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Travel Flashback: Kardamyli

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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.

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:

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

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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.

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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.

kardamyli8And 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:

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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:

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

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kardamyli15kardamyli16And on our way back down, we ran into this cow (oddly enough, I don’t recall running into any other humans on the trail!):

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

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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.

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

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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)

Travel Notes: Olympia

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Every Wednesday, I plan to post a look back at a place I’ve traveled, including some favorite photographs and memories. Today’s post is from my graduation trip to Greece in summer 2008.

After Dimitsana, we headed to Olympia. We didn’t stay overnight there, but we did spend the day wandering around the museum and ruins. I’m a huge Olympics nerd, so I was pretty pumped to see the spot where it all began. Here are some favorite photos:

The Museum at Olympia had an awesome collection, but my favorite pieces – by far – were the remains of the Temple of Zeus. Amazing:

I also loved all the tiny knickknacks that have been recovered from the site:

We also spent some time wandering around the ruins outdoors:

Heading into the stadium via the ancient archway. Incredible:

The starting line:

And me creeping among the ruins:

Next up next week: relaxing in the seaside town of Kardamyli.

Travel Notes: Kalavrita and Dmitsana

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Every Wednesday, I plan to post a look back at a place I’ve traveled, including some favorite photographs and memories. Today’s post is from my graduation trip to Greece in summer 2008.

After Delphi, we headed out into the countryside, stopping by two very tiny towns – Kalavrita and Dimitsana. We were in a part of Greece that I really knew nothing about, and that I never would’ve put on my “must visit” list – but it was cool to see such a different side of Greece after visiting chaotic Athens. Here are some of my favorite photos.

The next few pictures were taken at a roadside truck stop. I don’t know about you, but I generally think of truck stops as kind of gross and shady – not in Greece. They were very well-cared for and had the most amazing, drool-worthy collection of baked goods:

After fortifying ourselves with baked goods, we made it to the town of Kalavrita. There, we learned about the town’s sad history – the Massacre of Kalavrita during WW2. It was very sad, but the town seems to have recovered since then, and it was cool to poke around all its little shops.

On the road from Kalavrita, we ran into what would become a common sight – herds of goats wandering across the road at a rather leisurely pace. And that’s how you know you’re in the Greek countryside.

We stopped out in the country for lunch – I’m not even sure if we were in a real town; we just had lunch at a little restaurant sitting next to a stream. But, it was amazing – we were served a feast, including two gigantic fish per person. Deliciousness:

And finally, in the afternoon, we pulled into the town of Dimitsana. There weren’t any restaurants in town, so for dinner, my mom and I went to the local grocery store and bakery and stocked up on fruit, cheese, and bread for our meal. This might sound strange, but I love shopping at grocery stores when I travel – it gives you such a neat sense of “real” life there, and it’s cool to see how different some of their staples are from ours.

Next up next week: visiting Olympia and standing at the starting line in the original Olympic Stadium.

Travel Notes: Delphi

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Every Wednesday, I plan to post a look back at a place I’ve traveled, including some favorite photographs and memories. Today’s post is from my graduation trip to Greece in summer 2008.

After Athens, we headed to Delphi. The main attraction there, of course, is the ancient Oracle. In fact, there isn’t much more to this tiny hillside town, but it was fascinating to explore the ruins, and it was nice to be out in the quiet – and super beautiful – Greek countryside. Here are some favorite photos:

The views of the surrounding area from the ruins were spectacular:

It was rainy as we explored the ruins, and hiking up the hillside was semi-treacherous – but worth it.

I don’t think the rain and wind really agreed with my hair:

There was also a small museum – nothing fancy, but a few interesting pieces:

One thing we noticed all over Greece – little roadside shrines dotting the side of the road. I’ve read that these are not only to commemorate victims of traffic accidents, but also are used as offerings of thanks by survivors of car accidents. Either way, they were fascinating to take a peek at:

We hiked along the road out of Delphi for a bit, just enjoying the wonderful views:

Our hotel in Delphi was super cute:

And, finally, I found this while shopping in town. Uhhh, isn’t that an oxymoron?

Next up next week: more adventures in tiny Greek towns, as we head to Kalavrita and Dmitsana.

Travel Notes: Athens

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Every Wednesday, I plan to post a look back at a place I’ve traveled, including some favorite photographs and memories. Today’s post is from my graduation trip to Greece in summer 2008.

