High Heels vs Chickens: The Lives we Lead

Yeah, I know it's an odd title for a post, and no I'm not seeking some weird morbid revenge on the rooster that attacked me. I've been thinking about high heels and chickens because the time has come when Jon and I are thinking of our return home, what that will look like and what our lives will be like. Inevitably the return will involve going back to a day-to-day job and that (for me, not Jon) will probably involve high heels. But in my day to day here where I'm wondering how the new baby chicks are doing - I begin to think of all the various ways we can choose to use the time we have during our lives; and all the kinds of life we can lead. For me, I find myself at a crossroads of the different versions of my life and am as curious as anyone to see where life will take me next. Now that I've explained my bizarre train of thought, let me continue. This trip has offered an opportunity to "be" many things. I've been a traveler, a teacher, an actress (at camp), a consultant, a housesitter, a web developer, a farmer and most recently a window repair person. But is this "me"? Isn't all of it me? When we go back to Portland, will I "be" whatever my job title is - high heels or not? It's so easy for us, especially in America where our culture is career driven, to be defined by what we do for work. But if there's one thing I've learned over the last 9 months, it's that the  activities I do during my time on earth don't define me, I think they're absorbed into what creates my character.

What do you think?

Certainly moving away from a career-driving lifestyle offers perspective on where we think we're going with that drive. This time in Italy has shown me how wonderful a slower-paced, tied-to-the-land kind of life can be. And I do like the chickens, even if one of the roosters doesn't like me. They give the most wonderful eggs and the little chicks are fluffy and cute.

A different perspective

Jon has a different take on all of this, which I welcome. While my mind goes directly towards, "what will I do for work?" when thinking of "home," Jon thinks first of what makes home home: friends, family, food, lifestyle etc. Work is just the thing you do to make "home" possible. I know there are a lot of arguments against this: "Oh you should enjoy the way you spend  those 8 hours a day!" But I have to admire the guy for not being concerned with how the income is made, as long as you're happy and you live the lifestyle you want.

When we don the high heels (or the suit or whatever 'costume' your job requires) does it change you? I have mixed feelings about this, because the lines between my personal and professional life are often blurred, whereas Jon creates more rigid boundaries in his work life. I enjoy knowing the people I work with and often want to know more about them than just who they are at the office.

Going Home, Taking the World With Us

Regardless of what our work lives will bring us, this trip has afforded us glimpses into many different lifestyles, which we've enjoyed, been confused by, surprised by, loved and wanted to take with us. We both agree that taking the time to travel in the way we have, to be in places long enough to understand the cultures a bit has allowed us to learn how people all over the world live their lives, and how it's not better or worse, but how there are so many options for how people can use their time on earth. I like that. I like knowing that we can "be" one thing for a time and then "be" something else (of course I understand very well the privileged position I hold in being able to say that, and that there are many many people in the world who don't have the option to change their situation). In the end it makes me feel like I do not have to be defined solely by how I earn income, but that I can choose to be defined by other things: the relationships in my life, service to my community, and sure for me, the energy I put into work and how that effects those around me. Maybe I'm giving this more of a simplistic view than it deserves, but being able to "be" many things in a short time has opened our eyes. Life is long (incha'allah - god willing) and I hope that I have the courage to define my life by the experiences I have and how I share those with others. Whether that involves high heels or chickens, or both, I suppose it will be up to me to make it good.

What are your thoughts about work, life, and how you create your life? Is it based on what you do for a living? Or something else? As you ponder, enjoy these photos from our visits to the beautiful villages and towns of Umbria - they are stunning (the towns, probably not the photos so much).

Perugia Italy

The other day Jon and I had the opportunity to trade some work hours at the farm in order to spend the day exploring Umbria's capital city, Perugia, Italy. Aside from today (at the time of writing) it's been a bit rainy, so working out in the gardens hasn't been the most enticing prospect. Our hosts are both artists and arts lovers and carry a museum card, which meant we could spend the majority of our time, aside from general exploration, visiting Perugia's many museums and indoor highlights.

Perugia is old - for lack of better words. Many of its foundations are from the Etruscan times (Roman Iron Age 1-400 AD). In the early 14th century it became an academic and artistic center - with the founding of the University of Perugia. It attracted both artists and scholars, including the painter Pietro Vannucci, nicknamed Perugino, who was the teacher of Raphael (thank you wikipedia!). Although Raphael's paintings have been moved elsewhere you can still see his fresco in a small church. We seem to be destined not to actually see any of Raphael's work, because we happened to make it to said small church right as it closed for lunch. Booo.

