Les Fleurs Néerlandais

As often happens during a study abroad year, one meets people from every corner of the world, which is fabulous for a plethora of reasons, not least among them, getting the inside scoop on all the fun local events. This past weekend a dear friend from the first semester and native of Holland invited a few of us up north to enjoy the flower festival near Amsterdam.

After an 8 hour bus ride Friday afternoon, we stumbled off in Amsterdam and into Anouk's waiting car for a short ride to nearby Haarlem where we spent the evening catching up. The next day dawned bright and clear, and after an amazing breakfast (PB and banana on dutch bread = heaven), we were off to enjoy the North Seashore. Needless to say, it was a bit chilly, but I stuck my toes in the water and we immediately warmed up after with coffee at a seaside café. Anouk then brought us to the flower fields. It was breathtaking to see row after row of various brightly colored tulips in full bloom, and we carefully romped through the flowers for the early afternon. Then it was off through green forests, past waterways and farm fields to our lovely hostess' parents' home where we enjoyed the sun in her garden and snacked on local sweets, and all declared we wouldn't be leaving the Netherlands while pondering how hard it might be to learn Dutch.


our lovely hostess, Anouk, and Vero, and then Olga and I modeling in the flowers

Next it was time for a little 'sport', one that is quite common in the Pays-Bas, biking. Anouk rented us a few sets of wheels and we were off to explore Haarlem. We biked for a bit, getting used to being on two wheels again, marveling at the number of people biking and even moreso the number of bikes, they're so plentiful that there is almost always a bike path and they distinguish between bike crossings and pedestrian crossing (pic below). After dodging through traffic and some traditional Croquets and gauffres (ok, the waffles were Belgian, but still yummy), we set up 'camp' on the roadside to watch the flower parade (think Rose parade) but with crazy things like bands on bicycles, I was horribly impressed by them (dark, blurry photo below). Then another round of traditional foods (meats and fries) before wheeling our bikes back to the train station and heading to bed.


Pressing the biker's button; enjoying the canals by bike

talented Dutch

exhausting first day

Day 2 dawned not quite so bright and sunny, but more cloudy/rainy, but no matter, we would be trekking through with our umbrellas in Amsterdam and besides it was nice to get a feel for the 'true' weather of the Netherlands. Anouk and her bf drove us into town, where they have more canals then Venice, to see the sights, including but not limited to the rather shocking red light district (where the streetlights are actually red), an informative canal cruise, the memorable and moving Anne Frank House where the secret annexe was located, the flower market (we bought some tulips, that I hope to not kill) and eating some more local fare like herring and pannekouken. It was then time to say farewell to the lovely Holland region and our amazing hostess before boarding the night bus back to Paris and school.


canal boaters, despite the rain, and the canals in the afternoon (the sun finally did make an appearance)

Flower market had ALL kinds of plants

pannekoeken with apples, nuts and whipped cream, hmmmm

Many, many thanks to Anouk for being the most fabulous of hostesses as well as my fellow travel buddies for being simply amazing to be around 24/7 We'll have to come back for Queen's day next year :)

xxoo

La Coupe

For a couple of weeks now I had been pondering a shorter 'do. A few friends were braving 'hair modeling' where the stylist are basically given the freedom to do whatever they like with your hair from cut to color, others were getting trims, still more chopping a few inches in prep for warmer weather. Summing up, cutting was in the air, so I made an appointment at the Franck Provost Academie Internationale here in Paris where you get a cut from trainees for dirt cheap prices.

I arrived this afternoon with pictures of everything from long layers to short pixies and sat in my chair, nervously flipping through style magazines and listening to french MTV blast from the overhead speakers.

Then he arrived, the stylist in charge,(I had had nightmares of a scissor-wielding madman, but he looked fairly sane), he led me to a mirror and asked what I would like to do with my hair. I shrugged and gave a vague 'something different' while handing him the pics of styles I thought would be interesting, explaining I had NEVER had hair shorter than my shoulder blades and wasn't sure if it would even work with my face. He laughed, tossed the photos and started holding my hair in different ways, all while I was sweating bullets, and just like that, with a few turns of phrase, he had convinced me to lose over a foot of hair.

Then the white coated students arrived, and the man in charge explained what he was thinking while ten pairs of eyes were riveted on my soon to be dearly departed locks. After a few questions, the scissors came out for the big cut. My stylist jokingly checked my pulse to see if I would have a heart attack and after a countdown, followed by a quick snip, he was holding a great deal of brown hair. I managed not to faint and surprisingly did not panic as more and more hair fell to the floor around me, snipped away by two smiling students.

I promise to upload photos soon, most likely after this weekend's trip to Amsterdam for the flower festival. Much love from a no longer long haired Lisa ;)

xxoo


violà, a photo post-styling by pros (I often just let it air dry and do what it will, but its nice to think it has the sleekness potential) :)

Le Vacance de Paques

A week off from exposés, 2 hour lectures and general school-ness, it had finally arrived, Spring Break (capital letters are necessary)

My lovely travel buddies from winter break had stumbled across an amazing cruise deal during the dates of our Easter vacation. The boat would be traveling around Italy, the Greek Isles and Croatia, offering ease of access to food, lodging and transport, as well as many fabulous destinations. This all won out over my initial concerns over being on what was an atypical student vacation (as well as the prospect of properly seeing the coasts with which Greece is blessed), so it was off to the sea!

