The blog lives ... Athens and Crete Recap

I'm slightly embarassed by the time that's elapsed between my last post and now ... two weeks, and a lot has happened!  First I was in Athens, with no internet access really, and then I was in Crete, where my laptop's screen was killed by a suitcase ... until I find a replacement/some solution and am able to upload my own photos, blogging will be photo-less (or in today's case, replete with Google images).  I'm also only able to go online at work, so unless something spectacular happens, I'll not be blogging very often until my computer situation is resolved.

So, a couple weeks ago I landed in Athens, Greece, where I was welcomed by the wonderful "cousins" Soulis and Voula.  I stayed at their second apartment for a few days, ate a lot of delicious Voula-meals, and wandered around the city until my mom, dad, and sister arrived!  We spent the next few days sightseeing and relaxing in the Grand Bretagne's lovely spa (as my family-members recovered from jet lag after a 24-hour trip to Greece from CA).  One of the highlights was seeing the new Acropolis Museum, which was not yet finished last time I was here ... finally, Greece has a wonderful place to house it's incredible relics from the past thousands of years and early civilizations, and the setting (at the base of the Acropolis) is magnificent.  The other: experiencing the riots and protests in Syntagma Square.  The actual events are much calmer than they are portrayed in the media to be, but there are thousands upon thousands of people gathering each night, and everyone is very frustrated with the government.  The general sentiment from people I spoke to, including my Greek relatives, is a resentment toward a government who cares more about the banks than the people, and little for the poor (under the new austerity plan, people with lower incomes will have higher taxes than before).  I also heard a lot of "Papandreou ees noht GREEK, he ees Amehrican jew!"  It will be interesting to see how it all plays out.  [Note: the sentiments expressed above are simply observations, not my own opinions.]

Then, we all flew to Crete!  We spent a few magical days at the Blue Palace Resort in Plaka, in the Spinalonga Bay (Spinalonga is an island that used to be a leper colony - yummy!).  It was one of the most beautiful places I've ever been to, and spending time in such a relaxed and amazing setting with my family, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins was incredible!  The rocky beach was picturesque, there were celebrity guests (the cast of America's Next Top Model, as well as Lady Gaga, who had stayed in our family's villa a few weeks before us!), and the food was delicious (I probably gained a good five pounds in three days).

Unfortunately, I had to leave after a short time in Crete, but my whole family will be there for a couple more weeks.  While I'm jealous that they get to indulge in sun and sand and Greek food, I couldn't be more excited to be in Munich, and it's also nice to be able to call them without much of a time difference right now.

So now, I am in Munich!!! I can't believe I have never been to Germany before ... the people are so warm and light-hearted, and Munich has a million fantastic little restaurants, shops, and markets.  There is an abundance of museums, castles, lakes, river beaches, and other sights to explore here, and I'm so happy that I'll be here for seven weeks.  Munich reminds me a bit of northern California - moderate weather, lots of green spaces, a Berkeley-esque college atmosphere (there are 100,000 students at the University here), and an outdoorsy vibe (everyone rides bikes).  All in all, being in Germany will be a fantastic experience for both myself personally, and for my career ... work is great so far and I'm really enjoying my internship at Bird & Bird.  Unfotunately, there isn't much gelato in Munich ... but there IS lots of Haribo candy.



Magic in Firenze

So much to report!  At the moment I'm busy keeping The Icon Concierge updated with top stories and events from Pitti Uomo and Pitti W fashion shows (read them here), so for now I will just say that in the past day and a half I have already:

1) Previewed multiple fashion lines for Spring/Summer 2012 as a member of the press (press pass and all!!)

2) Had my photo taken by street-fashion photographers (and pretended I was on the phone to seem nonchalant about it - I mean it happens all the time, right?)

3) Attended a private fashion/art show featuring iconic Italian models from the 80s and 90s, and

4) Was invited to a private dinner (with those models!) hosted by the PR firm that is putting on all of this week's special events.

Yes, those are shoes on her head.

I'm sleepy now, and it has been overwhelming ... BUT, I am thrilled for this opportunity!  I feel like I'm Anne Hathaway in Devil Wears Prada, with an amazing friend giving me this experience in place of an evil boss.  It's a fairy-tale trip to Florence!  Although I must say, I'm glad that I'll be in an industry (legal) where I won't have to rely on my outfit to be successful ... high-fashion can be uncomfortable.  I'll just stick to "good personal style" for now.