Thanks to our hosts' museum card, we did however get an intense dose of medieval and renaissance art - that which we've dubbed 'god art' - at the National Gallery of Umbria. There's no getting around it since at this time the only people with money to commission art were in the church, or noble/wealthy people that wanted blessings and so forth in their home. It's, of course, beautiful, but after an entire museum of it we were really excited about the one contemporary sculpture installation in the entrance of the museum. I shouldn't minimize this artwork - it's important in its place in art history. The frescos are truly beautiful and the fact that they've survived is even more amazing. Also the fact that so many interior surfaces were covered in frescos is mind-boggling to me.

Our next stop after the Gallery took us to the Cathedral, which is beautiful and also full of priceless works of art. But this was not the highlight church for us.

After the Cathedral we walked across the length of the city center, on the spine of the hill on which Perugia sits, to Piazza Italia, where we located the steps and escalators that take you beneath the surface to explore the incredible underground structure below Perugia - Rocca Paolina. Ancient cities with well preserved buildings on the surface always make me wonder what treasures lie underneath. Perugia is a singularly special place where you can wander through the medieval underground city and see what it might have been like. What is so impressive is how tall the ceilings and archways are, how they are tiered just like the city above ground, and how perfectly engineered it all is. It's one of the cooler things we've seen on this trip to be honest. Highly recommended.

Once we re-emerged we made our way back across the city to visit the Collegio del Cambio - the 14th century seat of the exchange guild. The beautiful wooden inlay interior reminded me of the inlay work we saw in Essouira, Morocco - but this was an entire room of intricately carved and decorated wooden facades. Beautiful.

We made a brief lunch stop of Porchetta (pronounced porketta) - herb stuffed whole roasted pig, cut in the thin slices on a fresh roll (with a bit of the cracklin - yum) - and continued wandering the winding streets and staircases of the city. We found the Raphael fresco, but as mentioned it was closed for lunch. There was so much else to see that we resigned ourselves again to come back another time.

We'd been told that the church of St Pietro was an incredible bastion of art so we huffed across the entire city to see it. Originally a 10th century monastery, it was central in Perugia until it was burned in the late 14th century (thank you again Wikipedia). In addition to the medieval-style botanic garden, the interior of the church is a floor to ceiling lesson in frescos and 15-16th century painting. It's stunning, with treasures from great renaissance painters at every glance. The fact that we also snuck in to the crypt made for a particularly exciting church visit. It always urks me that there are interesting places in old churches you're not supposed to go - it was time we took matters into our own hands.

Anyway, if you know renaissance art (which I don't really) you'll recognize the names of Perugino, Salimbani, Alfani, Reni and Vasari; all of whom are represented in this art-laiden place of worship. As a music person - I was also struck by the stunning wood-paneled choir and large format chant manuscript on display. Just being in this place transports you to another time.

Once we were transported back to the modern era, we were over due for a coffee and snack. I opted to try a canoli since - hey we're in Italy - but then quickly understood why our Sicilian host advised us we should never get canoli outside of Sicily. Now we know - not so good. But we made up for it with gelato later so don't worry about us. After walking back to the main square we were really quite tired and got a glass of wine to rest our feet. We had a couple more hours to kill before our ride came so the last of our Perugia visit was spent exploring the many beautiful and winding side streets.

Perugia is really an incredible city. I know I haven't seen really much of anything in Italy (Florence, Arezzo and Siena are coming later), but this city that is steeped in a rich artistic history is not to be missed. Plus, it's the home of the Eurochocolate Festival in October, and where the famous Italian Baci come from - so what's not to like?

A Farm Stay in Italy

Jon and I have been in our little Umbrian paradise for just over a week now. Aside from somehow getting on the bad side of one of the roosters (who now wants to attack me), our farm stay in Italy has been everything I could have imagined it to be. We are living in a beautiful 12th century stone house just outside of the hilltop town of Todi, in the province of Umbria. We're nestled right in a bend of the famous Tiber river, yes, the one that flows across Italy, through Rome and into the sea. It meanders here through the hills, the sides of which are dotted with olive trees, or plowed into golden fields that grow sunflowers, wheat or various other goods. Just above our own fields of wine grapes (sangiovese and sagrantino) is a 12th century castle and church, which even has a small but beautiful fresco from the 16th century. While walking up there we met the building owner, who kindly took us up to his terrace for an incredible 360 degree view. This is a special place for which I'm grateful at just about every moment.

Opposite our little farm, way on top of the hill, is the village of Montecastello di Vibio - a beautifully scenic town that is home to the world's smallest opera house. It's modeled after the famous La Scala in Milano, but this one is like walking into a dollhouse. 35 seats on the floor (plush red velvet) and 2 tiers of tiny boxes for a grand total of 99 seats. The entire interior is hand painted and is truly a tiny masterpiece of art. I can only imagine how special it is to see a concert or opera there.

