out seeing this present?!), loved Chinese language meals and cocktails.

And I took the time to see Rachel Zegler sing “Don’t Cry For Me, Argentina” to the gang exterior the theater the place she’s starring in Evita. The crowds have 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 advocate getting there not less than 45 minutes early.

Good occasions with associates. Too many to say. Although 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 unhealthy expertise and declare an airport the worst ever — however this one was BAD.

It was extremely sizzling inside, there was nowhere close to sufficient ample seating, and in a primary for me, I had lounge entry however the lounge didn’t even have its personal bathroom. The one ladies’s bathroom within the space had 5 stalls, two of which have 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 this planet are Kathmandu and Manila, whereas my favorites are Amsterdam and Qatar.

Packing an excessive amount of in. I noticed this month that between Might 21 and June 23, I had precisely in the future 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 power it saps out of me. I really like having individuals go to, however I have to be higher about recharging.

Charlie and I are speaking about going to Italy in October, and I’ve already mentioned that I would like two weeks at dwelling after my huge Madagascar journey earlier than we go someplace else.

New on the Weblog

25+ Enjoyable Issues to Do in Portland, Maine — I feel the East Coast Portland is among the most underrated cities within the US. Don’t simply pace via right here on the best way to Acadia — truly cease for a number of days and luxuriate in a extremely nice metropolis.

Most Widespread Reel on Instagram

My hottest reel in Might was all concerning the Umbrella Cowl Museum on Peaks Island, Maine, simply off the coast from Portland!

That is simply 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 woman named Nancy, who’s so obsessed with her assortment. You’ll completely fall in love with this place.

You may watch this reel on Instagram or watch it on TikTok. I’m @adventurouskate on each platforms.

What I Watched This Month

I actually loved The 4 Seasons on Netflix. An ideal little comedic miniseries with a bunch of actors you’re keen on. Tina Fey, Will Forte, Steve Carell? I’ll watch them in something. And whereas Colman Domingo is one among my favourite actors for the time being, it was so good to see him in a comedy.

One other good factor about this collection is that it’s a few 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 associates, you go on 4 journeys collectively yearly!

What I Listened To This Month

I’m listening to all 500 of Rolling Stone‘s 500 Biggest Albums of All Time, which I’m having fun with immensely. I’m 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.

Listed here are the highlights:

Favourite Discovery: Norman Fucking Rockwell! by Lana del Rey. I’ve by no means listened to a Lana album earlier than — I’ve possibly heard two or three of her songs? — and this positively blew me away. Her songs are lovely and darkish, ephemeral and messy.

On high of that, these are each songs of affection gone improper, and an attention-grabbing reflection of a model of American life right now. I at all times get pleasure from darkish perceptions of California. Now I must dive into extra of her stuff.

Different Favourite 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.

Favourite Revisited Album: I haven’t listened to any of this month’s albums in full earlier than (possibly I listened to Madonna’s Like a Prayer at a good friend’s home after I was a teen?), so let’s simply go along with there was no full album to really revisit.

Favourite Songs: “Incident at Neshabur” by Santana, “Come Again to Me” by Janet Jackson, “A Fast One, Whereas He’s Away” by The Who, “Below My Thumb” by The Rolling Stones, “Mariners House Complicated” 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 may take heed to it right here.

Lowlight of the Month: Los Angeles by X. One other 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 entire album appeared a bit juvenile for my style.

Random Music Ideas: This month, two extra artists I listened to on the highest 500 albums handed away. RIP to Sly Stone and Brian Wilson. Thanks on your music.

A 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’s so, so price it to see the artists you’re keen on 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!