Samaipata’s Summer 2019 Guide
From London to Paris and Madrid, our team shares what they love the most from the summer season and their recommendations to enjoy the hottest month of the year.
From London, with (British) stoicism
It’s that time of the year when we Londoners check the weather app more times than our IG. British summer is as unpredictable as it can be wonderful, with its very long days, Pimm’s flowing rain or shine and 9 million on the street as soon as the sun is out. Here some of our favourite things to do this unpredictable time of the year:
- An evening: head to Primrose Hill park for some incredible views as the sun sets. On Sundays, Hummus Cafe is a great place to binge-eat after a big Saturday night
- A drink: Piscos, of course. Anywhere and everywhere, but especially in hot summer days
- A Saturday: walk from Angel to London Fields through Regent’s canal. Take a stroll in Broadway market, buy some deli food and head towards Victoria Park. Let the day go by drinking and eating under the sun. If you dare, get a bike on the way back (and try not to take an involuntary dip into the canal!)
- A movie: any movie outdoors, best at Film4Summer at Somerset House. Don’t forget to bring food, wine and blankets (it’s London!)
- A weekend escape: Edinburgh’s Theatre Festival in August. Incredible city taken by theatre and music for a month. And a beautiful train ride from London.
From Madrid, with (Spanish) passion
August in Madrid means +40º during the day (yes, you know we’re warm and passionate!), a city filled with the rumor of people chatting in terraces from sunset to dawn, with the taste of ‘tintos de verano’ flowing non-stop to fight (and forget) that unbearable heat, with the smell of paellas cooked in rooftops — new wonderfully weird fashion. Here some of our favourite things to do in this merciless hot time of the year:
- A song: “Don de Fluir” by Jorge Drexler. The original version is amazing, but taking into account the bossa nova vibes behind it, the version featuring Celso Fonseca is even more romantic
- A drink: a homemade Gazpacho. If possible have it while dipping some sourdough bread
- A concert: any show happening at “Noches del Botánico” festival. A wonderful university botanical garden turned into a magical place. .
- A weekend plan: enjoy Pride 2019 in one of the leading LGBTIQ capitals worldwide. This includes music, conferences, art exhibitions, demonstrating, and of course partying for diversity and free love!
From Paris, with (French) cynicism…
Regardless of the recent heat waves that made the French capital turn into an effective — yet extremely painful — hair dryer, Paris is typically a great city to spend the summer in. Here are a few things that can make someone forget the beach and even fall in love with a city that increasingly takes after a hot version of the “Day After Tomorrow” ’s apocalyptic scenes:
- An evening drink on one of the new hot Parisian rooftop terraces. Upside of summer in the city: in August you might actually get a drink without queuing for an hour
- A chill afternoon on the Seine banks enjoying what France has best to offer: enough Rosé to make one’s forget
- A weekend plan: a hipster-ish open-air day party in the Parisian outskirts dancing in the heat (though note that soundtracks increasingly resemble a broken version of one’s printer)
- To avoid at all costs: thinking that Parisian restaurants have AC, the packed Champs-Elysées and any swimming pool “bon plan” found on the internet
Happy Summer from all of us at Samaipata!