Dinner tonight was incredible, definitely the best meal I've had in a long while.  In fact, it's the first time I've eaten dinner out in ages ... in Venice, I made most of my meals at home, and it was difficult to find wonderful restaurants in my price range.  This meal was free, so it was in my price range.  We ate at Trattoria I due G, a family-run yet glamorous restaurant that serves classic Tuscan cuisine.  They served incredible pâté, tomato salad, and rice-crusted meat, then beautiful vegetable risotto dishes for the table to share, followed by delicious red meat with white beans and roasted vegetables.  I finished my meal with Semifreddo alla menta e cioccolata and an espresso... divine.  The people I met (European and New Yorkers, in fashion and journalism) were lovely, and Flint, the PR contact who invited me, was so friendly and welcoming.

On another, more personal note, I stopped drinking a year ago today!  Needless to say, I am proud and happy to have reached this landmark, and want to thank everyone who supported me.  I'm happier today than I've ever been, knowing that I've opened a space in my life to make room for more personal growth than I ever thought possible.  Being abroad has only been an aid in reaffirming that my choices have been right for me, and I appreciate all the support and love and understanding my friends and family have shown me this year - so thank you!

So to snap out of the sappy, here's a picture of a kind of grody but sexy man I saw today at the fashion fairgrounds!  Oh Italians ... I will miss them un po ' ... And more updates soon to come, ciao tutti!

Arrivederci, Venezia!

View of San Marco from San Giorgio Maggiore

My time in Venice has already drawn to a close.  I'm writing this entry from a lovely family-run pensione in Florence, where I am staying for a few days.  The hotel is right by the train station, so when I arrived earlier this morning I quickly dropped off my bags and have already walked around central Firenze for a few hours.   I'm really looking forward to this trip, but more on that in a bit ...

Giudecca

View of Dorsoduro

This past weekend was a wonderful opportunity to have a final exploration into areas I hadn't seen, visit the "sights" I hadn't yet touristed, and essentially, say goodbye to Venice.  I was able to take some cool photos of the view from the campanile at San Giorgio Maggiore (a church on a small island right across the water from San Marco).  I also happened upon an INCREDIBLE free exhibit on Giudecca called Modernikon: Contemporary art from Russia.  The show was housed in a beautiful old palace with large, light spaces,  high ceilings, ornate moldings and gorgeous windows - the contrast of the contemporary sculptures, paintings, photos and documentaries displayed there was lovely, as was the entire exhibit in general.  I have a soft spot for Russian art and history, and I'm not sure where it came from.  For some reason, (maybe the strong influence of Russian ballet instructors throughout my formative years) I have always loved taking courses on Russian socio-political structures, historical trends, and art ... this exhibit combined the work of established and up-and-coming Russian artists, who have made political statements using contemporary artistic means, commenting on the merging of the past and present in Russia.  There were some very moving pieces, and I thought it was one of the best contemporary art shows I've ever seen.  Photos of the show, with descriptive captions, are also in the photo-link above.

Andrey Kuzkin's "levitation Heroes" - made from bread (used as a plaster), they represent conflicting symbolical meanings such as life and death, disintegration and elevation, and symbolism and materialism.  They were ENORMOUS

This guy was my favorite ... he seemed so soulful, I just wanted to touch his face! (Actually, I did, shhh) ... and the drawing is a sketch by an artist whose name I can't recall, but his somewhat satirical allusions to popular Russian and Soviet culture in his drawings reminded me of a Russian Daumier. 

School and consistent fun made the past three weeks pass by so quickly, and I can't believe that I was in Venice for almost a month.  It's not the type of city one visits for an extended period of time, generally.  When I came with my family as a 13 year-old, we stayed for three magical days, saw all of the important monuments, got lost in streets and allies and walked through markets ... but living in Venice changes the way you see it, and the city loses some of its mystery.  After a week I was no longer lost every time I tried to find my way home, and after two I actually knew my way around.  Still, Venice is not a city that you can comfortably call home, even when it becomes more than a tourist destination.  

Random Crew Competition on the Grand Canal ... that shut down the entire vaporetto system!

