Why I Write About Southern Europe

Today marks 2 full months here on Substack as FEAST europe – and it’s been such an incredible journey already. As I haven’t talked much about myself here on the platform, I thought I’d do a little introduction piece, explaining WHY I write about Europe, why I constantly recommend restaurants & wine bars, and what this publication is all about.

If you’ve read any of my articles by now, you are surely aware of how much I adore eating and drinking and Europe itself. From the cultural norm of lingering over meals on a perfect outdoor terrace to the old-school winemaking methods that still persist today, to finding the perfect Mediterranean cove to swim in and meeting friendly locals along the way – my love for southern Europe knows no bounds, and is something I’ve been cultivating since I studied in Spain a whopping 18 years ago. I write about southern Europe through the eyes of an immigrant who fell in love with this land and still wakes up every day feeling endlessly grateful and enamored.

A big part of why I fell in love with southern Europe is the deep cultural appreciation of food and gathering at the table that so many of these countries share. When I recommend restaurants, it’s not just a simple “top 10 travel” listacle – it’s a personal diary of my favorite haunts, from someone who works professionally in a kitchen and runs a wine bar and considers eating/drinking “out” my absolute favorite way to spend time. I recommend places as my way of saying thank you, and as my way of trying to send some attention their way, as someone who knows how hard it is to design a menu, to afford kitting out a space, to endlessly pay and train and keep staff, and to just keep the freaking lights on week after week (yep, even those restaurants up at the top you are sure are thriving...)

I write about restaurants and natural wine bars because they are my true happy places, where I turn to to soothe my soul when the world is feeling oppressive, which is something I share with my Italian husband and therefore the thing we earmark so much of our paychecks for. We regularly spend an entire day’s wages on a single meal and do so happily. We linger over every sip and every bite, we get to know the people working front of house and back of house in each establishment if we can, and we forensically study every detail of the experience to learn what we can about hospitality. Also, we eat out often as we don’t always want to cook on our days off! 😂 The appreciation we bring to each and every experience ‘out’ is unparalleled.

If and when I recommend hotels, it’s from the point of view of someone who spends just as much time campervanning across Europe to save money where I can, with a few nights here and there somewhere more luxurious (where I will DROOL over the lush robes and room service and in-house spa, yes, but also just the ability to have a long, hot shower and high thread count sheets and more than 2 meters of space at my disposal). I pay for my travels via 12+ hour shifts standing on my feet and sweating in a 40° kitchen, plus running my secondary company from home coaching writers. I met my husband later in life and we haven’t yet been able to consider starting a family with our busy lifestyles, so for now we have two modest incomes that we solely devote to enjoying life in our coveted time off – but I am not, and never will be, a luxury travel influencer. I can only ever call myself someone who adores southern Europe and wants to soak in its culture as much as possible in this tiny span of life I’ve been given – and someone dedicated to emptying my pockets for this pursuit.

As you may see from my frequent Black Book content, I am everywhere and nowhere currently in southern Europe (perhaps somewhat confusingly). This is because my husband and I are potentially looking to move here more permanently someday, and taking the time to research where that might be. Our home base continues to be southern England, where we are both immigrants, with as many months as possible traveling nomadically around Europe (often during the colder months, when we can close the restaurant – but also during as many weekend getaways as humanly possible). We have family in Italy and Spain, and I previously lived in Madrid. I have friendships across France as someone who lived in Paris in my 20s and Aix-en-Provence in my 30s. And we have a potential restaurant opportunity in Lisbon which we are exploring. Probably, someday we’ll be bi-continental between one specific town in southern Europe plus our coastal home in England – but for now we are on the hunt, endlessly roaming (and eating), considering all possibilities.

When I am not in my beloved Europe, I find ways to ‘travel’ there vicariously through books and language, to continue soaking in the culture. In my spare time, I am constantly studying the gastronomy & viticulture of southern Europe – sometimes to consider menu expansions for our Italian restaurant, or bar menu, but often just for fun, and to try my hand at new dishes at home. I regularly study Italian, Spanish, & French, and hope to be fluent in all 3 someday – but for now appreciate the ability to simply add to my travel vocabulary bit by bit each month. And when I can steal a few moments for reading, it is ALWAYS focused on Europe and/or food in some capacity: anything like MFK Fisher writing about Provence, Hemingway writing about Paris in A Moveable Feast, or Henry Miller’s ode to the Greek island of Corfu, The Colossus of Maroussi – which will always be my holy trifecta.

I hope to keep expanding this Substack as I go, with all the stolen moments I’m able to dedicate to writing. To come: way more food writing, diving into the incredible gastronomy of southern Europe. Personal essays & updates as we narrow down our future European home. Potentially, eventually, even invites to join us at vineyards, cooking classes, supper clubs, etc. – as hosting others is one of my true love languages.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to encapsulate my love for southern Europe in writing. It is a love that runs so deeply into my bones, and to wax poetic about the culture, nature, and food here is the greatest legacy I’d love to leave behind. Recently, my sister and I were toying around with one of those hypothetical prompts: what would you do with your life if you found out you only had a year or two more to live? And I found that my response was simple: I would spend the time in southern Europe, soaking everything in, sharing moments at the table with loved ones, and writing it all down. So, why wait?

I hope you’ll join me here at FEAST europe. I can’t wait to continue sharing my love of Europe with you.