The Rules of Euro Summer

Euro summer has become the epicenter of travel from May to September — and I get why. Unlike most trends on Instagram, this one always lives up to the hype for me, despite the fact that we ruined Positano. But it's where we travel, it's the approach to living we take once we arrive there. Whether you basked in the charm of Èze, actually read a book at the beach in Santa Margherita or stood in awe while touring Athens — it's a way of life. Whether you received a passport stamp this summer or stayed stateside, the rules still apply.

To understand the concept, we must first understand its origins. Like most things, the concept of traveling to Europe in the summer is not new, it's just become more accessible and of course, forever changed by Americans. Before the 1920s wealthy Europeans typically traveled elsewhere outside of summer, the Côte d'Azur remaining a resort town for winter. During summer the British aristocracy would retreat to the English countryside come August, Italian nobility to estates on Lake Como and eventually the Swiss Alps for some fresh air.

In America we value the art of productivity... In Europe we value the art of living.

The seed that planted euro summer was when an American couple, Gerald and Sara Murphy convinced the owner of Hotel du Cap to remain open for a summer in the 1920s so they could entertain Pablo Picasso, making the South of France into a summer destination.

Eventually it was wealthy Americans who solidified the concept of traveling to multiple European destinations come summer, air travel making it possible and Slim Aarons' photography making it chic starting in the 1950s. He documented the glamorous places, parties and people of the elite and shared it with the world — his work the inspiration perhaps for our Instagram feeds today.

I'll admit I too come for the glamour, but I stay for the lifestyle. The essence of euro summer is how, not what. How do you start your mornings here, how do you feel after a three-hour lunch, how do you get from one destination to the next. In America we value the art of productivity (and its proximity to financial success). In Europe we value the art of living.

Euro summer for me is about slow mornings. I no longer schedule anything before lunch, which can last up to three hours if you're at the right beach club. The culture of appreciating our time while we sit and soak in the ambiance of where we are, perhaps after a few hours of swimming and sunbathing is not lost on me. Everyone is more interested in talking to the people at their table while they enjoy their food and sip slowly. Waiters don't rush us to order the next course. Kids are welcome to play around the table or fall asleep in the banquette. You might even find yourself talking to other guests at another table or dancing on them a few hours into the second seating. The primary expectation is embracing your time, a good meal is just an added benefit.

The essence of euro summer is how, not what.

Euro summer is about everything shifting with nature, the sunsets at 9pm so naturally lunches start at 3pm and dinners at 10pm. Our kid's bedtime is naturally closer to midnight but isn't scheduled. Children are encouraged to play in the village square or at a playground set right in town. A nightly gelato run is more than a treat, it becomes an evening ritual where everyone is still out and the walk afterwards is beautiful.

Euro summer is less about sightseeing and more about seeing culture. Swapping museum days for passeggiate along the promenade and bus tours for boat days. Not because we don't care about art and history but because summer is meant for relaxation and reconnection. The focus is on family, friends and fun. It's about women sunbathing topless for their own comfort over anything else. Boats anchoring at bay and remaining in awe of what nature gave us. Starting the day hearing farm animals, ending with the cicadas singing. Bearing witness to the way others live.

We can immediately identify the hashtag, but the essence of euro summer is in the lifestyle it evokes. It's beyond an aesthetic, as it's become a privilege to finally relax. To truly bask in the comfort of your surroundings for however long you have, wherever you are. It's a choice most of us Americans need to cross the Atlantic to make, but it's entirely possible stateside. The same principles apply regardless of where you find yourself this summer: making mornings slow, savoring meals, connecting with nature, letting kids be kids.

It's about bearing witness to the way others live

Links