Postcard from Spain

What I bought. Things I learned. And a brief love letter to linen.

I promised a dispatch from my travels, but I’m going to be honest: Visiting multiple European cities (Madrid, Barcelona, and London) in two week’s time during a brutal heatwave with two kids and a 9-hour time change was a lot. We were hot (so hot). We were tired and too excited to sleep. Sometimes, just keeping boats afloat, tummies full, and spirits up was the day. (That, or things like L’Aquàrium, which isn’t exactly on-message for me. Though it was very cool.)

Hence, this is a quick (and late and off-schedule) flashback to Spain. It’s full of photos taken by my kids with their Camp Snap cameras, which in addition to being easy and screen-free, are actually very good at motivating reluctant little walkers. Hey guys, go take a photo of that pigeon waaaaay up ahead! I swear, it works. And, although we now have hundreds of pigeon pics, they also got some decent shots of our friends and my clothes. (No one was paid to say this – not me and certainly not my kids – but it’s true.) I really like the chill vibe the Camp Snap captures, especially because none of us was feeling very physically chilled at all!

We now have two Camp Snap cameras, one like this (above), and another in lime green with a few more features. (This pic was taken by a friend with the latter.)

My daughter snapped this outside the CosmoCaixa Museum of Science in Barcelona. Highly recommend a visit, with or without kids.

The paper-thin Bondi Born pants read like a skirt and were great in the heat. I wear size 0. Ace tank. Negative bikini top as a bra. The red is gone, but the blue is a good, peeky pop. I bought the crochet hat in Madrid last year, but I like this one from Jenni Kayne just as much.

What I pickup up:

✔️ Pajamas from Aunty B. in Madrid for my son, who still lets me dress him in proper, printed sets.

✔️ New Prada sunglasses to add to my collection.

✔️ This linen camisole because I am all-in on linen this summer (more on that below).

✔️ Gingham slippers from Zara Home – so much better than the hotel’s terry slides and easy to bring from place to place.

✔️ Onitsuka Tiger has a store on Paseo de Gracia in Barcelona. I bought a new pair of my favorite Mexico 66 Sabot slides and these cheerful slip-ons (which I may regret. We’ll see when I get back to L.A.).

Will break for air conditioning. Screen-free digital camera (currently on sale), Ace tank, Bondi Born pants.

I tend to put a lot of pressure on myself to see it all when I’m traveling in cities. I love a hunt and I was trained as an editor to maximize limited resources (i.e. time), hit the ground running, and do as much as humanly possible every day. But with two picky eaters under the age of 8 who aren’t used to walking because we live in Los Angeles – and again, the heat – this was not the trip for ambitious agendas or late afternoons wandering unknown territory.

So, we actually spent a lot of time at the hotel in Barcelona (the Majestic, it was great). Mornings at the rooftop pool, with a big, beautiful city and La Sagrada Familia tempting me in the distance, required motherhood’s old, familiar patience and limit-acceptance. I watched my kids swim, drank my lattes and, by Day 3, let go of my urge to be out there. In hindsight, it was a lovely routine and probably the most meaningful thing we did together during our stay. A close second to the dinner we had at a place called Parking Pizza, where the waiter gave each of my kids an empty pizza box to play with and just about blew their minds.

Another city, another pizza place. This one is called Pizzart, in Madrid. Good for moms and picky eaters. Reading glasses, t-shirt, Sherman Field necklaces.

In Madrid we saw friends and visited our old neighborhood spots. (To those who are new to JoJ, I lived in Madrid with my family last year. My guide to the city is HERE.) It was a fast two days and seeing the kids pickup where they left off with their school friends was the highlight.

In Madrid. My friend Vanesa, a native Madrileña, wore shorts so beautifully with a tan leather belt that looked a lot like this one. (This Chloe one would also suit.) P.S. I walked thousands of steps in these sandals without a rub.

My son took this pic. My shirt is the same Alex Mill linen Jo I wore at the beach last month. That’s versatility. My other Prada sunglasses.

On the streets…

It could be my affection for Alex Mill’s Jo (above)… Or, maybe it’s the linen shirts from James Perse that my husband Marc picked up before we left and wore so effortlessly every day… Whatever the spark, middle-aged men in fine linen button-downs was the look I loved most on the streets in Spain. I know, linen in the summer is like florals for spring – obvious and everywhere – but given the heat, it hit a little differently on this this trip. Like, what are you doing if you’re not wearing linen right now? Every man in a polo shirt looked like an awkward tourist (maybe he was), and guys in jackets were the wrong kind of hot. Pass and cut to: The gentlemen with rolled sleeves and deep, earned wrinkles on the backs of their shirts – the epitome of summer sexiness to me.

My husband Marc in his James Perse linen shirt at Ultramarinos Quintin in Madrid (where, again, the kids ate pizza). James Perse also makes great linen shirts for women.

Linen for all ages at Aspic restaurant near Barcelona’s Turó Park, which some of you recommended we visit. (Thank you, it was gorgeous and we loved the shady playground). Here is a close match to this man’s shirt (at least from the back). This one is the same color at a nice price. Here is a sweet striped one for boys.

I love the wrinkles, I love the matching tapered pants. Next to Jacket Guy, Mr. Linen is Mr. Right. Here’s a comp to his sky-blue shirt from the proper London outfitter Derek Rose.

Twinning with the umbrellas on the roof at The Majestic Hotel. Here is a close match for this guy’s coral stripes, from J.Crew. Here’s a striped cotton-linen option for women from Buck Mason.

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OK, that’s it for today. Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend. Thank you for reading. I’ll be back on Saturday with something fun and jean-focused – and a sale at The Only Jane is coming soon, too. As always, Denim Forever.

Jane

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More good travel things…

This Vee Collective tote was the MVP of my luggage situation – lightweight, soft on the shoulder, and lined with many useful compartments.

Not pictured in the post, but very good on planes and trains as an alternative to a sweater: The Matteau striped tee.

This is the candle I packed because a.) smells from home are so soothing in hotels, and b.) it can’t break because it’s in a metal canister.