Visiting Athens, and Greece in general, was one of the best trips I’ve ever taken. Athens startled me a bit at first, because it had a very different feel than many of the places I have traveled to Europe – less cozy cobblestone streets and more chaos and grit. But it also had something I truly love – an amazing mixture of past and present. It amazes me that you can be walking through busy city streets and then suddenly stumble upon a roped off area – oh, look, it’s a super important ancient ruin! I love that the treasures aren’t cordoned off by themselves; they’re interwoven with the city, which feels like a living and breathing museum. So cool.

Here are a few of my favorite photos -

Stopping by Parliament:

Visiting the National Archaeological Museum:

We had lunch at a restaurant that was built atop ruins – when you went downstairs to use the restroom, the floor was made of glass, and you could see the ruins below (see the picture on the left). Very, very cool!

Touring the Agora (the center of civic and political life in ancient Athens):

The Church of Kapnikarea (which is a perfect example of the mixture of past and present I was talking about – this is an ancient monument smack dab in the middle of a modern shopping area):

Hadrian’s Arch and the Monument of Lysicrates:

Exploring Anafiotika, a neighborhood at the base of the Acropolis. It was so charming.

The Roman Agora and the Tower of the Winds:

I kept taking pictures of the graffiti around the city. I found it fascinating, and a yet another reflection of the city’s gritty, modern edges coexisting alongside all that history:

One night, we ate outside at a restaurant with a beautiful view of the Parthenon. It was unreal to me to see it in person!

And then we took a trip up to the Acropolis to see it during the daytime. First up, the Propylaea – the gateway to the Acropolis.

Next, the Parthenon itself. I had taken a class called “Athens: Past and Present” my last semester of college (right before going on this trip), and we literally spent a few weeks talking about the Acropolis in general and the Parthenon in particular. It was unbelievable cool to see it in person.

And finally, the Erechtheion, with its famous Porch of the Caryatids. The Erechtheion may not be the most famous building atop the Acropolis, but it was my favorite.

While we were atop the Acropolis, we were treated to wonderful views of the surrounding city.

And, on our very last night in Greece, we had dinner at a restaurant in the heart of the Plaka. It was a great way to end our time in a city I grew to love.

Next up next week: we visit the ancient Oracle at Delphi.

Travel Notes: Sevilla

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I had a lot of fun blogging last summer’s travel adventures, so I figured it would also be fun to take a look back at some past trips. I’m starting with some notes on my 2010 France and Spain trip; this post is the last in that series.

Sevilla was the last city I visited in Spain, and, it seemed to me, the most atmospheric. What do I mean by that? Well, it’s hard to actually describe, but I just felt Sevilla had a more distinct, more intense personality than the other cities I went to. I feel as if I only scratched the surface there – I’d love to go back, explore more, and take more time just to stroll around. In fact, Sevilla seems to me a place that is meant for leisurely evening strolls where you can take in the colorful buildings, well-dressed Spaniards, and general loveliness. Yes, I’d definitely like to return.

Here are some highlights from my all too brief day in Sevilla:

The Alcazar Palace so reminded me of Morocco – the Arabic influences were very prevalent.

The Palace had a lovely array of flowers. I spent a bunch of time wandering around the garden – it was an extremely hot day in Sevilla, but the garden was cool and peaceful. Perfection. I thought this flower was especially unique:

The colors of the palace were so vibrant – I couldn’t get over all the brightly painted walls and archways.

Sevilla’s Cathedral was quite grand. I wouldn’t have guessed it from the outside, but it’s apparently the 3rd-largest cathedral in the world! It’s also (allegedly) where Christopher Columbus is buried.

When I said Sevilla was “atmospheric,” the pictures below are what I was thinking of. Everything is so colorful and vibrant. I just couldn’t get over all the colors of the buildings – so many yellows, oranges, pinks, and reds.

I also spent some time wandering around the Jewish Quarter. The area is filled with tiny “kissing lanes” (seen in the picture on the left), and you can see why they are so named – the buildings are so close together, they are almost kissing. The little back lanes of the Jewish Quarter were so quiet. As I walked around, I almost felt like I had stumbled onto some secret place – it was basically tourist-free. I loved this little glimpse into Sevilla.

