How to Add Some Mediterranean Magic to Your Life
I’m a terrible souvenir shopper. I wish it weren’t true, but when I’m on vacation, shopping can feel like a chore and I’d rather do something I can’t do at home.
Instead of buying a spoon rest or fridge magnet, I find it more meaningful to sleuth for little tricks and tips – tiny life-enhancers – that I can incorporate into my everyday routine. Things like a new way of doing my hair, writing with a nice pen from a fancy hotel, or recreating a delicious dish.
That way, when I’m having breakfast, getting dressed, or making a grocery list, I’m reminded of happy memories and good feelings from the places I’ve been.
My trip to Greece gave me so many ideas that I thought it would be fun to tell you about them so we can all feel like we’re enjoying an endless Mediterranean summer!
A lot of those tips are food-related: the Mediterranean diet happens to be my favorite way to eat and grilled octopus plus a Greek salad may be my perfect meal!
Here’s what I’ll be making and using at home to maintain some Grecian holiday magic…
1. Greek Salad tips: it is not an exaggeration to say that I ate Greek salad once per day, and on many days, twice, on this trip! Made with local tomatoes, feta, black olives, herbs, and cucumber, each one was excellent, but I noticed a couple of small tweaks that really elevated this easy-to-make dish. Taking the time to remove the skin from tomatoes and cucumbers allows the vegetables to soak up more delicious dressing, and briefly marinating red onion slices (or shocking them in water) softens their bite.
2. Cinnamon on fresh fruit: we spent a glorious day beach-hopping on a traditional fishing boat, and in the afternoon, when we were happily tired, hot, and thirsty, our captain served a plate of sliced fruit (watermelon, pineapple, strawberries, honeydew, and banana) all sprinkled lightly with cinnamon. It looked pretty and tasted delicious, and made something ordinary feel special.
3. Tiny ice buckets: at restaurants and bars, whenever I asked for ice, I was presented with a delightfully small ice bucket, just for me! Our rental house also had one in the cupboard. It was such a lovely, personal touch, I’m planning to invest in a few for our house. So far, the best I’ve found are this one and this one. Let me know if you have one that you’d recommend getting!
4. Lemon-infused olive oil: the fish we ate in Greece was so fresh it needed very little seasoning, except for a sprinkle of crunchy sea salt and a dash of olive oil infused with lemon, which was a revelation to me! As it turns out, it’s also incredibly easy to make at home.
5. Greek Meatballs: were another delight! Made with various types of meat, sometimes lamb, sometimes beef, what makes these so mouth-watering is the inclusion of fresh herbs, especially mint. With tzatziki to dip them in, plus a green salad, these are going into my summer weeknight dinner rotation!
Staring at people (behind my sunglasses, of course), and chatting to locals are two of my favorite vacation pastimes. On this trip, my nosiness resulted in a European cool-girl fashion tip and the scented body oil I am obsessed with…
6. Linen shorts: I first noticed them when Jim and I were on a scenic hike - I was in my standard athleisure gear, while a young French woman was wearing a cotton t-shirt tucked into a pair of stylish, yet very comfortable-looking loose linen shorts. She looked so cool I immediately wanted a pair. After that, I noticed all the young European women were wearing linen shorts, mostly in neutral colors, with elasticized waists and pockets, paired with sneakers or sandals. Perfect for sightseeing, long lunches, ferry and plane rides, pulling on over a swimsuit, and of course, hiking…
7. Scented body oil: I love popping into pharmacies in foreign countries and I needed hair bands and band-aids on this trip, so I had an excuse to browse. When a storekeeper saw me lingering near the after-sun products, she recommended this Caudalie body oil that I’m now addicted to: it’s scented with coconut, orange blossom, and jasmine and I love it so much I’ve stopped wearing my usual perfume. A little goes a long way and it truly smells like summer!