But, I loved it.  It was fun to walk amongst the tourists and think, I'm one of you, but I know more than you do ... I still feel out of place ... but so does everyone on this island so does that mean we're all in the same boat? (heh heh - boat).  The overarching point I'm trying to make in my ramblings:  I have a feeling that no matter how long you stay in Venice, no matter how familiar you are with it, you'll always feel like a tourist ... and that makes it a unique and really exciting place to stay.  Being too comfortable is easy, and it was an amazing experience to live and study in such a remarkable and quixotic fairyland.  

My last gelato in Venice ... was "monumental," to say the least ...

I left my apartment at 6:30 this morning, and no one was out yet ... there were hardly any boats on the Grand Canal, and taking the water-bus from Rialto to Ferrovia Station was like a private last tour of the city.  I will miss Venice ... but I am ready to be on the mainland again.

Bye bye Venice!

Buongiorno Firenze!!!

The first thing I noticed upon arriving in Florence were the cars!  I had forgotten about those things ... they're kind of scary.  This week should be exciting because (a) I will reintegrate myself into the world of endangered pedestrians and (b) I'm here covering a fashion tradeshow event in Florence, Pitti Imaggine.  I have a friend from college, Sade Strehlke, who graduated USC a year before me and recently started her own online fashion editorial, The Icon Concierge (check out her amazing site!)  She is launching an Italian edition of the website in November, and wanted to attend this week's events but unfortunately had conflicts - luckily for the both of us, I happened to have this week off and was already in Italy!  So, she has had all the press passes transferred over to my name and I will be reporting as European Correspondent for TIC in Firenze, Italia.  

Press Pass and Inivitations!

Check out The Icon Concierge's site for my guest posts, and I'll put stuff up here as well :) Stay tuned ... 

Seen at Lido Beach

As my time in Venice draws to a close, I'd like to reflect on the wonderful time spent at Lido Beach during the past few weeks.  I planned to go today for a last hurrah - unfortunately, rain has struck the little island so I may not be able to visit again for a while.  So, here is my tribute to LIDO ... Long live the carefree and scantily-clad ways of Italian beach life!

Disclaimer: Some of the images displayed may not be suitable for children.

Beautiful skies ...

A diverse array of people ...

Maybe too much PDA?

Definitely too much skin ...

"When in Rome ..."

In Europe, "nude beach" isn't a necessary designation to take off your top.  

The Gelato Edition

I realize looking back that I have referred to eating gelato a great deal over the past few weeks.  Gelato and I have had a beautiful time together this summer - thanks to the luscious and creamy Italian dessert, I have been kept consistently happy and satisfied for the entire month of June.  Yes, having the wonderful opportunity to live and study in a culture and history-rich European city has been satisfying as well ... but let's be honest, the gelato takes the cake (or should I say ice-cream cake?) for "best soul healing."

My initial approach to gelato-eating was fairly unrefined: (1) walk around for hours, (2) become really really hungry, (3) see gelateria, (4) buy two scoops of the most chocolatey/nutty flavor available.  While this was a perfectly adequate way to enjoy Italian ice cream, I knew I could achieve even more greatness, with just a little effort.

I researched.  I looked up the "best gelaterias in Venice," unique flavors to look out for, the difference between artisan and simply frozen gelatos ... I also made an effort to choose gelato by considering important factors:  (a) Did the color of the gelato look good with my outfit?  (b) Were the weather and circumstances appropriate for the flavor I was choosing?  (c) Was I actually hungry?

My efforts paid off, and I found a few incredible gelaterias in Venice, as well as some to-die-for flavors that I will never forget.  My family is constantly amazed by my incredible ability to remember exactly what I ate at practically every moment in my life - but my memory of the gelato I've enjoyed here in Venice is not amazing, it is to be expected.  This stuff is divine/nectar of the Gods.

Best Gelato Memories thus far:
* Finding Gelato Squero in Dorsoduro ... you'd never guess by looking at the exterior, but this gelato is some of the best in Venice.  Simple choices, but bursting with so much flavor.  I had pompelmo (grapefruit) and melone ... delicious!

* GROM!  This is a "high-end" gelato shop, that also serves coffee drinks.  I believe they've also opened a few locations in New York City.  I had nocciola (hazelnut) and extradark cioccolato - the extradark chocolate was insanely good, and had tiny shavings and chips of chocolate pieces in it.  A small serving with an enormous taste.

