moi je joue

Our second day in the Cote d'Azur called for rain so we decided to stay close to our base in Nice.  In the morning, we looked out the window to see cloudy skies so we decided to put on our layers and go for a walk in the old town.  Vieille Nice is famous for its' morning flower and produce market, and, when we glimpsed the stalls of vendors down the cobbled streets, it was easy to understand why.  Everywhere we looked, we could see beautiful rows of roses, tulips, marigolds, and daffodils.

I also admired the stands fully stocked with local French produce - a welcome change from the pizza, pasta, and gelato shops that decorated the streets of Rome.

After selecting some juicy grapefruit, we walked down to the water so that we could stroll alongside the ocean.  Even though the sky remained partially clouded-over, the water still glistened a beautiful turquoise colour. 

After enjoying our walk, Alexis and I found ourselves a bench where we could people-watch and soak up the pleasant breeze.  As we sat, the sun emerged high in the sky, and the clouds parted completely from our view.  We began to realize that there was certainly no chance of rain today after all.  Alexis and I glanced at each other, but we both knew that we were thinking the same thing.  Without a word, we bolted back to the hostel to grab our bathing suits, and we headed down to the beach.  

We felt like the luckiest girls in the world on this most perfect afternoon.

After spending some hours in the sun, we hiked up to the Parc du Chateau so that we could look out upon all of Nice.  We could not imagine a more beautiful way to watch the sun set.  

Afterwards, we returned home to begin planning our trip to Barcelona the next day.  As excited as I was, I was certainly disappointed to say au revoir to the Cote d'Azur.  I am positive that I will return though.  If I can not be Grace Kelly, I can at least be Brigitte Bardot.  

trying to be like Grace Kelly

Every girl dreams of being a princess.  I dream of being Grace Kelly.  So when my plane touched down in Nice, France, I fully intended to live out this dream.  Although it was a bit of a process to get there, Alexis and I finally arrived at Villa Saint-Exupery, our hostel for the duration of our stay in the Cote d'Azur.   With just the name of our accommodation, I was already in love with the south of France, for it reminded me of my days reading Le Petit Prince as a high school French student.

In order to profiter from our time in France, we rose early on Saturday morning to leave on a day long tour to Eze Village and Monaco.  Our first stop was in Eze, a medieval walled city that overlooks the Mediterranean Sea.  Alexis and I enjoyed climbing up the hill to the fortress so that we could gaze out at the beautiful water.  It was quite windy once we reached the top though.

We also wandered through the stone caverns, stopping occasionally to drop into the cute boutiques that sold interesting crafts, accessories, and homeware.

When we descended down the hill again, I stopped at a boulangerie to buy my first of many authentic French baguettes of the trip.

From here, we hopped back on the bus to continue our journey to Monaco.  When I caught my first glimpse of the principality, I knew that I liked this place.  I simply could not help but feel like royalty as I soaked in the sites of the casino and the Cafe de Paris.  

We then walked toward the pier so that we could admire all of the lovely ships and yachts docked at the shore.  

By this time, the sun had also risen high in the sky, so Alexis took some time to soak up some rays and people watch.

Before returning to our base in Nice, we also walked through the streets of Monte Carlo, gazing into the windows of the many art galleries and designer boutiques - Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton, and more. As we walked again toward the bus station, I thought to myself, I could seriously live here forever.  On a gorgeous day like today, this was probably not an original thought, but I still cannot seem to get Monaco out of my mind.  Perhaps, one day, my prince will come, and he will carry me away to his castle overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.  I think that I would make a very good Grace Kelly.

rome even if you don't want to

I have always said that I do not like Italy.  Whether it be the food, the fashion, the people, or the coffee, it just never appealed to me.  I decided to give this country one more try though so I flew from Athens to Rome to meet Alexis.

