KELLY'S GONE AGAIN
…AND HERE'S WHERE I'M AT.Archive for Culture
#54. New York City: The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful
I write listening to the soundtrack of a very talented street musician playing his guitar as I look at the silver skyline of my favorite city. Oh, New York, I do love you.
#52. Edinburgh: A Few Days During Festival
Here’s the short answer: Edinburgh was awesome. Quick and cool. Fun and fascinating. A perfect getaway.
Well, okay, the getaway part doesn’t really apply to me – seeing as how I’ve “gotten away” on a regular basis for the better part of this year – but the plan was that I’d make the trip with one of my best friends, Hannah, a new mum of a beautiful baby boy. At the end of the day, though, there were too many challenges, and I found myself in that familiar role on the road solo.
But I mean, really…there are worse things in life.
#51. Paris: My To-Do, -See, -Eat, -Buy List
Well, I’ve finally said goodbye to Paris and, oui, I do miss it a little. I’ll relive it here by sharing some memories with you in the form of a list, 20-deep of random things to do, see, taste, hear and buy, should you find yourself in the vicinity. For one reason or another, they helped make my summer pretty splendid. Take from it what you like and, of course, bon voyage!
#50. Brussels, Bruges & Ghent: 2000 Bottles of Beer on the Wall
Ooh, was I sleeping on Belgium. Brussels was my first trip in Europe as a kid (from my then-new home in Germany), and though I have fond memories, I really didn’t crave a return. I did, however, crave those waffles – the one thing that stood out after all those years. So after discovering that the train ride from Paris takes under 2 hours, I bought a ticket and was on my way.
#49. Lisbon: Getting Personal in Portugal
Lisboa was different, not what I imagined. I don’t know what I thought it’d be – more “European” perhaps, wealthier, for sure, maybe even a little conceited from its new-found travel fanfare. I guess I just figured that, like many recently-recognized tourist treats, I’d be hit with a posh shopping district and fusion restaurants.
Smiling, I stand corrected.
#45. Monaco: Husbanks, Have Nots and Try Hards
Monaco is one of those destinations you kind of have to go to when you’re in the South of France. Once you’re back home, everyone will ask you if you went, and if you come up with some lame excuse as to why you didn’t, get ready to feel even more lame every time someone new tells you what a mistake you made.
Not that they necessarily know first-hand; most people don’t. Monaco is in that relatively small group of exclusive destinations, primarily because it is – let me confirm any doubts – exorbitantly, fervently, seriously dripping with money. Super-fancy cars, tons of docked yachts, more Barclays than bus stops, a special Dior store just for kids… it feels a little like the whole place is sprinkled with gold dust.
#43. Cote d’Azur: The Usual Suspects, Part III
Note to Self:
“Self is no longer in New York City. Self is not riding subway.
Self doesn’t know where it’s going. Remove iPod and pay attention already.”
The plan was this: catch 6:54 a.m. train to Nice, depart Nice at 7:32, arrive in St. Raphael at 8:22, hop on the one St. Raphael morning ferry at 9:30, and be selecting leather sandals by 11 at St. Tropez’s famous Place de Lices market (only on Tuesdays and Saturdays, mind you), before it closed at 1 p.m. But you know what happened. You know I missed my train stop at St. Raphael.
#42. Cote d’Azur: The Usual Suspects, Part II
After visiting Cannes, my hopes were not terribly high. It’s not that I was jaded or struggling to stay optimistic, nothing that serious. I was just a bit…disengaged. A little “sure, whatever.” Overall, neutral.
And then, just like that, I fell into Nice. I don’t know why; I wasn’t on the make. I expected it to be just like the others. But on Avenue de Jean Medicin, walking past buzzing cafes and trendy boutiques and, well, so much life, I felt something. It’s hard not to. Nice has an energy, an easy, poignant, honest, simple sense to it. It isn’t looking for recognition, it isn’t competing for customers, it just is.
#41. Cote d’Azur: The Usual Suspects, Part I
I had such high hopes for Cannes. Having been mesmerized by its reputation, I arrived already intoxicated with possibility. I believed in this city, eagerly anticipated it, and knew I’d fall in love the moment I stepped off of the train on Day 1. So on Day 2, I rationalized, “okay, lukewarm start, no big deal, doesn’t mean sparks won’t fly today.” But, let’s be honest: I usually know on the first date. And I’ve never not known by the second date. There just wasn’t chemistry.
#36. Venice: Walking on Water
Oh, Venice. It’s true what they say: the architecture, the structural components and artistic, ancient beauty of this city was astounding. I was enchanted by the rustic, rust-colored buildings with large wooden shutters and copious hanging flowers dripping down intricate black iron railings, by the weave of waterways throughout the city, connecting each island to the next…
And though water is a predominant characteristic, exploring Venice by foot was an unexpected pleasure. We traipsed through the popular centers during the day, and then walked through the hidden corners and alleyways at dusk, discovering little local cafes and watching the city slowly start to go to sleep.
#34. Sarone: What Took Me So Long?
I’ve eaten more olives in the last five days than I have in my whole life. Already I’ve helped empty twelve bottles of wine… and that’s just at home.
After a month in the States, post-Australiasia, I’m away again, on my way to France for the summer. Today though, I am in Italy; Sarone, to be exact, in the Perdonone region of the north, about an hour from Venice and nestled under the Italian Alps. I’m visiting one of my best friends (Julie) who happened to move here 2 months ago with her husband (Cody), since I just couldn’t come up with a better way to get acclimated to Europe than spending a few weeks in Italy. It is my first time here, and I cannot, to save my life, figure out why that is.
#28. Kuta, Legian and Seminyak: An Intro to Bali; Ubud: Settling In
To be honest, Bali wasn’t my first choice of last places to go on this trip. Worried about overtouristing (given its exceptional popularity), I wasn’t sure it was “sexy” enough; instead I’d considered Fiji, the Maldives, even Borneo. But, in the end, a recommendation from resident homegirl and recent Bali visitor, Alicia, won out. And for the record, AI, thank you.
