It was Paris. We were sat having dinner at an outdoor cafe.
We’d been together two and a half years, we’d spent the summer traveling, we’d spent the day at Disneyland.
I smiled across the table and took a last sip of wine… and then he dumped me.
Ouch.
I was friendless, almost out of money, and stuck in a dorm room with that moron. It would be a couple of days until I could get home to England – what was I supposed to do in the world’s romance capital until I could get home?
Here are three European suggestions if you’re battling a broken heart.
Pere Lachaise Cemetery – Paris, France
Mourn your lost love in a suitably romantic setting. Pere Lachaise is the final resting place for many of the great and the good of French history in baroque tombs and under ornate monuments.
Although it sounds like a morbid thing to do, wandering around the leafy avenues is peaceful and surprisingly interesting.
The tomb of Oscar Wilde might raise a smile – it’s covered in lipstick kiss marks.
Getting there won’t tax your stress levels too much (if you’re in Europe) as the cemetery is easily accessible on the metro. The station’s even called Pere Lachaise.
The Museum of Broken Relationships- Zagreb, Croatia
It started as an art project that came about after the breakup of the co-creators, but the Museum of Broken Relationships is a therapeutic (fascinating, wry and often hilarious) insight into everyone else’s pain via items the contributors couldn’t bear to keep, or to throw away.
The museum has been touring worldwide, but if you visit Zagreb to see it (and you totally should, it’s a great little city) it’s just up from the top of the furnicular railway.
They even sell “bad memory” erasers. You’re not alone.
Central Cafe – Budapest, Hungary
Who needs men (or women) when you have cake? Central Cafe does a lovely selection of mouthwatering cakes as well as coffee, meals and wine.
As its name suggest, Central Cafe is handy for most things and while you’re in Budapest, don’t forget to check out a spa. You’re worth it.
1 Comment
The morning after my divorce was finalized, I hopped a plane to San Francisco. I stayed till I could breathe normally again. It was the perfect place to decompress because it’s a city of singles with a thriving cultural vibe. There’s so much to see and do and yet nature and stillness is right around the corner a short drive or train ride away all the time. I could stay busy if I needed to, I could find quiet if I needed that. I would escape there again any time I am in need of heart-mending in the future. It was ideal.