How To Attain Those Sweet Eurotrip Vibes Without Leaving ‘Straya

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Published

August 24, 2016

We’ve teamed up with The NESCAFE Team to show y’all how to make the most of any break (coffee or otherwise) and turn that deviation from the daily grind into a full-blown adventure. They’ve got a bunch of flavoured sachets doing the ’rounds that’ll take you to another place, regardless of where you’re slugging away. Check their website HERE and Facey HERE to find out more.

Europe is not simply a continent – it’s an experience.

A vaycay that delivers history, culture, weight gain and an identity awakening thanks to those carefree vibes north of the equator.

If you can’t afford to blow a huge chunk of your salary and forgo your working / study break, the FOMO is very, very real. But don’t you worry about that, beaut readers. We’ve found a way for y’all to have the best of both worlds, cheaply and conveniently in your very own motherland.

FOOD

CHEESE

Yaaas, fromage. From The Stinking Bishops in Sydney to Milk The Cow in Melbourne and Fromage The Cow in Brissy, the Aussie hospo industry understands our need for cheese. Better yet, our very concentrated grocery market also knows our desires, offering a pretty fine selection in the refrigerated section.

Great news for us stingy folk, who can stock up on cheese and baguettes and take that to the park with the ole picnic blanky like sophisticated French folk. If any of your mates don’t like the melty yellow, you might wanna re-asses that friendship.

CHOCOLATE

Any excuse, right? Do as the Belgians do and flick that tongue around the fine brown stuff and, while you’re at it, dive into Euro-friendly waffles too. Fondue sets are pretty affordable these days, you guys, so it’s totally justifiable should you want to slap some Euro vibes onto your next feast.

ART

GALLERIES

Europe birthed the likes of Monet, da Vinci, Picasso, van Gogh: the arty roots are strong with this one. While it’s hard to replicate the Louvre, you can feel all ~cultured~ etc with art galleries on your own turf. Check out a whole bunch of galleries and museums ‘Straya-wide (many of which are free) HERE.

FILM

If you want to dip your feet in some European cinema, there’s a bunch of film festivals rolling out across Australia in the coming months. These include:

Alliance Francaise Classic Film Festival
August 28 – November 6
Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra, Perth, Melbourne
More info HERE.

Czech and Slovak Film Festival
September 14 – September 23
Melbourne
More info HERE.

Greek Film Festival
October 12 – 23
Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane, Adelaide
More info HERE.

Festival of German Films
November 15 – November 30
Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra
More info HERE.

CULTURE

TRAVEL

Y’might not be able to float down a canal, but you can get around like the Dutch on a bike. They call Amsterdam the Bicycle capital of the world, and, if you’re going to do anything in Amsterdam fashion down under, riding a bike is probably your best (legal) bet.

ADVENTURE

If you’ve got a bit of dosh but not enough for a plane ticket, you can even whack in some legit bucket list experiences that aren’t dissimilar to that available in Europe. Y’can replace the Swiss Alps for Jindabyne or Thredbo, dip in the hot springs and nature baths that Australia has to offer instead of trekking to Iceland, and smash out a tourist hop-on hop-off bus tour in major cities for those sweet attractions.

SIESTA

The Spanish love themselves a good nap after a solid, hearty meal because – let’s be honest – that food coma is a very real situation that can’t be treated lightly. So, during the hottest hours of the day, treat yo’self to a decent 2-3 hour nap as the Spanish do and reap the benefits (according to 2007 research, the siesta habit has been associated with a 37% reduction in coronary mortality, likely due to reduced cardiovascular stress mediated by daytime sleep). Sign us up, aye.

LANGUAGE

Learn the language of a Euro country in your spare time – we bet 10 bucks you’ll know more than any of your friends who’ve spent time overseas, because unfortunately a lot of us don’t take the time and common decency to learn the language of the country we’re in. Being 2016 and all, you can do it online or join a class. Learn a language for free on Duolingo HERE or Memrise HERE. Simples!

We could go on, but we think you catch our drift – you don’t need to venture half way across the world to Europify your next break.