Island Getaway

A hazy view of the port in Athens from our ferry

Island hopping in Greece is the trip I had been waiting for. There is something so adventurous, so romantic, in the concept of whiling away port to port through the Aegean. With all of the financial and civil chaos happening in Greece at the time, we weren't sure how successful our trip would end up, but it seemed like the Greek economy appreciated our business.

Only having a few days was bittersweet, I will defintely be back, hopefully to do it right for a full month (or two?), making sure to hit Cyprus. The end of May was still considered low season, and you could tell: Mykonos wasn't as wild as we expected and the beaches were still pretty empty. However, it was a great time nonetheless.

My favorite was definitely when Santorini erupted in applause after the famous Oia sunset. Be sure to snag a seat early, and grab some wine while you're at it!

Useful tip: I organized our hotel and ferry travel through a tourism service. Don't do this, it's super easy to hop on a ferry (unless it's actually very high season, then maybe buy tickets a day in advance), and hotel/hostel owners mob you at the port so there's no shortage of accommodations. Also, make sure to rent ATVs, the only way to travel on your Grecian Island getaway.

In Awe of the Acropolis

 The Acropolis by night

In Athens we stayed in Athens Backpackers' Hostel, another conveniently located and friendly staffed spot. Our first two nights we were in a four person private apartment, with our own bathroom, a kitchenette, and a balcony. 

Athens was an interesting city, it reminded me a little of Rome, with all of the ruins juxtaposed with modern buildings. It was amazing to observe people going about their business with the Acropolis in the background like it was no big deal. Although I guess after a while, that's kind of how the Eiffel Tower and the Seine were for me.

The Acropolis, hands down, was my favorite thing I've ever seen. I can't begin to explain my amazement at the Parthenon, of the Caryatids, of the view out into the Aegean. It was truly awesome. What was even more mind boggling was the fact that all of the ruins are kind of just there, you could reach out and touch them if you wanted. If the Acropolis was in America, it would be behind so much red tape, you might not even get a decent look at it.

Game Plan

The Aegean Sea

I finally set on having 3 weeks of travel time after the end of my program. As long as I got to Istanbul and Greece I would be a happy camper. Jillian joined Chaya and I for the first leg of the trip, and then I would meet her back in Paris to spend a last day before boarding a plane June 8. I would leave Chaya in Italy so she could complete the rest of her whirlwind tour of Europe. Planning everything got super stressful, but in the end I had a winner (and I am now an expert on cheap Euro travel):

May 23-28: Greece, split between Athens, 2 nights in Mykonos, and a night in Santorini

May 29-June 1: Istanbul
June 2-4: Rome (with a day in Pompeii)
June 5-6: Florence
June 7: Paris
June 8: Home

Home Sweet AEPP

Home for the past 4 months, AEPP: 4 rue Titon, in the 11th arrondissement

All things must come to an end, and sure enough, so too did my semester abroad. Back-logging this blog has made me even more nostalgic for my time in Paris, and it's been exacerbated by my art history class which focuses completely on the city during the turn of the 20th century. I told myself I would not be sad when Paris was over, I've been there, done that, just take a look at my livejournal from high school (but please don't, it's excruciatingly embarrassing). However, I find myself back in Berkeley, having a great time, yet yearning for Faidherbe-Chaligny, the smell of fresh baguettes, and the Parisian sky. I'm sure I'll continue this oh-so-emo tangent another day, but to continue with my update...

The last Wednesday we had American night in AEPP. It was a fabulous last blow out: burgers and mac n cheese, beer and drinking games, and of course, the usual debauchery that comes from any party night in AEPP. The highlight had to be the epic game of flip cup. Teaching the Europeans how to play was hilarious, you've got to love cross-cultural confusion.

Post AEPP euphoria, the rest of the week was rather meloncholy. It was awful to watch one by one as all of our friends boarded taxis and set off for America. Jillian, Chaya, and I were in it for the long haul, and weren't leaving until Sunday morning. So we got to experience AEPP deserted and depressing. Walking through the kitchen was miserable, no Candace "crusting" in a corner, no shenanigans in the hallways; AEPP took a turn for the serious with all of the Americans out of the picture.

And while I was excited to finally be traveling to Greece (it along with Ireland were top two on my list), there will never be anything as perfect as the bliss that was Paris.

Waving from Such Great Heights

Paris from the summit of the Tour Eiffel

  

We finally made it to the summit of the Tour Eiffel the last week of our semester, it was well worth the wait. I find it ironic that while I captured almost all of Paris in these photos, the absence of the iconic landmark in the cityscape loomed in the back of my mind.

To avoid the long lines, I suggest not going during high season. Mid-May was still a little early for the massive crowds. Also, be sure to purchase tickets in advance, and don't forget to click the "summit" option!

Praha, Ooh La La

Unknown parade happening in Prague, Czech Republic

Prague was our last weekend trip of the semester. Unintentionally, we saved the craziest for last. Visiting Prague with friends, like Berlin, was completely different than going with family. The city is basically Europe's bachelor party central, it's like a playground for men. If you only go to Prague for one night, make sure you do the pub crawl, you will NOT be disappointed. One of the best nights abroad.

Also, watch the clock tower show, if only for the laugh at the end.

Day of Decadence

View of the main château complex of Versailles from the top of the gardens

While I didn't do much traveling in France, I would never forgive myself if I never made it to Versailles during my semester in Paris. Third time's the charm right?

And there's no denying the sheer luxury and decadence of Versailles, it's really not my style. It's just...so much...of everything. My favorite part of the whole place were the gardens, they are breathtaking (even in the gloom) and there is more room to move. Inside the palace it's quite crowded with tourists, you don't get a decent look at the Hall of Mirrors (although I thought they would be a lot more mirror-y, if that makes sense). 

Monsieur Manet

A man ascends the steps of the Pont Solferino, which connects the Louvre to the Orsay.

Underrated

 Lisbon's orange suspension bridge brought back memories of the Golden Gate

Lisbon was the last stop during our 10 day long break. We absolutely loved it. Stay at Oasis Backpackers' Mansion: great staff, great location, we never wanted to leave. Also be sure to check out the "Theives' Market," it takes place every Tuesday and Saturday from 7:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. If you need old batteries, broken toys, or cheap underwear, this is the place for some serious one-stop shopping.

To the Feria!

 The dance floor of one of the public casetas during Feria in Seville, Spain.

Spring Break coincided with La Feria de abril de Sevilla, so we had to go! It was quite an amazing event: carnival rides, traditional Spanish dance and dress, cheap drinks, and lots of laughter. During one of our afternoons Alex and I made friends with an elderly woman who ended up treating me to dance lessons.

Unpaused

 The Magic Fountain show in Barcelona, Spain

Rather than kick myself for again neglecting my blog, I will begin the massive backed up update...so until further notice, all of my posts will be playing catch up.

Spring Break was spent in Spain and Portugal. A few of us left Paris early and ended up missing the chaos the Icelandic volcano caused (for a time, it caught up to us in Bacelona). The only bump in our road was missing Madrid, so itinerary looked like this: Paris --> Barcelona --> Granada --> Seville --> Lisbon --> Paris.

We ended up spending about 5 days in Barcelona, which when you think about it, wasn't so bad. Actually, it was rather funny thinking how people were complaining of being stranded in some European city they hadn't planned on being in, we were still in Europe, having the time of our lives. So we missed Madrid, it'll be there for a while. Sipping Sangria on the Barcelona beach for another couple of days was an alright alternative.