Travel Flashback: Kastania, Gerolimenas, Gythio, & Monemvasia

Posted on May 22, 2013 by Laura

For awhile last year, I was posting a look back at past travels every Wednesday. Life got in the way and I stopped doing it, but I figured I’d start back up again. Today’s post is from my graduation trip to Greece in the summer of 2008. You can find the rest of my Greece posts here.

Do you remember where you were on Mother’s Day, 2008? I remember where I was – traveling around the Mani Peninsula in Greece, making stops in the tiny towns of Kastania, Gerolimenas, and Gythio before winding up at the medieval fortress of Monemvasia for a few days.

Our first stop, Kastania, was a super tiny town (Wikipedia tells me it has a population of 423); we dropped in for a few minutes to visit a couple of its churches. This brings me to one thing that amazed me about Greece, and amazes me about Europe in general – the abundance of churches, even in the smallest of places. And often, even in these tiny towns, the churches are surprisingly beautiful and ornate. Pretty cool, if you ask me.

From Kastania we traveled to Gerolimenas, a coastal town, for a delicious seafood lunch that included super fresh squid and anchovies. We also walked along the rocky beach for a bit, but it was crazy windy and not the best time for lingering along the shore.

Our next stop was Gythio, the port town for ancient Sparta. Our tour guide told us that the island just off the coast of Gythio was the location where Paris and Helen spent their first night together en route to Troy, so…I guess that’s an illustrious claim to fame?

We ended our day of town-hopping in Monemvasia, where we stayed for the next two nights. Monemvasia is mostly known for being home to a medieval fortress – think of it as the Greek Mont Saint-Michel, if you will. We hiked to the top, stopping to take in the beautiful views along the way.

As we climbed, it was also fun to look down onto the gorgeous blue waters, the reddish brown roofs of the town, and the winding pathway:

Near the top, we found a church with a pretty spectacular dome:

At at the very tip top, gorgeous views of the surrounding waters and towns:

Like I said above, Monamvasia strongly reminded me of France’s Mont Saint-Michel. The difference? Mont Saint-Michel is packed to the brim with tourists, while Monamvasia was much sleepier. Both offer spectacular vistas and lots of history, but Monamvasia boasts a peacefulness that can’t be matched.

(For more on Greece, be sure to check out my posts on Athens, Delphi, Kalavrita & Dimitsana, Olympia, and Kardamyli)

Things That Are Awesome, Vol. 74

Posted on May 18, 2013 by Laura

The weekly roundup of awesome ways to waste your time on the interwebs:

20 Hilarious Pinterest Fails. Nailed it.
ONE WEEK, people! Arrested Development Season 4 Trailer. Also, make sure to take a deep dive into Vulture’s analysis of the trailer.
We all know show Robb is way better than book Robb, so this is appropriate: Crush of the Week: Game of Thrones’ Richard Madden.
Incredibly detailed and oddly fascinating chart: American English Dialects.
This post is a fascinating read from a man who gave up the internet for a year. I love that it goes someplace completely different than expected, and that it totally avoids the predictable “the internet is ruining us” conclusion. Very thought-provoking.
43 Things That Will Make You Feel Old. Whoever wrote this was spot-on about #1 – it is very traumatic.
The Office had its ups and downs over the years, but I was still sad to see it end this week. I love this behind the scenes look at the set via Ellie Kemper.
Really interesting: Inequality and New York’s Subway.
I wish I had quit my last job with a resignation cake.
I could not love Jon Hamm any more than I do at this moment: Jon Hamm on Sesame Street.

(Image via Vulture, perfectly summing up the brilliance of this season of Mad Men)

Obsessed with Spring, Part 2

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Laura

A few weeks ago, I shared my spring photographs from around Ann Arbor. Last week, while at home before heading to New York for the summer, I snapped some shots around my yard; it seems my obsession with spring blooms continues in full force.

