in good taste, vol. 96: at home in the world
travel recommendations, library temperatures, and fall favorites
Well, we’re back from our Spanish road trip, from Barcelona to Bilbao and San Sebastian and Pamplona and Zaragoza and back again, and I’m about to make it everyone’s problem.
It will blow exactly nobody’s mind that we found the food and drink in Spain to be exquisite, its people to be generous and cool as hell, and its cities’ architecture to be diverse and captivating. I cannot wait to go back to Spain.
As I have few formal rules for this newsletter, here are a few In Good Taste product recommendations for seeing the world right:
I have ridiculously sensitive feet that, when I travel, will manage to blister even in shoes I’ve worn for years and miles. So when I tell you these band-aids are the only thing that will keep you blister-free, when used proactively … well, trust the source.
We traveled about 1.5-2 days in each city, the ultimate conditions for Team Packing Cube. Cubes kept me true to my packing list, and kept me organized - no emptying of whole suitcases. Plus, more room for extra stuff to bring home.
If you’re going to do it, booking a rental car through your airline reservation (in my case, Hertz with Delta) gets you a ton of extra miles and generally a lower-cost rate.
This travel adapter that fits most global electrical outlets, this adapter that lets you use your AirPods/wireless headphones to watch White Lotus or whatever in-flight, and this portable power bank for iPhones
As for highlights of Eastern Spain, should you be in-market for a little travelogue:
Nerua, the Michelin-starred restaurant at the Bilbao Guggenheim, will stay with me as one of the most wonderful experiences of my life. Down to the little single-use toothbrushes in the restroom! The Guggenheim museum is fine, worth the cost of admission for its Rothko, Rising Sea by El Anatsui, and Sign I by Pablo Palozuelo
Turns out, pintxos are my ultimate preferred way to eat dinner. Sidle up to a counter, point at a few snacks on bread, and get full with a glass of Rioja Reserva all for under 10 euros??? Yes!!!
Zaragoza is a strange little city with many architectural tales to tell. I fell in love with the tilework of the Basílica del Pilar.
Fresh markets, like Mercat de L’Abaceria in Barcelona, are the best places to wander quietly, anonymously, and get inspired
Not specific to Spain, but I did get my hands on my very favorite mass-produced European candy, MILKA!!! And we had a lot of weird Haribo in the car to jack us up for our next destinations.
A SCATTERING OF GOOD TASTES
Otherwise offline:
Online and offline, it’s okay to stop reading by fellow Substacker, Marg
On my nightstand: Bliss Montage by Ling Ma, Two Serious Ladies by Jane Bowles
Admiring:
Anne Hathaway’s historic California cottage. Now let’s get one thing straight, I am not an Anne Hathaway hater (I am neutral-positive), but I did NOT expect her home to look like this. The design brief: “‘What if Wes Anderson bought a Swiss chalet in Southern California and Yves St. Laurent was coming to stay?’” and the result is just as surprising as you might expect from a prompt like that. It is like 3 design stories in one. I love it.
I had the good fortune to stay at the Proper Hotel in Los Angeles a few weeks ago on a work trip, and I loved seeing this rundown of the breathtaking murals of LA artist Abel Macias as I saw them in the main spaces of the hotel
This big, light-filled renovation of a tiny Paris apartment
The 2023 Shed of the Year!!!
Other items of note:
Listening to:
The new Olivia Rodrigo
searching “daylist” on Spotify
Basement Beehive: girl group heaven
FAVORITE FALL FLAVORS
Tonight marks the last roast chicken I’ll make in our kitchen as we know it now, as our big renovation kicks off this week. It’s a project we’ve been planning since January 2022, and we’re equal parts apprehensive (what will we discover behind the cabinets?) and excited (a new cooktop and wall oven are thiiiiis close).
As I’m not going to be cooking anything wild and exciting for the next ~6-8 weeks, here are a few of my favorite fall recipes published in this little gazette:
A classic beef bourguignon, or mushroom bourguignon
Shepherd’s pie, or “the Atlantic lasagna”
I am thrilled to be included in your wonderful newsletter. Thanks so much.
I love all the recommendations, including the band-aids and chargers!
So many rewarding links, including the one to an excellent article by Marg! Your recipes, travel recommendations and art picks are particular standouts in a newsletter that definitely lives up to its name. Good luck with your kitchen renovation!