monaco dreams

During one of my days in Nice, I took the quick train ride along the French Riviera to Monaco to spend a day there-- I was ready to visit little shops, enjoy the sunlit coastal views, and get my passport stamped. Even though I was traveling alone, this faux-itinerary seemed like the ideal way to experience the little country.

And when I got there everything was closed. I didn't realize that on Sundays, everything (including the casino where they stamp your passport) is closed. To top it off it was overcast. Knowing absolutely no French, I was left to exploring the city by foot and trying to make the best of my day despite the mini setbacks.

These past few days have felt a lot like Monaco-- and to be honest the next few days don't seem likely to brighten up. In fact, March has been pretty dreary and it's only half-way over. I'm back to traveling alone in a foreign country with nothing seeming to go right.

But today-- a year later-- Monaco seems different. As I went through the photos to put this post together I realized that Monaco wasn't a bust at all. Sure, it didn't work out the way I'd planned but just being there was beautiful on its own. The luxurious streets, the tiny markets, and the abundance of tulips really made the day trip memorable. Now, if I can just find those kinds of little treasures, March might become my own little Monaco.

mycenae

I'm rereading The Iliad (for the bazillionth time) in one of my classes this quarter and every mention of Mycenae makes me think of the time I actually got to visit the site when I was in Greece two summers ago. It's weird to think that this place was a palace- Agamemnon's home while he ruled over the Achaeans and the home he left for 10 years during the battle of Troy* (so the stories say, anyway). I know the photos might not look like much, but being here after learning their ancient history was nothing short of amazing.

This last photo is of the stray dog we found in the Temple of Atreus. We affectionately named her Argos (after Odysseus' faithful dog in The Odyssey).

*No matter how many times I read The Iliad, I always picture Achilles as Brad Pitt.

laugharne

Tonight I'm a sort of in a Dylan Thomas mood. Not the raging alcoholic side, but the poet. These photos are from my first few days in the U.K., when my Oxford program took a trip throughout Wales. We stopped in Laugharne, where Dylan Thomas lived and spent the latter years of his life. The beachfront seems to go for miles during low tide-- we literally couldn't see the ocean because the sand spanned so far. The best part about his house? The random Pierce Brosnan photo, of course.

But in all seriousness, Wales is really gorgeous. I miss Europe.

edit: I just found out that Pierce has a son named Dylan Thomas Brosnan. Oh, dear.

seven (revisited)

A little less than a year ago, I wrote a post on my seven favorite places in the world. My dear friend, Maddy, tagged me to write seven things about myself, so I thought I'd redo my list after traveling much more. This time, my list is limited to my favorite international cities, but it was still a difficult list to make. It's hard not to fall in love everywhere I go.

7.

Nauplion, Greece

It's hard to forget the first city that showed me Greece's magic. It was the first time I saw water so warm and blue.

6.

Assisi, Italy

Other than stories about St. Francis of Assisi, I didn't know much about the city before I went. It's magical. The lovely little pink city is at the heart of the Umbrian hill towns and it's so peaceful and relaxing. From almost any spot in the city, you can see for miles and miles around you.

5.

Bath, England

(or any tea house, really)

Even though I spent most of my time in Oxford, Bath was the perfect little getaway... especially since all we really did was sit in a tea house for hours and eat bath buns with clotted cream. The town isn't as overwhelming as London and it doesn't seem as small as Oxford. I wish I took more pictures and spent more time there.

4.

San Gimignano, Italy

When I first came to Italy, I asked my host dad what his favorite Italian cities were. He told me San Gimignano, a small Tuscan hill town, was "meravigliosa." And he was right. The little town with 14 medieval towers is quaint and marvelous.

3.

Munich, Germany

I know I wrote about Munich recently, but it still holds a special place in my heart after going there last summer. I love Germany and all of the cities I've been to (Frankfurt, Cologne, Berlin and Potsdam) but Munich has a different feel to it. Maybe it's because it was summer or maybe because it felt like a miracle, but Munich was such a wonderful experience.

2.

Salzburg, Austria

The fairytale city I never expected. Even though I chose to go because of my love affair with The Sound of Music, it was really wonderful beyond that. Quaint. Surrounded by the Alps. Beautiful pastel colored buildings. And gigantic cinnamon sugar pretzels. I wish I could go back and bring my whole family with me.

1.

Florence, Italy

The one place abroad I never feel like I need my family with me, because my family is already there. Florence is the reason I fell in love with Italy and the main reason I want to go back everyday. My host family was one of the best matches I could have imagined. I love that I have a favorite gelateria and salumeria, and that I know the streets well enough to take shortcuts to get where I want. I love that it was my first real experience abroad and I love that I have family to visit whenever I go back. Mi manchi, Firenze (anche tu, babbo!).

Lastly, I'm really terrible at tagging people so I'm going to leave this open-ended. If you have seven things you'd like to share- things about yourself, favorite places, things you couldn't live without, anything!- please blog about it and leave me a link to visit!

the berlin wall

the first time david and i went to see the berlin wall, we went to checkpoint charlie and the wall there was just gray and desolate. in a way, this felt very true to the existence of the wall and how it divided berlin. later on during our last day in berlin, we managed to find our way to the east gallery, home of the famous murals that stretch a long way for a good walk. in comparing this bright, colorful collection to the gray wall we found at checkpoint charlie, i realize that one thing they both have in common is that they're both honest. the gray, in that it reflects how ugly and broken down we are when we say nothing against barriers; and the painted, in that it shows how beautiful and liberating we grow when we speak out against the barriers laid before us.

the overnight train

this is what all of the 6-person cabins looked like on our overnight train from vienna to berlin. there was no room to put your luggage except on the floor. yes, that is my gigantic blue luggage. and yes, i slept with it there all night. the next time david and i travel, i think we're going to rethink the overnight train. but still, it was an interesting (possibly fun?....) experience.

our last day

vienna was our last stop before heading to berlin

to begin david's semester abroad in potsdam

we decided to go to the natural history museum

it's enormous- i'm pretty sure that we spent at least 4 hours there.

not really sure why darwin is riding the tortoise

dory and some axolotls

a lion is about to attack him and he doesn't even care

one of my favorites

photography by david

a little break after our many hours of wandering

mozart

stephansdom

the gasthaus that we ate at every night.

it's delicious- soup and schnitzel for 5.80 euro

and then we headed to the westbahnhof for our overnight train