I also did a fair amount of shopping in Sevilla – I didn’t take any pictures in the stores, and I so wish I would have. I headed out of the main tourist area and down a street where, my guidebook promised, the locals shopped. The stores there were very lovely. My major purchase was three beautiful fans. There was such an array of colors and designs; I had a difficult time choosing. The saleslady was very patient with me, and she seemed to enjoy getting fan after fan out for me to examine.

As I walked back to the taxi stand so I could grab a cab to the train station and then return to Madrid, I passed this building. I thought it was very cool – the pictures were elegant and oh-so Spanish to me.

If you’re visiting Madrid, Sevilla is such an easy day trip – the train zips you there pretty quickly. I’d highly recommend it and, like I mentioned, would love to go back. And that’s the problem with travel and me – even the places that I visit and can cross off my list, I want to go back to all over again.

Travel Notes: Toledo

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I had a lot of fun blogging last summer’s travel adventures, so I figured it would also be fun to take a look back at some past trips. I’m starting with some notes on my 2010 France and Spain trip; this post is one of several in that series.

Whenever I talk/write/think about Toledo, I have the overwhelming urge to use the expression “holy Toledo!” again and again (and again). So, there, I just got it out of my system. No “holy Toledo!” for the rest of this post, I swear.

Anyway…Toledo is an easy day trip from Madrid (seriously, I think it’s less than an hour? Super quick). It’s a pretty small city, but fun to explore. I don’t think you could spend much more than a day there, tourist-wise, but it makes for a nice excursion.

And, speaking of train travel from Madrid – before I get to the Toledo stuff, I have to mention this. When I arrived at Madrid’s train station to catch my train to Toledo, I noticed this sculpture. It is gigantic (almost to the ceiling) and SUPER creepy. Why, Madrid, why?

Once I escaped the creepy baby, rode the speedy AVE train to Toledo, and successfully navigated the city’s bus system, I found myself in the heart of town. I headed to the magnificent cathedral first.

One thing I thought was cool about the cathedral was that it’s hidden amongst the tiny streets. It’s not in any open square, which means you can’t really see the building until you’re actually right by it – so it sneaks up on you. I also loved the tiny back streets of Toledo; they were sort of mysterious and fun.

The exterior of the church was nice but, like I mentioned, because it’s crammed between a bunch of streets/other buildings, you can never really stand outside and get a view of the church as a whole. To me, that made it even more impressive to step inside and realize how grand it was. Also, the interior is seriously bling-ed out. We’re talking massive amounts of gold here. It was pretty impressive:

The other really amazing thing about the cathedral was that it had its own mini-museum. In the sacristy, there are paintings by el Greco, de Goya, Velazquez, Rubens…and more! It’s awesome that there’s such a treasure trove of art in this (relatively) small town.

Continuing the artistic theme, I headed next to a museum with even more el Grecos. The museum was either using temporary displays because of renovations or was seriously minimalist. I’m pretty sure it was the former, but the displays were pretty basic and not so fancy. Still, the artwork’s the important thing, I suppose, and I got to see a ton of el Grecos.

One thing about Toledo – and about Spain in general – was the abundance of Arabic influences everywhere. It kept reminding me of Morocco, and it was cool to see the fusion of cultures all over Spain. I found this as I was leaving the museum:

For lunch, I traveled down the tiny side streets and found a quiet restaurant with a good lunch special. This meal gave me my first taste of gazpacho which, if I’m being honest, I have to say I admire more for the vibrant color than for the flavor. I’m not a tomato kind of gal, let alone a cold tomato soup kind of gal. Still, when in Spain…

(Sidenote: the book open next to my soup is Peter Mayle’s A Year in Provence. I cannot adequately explain how much I love this book. I ran out of reading materials on this trip and I actually read it twice. It’s that good.)

After lunch, I headed to a bakery and tried a local treat – mazapan (or, marzipan, if you want to be all American about it). It was pretty tasty, and I sat in the main square and did some people watching while enjoying it.

I wrapped up my time in Toledo by doing something that was partially cheesy, partially awesome – I took a tour on one of those tourist train thing-ys. The reason it was cheesy is obvious, but the reason it was awesome was that I got to see fantastic views of the city. It doesn’t take you through the actual city much (with the tiny streets, that would likely be impossible); instead, it takes you around the city. I thought the city was quite beautiful.

And there you have it, my 8 or so hours in Toledo. Next up, Sevilla!