Our arrangement here is through a site called HelpX. We work 4-5 hours per day in the fields, gardens or around the house in exchange for all our meals and accommodations. Sometimes it doesn't feel like a fair trade because the experience of living in this place, eating home cooked Italian food and getting to explore or just relax on our time off is so wonderful.

Our tasks are varied, but the overall project for the home and farm is ambitious. The owners moved here 6 years ago when the house was apparently a complete ruin. The olive grove had been abandoned, the grapes neglected, I guess there was just nothing here. Slowly, and with the help of volunteers like us over the years, they've completely renovated and furnished the home into a beautifully restored living space. They've built stone walkways, a vegetable garden that provides greens, tomatoes, onions, eggplants, squash, and so many other goodies. This is not to mention the fruit trees that are plentiful and the fig trees that seemingly grow wild around the property. It's also home to 15 chickens that provide fresh eggs and 4 geese that...are geese. The flower gardens they built are beautiful and from what I understand are a rose-lovers dream come true in the spring. 2 years ago they built a traditional brick oven and can now make true Italian homemade pizza (which we enjoyed our first night here), aside from breads and just about anything else that needs a perfect convection oven.

Eventually there will be another room added to the house, the foundation for which we'll seal and paint again while we're here. We've painted and cleaned the 'cantina' - the room that's being rented in a nearby church that will be the site of the winemaking. We've pruned the olives and plowed part of a new field for grapes. We're constantly weeding, trimming and maintaining the expansive gardens. We're putting in fall and winter vegetables; and anxiously awaiting the hatching of the 10 chicks that are soon to come! Part of our exchange is also that I'm building a new website for our owner's bed and breakfast, the Casale della Staffa. All this while I'm trying to avoid the one rooster that has decided he doesn't like me and wants to attack me. It seems fine with Jon though, so that's good. I'm ready to put it in a pot!

Of all the travel we've done, the experiences we've had, and the places we've seen, this is a really lovely way of being somewhere new. It's only one family, and one vantage point, but we are getting to see what farm life in Italy is like, and learning so much about caring for land in the process. Even just working with the grapes, learning how to tend them, testing pH and sugar levels and waiting for the harvest has been a unique experience. It's also really nice to be here for a good length of time in order to relax and truly enjoy the dolce vita - the sweet life Italians so cherish.

Enjoy some photos from Todi, the farm and beautiful Umbria!

A Quick Trip to Rome

You may be wondering why these posts are always about a 'quick trip.' 2 days in Barcelona here, 2 days in Frankfurt there, 1 day in Nice, and now only 2 quick days in Rome. Why spend so little time in these magnificent places? I'm beginning to ask myself that too. But simply, at this stage in the game, it's a question of cost. Cities are expensive. Even budget accommodations, coupled with food and the biggest expenses for us - accommodations and attractions - make it difficult to be able to spend a lot of time in big cities. It's a shame really, because there's a lot to see in these places. But we've settled on the idea that these are small 'scouting trips,' for future visits. At least then I can convince myself that I'm coming back :) Regardless, Rome is an incredible city. I mean, for one, it's Rome. There's old stuff there; and that's an understatement. It may not be as old as Jerusalem, Athens or Cairo, but let's face it, Rome has an undeniable importance in the world's history.

This is our first trip to Italy and so everything is new and shiny (even if it's 2000 years old). Through a fluke in my understanding of Jon's arrival from Frankfurt, I arrived in Rome on the 31st, while Jon arrived on the 1st of September. No worries, I got a head start getting the layout of the city, trying gelato and taking a glimpse at the once-center of the western world.

Alone in Rome

I will admit, I was a little nervous to be a very blonde woman in the Italian capital. But I quickly realized that Rome is extremely safe. Also, given that Italian ladies are gorgeous I'm pretty sure no one is interested in hassling an obviously-unfashionable tourist who clearly isn't carrying much other than a water bottle and camera. So with confidence I easily managed to walk to a nearby restaurant in the Termini neighborhood and dig in on a 9euro 3-course meal. Pasta, the best chicken salad I've ever had and beautifully roasted eggplant were a perfect introduction to easy Italian food. I spent the rest of my first evening memorizing useful phrases (like, 'una coppette di gelato per favore' or 'a cup of gelato please') and creating our plan of attack for our 1.5 full days of sight-seeing. Plus, I had to find out where great pizza was located.

What to see in Rome when you have no time

The theme of this post is clearly that we had little time in Rome; as well as a small budget. Once we were happily reunited from our 10 days apart, we did the best free thing one can do in our situation. We walked everywhere. Jon and I walked to the Piazza della Republica down to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (which is enormous and incredibly impressive) through the Roman Forum down to the Colosseum and back to the Termini station where our hotel was located.

