The summer ends and we wonder where we are

A return to weekly emails, packing, eating, and so much tennis

Light through the window of the bedroom I stayed in at San Sebastián

Summer is finally starting to cool off here in Barcelona and the nights are that perfect temperature for lounging on the terrace. Hopefully your corner of the world is equally enjoyable right now. First things first, I’ve decided to change the cadence for this very newsletter, moving back to a weekly format going forward. It will be an alternating schedule, with one week giving a few updates from me and some random observations, and some items that I want to share that I feel like you should see. Then the following week will be more of a roundup of items from the site that you may have missed. Staying in touch with you the reader is one of my big goals so this one small step toward that.

On the personal front, lots of packing and boxing happening at Casa FitzPatromon. When we moved we downsized quite a bit yet still managed to bring along hundreds of books, dozens of pieces of art, and a wardrobe large enough to (sharply) dress a boat-load of people. Luckily our new spot is only three blocks away! And if there’s one small piece of advice I can give, hiring movers is absolutely worth every cent, every single time.

While getting things ready in our current apartment and doing some cleaning at the new one, I’ve had the new James Blake record, Playing Robots into Heaven, on repeat. He has been a favorite of mine since his CMYK EP (seeing him perform “CMYK” live at FYF in 2012 is one of the coolest concert moments I’ve ever experienced). The record has some similarities to his earlier work, much more experimental, less guest stars, mostly him making beautiful tunes.

Mikan’s cherry tomatoes are bursting with flavor

Thankfully though, friends were in town visiting, which was a nice reprieve from the busy work. We always gravitate toward natural wines, so we visited one of our favorite spots. The first was Mikan, a Chinese/Korean/Japanese spot that has the friendliest staff and one of the best selections of natural wines in the city. Their kimchi olives are brilliant, the marinated cherry tomatoes (which are peeled and marinated for two days in a sweet and sour sauce) are little flavor bombs, and the Nanban crispy chicken with egg, mayo, ginger and scallion sauce is to die for. It’s really such a magical place.

---

Capturing the essence of vanilla, photograph by Melody Melamed

• How did “vanilla” become an American euphemism for things being bland? Ligaya Mishan dives into the complex topic, how it’s rarity has been diminished by mass production, and how challenging the real deal is to grow. I’m a huge fan of the photos in the article by Melody Melamed who was able to capture the idea of vanilla so beautifully.

• I’ve been thinking about Antarctica lately (no clue, my brain is wild) and the history of the continent is so crazy. I’ve only read the Wikipedia entry, if you have other recommendations I’d love to learn more.

• My TikTok has been nothing but tennis, tennis, tennis this last week and I’ve been loving it. I wouldn’t describe myself as a tennis fan though I do enjoying playing with Kyle every now and then. What’s happening in the sport rn though is a group of up-and-coming players who are making the sport feel… fresh. There was Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, Carlos Alcaraz, and of course, the sensational Coco Gauff, who went on to win the U.S. Open.

---

The Trend Report™

by my partner, Kyle Raymond Fitzpatrick, is a sharp and insightful look at all the things going on in the world, arriving every Sunday to your inbox. Highly recommended, obviously.