MCFlorence

The next day we spent the entire day taking a bus, 3 flights home, and then a tram. I would do all the traveling in the world for another night in Santorini!

The one thing I purchased was from a store that sold stones. The owner offered to guide me to the stone that I needed based on my frequency. After asking for my name, she led me to citrine, and explained that I needed to remember that I don’t always have to HAVE the best in order to enjoy myself, I just need to make it the best... hmm.

On the way back, we met a friend. He was doing construction work on a hotel (as nearly was considering they are getting ready for their busiest season). He waved down at us and immediately started a conversation. We talked about where we are from, what we were doing in santorini, he scolded us for coming in March. He gave us the name of his hotel, Nicolas Villas, so that we have a perfect place to stay when we go back (which we will). We learned about his time in the military and how he lived in South America. Finally, he recommended that we have dinner at Thalami and we went on our way.

No photos could ever do this view enough justice. The smells, the sounds of music, the chit chat of people from all over the world talking to locals. The water was whipping around in the wind but was somehow still serene. This is a moment that I will never, ever forget.

We spent a couple of hours walking around Plaka, doing some shopping, and looking around. This was the first trip that we had been on that really felt like we had gone somewhere different, I think because of the language. We didn’t feel rushed in Athens and we really enjoyed the sights but then it was onto the next excursion. Our host drove us back to the airport and we boarded our flight to Santorini!!

Florence colors, tastes, views. I am thankful to have had a slow and relaxed week to feel like a person again.

Talk about an amazing class field trip! We visited Pitti Taste food fair with my Social Media, Social Food class.

The East Side Gallery, Berlin, Germany.

I didn’t expect to be as enthralled with Berlin as I was. I anticipated darkness and despair, and what I found what a kind society that has managed to achieve a level of reflectiveness that is unique to this city. The are extremely honest with their history, and there are countless monuments that represent the third Reich. However, they are no longer memorialized in a honorable way, they are instead remembered as a lesson. They admit that the only way to avoid recreating oppression is to remember it and actively work against it — a lesson we could all use more of today.

Amsterdam... ALL the canal views, ALL the snacks on this day, ALL the rain. It was just perfect! I really enjoyed learning about the history of Amsterdam — their culture is very pragmatic. Everything is based off of business, so when people were being persecuted for their religions elsewhere, they were welcome to practice their religion in Amsterdam. It was somewhat of an out of sight, out of mind situation, but this sense of freedom has persisted today.

We stopped in Brussels for dinner, which made me a little bit emotional because in a way it felt like being back at home! I want to make more of an effort to be connected with my culture in Belgium, and even though most people speak French in Brussels I made my way around the language! I can’t wait to be back in Brussels and in Belgium hopefully sooner rather than later.

Watched Paris at Midnight on the way to Paris so you could say I was feeling inspired. I loved the sight of Paris in the rain... everything is grandiose, especially my visit to Versailles and a last minute pastry before our departure. Paris always feels like the place where anything is possible.

St Christopher’s Hostel in Paris, along the canal.. we ventured out into a very rainy day and saw the Shakespeare and Co bookstore. Here, writers can stay for free if they provide a sample of their work, read at least one book a week, and work in the shop. So many of the greats have stayed here along their journey. We took shelter in the Notre Dame, where we saw a large wood carving from the 14th(?) century and the largest circular windows (the exact name has escaped me). The weather was only fitting for a morning in Paris.

Okay... Barcelona round #2! This time, I felt less pressure to see the sights (because I saw them at the beginning of the semester — they are super worthwhile but I was happy to relax)! Instead, I spent time on the water and on the Rambla. I ate at Bode B, which is a famous Mediterranean sandwich shop that served the most STUFFED baguette with chicken, four types of sauces, rice, peppers, lentils, cucumbers, tomato, zucchini, cabbage, and probably many more things that I am forgetting! I went to abroadfest two night and saw What So Not, Drezzo, Adam Kahati, Phantoms, Frank Walker, and some smaller artists. We also went to opium to see Don Diablo on Friday which was fun but certainly far too crowded! A few other highlights included the Coconut Club, the Lime House, La Luna for tapas, and Elsa y Fred for tapas/dinner. Stop one on spring break was an exhausting and wild success!

this week includes sweet treats, enjoying being home, and sunny weather

I feel like it’s not normal that they played songs from the Greatest Showman and Michael Jackson at the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace... were we being Punk’d?

Adventures with George! Now we’ve been to four different places together!