First impressions? Roman ruins are everywhere. Some of them don't even have signs. I felt that Rome must be much taller than it was in Roman times, given how deep the excavations are, and how much has been built upon since then. I also wondered if Rome has a building ordinance for height because nothing is taller than the Colosseum. No skyscrapers, no modern buildings. This is really interesting to me.

We of course stopped for a slice of pizza - which they price by the kilo - and gelato at the recommended Il Gelatone on Via dei Serptenti. Delicious. I satisfied one of my images of Italian cities of people sitting around a fountain in the center of a piazza, chatting, drinking wine and socializing. We partook in this and it was lovely. There are beautiful tiny churches everywhere and one of the joys of walking in Rome is stumbling upon them, going inside and seeing the frescos and art.

I cannot overstate the grandeur of Rome. It's different from that of Paris, which is hugely expansive with iconic monuments popping up everywhere. Rome is actually quite compact, walkable and accessible to the visitor. But you cannot help but feel steeped in history, with something to oggle at every turn of a corner. Indeed during our walk across town at night, we were dumbfounded by the constant thought of, "Oh, there's another Roman thing!"

Finally, I love eating in Italy. It's such a fantastic food culture and just the prospect of another meal is exciting. I did find a great pizza joint, and according to Let's Go Rome, this is one of the best in Rome - Pizzaria Baffetto. We pulled a Spain and arrived around 11:15pm, but we scored a small table right near the pizza counter and got to watch the magic happen. The pizza was fresh, delicious and overall a great neighborhood experience.

Vatican City

Having been to all these catholic churches all over Europe we couldn't see a reason to visit Rome and NOT see the Vatican. It is, of course, the smallest country in the world - so that naturally sealed the deal. But really, the Vatican is impressive. Plus, it's the Pope's house - and Pope Francis is hip, so we had to go visit his digs.

The freaky narrow stairway to the very tippy top of St Peter's Basilica and dome was not a stairway to heaven. It was hard - and freaky narrow. However, you can't beat the 360 degree view of Rome and the Vatican square below. I can't really convey the massiveness of St. Peter's - it's simply grand. Fit for a Pope as they would say.

We're not sure if we actually had to pay the 5 euro to get in or if we somehow got herded into the pay-line, because I'm sure there were people going into the basilica without paying. But, there aren't signs for anything here, so whatever.

Unfortunately, the time it took to wait in line to go up the non-stairway to heaven, the crowds at the Vatican Museum, and the new entry cost (12euro per person - apparently 3 years ago everything in Rome was free) meant that we were not able to see the Sistine Chapel. I'm super bummed about this. It's the Sistine Chapel for goodness sake! I'm resigning myself to one of those, "next time" moments.

Onward from Rome

After spending the morning at the Vatican - where you can actually send a postcard from the world's smallest country if you're willing to wait in a line that doesn't match the size of said country - we made our way back to central Rome and headed north to Umbria. We had agreed with our new hosts to be in the small town of Todi on the 2nd and had to battle the complicated, unsigned and erratic Umbrian regional train system.

We're here for the next 4 weeks. We're about 15 minutes from Todi, on a beautiful piece of property owned by Ev and Claudia an American/Italian couple who are building a wine and olive farm. It's a HelpX work exchange - we live here and work 4 hours/day in exchange for room and board. We'll be here for the wine harvest. The food is delicious, the company is great, the work satisfying and the scenery divine. All in all, between Rome and here, I feel incredibly grateful at this time.

2 days in Frankfurt

As some of you may know Jess and I did our first real solo traveling just a few days ago, she in Spain and France, and myself in Frankfurt. Since Jess is so good about writing about our experiences, I figure I was the only one in Frankfurt so the job this time is up to me. The main reason I chose Frankfurt is that it has the third largest airport in Europe and the tickets were significantly cheaper. For anyone looking at cheap travel to Europe, Condor Air is extremely affordable (couldn’t tell you about the quality, I needed a round trip ticket so I got stuck with American, a horrible airline).

I only spent 2 days in Frankfurt, which was enough for a good portion of the cities main tourist attractions. Frankfurt is Germany’s most diverse city, which was very evident. I found frankfurters to be really very pleasant and I got by without speaking German fairly well (a lot of pointing and using Spanish from time to time).

Frankfurt felt a lot like Lyon to me, with its central river and various bridges and street-car system, but is not as grand or beautiful looking. Frankfurt is a blend of old and new, so you have quaint plazas next to skyscrapers.