These photographs also represent my first foray into attempting to learn how to use my camera better – for the first time, I switched the button from “auto focus” to “manual” (gulp). While I know I need tons more practice before I feel super comfortable with my camera, this seemed like a good first step – and flowers are very willing and patient subjects!

Happy spring!

Tea for Two at Teahaus

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Laura

I am a big fan of Teahaus, having logged serious hours there during my 1L year while studying for finals. It’s tucked up on 4th Street in Kerrytown, meaning that it’s far enough from campus to be blissfully undegrad-free and thus perfect for studying. Also, it serves delicious scones and macarons. That helps the studying, too.

My mom came into town last Friday to help me pack up and clean my apartment before leaving Ann Arbor for the summer. And, since it was two short days before Mother’s Day, I thought it would be nice to do a classy pre-Mother’s Day tea in celebration.

While I’ve had tea and treats at Teahaus many times before, this time I opted for the Full English Tea Service. You have to book a few days in advance (no walk-ins for the full tea are allowed), and you are treated to lots of delicious food. What’s fun about the Teahaus experience is that it provides all the fancy sandwiches, scones, and pastries you would expect from an English Tea, but in a more low-key environment (a contrast, for example, to my experience having High Tea at the Drake). Don’t get me wrong – I love the super classy, get all dressed up and feel fancy approach to tea, but it’s also nice to do it this way too.

The Full English Tea Service comes with unlimited tea. I started with an iced Moroccan Mint, which sounded super refreshing as it was quite warm that day. It was tasty but didn’t feel quite right – when I do a full tea, I want the warm-tea-served-in-a-fancy-teapot experience. So, I switched to the Strawberry Mint Lavender Tea, which was also lovely:

Then, the food began to arrive. Our tea started with a small bowl of vegetable soup:

And if we could pause for a moment to note the adorably cute napkin rings:

After our tea and soup were served, the gigantic tray of goodies came out, eliciting envious stares from fellow patrons:

On the bottom layer were the little finger sandwiches, which always make me feel super British when I eat them. We had a variety of five – a traditional cucumber sandwich, an egg sandwich, a chicken salad sandwich (topped with a dried strawberry), a bread topped with brie and fig jam, and a bread topped with pepperoni (the pepperoni was super flavorful). I think the brie and fig one was my favorite:

On the second layer were the scones – two plain ones, and two fruit ones. There are also a variety of creams and jams served, my absolute favorite being the lemon custard (so, so tasty!):

(It’s at this point of the meal, once we’ve been served tea and scones with jam, that The Sound of Music starts playing in my head…you know, “tea, a drink with jam and bread”?)

(Is that just me? Probably.)

Anyway, finally, on the top layer were the pastries – two macarons (one chocolate, one lavender, and both with the perfect macaron combination of a flaky shell and chewy interior), two little chocolate cakes, and two sugar cookies:

All in all, this was a lovely experience. I would highly recommend the Full English Tea at Teahaus, but even if you don’t want to go for the whole shebang, please go there and at least have a scone. It’s worth it.

The Details: TeaHaus | 204-206 N. 4th Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 | 734.622.0460

Travel Flashback: Kardamyli

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Laura

Kardamyli, a tiny seaside town in Greece’s Mani region, will go down as one of the most delightful travel surprises of my life. I went there knowing absolutely nothing about the place, with zero expectations, and left with some of my most wonderful memories of Greece.

What I remember most about Kardamyli was how beautiful it was, especially since the town is just bursting with flowers. They were everywhere – from little gardens accompanying every home to bushes and trees filled with blooms to window boxes with flowers spilling over the sides. We arrived there in the late afternoon, and as my mom and I walked around the town, I stopped a million times to take flower photos. Everything was so gorgeous, and I simply couldn’t help myself:

(The Esperides Hotel was where we stayed in Kardamyli…and yes, it too prominently featured flowers everywhere)

On our first night, we had dinner at Lela’s Taverna, a wonderful little gem of a restaurant. It’s tucked right against the shore, so the views from every table are stunning. Particularly if you time your dinner so the sun sets when you’re there, you are in for a real treat.