Travel Notes: Madrid

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I had a lot of fun blogging last summer’s travel adventures, so I figured it would also be fun to take a look back at some past trips. I’m starting with some notes on my 2010 France and Spain trip; this post is one of several in that series.

For the Madrid leg of my France and Spain trip, I was traveling solo. Though I love traveling with friends and family, I have to say that I also enjoy exploring on my own occasionally – in a selfish way, it’s always nice to get to do exactly what you want, when you want to do it. And so that’s just what I did in Madrid.

My hotel was right on the Puerta del Sol – the main square in Madrid. I knew that when I booked it, but I didn’t realize until I arrived that I was literally right in the heart of it all. It was such a central location and I easily walked to every sight I wanted to see. The square came alive with activity and even though it was a bit noisy at times (Spaniards literally seem to stay awake until 5am), I’ll take a little noise in exchange for that location.

Kilometer 0, located on the Puerta del Sol, is alleged the very center point of Spain:

I arrived fairly early in the morning, so before heading out to explore, I stopped at a bakery for a treat (needing to gather strength for a long day of walking, of course). The bakery was bustling with activity and with locals who looked like they knew exactly what they wanted to order. I was a bit intimidated but I ended up with a delicious pastry, which I ate while sitting right in the center of Puerta del Sol, people watching. Perfect.

I stopped by Plaza Mayor and loved the rich colors of all the buildings. It too was an excellent spot to just sit and people watch.

After walking around for awhile, I grabbed lunch. I had heard about bocadillos de calamares – basically, a calamari sandwich (talk about carb-overload) – and was eager to try one. I walked into a sandwich shop and ordered, and the guy served me on a real dinner plate. I had been planning to take my sandwich to go and eat it on Plaza Mayor, but I didn’t know how to communicate that – so I ended up standing at the counter, eating my sandwich with all the local businessmen on their lunch breaks. It was actually kind of cool.

I also spent a fair amount of time exploring the Royal Palace. In terms of decor and opulence, it was a lot like Versailles – minus the immense gardens and the crush of tourists. Seriously, I must have arrived at the exact perfect moment, because there were hardly any tourists in sight. Fantastic.

In the afternoon, I visited a place I had heard about from Samantha Brown (my overly peppy, perpetually optimistic travel idol). Basically, local nuns sell delicious baked goods – but the catch is, you never see the nuns. You go to a poorly marked door, they buzz you in, you find the little turntable, you place your order and put your money on the table, they spin it and take your money, and then a box of cookies comes spinning back out. Voila! Pretty cool. And the cookies were delicious, too – they lasted me through Madrid, Sevilla, and Toledo.

And finally, a few more shots of Puerta del Sol. My hotel balcony looked right out onto the square. It was seriously so cool.

I also went to a couple other places that I don’t have photographs of – the most notable of which was the Prado Museum. I am a sucker for a good art museum, and this was one of the very best I’ve ever visited (I think it ties with my number one all-time favorite, London’s National Gallery). I could – and did – get lost in there for hours.

And that was Madrid – cosmopolitan, modern, but also with little old-world Spanish touches here and there that made it special. I totally loved it.

Travel Notes: Barcelona + Montserrat

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I had a lot of fun blogging last summer’s travel adventures, so I figured it would also be fun to take a look back at some past trips. I’m starting with some notes on my 2010 France and Spain trip; this post is one of several in that series.

This was my first trip to Spain, and my main takeaway from it was: I want to go back. Now that I’ve seen many of the big touristy things, I’d love to go back and just hang out. Stroll around and admire well-dressed Spaniards. Eat a ridiculous amount of tapas (followed up with churros and chocolate for dessert). Take mid-afternoon naps and stay out super late, like the Spaniards do. People watch.

But since none of that is on my immediate horizon, I’ll content myself with looking back at pictures of my first trip and dreaming. Stop one: Barcelona. Here are some highlights:

I love big markets, so visiting La Boqueria was like heaven for me – total sensory overload. I wanted to photograph every single thing.

I loved the look of these drinks; they were so colorful and fun! We had to try one – incredibly delicious fresh juice.

We walked down Las Ramblas, stopped at La Boqueria, and then continued down to the port:

Some of my Spanish food favorites – first, churros + chocolate. Seriously, look how thick that chocolate is. Amazing.

And, of course, tapas (and a pitcher of sangria, naturally). We had to power nap in the afternoon to be able to do dinner at 11pm with the locals. I loved Barcelona at that time of night – everything was so lively in the evening, with groups of people out strolling, eating, and generally having a good time.