In terms of food, Frankfurt is obviously known for its sausage, which I helped myself to on numerous occasions. Pork sausage is quite a bit more costly in Frankfurt than in Spain, but a little cheaper than in France. Most of my sausages came from mobile trucks established in various farmers markets (there are markets Fridays and Sat every weekend during the summer).  The best ones I thought, were the smoked pork sausage you can see in one of my pictures. My most common meal was an apple, smoked sausage and some dark rye bread with fennel seeds

The markets also have excellent little mobile bars and wine booths; one of which I had a lovely glass of white wine from Germany for about 3.30 Euro.

Frankfurt is however known for its apple wine, which is pretty much like American cider but is more sour tasting; it was not my favorite thing. I never really got a chance to try many beers, but I’m not much of a pils fan anyway.

In general, Frankfurt seems like it is maybe a better city to live in than to visit. You often have to stumble across the sites as signage is scarce and there are a limited number of tourist offices.

I don’t know if I would go back unless I needed the airport, but it was a nice city to visit and the markets were great.

Budget Travel on the French Riviera

Last post on France, I promise. I'm just feeling particularly prolific and I already know that there were be so much to talk about once we get out and about in Rome. I just couldn't skip telling you all about visiting the French Riviera could I? Especially not when I'm sure I was the only person on the entire Cote d'Azur who was frustrated and slightly offended by the 19euro hamburgers that were offered at multiple restaurants. 19 euros! Anyway, I digress. St Tropez

As the kind bus driver quickly corrected me, it's St Tropez (pronounced San Tropay) not San Tropezzzz. I couldn't pass up the chance to see this famous little French town since it was only a couple-hour bus ride from where I was staying. It may not have the name recognition of Cannes, Nice and Monte Carlo, but it was glitzy in its own right.

The bus ride along the coast was beautiful, albeit slow. We passed through many quaint beachy villages, in any of which I would be happy to plunk myself down for an extended stay. It looks how you think it should look - rocky yet green mountains plunging into painfully inviting blue/turquoise warm water with little bars and cafés along the beach. I just can't believe people live there.

My first view of St Tropez was not actually of the town itself, but of the enormous - and I mean enormous - luxury yachts and sailboats crowding the gulf. "Oh so it's this kind of place" I said to myself. After debarking I headed into the center to have a look around, find some food and see what the hubub was all about. There are dozens of fine boulangeries in which you can get a reasonably priced sandwich. Although in the rest of France a sandwich will cost between 2-4 euro, here they're around 5-6 euro. I was annoyed until I bit into my hearty fresh-baked baguette filled with amazing brie and fresh salad. Not so bad I guess. Usually you can find a "formule" as well - something that will include the price of a cold drink. That's the deal.

The town is very beautiful. Brightly colored pastel buildings with bouganvilla and wisteria cascading down their sides; along with pristine brick and cobble stone streets make for a nice setting. Again - people live here?! I was surprised but not really surprised, to see the architectural similarity between these buildings and those of Gorée Island and St. Louis in Senegal. Those two places were central to French colonialism in Africa, so it makes sense that the buildings would look the same.

St Tropez is verifiably a playground, with endless opportunities for water sports, beach time, and exploring the little coves and towns. One can totally get by on a slim budget by buying picnic food at the grocery store and spending time walking the town and nearby beaches. Of course if you want to shop that's a different thing. I saw no less than 3 ferraris, and thought it would be appropriate to enjoy 1 of my 2 purchases, a 2.5euro coffee, whilst sitting near the port between the Hermes shop and another aptly called "Billionaire." I felt rich with gratitude.

Nice

Because I've been making my way to meet up with Jon in Rome, and we've been doing some serious penny saving, I unfortunately only planned 1 overnight in what I now realize is the incredible city of Nice. I thought it would be kitchy for some reason, but the few hours I spent there told me that, in addition to also being luxurious, glamorous and chic, Nice is steeped in art and culture, great food and excellent nightlife. Yes, I discerned all that between my 3pm arrival and 7am departure.

Truly though, it has a strong place in art history, being a home of Picasso, Matisse and Chagall. The architecture is beautiful, and although I didn't have time to see it, there's an incredible chateau that is also a fountain on top of the hill above town. Wow! A chatountain! Because my time was so pathetically short, I completely gave up on sightseeing and opted for beach and book time. Nice is one place that, while you can do it on a budget (hostels range from $20-$40/person/night), I wouldn't mind having a little something to play with to take part in the café culture and fine dining that is there. Plus the museums and opportunities to play on the water require a bit more funds. Next time!

Although it's a rocky/pebble beach, the blue waters of the city beach are still great for sunbathing and swimming; but I'm guessing are even better for summertime beach parties. It's what life's about on the Cote d'Azur.