The “menu” at Lela’s is no more than a tiny chalkboard with that day’s options scribbled on it. That’s how I think you know this place is good – the menu changes based on what’s fresh that day, and there’s no mass-produced chain restaurant food nonsense going on.

And before the servers at Lela’s can get to clearing the tables, the friendly neighborhood cats are there to swoop in and lend a ~~hand~~ paw:

On our second day in Kardamyli, we spent the morning hiking. We were headed to a church at the top of the path, but midway up we also found these lovely ruins:

The views from the top were gorgeous, and well worth the climb:

And on our way back down, we ran into this cow (oddly enough, I don’t recall running into any other humans on the trail!):

After our hike, we headed back down into town for lunch at another restaurant located by the sea.

While there, I took my all-time favorite food photograph which, considering the volume of food photographs I’ve taken over the years, is really saying something. But to me, this picture was all my favorite parts of Greek cuisine in a nutshell, particularly the delicious salads featuring gigantic slabs of the most wonderful feta you’ve ever tasted.

In the afternoon, we took another walk around town (stopping for more flower photographs along the way, naturally):

And that brought our time in fantastic Kardamyli to a close, as we left town the next morning. Like I mentioned before, Kardamyli was truly one of the unexpected highlights of Greece for me, and whenever I think back on our trip, it’s usually the place that comes to mind first.

(For more on Greece, be sure to check out my posts on Athens, Delphi, Kalavrita & Dimitsana, and Olympia)

A (Not So) Beautiful Day for Baseball

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Laura

When I put “go to a Tiger’s game” on my 27 for 27 list, I was picturing one of those quintessential baseball days – you know, the sun is shining, the grass on the field is perfectly green, and it feels like summer. Well…that’s not exactly what we got when we went to a game this past Sunday. In fact, it was freezing, it rained/hailed/possibly snowed at a few points, I wore four layers of shirts and earmuffs (and was still cold), and we lost in the 10th inning. All of that notwithstanding, it was still a pretty good day, as most trips to Comerica Park tend to be.

My family always parks at a church in Greektown, so we started there and made a brief stop at the Astoria Pastry Shop before heading to the game. The bakery is filled to the brim with a huge variety of sweets. It’s tough to choose given all the gorgeous-looking selections, but I opted for a double chocolate cannoli this time around. It was super rich but very tasty.

(Aren’t those strawberry cakes the prettiest things??)

Fortified by pastries, we headed onto the game. We walked a loop around the stadium and I took pictures of every statue, like a crazy person. This is the kind of thing that happens to me when I actually bring my “real” camera along with me, as opposed to my iPhone.

The Tigers sign was pink for Mother’s Day!

Typically, my favorite part of any Tiger’s game is ordering one of the gigantic frozen daiquiris. However, it was so cold that I just couldn’t do it (curse you, weather gods!). Without a daiquiri, I was left with only my second favorite part of any Tiger’s game, the hot dogs. And yes, this is how I eat my hot dogs – completely plain. I’m aware that this is weird to most people, but I would never do it any other way:

After the game, we headed to Fishbones for dinner. It was a decent meal – I had crab cakes – but nothing too exciting, so I didn’t take any photographs. On the way back to the car, the sun decided to finally shine and I had to stop to take a picture of this old church. So pretty, right?

And that was my Sunday in the D. Here’s hoping that the next time I go, the sun decides to make more than a fleeting appearance.