Unfortunately, upon my arrival, my dislike of this city seemed to be confirmed - it cost me 16 euro to simply get from the airport to the city centre!  Despite this annoyance, I grit my teeth and tried to remain positive.  After a train ride and a few stops on the metro, I emerged from the underground to find my hostel.  As I proceeded down the street, the sight of ugly Italian scarves made me cringe, but I carried on.  Finally, I arrived at the address on my directions and climbed the five flights of stairs to reach my destination.  The hostel called itself 'Happy Days Rome', but I quickly learned that this place was anything but happy.  The employees smoked like chimneys, the rooms were loud, no lockers were provided, and I heard whisperings that this place was run by the Italian mafia.  Welcome to Rome!  At this point though, I was just happy to be reunited with Alexis, and I drifted off to sleep with my pursue firmly between my knees.

The next morning I awoke to a line to oblivion for the showers - of course.  After we were finally able to use the bathrooms, Alexis and I bolted from Hostel Happy Days to begin our itinerary for the day.  Our first stop was the Vatican.  In spite of my trepidation about Italy, I will admit that I do enjoy the Vatican.  As an art history major, the priceless works by Raphael and Michelangelo that line the walls of the Museums are flooring.  We began our tour in the Museums, stopping in particular to admire the Stanze della Segnatura.  The four walls of this room are decorated by Raphael with paintings that highlight the four essential sources of knowledge: philosophy, theology, poetry, and justice.

The School of Athens

We ended our tour of the Museums in the magnificent Sistine Chapel.  I remember the first time that I visited this miraculous place.  At the time, I was completely apathetic to its' complex imagery and deep allusions.  Now, I studied the ceiling, with its' scenes from the Old and New Testament.

I also gazed at the infamous Last Judgement and considered the complexity and thought behind Michelangelo as an artist.  How could people have ever criticized this work?

After finishing in the Museums, we gladly re-emerged into the sunlight to admire the gardens.

We then returned to St. Peter's Square to get in line to enter the Basilica.  I was especially excited for this part of the tour as I anticipate my Bernini Art History seminar that I will be taking in the fall semester.  Once inside, I admired its' uncanny ability to bring light into darkness, truly creating a sense of heaven on earth. 

 Then, I found Michelangelo's Pieta marble sculpture.  I was only able to admire this creation from a distance, but I wished that I had an opportunity to view it in the round, for this is really the only way to appreciate the beauty of Renaissance sculpture.

Michelangelo's Pieta

Finally, I arrived at Bernini's Baldacchino which supposedly lies above the crypt of Saint Peter himself.  With its' swirling columns and ornate decoration, this structure exists as one of the most renowned examples of Baroque architecture.

Once we were outside again, we stopped to take photos of the Square, also designed by Bernini.  

Ultimately, I was truly glad that I had the opportunity to share this experience with Alexis because I know how much this place means to her.  

We ended our afternoon by relaxing on the Spanish Steps and taking photos at the famous Trevi Fountain.

While I certainly enjoyed our day, immersed in Roman art and Italian sunshine, I was glad that I only had one more night at Hostel Happy Days and in this city.  This short visit was enough of Italy to last me a while.  Perhaps I will consider coming back when they abolish the tourist tax...

going the distance

I must admit that, as my plane descended into the Athens airport, I felt slightly apprehensive.  For the past few months, I had been reading about the financial turmoil, political upheaval, and street riots plaguing this city.  Was it safe for me to come here?  We boarded a bus at the airport and began to make our way towards the city.  At first sight, I did not see anything that seemed particularly daunting, but parts of this city certainly were not pretty.  We exited the bus near the Plaka - the old city centre - and began to make our way towards our hostel for the night.  We walked about a block and then turned down a small cobbled side street.  Immediately, we felt transported back in time to a whole other world.  This was the Greece that I imagined.  Street vendors and local tavernas lined the street and ancient ruins could be seen in the distance.

When we arrived at the hostel, we quickly unloaded our things - stopping briefly to admire the quaint garden terrace - and headed for the sites.  Our first stop was the historic Acropolis.  To reach this spot, we climbed to what must be the highest point in the city, and it was quite a long trek.

When we reached the top, we discovered the first noteworthy site - the Theatre of Dionysus.  

Once the centre of Athenian entertainment, this site was the location of festivals that honored the god Dionysus.  

From here, we walked through the Propylaea and gained our first view of the infamous Parthenon.  I felt my art history textbooks come to life as I admired its massive columns that made the structure almost appear buoyant.  