*Anguria (watermelon) and mojito gelato on Lido ... Two separate days, glorious sun and hot, dry weather, the beach, and incredible icy and creamy fruity delicious refreshing flavors.

*Also on Lido, fig and walnut gelato.  This is the kind of flavor combination I had been searching for, and it was perfection in a cup.

*And right when I thought I couldn't discover anything better than what I've described above, I tried Limone con Basilico gelato in Castello.  The combination of sweet, sour, and herb was one of the most deliciously refreshing and satisfying things I've ever eaten.  (Pictured below, hiding beneath the also-yummy amareno (cherry) gelato.)

I'm proud of myself for trying new flavors - usually, I see Nutella or Bacio-flavored gelato and I automatically gravitate towards it.  But experiencing new kinds has really broadened my horizons!  Let me know in the comments if there's a flavor I should keep my eyes open for this week, before I leave Italy next Thursday. xx Ciao

Feeding Pigeons in Piazza San Marco!

My friend Ralph is travelling through Europe and stopped in Venice ... we went to feed pigeons in Piazza San Marco!  The bread I had for them was a little stale but they didn't seem to mind ...

They are not shy ...

Then a cute little dog started eating our bread with the pigeons ... it's the circle of life.

International Art Invasion

Biennale, 2011

Biennale is an International Art festival that brings together contemporary artists representing several nations ... it has taken place every two years in Venice since 1895.  This year is the festival's 54th Edition (there were a few years it did not take place because of WWI and II), and the permanent country-pavilions in the Giardini at the end of the island (referred to in my "Style-watch at the Giardini" post) are filled with each country's contemporary art.  

Fake (or quite possibly dead, stuffed) pigeons covering the sign ... 

The theme this year seemed to be "collective voices," or, that is what I would guess from the exhibits I saw yesterday when I went to the gardens.  Each country's contemporary artistic display was some form or another of mixed media representing the collective history of that nation and its people through images, sounds, painting, sculpture, photography and film. 

             

Belgian Pavilion (above) ... doesn't the glass painting look like a kitty?

My favorite was probably Belgium's pavilion - the artist placed glass over a screen displaying film segments of European moments from the past century, and painted daubs of color that corresponded to and were inspired by the different movements.  These glass plates were then layered on top of one another to create multi-dimensional "paintings," and were displayed in the pavilion, along with screens showing the film that the artist had painted over.

Danish Pavilion Exterior and a Poetry installation: 

Other pavilions were more simplistic - The Nordic exhibit had austere paintings of trees and rocks in a bare room that had a tree growing through the roof.  And others (such as the German pavilion) were over-the-top, almost overwhelming in their bizarre interpretations of their countries' cultural identities.  I consider myself to be a very open-minded individual ... studying abroad in Paris two years ago vastly expanded my knowledge about contemporary art and the new wave artists from the 1960s in Europe, so I am rarely shocked by this kind of "out-there" artistic expression.  But some of the art shown at Biennale was truly shocking in its liberal interpretation of such topics such as death and sex - especially since most of the pavilions were sponsored by national organizations in their countries.  But nevertheless, it was all beautiful in an aesthetic sense, and I am hardly ever happier than when at museums or in front of any art.

Nordic Pavilion:

 Korean Pavilion: 

German Pavilion:

French and Australian Pavilions:

Seeing Biennale was a highly interesting experience and I am so lucky to be in Venice while the festival is here.  Watching the other visitors and their reactions to all the pieces was just as extraordinary as the art itself, and I'm glad that I had the chance to go.  I wish I had allowed an entire day for my visit.  After a couple hours  I was fairly emotionally spent  and decided I had seen my fill.  But, the park was in essence a hipster's Disneyland, so one could in theory go early, take a few breaks to look at the gardens and have some Illy (which is one of the event sponsors), and then venture back to all the pavilions.  Either way, my day was finished joyously when I stopped on my way back home for some limone con basilico gelato ... glorious!

Some of my favorite photos that I took yesterday afternoon are in this post.  But to see more, click here or go to my album on the right for all the photos I took, with captions explaining what countries the art is from and the art's meaning!

And, for a longer history of Biennale and information on the events, you can visit wikipedia or the Biennale website!