Recent Reads: On Chesil Beach, The Art of Fielding, and The Newlyweds

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Laura

It’s summertime (for grad students, at least), and that means I finally have time to read for pleasure once again, which is a glorious feeling. Here’s a look at what I’ve been reading lately:

on chesil beach, the art of fielding, the newlyweds

On Chesil Beach (Ian McEwan): This was a strange little novel; it’s just over 200 pages and I’ve owned it for years but never managed to read it despite its brevity. The book takes place over the course of one night – the main characters’ wedding night – with flashbacks to how they met. To get through this book, you have to resign yourself to the fact that it’s not about a plot (nothing much really happens), but more about creating a sketch of the two main characters, of their emotions and quirks and inexperience. Overall, I kept getting the sense that I was supposed to find the book much more profound than I actually did. In fact, the only part that struck me as particularly thought-provoking came on the last page of the book, with this line: “This is how the entire course of a life can be changed – by doing nothing.” That’s good stuff. The rest of the novel? Not so much.

The Art of Fielding (Chad Harbach): At one point last summer, seemingly all of my friends were reading this book (and raving about it). Needless to say, I had high expectations going in, and this is the rare book that met them. I was a bit hesitant that this would be too much of a “baseball book” for me, but it’s not at all – yes, baseball is a huge part of the story, but the book seems to use it more as a metaphor for life in general, which I liked. The book tells the story of five people – three baseball players, the school president, and his daughter – at a small liberal arts college is Wisconsin. Harbach creates five well-defined and memorable characters, and I was totally rooting for all of them, messed up though they were. I also loved the novel’s ending, which is becoming something of a rarity for me these days; it wasn’t wrapped up perfectly neat and tidy, but the resolution was quite satisfying.

The Newlyweds (Nell Freudenberger): This novel tells the story of Amina and George, who meet online and wind up marrying, with Amina emigrating from Bangladesh to Rochester, New York to be with him. Having just taken a course on immigration law, I was distracted the entire time I was reading this novel – I kept thinking about everything I’d learned from class about citizenship and visa requirements (cough, cough, law nerd). In any case, I was initially fascinated by the strangeness of George and Amina’s relationship and by Amina’s attempts to adjust to life in the US. I finished the entire book in a day, unable to stop reading because I had to know what would happen next. Ultimately, however, I was disappointed – Amina became increasingly unlikeable, and the novel seemed largely unresolved at the end. I couldn’t help but think there was so much more story Freudenberger could have told about the fate of George and Amina’s marriage.

(Reading 27 new-to-me books is part of my 27 for 27 list. These are books #7-9. Look here for books #1-3 and #4-6)

All images via Goodreads

Things That Are Awesome, Vol. 73

Posted on May 11, 2013 by Laura

The weekly rundown of internet gems:

I’m planning on seeing The Great Gatsby this weekend, but regardless of whether the film is good or bad, I know one thing: its soundtrack is amazing. Seriously, listening to this on repeat got me through the last half of finals.
So cringe-worthy: The 21 Most Awkward Moments in Handshake History. The Ryan Seacrest one is still one of the worst things I’ve ever seen.
This video is very cute, but at the same time, every time I watch it, I’m super anxious and scared for the puppies. Is that normal? Puppies vs. Stairs: The Ultimate Supercut. Also, the pug hopping up the stairs at the end kills me.
Is it too much for me to ask that this happens at Michigan’s Bell Tower? Game of Thrones Theme Played from University Bell Tower.
Laughing at Ryan Lochte never gets old for me.
38 Maps You Never Knew You Needed. It’s true.
Post-Oscar season, there had been a distinct shortage of awesome Jennifer Lawrence moments in my life. This week brought the remedy to that: Jennifer Lawrence Wins the Met Ball.
This week, in Arrested Development news: Bluth’s Banana Stand From Arrested Development Is Now Real and Maybe Headed Your Way. If this is in New York when I’m there, I’m clearly going.
Politics aside, I find the Bush family oddly endearing. Exhibit A: love letters between George and Barbara.
Things like this are why we all love the internet: Ryan Gosling Won’t Eat His Cereal.

(Image via New York Magazine)

Waffle Break!