I then thought of the Elgin marbles that I saw when I first arrived in London a few months ago.  How must this temple of looked in its' full glory, before years of degradation... ?

Directly across from the Parthenon is my favourite building in the Acropolis - the Erechtheion.  I do not know exactly why, but I find great humor in the caryatid columns.

If these impressive structures did not make the climb to the top of the Acropolis worth it, the view certainly did.  

After descending back down the hill, we also visited the Ancient Agora and the Roman Agora.

The Ancient Agora 

Roman Agora

When we thoroughly exhausted our sightseeing, we decided to do what we do best: shopping!  We headed for a small shop that I had read about called Melissinos Art.  

The current owner is the third generation Poet Sandalmaker.  After attending New York University and the Parson's School of Design, he returned to his home in Athens to make unique leather sandals for the likes of Sophia Loren, John Lennon, Jackie Kennedy, and... me!  Of course, I could not help but bring home a pair of of Grecian style sandals made especially for me.  As full as my tiny North Face backpack was that I had brought on this trip, I knew that somehow I would make room.

I believe in pink.

As my internship finally came to an end, I embarked on a journey across the Mediterranean that began in Greece.  Early on Saturday morning - like 2:30am early - Emily and I left for the airport to catch our flight to the island of Corfu.  I wanted to sleep throughout the journey, but excitement (and the cold airplane) kept me vigilantly awake.  As the plane approached the island, I caught my first glimpse of the beautiful Corfu.  

When I walked outside to experience the warm Greek air for the first time, my tense body relaxed for the first time in what felt like months.  Eagerly, I welcomed the sunny sky and the pleasant breeze.  Then, a shuttle arrived to take us to our accommodation.  As we entered the vehicle, I already anticipated that we were in for quite an adventure.  The bus sped out of the airport parking lot, through the streets of Corfu Town, and began to climb the winding roads that led through the hills.  As we neared Agios Gordios - the beach community where we would be staying - the bus driver asked Emily and I to close our eyes, for he had a surprise for us.  When we finally opened our eyes, the most marvelous site greeted us:

The shuttle pulled up in front of our accommodation for the next few nights, and Emily and I could not help but laugh - the building and all of the recreation facilities were bright pink.

The Pink Palace was indeed a very fitting title for this place.  When we climbed out of our bus, we were greeted by the son of hotel's owner.  He spoke with a friendly Aussie accent and immediately offered us shots of ouzo (which was, of course, pink as well).  We politely declined and were then led to our room which offered us a beautiful ocean view.  

Deprived of the sun for so long, we immediately hopped into our bikinis and bolted for the pool and beach.  I have never before felt so happy to lie in direct sunlight.  For what felt like hours, we soaked up the wonderful Greek sun. 

As the sun finally began to set, we remembered just how tired we were from earlier that morning.  We headed to sleep after a perfect first day, eagerly anticipating what adventures would follow.

The next morning, we awoke with the intention of traveling to Corfu Town that day.  Primarily, we were in search of fruit because our hotel offered very little in this area.  A bus arrived just like the day before to drive us along the winding roads back in the direction of town.  We left only with the hope of finding fruit, but we discovered so much more. 

The town was gorgeous, and we had a wonderful morning marveling at Greek architecture and walking along the stunning pier.

After a few hours, we returned to The Pink Palace which was surprising quieter than the bustling town centre.  We passed the evening sharing stories, laughing, and planning our futures over cups of coffee - like only Emily and I can do.  

The next day, a few clouds rolled in so Emily and I chose not to go to the beach.  Instead, we passed our final day in Corfu hiking up some of the island's hills.  Along the way, we passed delightful Greek villages.  Once we reached the top, we also caught a glimpse of the entirety of Agios Gordios.  Despite the cloudy skies, it was a great day nonetheless.  

The next morning, we had to say goodbye to Corfu and The Pink Palace as we packed up our bags to head to Athens - the next great adventure.  Once again, the shuttle arrived to take us back in the direction of town.  As the bus pulled away from the garish pink buildings, I turned around to catch one final glimpse, and I smiled to myself.  Corfu is truly a magical place that will exist forever in the fondest of my memories.