Driving into Italy

Now that I'm using BlaBla Car (carpooling), I've been able to travel overland more easily. Driving from Nice along the Riviera and down the Italian coast was something I didn't want to miss. And that coast is beautiful. There's a reason the rich and famous use it as their playground. The scenery, with lush green mountains, silvery rocky tops and plunging coastlines where tiny beaches and hillside villages linger, is truly a sight. Although the land didn't change with a simple border crossing, the Italian side presented a slightly different architecture and towns that seem to tumble off the hills into the sea. That plus the knowledge that it's full of Italian goodness made me incredibly excited to be in Italy for the first time.

I'm looking forward to reconnecting with Jon and sharing more with you about Italy!

(French) Words with Friends

No, I'm not talking about the extremely popular app/game that so many people play. I'm talking about spending time speaking enormous amounts of a second language with new friends and how speaking foreign words with friends can be intimidating, but offer great experiences and cultural insight if you can get past the fear of sounding like a buffoon. I think that no matter how good of a traveler you are, it's hard to meet locals. Yeah, you can stay at hostels - but you're meeting travelers, and while that's fun, it doesn't provide the opportunity to really get to know a culture. I've been fortunate enough to have family stays in Senegal and France, and was able to gain incredible cultural insight to those 2 places during college. But it wasn't until I found myself reconnecting with the one French friend I made while living in Strasbourg that I realized just how difficult it is to meet and befriend locals when you're constantly on the move. I am also extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to study a second language to the point of near-fluency because without it, traveling in francophone countries wouldn't nearly be as interesting.

Reconnecting After 10 Years

Toulon & Six Fours Les Plages

I can't tell you if this marathon socializing exists all over France, but it was great to experience it mixed with what life is like in small town cote d'azure/french mediterranean coast life. It's August and so everyone is still on vacation. This means more time for sitting and chatting for hours, beach volleyball and driving around to visit friends. I took part in all of this (minus the beach volleyball - they're kinda serious about it) and again while I felt exhausted by all the chatting, was happy to see how people enjoy life during the summer.

Toulon is a nice mid-sized city. Six Fours is basically a beach village, and the real gem of the area is Sanary which is complete with a tiny wood-boat filled port, winding streets, charming shops and the relaxed atmosphere you'd expect of Southern France - without the luxury of the Riviera (that's coming in the next post). It was the non-glitzy part of the Cote d'Azur and I'm glad to have experienced it.

Next stop is Rome. Yes, Rome. I arrived this evening. I can't even imagine the grandeur and enormity of this city and am nervous and excited to see it all at the same time.

Until then, bisous et à bientot.

Reflections on Being in France (again)

I'm once again saying goodbye (for now I hope) to France. Each trip here is different and while walking around the old town of Nice in search of late night food I had a few thoughts on my upcoming departure and recent stint here. I Love Speaking French

I do. It's empowering to speak a different language, and getting to the point where you've learned to converse means opening a whole new world of cultural learning and connections with locals. The quick inundation of English at the hostel makes me really appreciate having spent a week speaking nothing but French with old and new friends. I will miss it once I'm in Italy and understand nothing!

France is regionally diverse

I had never been to the south of France prior to this trip, save a short few days with Jon to Aix en Provence in the spring. I'd never seen the coast, the famous Cote d'Azur and the French Riviera. Being here makes me appreciate how diverse France is geographically and among it's regions. We love fois gras (despite it not being a friendly practice) but you can't find that here. Want red wine? Yeah it's France you can find it, but you come to the south to drink Rosé - and it's delicious - even the cheap bottles. Having lived in the north in Alsace, to spending the spring in the center to now seeing the south, it's no wonder people call this Europe's Club Med - it has so many different things to offer in so many wonderful ways.

Love/Hate

All at the same time I have a love/hate relationship with France. I love the food, the cities and villages, the environment, the fact that it's France. But it also frustrates the heck out of me. The fact that people seem to not know how to walk without obliviously getting in the way; the bureaucracy is out of control; and yeah sometimes people are outright rude (but not everyone - I've spent an amazing week with new friends!) - it irritates me. I also have a strange surge of American patriotism every time I come here. I just love my country so much when I'm in France. I find that interesting... hmmmm.

Saying À Bientot

All in all there's a feeling of sadness every time I leave and I experience it now. When it's all said in done, I know how to be in France. Of course not as much as my own country, but I can get around here, talk with people and even make friends. There's always something interesting, old, funny, dorky, frustrating and wonderful all at the same time.

So I leave France now saying, 'see you soon' because I hope it won't be too long before I come back. Merci encore la France pour toute les plaisirs!

