Hangovers, Hipsters and Hygge

Bonsoir mes petites cerises!

How have you BEEN?! It's only ruddy Friday, innit! Three cheers for the weekend- let's crack open the wine. 

I'm still daydreaming about last weekend, when I easy-jetted off on a mini-break to Paris and Copenhagen. I was already expecting it to be a whole heap of magic, and that was before I found out there were complimentary copies of Men's Health magazine available on the flight to Paris... 

WHAT?! I'll have you know I read Men's Health magazine ALL. THE. TIME.

In what felt like mere milliseconds we were landing en France. At least, I assume it was that fast; I was engrossed in a very informative article on the best vegan recipes to increase my muscle mass. Yes, that IS what I was staring at so intensely. Shush.  

I'm lucky enough to have been to Paris several times before, so I stepped up to be a real life Lonely Planet for my travel buddy's first ever visit. Paris was as beautiful as ever, from the gorgeous gothic buildings to the perfect places for people watching... Hell, it's so chic even their vegetables are on trend:

We managed to fit in some serious sightseeing during our two day visit, from the classics (Louvre, Tour Eiffel, Sacre Coeur etc etc) to the more unusual (fancy escalator rides at the Pompidou Centre, the red light district's no 1 Erotic Museum, and a karaoke bar in which we heard a song where the entire chorus comprised solely of "la la la la la"). After our Museum visit, I felt like I should've had a quiet word with Notre Dame about its cheeky fundraising sign...

Sorry, love, but I've seen more impressive organs this weekend...

We also (literally) stumbled upon the most fabulous bar I've visited in my entire life. With house punch at €15 a litre, a bar-wide game of "find your pair" using playing cards, and colour-coded glowsticks for "taken" (red), "single" (green), and blue for "try and convince me" I was in my absolute element. Even the unsolicited offer of sex in a car (seriously, Paris?! Aren't you the city of romance?!) couldn't ruin the evening. 

Car sex in Paris: about as romantic as holding someone up by their right boob

Admittedly, this was mostly because I was too busy chatting to a tres, TRES beautiful French-Brazilian couple who'd met on Instagram(!!!), and the Brazilian then moved across the world to marry his husband (now of 3 years). Which may honestly be the most adorable story I've ever heard. And also the main reason I'm going to up my Instagramming...

...Possibly starting with this snap of a door I saw in Copenhagen.
That should snag me a beautiful French husband, right?

Copenhagen was the second stop on our mini tour of Europe. I think it might be my Spirit Animal in city form (Spirit City? Is that a thing?). 

Some seriously stylish cauliflower soup at the Museum of Danish Design.

It's almost achingly hipster, from the Ikea-chic tumblers of red wine we sipped (and I mean s.i.p.p.e.d. Copenhagen is crazy expensive) at a meatlocker-turned-bistro, to the rainbow of canal-side cottages we glimpsed through a perfectly timed flurry of snow, to the underground patisseries full of comfy leather sofas and be-cheekboned Danes serving up huge slices of cheesecake...



Also, their money is so pretty I've started wearing it like jewellery:

The icing on the cake (besides all the actual cake) was being bumped up to the easyjet equivalent of first class on our way home, when Dan (the man, the legend, the air steward) moved us into the over-wing exit aisle seats - I could actually STRETCH my legs(!!!) Bliss. 

All in all, an utterly brilliant first break of 2016. And, given that the flights cost a total of £69, I've got no excuse not to hop on over to Europe more often in future. I'm off to browse AirBnBs in Berlin...

Katie xxx