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Laura

I’m not going to lie, finals were rough this year (everybody tells you that 1L year is going to be hard, but nobody mentions how tough 2L is!). If I were telling you, nameless future law student, how to pick courses, I’d recommend taking a few with exams, and a few with papers (or better still, no final at all). However, being brilliant, I did not follow my own advice and wound up with FIVE in-class final exams this semester (people, that is a lot. Trust me). Needless to say, I’ve spent a lot of quality time at the library over the past few months, holed up in the carrels at the Grad or underground at the Law Library. The days have been bleak.

Before my last final, however, I took a well-deserved (in my humble opinion) break and wandered down to the Main Street area for some waffles at the (aptly-named) Wafel Shop. Within the last few months, we’ve had both a waffle shop and a crepe shop open here in Ann Arbor, and despite being excited about both of these developments, I’m only now getting around to visiting (shame on me). The wait, however, was worth it.

At the Wafel Shop, you can choose between a Liege waffle (billed as “dense and chewy, with Belgian pearl sugar”) or a Brussels waffle (described as having a “crispy exterior, light, buttery, fluffy interior”). Then, it’s time to select your toppings. You can select among a variety of fruits, nuts, spreads, and syrups or, if you’re feeling overwhelmed, can pick one of the delicious-sounding combinations they recommend.

I opted for a Liege waffle topped with raspberries and Nutella. Here, as with Colliders from Rod’s, my theory is: if you add fruit, that makes it healthy! Dubious nutritional hypotheses aside, I have to say my chosen combo was perfection. I love the Liege waffle – the chewiness is what makes it great – and Nutella is always a good idea, amirite?!

Let’s take a look at the bad boy:

Getting closer:

Getting way closer:

And finally, so close that you have to take a delicious bite!

I really enjoyed my experience at The Wafel Shop and will definitely return. It’s nice to see downtown Ann Arbor getting fun specialty shops like this, and nicer still when they turn out to be quality establishments!

The Details: The Wafel Shop | 113 E. Liberty St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104 | 734.369.4734

Adventures in Pizza Dough Making

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Laura

Almost two years ago, I visited Taormina, Sicily (read about it here; it’s a beautiful, beautiful place), where I saw a pizza-making demonstration. It was really cool to watch the chef work – he made it look so easy! – and of course to taste the delicious finished products. Before I discuss my own recent pizza-making ventures, let’s reminisce about pizza-making in Sicily, shall we?

They toss the dough with panache…

And top it to perfection:

(All while sporting a pretty sweet popped collar, might I add)

And the finished product is glorious to behold!

Suffice it to say, I came home from that trip inspired to make my own pizza dough from scratch, but that inspiration didn’t translate to results. I’m not sure why, but I had it in my head that it would be ridiculously complicated for me to make my own dough, so I put off doing so for almost two years, until this spring. But once I finally got around to trying it, I wound up with excellent results.

I tried a couple different recipes with mixed success, but then I found this one (via Annie’s Eats) and knew I had found the one. This dough is so easy to make and it tastes super delicious. Now, whenever I don’t know what to make myself for dinner, I whip up a pizza and throw whatever veggies and cheese I have in my fridge on it. Total win.

I pretty much follow that recipe to a tee, with the one exception being I mix everything and knead the dough by hand. I’d like to claim this is because I simply prefer being more artisanal, rustic, and authentic…but, it’s because I don’t own a stand mixer. However, I actually quite enjoy doing it this way – it’s sort of fun to play around with the dough and get your hands messy. As you can see below, my dough winds up looking lumpy and less than perfect, but the finished product always tastes good, so why stress about it?

Of course, nothing will ever top the wonderfulness of eating pizza in Italy…but it’s nice to have a recipe you can count on back home, too.

(Making my own pizza dough was #25 on my 27 for 27 list)

La Vida Laura

on travel adventures, nostalgic tendencies, pop culture ridiculata, and life in ann arbor

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