PS: I can't be that sad because I'm going to Rome tomorrow. ROME!!!

2 Days in Barcelona

What a whirlwind! I arrived in Toulon, France on Friday night after 2 days in Barcelona. Is 2 days enough to do that city justice? Absolutely not. Did I give it a good go? Hell yes. Would I ever want to go back to Barcelona? Are you crazy for asking such a silly question?? Ok, I guess I asked that question - but anyway, of course I would! Here's how I spent my 48 hours in Catalonia. Arrival

After leaving Alicante at 12pm on Wednesday I drove with several Spaniards via BlaBla Car (another post on that method of transport coming soon) to the Barcelonian suburb of Sant Joan Despi. I had written instructions via Google on how to take the regional train from there to my hostel and so I didn't think it would be a problem. I was incredibly grateful to a fellow passenger who just happened to be going to the exact same metro stop as me (coincidence or did I really seem like I wasn't going to make it??) and helped me buy my ticket because none of the train numbers matched the directions I had. Thank you kind stranger!

I found my hostel easily after that and checked in. I looked forward to staying in a hostel because, despite the lack of sleep I knew I'd get, I wanted to meet some fellow travelers. The lady at the desk asked me if I was "going to the festival" and I said, "Sure. What is that?" "Every neighborhood in Barcelona has a street festival. This one is in the Gracia neighborhood, we're leaving at 10:30." Cool, I had some time to ditch the bag, relax and meet my roommies.

Festival Gracia

Ok, so my hostel was kinda dirty and the AC in our room didn't work but it is SO awesome that they led a group of guests to the Gracia festival for free. We were about 15 people - Americans, Germans, a Canadian, 2 Kiwis, some British guys and a Polish guide from the hostel. Fun. Although they had said it was a street fair with "lights hanging in the streets," that was a completely lame explanation for what it really was. Dozens of small streets throughout the neighborhood were themed and decorated, some completely covered, with hanging lanterns, sculptures, lights and art. There were stages with live music - each a different kind of music - and bars and food carts selling drinks, empanadas and sandwiches. Every bar in between had it's doors open offering take-away cocktails and snacks. Basically this was a giant neighborhood movable feast. It was incredible.

In the plazas between the streets, the city had erected tents and dance areas. In one square the band played swing music, in another there was a DJ. In a lot of ways it reminded me of the atmosphere during New Year's eve in Brugges - unbelievably happy people celebrating just to celebrate out and about - one hundred percent happy positive goodness. This plus the artsy element to it made it an all-trip highlight. The big thing that was missing was my hubby!!

A 13-mile walk

The next day I woke up leisurely ready to explore the city. You already know from my last post that I intended on visiting the Joan Miro Park - which was mildly, well ok, not really that successful. After my 'experience' I wandered up past the Placa Espanya to the 'magic fountain' which wasn't so magic as it was turned off, and up to the Museo de Arte de Catalanya. This impressive, palatial museum overlooks Barcelona with incredible fountains, sculptures dotted about and a grandeur that's humbling. I was even more excited to see the interior until I learned it was a hefty 12 euro ticket. So much for the free museums of the UK! They do offer a free day on Saturdays from 3pm-9pm, but being a Thursday that didn't work for me. So I grudgingly skipped the art museum and continued up Mont Juic towards the Olympic Park.

I'm getting closer to having visited all the olympic cities from the 1990's. Although Nagano probably won't be on this trip's agenda. The stadium and park was impressive - I love the Olympics. I continued my walk in search of Joan Miro's actual museum, only to find that after waiting in a very long line, the entry to that museum was 11 euro. Being on a meager 25 euro/per day budget makes these things difficult! So I moved on but was delighted to find myself descending Mont Juic in the incredible tiered gardens of Laribal. What a beautiful and romantic place to have so close to the center of the city.

Deciding that I needed a snack, I made my way back to the Metro and hopped off at the Placa Catayluna, right in the thick of downtown and at the top of the famous La Rambla. I didn't really have it in me to walk La Rambla, but I did head through part of the old city to the Cathedral and had a nice sandwich whilst watching throngs of tourist pay the 5 euros to enter the church (which I also skipped - although apparently there are gardens inside the cathedral - that's cool). Feeling like my 10 miles of walking before 3pm was taking it's toll, I headed back to the hostel for a proper siesta.

The remaining miles for the day took place during the evening, while enjoying the company of my roommates, the unbelievable artistry, and art of the city, the balmy coastal air, tapas, sangria and the lively vibe that Barcelona has to offer. 13 miles is a lot - and I was certainly ready for a good night's sleep.