I don’t have any great shots of the entirety of Sagrada Familia (it’s permanently under construction, so even my full-building shots aren’t that pretty). But I did love all the little details of the church that I captured. It’s just as strange and beautiful as you’ve heard:

Another Gaudi site, Casa Mila. The top of this building is amazing – all the waves and tiling make it visually stunning.

Our third and final Gaudi site was Parc Guell. I loved all the colorful and fun touches:

On our last night in Barcelona, we walked to the beach and had some seaside sangria:

And our last dinner in Barcelona was by far our best meal of the trip. The most delicious fish ever (drowning in butter?) and a fantastic dessert – a chocolate cake thing-y with orange sauce.

We also took a daytrip to nearby Montserrat. The name literally means “serrated mountain,” and you can see why looking at pictures of the mountains surrounding the town. We also took a hike and saw some beautiful views:

And that was Barcelona (and Montserrat). Like I said, I’d love to go back. If only there were some law firms in Barcelona or Madrid hiring summer associates…

Travel Notes: Normandy Beaches

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I had a lot of fun blogging last summer’s travel adventures, so I figured it would also be fun to take a look back at some past trips. I’m starting with some notes on my 2010 France and Spain trip; this post is one of several in that series.

It’s been awhile since I did a “flashback” post to some of my past travels, but I thought I’d pick it up again and try to crank out a few before the semester gets too crazy. And this is a good place to start, since it’s one of my very favorite travel memories – the Normandy Beaches. I knew it would be a powerful experience, but it was a very powerful experience. We had a great guide and – to use a completely cliche phrase – he really made history “come alive” for us.

One of the cool things about our visit was that we didn’t just visit the beaches; we also visited some sights inland. This meant we learned a fair amount about the role that paratroopers played in the invasion (cue me immediately reading Band of Brothers once I got home, then buying/watching the ten-part miniseries, and then becoming obsessed with Damian Lewis). Anyway, we started inland at Sainte Mere Eglise, a town in the paratroopers’ drop zone. We visited the Airborne Museum there, and we also saw the cathedral where one paratrooper got caught and hung limply for a few hours, pretending to be dead (I believe the Germans figured it out eventually and took him prisoner). The town now has a replica dummy hanging off their cathedral (you can see it below, in the picture on the right). Tres tacky, non?

Next we visited a little village, Angoville-au-Plain, where two medics set up a makeshift medical center in a church and took care of many wounded soldiers during the first few days of the invasion. One chilling thing was that some of the church pews are still stained with blood – a sobering detail to notice. The church’s windows were all bombed out during the war, and over the years, they’ve slowly been replacing them with beautiful stained glass designs – although they still haven’t been able to afford to finish the project, so a few windows are still open.

After visiting the church, we headed out to the beaches. Our first stop was Utah Beach, the westernmost of the five beaches the Allies landed on. Our guide told us that at Utah, everything went more or less according to plan, and there was much less resistance here than at Omaha Beach.

We next visited Pointe du Hoc, which I had never heard of before, but which is actually quite fascinating. Pointe du Hoc is a clifftop location where a bunch of German guns were located (and which consequently the Allies needed to capture). In order to capture the area, the rangers who landed there basically had to scale a cliff while German guns were pointed down on them. I cannot even fathom how brave you’d have to be to face something like that. The other interesting aspect of Pointe du Hoc is that it is filled with gigantic craters. Seriously, I can’t emphasize enough how large they were – pretty amazing to see.

Next, we headed to Omaha Beach – it probably goes without saying, but this was a powerful experience. I’m not going to attempt to describe it much, but our guide spoke about the landings there in a way that still gives me chills and makes me sad. One thing he said that continues to stay with me is that many survivors, wracked with grief and guilt, later said they would have rather died on that beach with their fellow soldiers than live on (even if that meant never getting married, having kids, and so forth). Unimaginable stuff.

Our final stop of the day was the American Cemetery. The thing that struck me most about the cemetery is that it was so peaceful – it’s right by the water, and you can hear the waves lapping against the shore. They couldn’t have picked a better spot. And as I imagined they would be, the rows and rows of stark white crosses were a powerful sight to see.

And that was our day on the Normandy Beaches – and it’s really not overstating things to say it was one of the more memorable ones of my life.