The remaining few hours

In the morning I decided that I better check out the Rambla, the Mercato Boqueria - the famous indoor/outdoor food market - and catch a bit of the Gothic Quarter. Most gratefully I had already seen the Gaudi houses and Picasso Museum while in Barcelona with my family in 2001 - otherwise this post - and my 2 days- would be a lot different. I will say that if in Barcelona and you haven't seen the museums, the tourist card, which includes 6 museums for 30 euro is a great deal. But beware, that line out of the Picasso Museum was HUGE. It's August, what can you expect.

My day-2 walk took me through the old city and up to the lively market - which was a bit too crowded for me given the number of tourists. It was still an enticing sensory experience - the presentation of the fruits and fish in particular were really amazing. This would be the place I'd hang out in May or October - and definitely with a bit more cash so as to sit at one of the market tapas bars and enjoy the fresh food and great atmosphere.

I headed all the way down La Rambla, through the Gothic Quarter (which is stunning) and up to the Arc de Triomf. A really lovely circuit. My 4pm departure loomed so I decided to check on the progress of the Sagrada Familia and made a quick trip on the metro for a photo op. It's looking good! I think the 2026 completion date is on track (since of course I clearly know about such things). Hmm, perhaps that's a celebration to take part in! After admiring such an interesting architectural feat, I sped back to the hostel, grabbed my bag and raced to meet my next BlaBla Car ride to Toulon. Sound quick - yeah I'm still tired.

My 2 days in Barcelona were fabulous, albeit exhausting. I didn't have a great impression the last time, but I think now that's because I was simply too enamored with Sevilla to really see Barcelona's advantages. It's nice to be back in France - especially because now I can talk to people! It has been strange to be solo, after being with Jon for so long. We'll be back together soon and I'm looking forward to it! Hasta Luego!

How I Almost Got Scammed in Barcelona

Ok, I get it, it's summer, the high of European holiday season and Barcelona is packed with tourists. But, I've been in the beautiful city of Barcelona for less than 24 hours and already had an attempted-rip-off scheme. After this little interaction I realized that in all my travels, in so many places, I have never once been the target of a scam and even though I've read about them and been warned, I was still somehow surprised to find myself in the middle of one. Here's what went down - and what to look for if you're in Barcelona.

The Scam

I decided this morning that I wanted to visit the park that holds the namesake for one of my all time favorite artists - Joan Miro. So I hopped on the metro out to Placa Espanya (which is stunning and grand and totally incredible) and found my way to the the park. Thinking that it would be an entire Miro sculpture garden I was somewhat disappointed that there was only 1 - albeit enormous - sculpture. Ok ok, it's really impressive and I was happy to see it.

But thinking that there might be more smaller sculptures hidden in the little palm-tree lined garden beside the sculpture I started walked through the shaded pathways. This was at about 11:30 in the morning.

Not far past the gate a young man came up to me and asked me where the Olympic Park was. Although I thought it odd that he was clearly Spanish, I figured that there are a ton of Spanish tourists and maybe he was just lost, so I looked at his map (which was completely in tatters) and started to help him find it. Bizarre event #1.

At that moment another guy came up and said he was a policeman (undercover of course - but why would you say that?!) and that there was a lot of drug trade in Barcelona and that he needed to see our ID's and make sure we weren't doing a deal (really!?). He proceeded to flash some kind of identification card - and by flash, I mean there wasn't an opportunity to even look at it. Bizarre thing #2.

Bizarre thing #3 happened with the guy who was "lost" gladly whipped out his wallet and ID, opened it up and handed it to the "plainclothes policeman" who thumbed through it and said, "ok no money." Then he looked at me and asked if he could see my passport (which I did not have on me).

I then proceeded to ask him if I could actually see his ID, to which he flashed it again, and I said, "Um sorry, no you can't see my ID, there's no problem here, I'm leaving." And before I could walk away the "policeman" turned on his heal and left. The guy with the map didn't seem interested in knowing where the Olympic park was, but I told him anyway.

Reflections

Upon walking away it dawned on me that this interaction could have gone in several much more unfortunate ways for me, as in I was kinda surprised that one of them didn't just take my bag.  I also realized that they had probably been watching me take pictures of the sculpture so they knew I was a tourist. I'm generally pretty discreet about such things, but hey when you want to take a picture of a giant sculpture you gotta take it.

Looking back on it I also see that the 'policeman' played his part terribly and really wasn't convincing. However if they had wanted to make a quick getaway, they both had the moment of hesitation that was needed. I guess that's my fault for wanting to help a seemingly lost person.

Of course I'm grateful for being safe, I still feel at ease in this great city and am looking forward to enjoying the rest of my time here. It just goes to show that jam-packed-tourist time really does equal scam time.