Kitsy and I flew into Venice the night before and caught a little sleep at a b&b (which did not in fact serve breakfast, but we decided if it had to miss a B, we were glad they kept the bed part) before meeting up with Emily and Ashley at the train station the next day for a little stroll over the truly breathtaking canals of Venice, checking out the sites and eating some scrumptious food. We also had amazing weather which made the city's colors and atmosphere all the more warm. Then it was off to the boat.


Venetian canals and last views of the city from the deck of our boat

Our first night on we met up with some more SciencesPo internationals, most of whom attend the same uni as Kitsy, then sat down for the first of many 6 course dinners, a thankful break from my usual cooking fare, as well as a surprise bday cake and champagne (thanks again ladies for a fabulous birthday) before some chatting and exploring of the entertainment the ship had to offer (I think we found the magic show funny for all the "wrong" reasons, but amusing is amusing). ;)

The next morning it was more exploring of the ship before an afternoon in Bari, Italy, a cute town that had none of the touristy feel of Venice. We traipsed through the backstreets a bit and I relished being able to wear my sandals for the first time in months!


view of a sunset, as seen from the window next to our dinner table and the table itself, along with the whole 'crew'

The next day was a leisurely breakfast buffet then the first of our Greek isles, Katakolon and the city of Olympia. We had heard tell of a train that would go from the port to the old ruins, unfortunately we missed the train, but did come across a taxi driver who was willing to take us, wait 2 hours, then drive us back. Only downside, Greek drivers are not exactly concerned with rules like driving on the right side of the road or not passing a line of 10 cars to speed through a stoplight. Needless to say it was a memorable voyage (what I did see of the countryside while not squeezing my eyes shut). Finally in Olympia in one piece if a little shaken, we promised, somewhat hesitantly, to see the driver again in a few hours, then off to the historic stuff! We spent a somewhat rainy afternoon climbing over ancient ruins of the site of ancient Olympics and marveling at the beauty of the local foliage, as well as a run through the museum filled with antiquities and more cultural education. Then back into the car for another wild ride to the boat, where we enjoyed another fabulous dinner, a show starring Hungarian acrobats and the discotheque (and the ever popular cocktail of the day).


Olympia's ruins and us hiding from the worst of the rain under a tree (and we had all applied sunscreen that morning) ;)

The next day was an early one as we were hoping to jump on a 7 a.m. tour (last minute decision) to properly see the isle of Santorini (home to Oia of the blue and white, many pics below). Unfortunately the excursions were popular and the coordinator sadly informed us that all english ones had been booked and only french ones remained. We laughed in relief and said it would not be a problem as we all spoke french! And we were off, cutting through restaurants and running past waistaff to the other side of the ship in order to jump on the last of the boats heading off to the lovely isle of Santorini(thanks again to the France coordinator Romain for helping the Americans)

Santorini was BEAUTIFUL. There is a reason so many people flock here, and it is evident from the unbelievable views from every bluff and walk way of the houses perched on the cliffsides down to the sparkling sea. I'll let the pics speak for themselves (and hopefully tell the parentals that we should most definitely do a fam trip here). When not snapping away shots, or simply staring dreamily at the pristine beauty, we did a little shopping and discovered the (in)famous donkeys which one can ride back down to the port (we walked down the donkey trail, stepping on many a surprise)




As the sun passed its zenith, we floated on to the next Greek isle of Mykonos for an evening in the city. Walking down the brightly lit streets bathed in lamplight, made all the more striking by the many white walls and stone walkways, was an amazing end to the day, not to mention the view of the sunset over the sea from our dinner table. We also discovered (if our french is correct) that just before Easter (which was this past weekend in the orthodox church) everyone paints their homes white, giving us an incredibly pristine and striking view of the famous white and blue houses of Greece.


view from our dinner table of the sunset over the water off of Mykonos and the appetizers of Tzatziki

Next it was on to a full day on the isle of Rhodes. We checked out a bit of the old city including Aphrodites' temple with plans to see the Acropolis, but despite the tourist's office assurances that bus number 5 runs every 5 minutes to the historic site, a half hour of waiting yielded no bus, so we contented ourselves with an afternoon on the sandy beaches and a quick dip into the sea (water was freezing, but well worth a short swim in the crystal clear water, just a bit sad I had no snorkel gear). Then we stopped for a quick shot of ouzo before rushing back to the boat, and another evening of fabulous food and entertainment.


some sandy feet as well as Ash and Em enjoying the sunshine (and ouzo)

Finally, after a day of travel by sea we arrived to the Croatian town of Dubrovonik, on the Adriatic sea, who's old town is surrounded by a 2 km long wall made of limestone. Which is where we spent most of the day climbing along as well as some last minute shopping, which was made all the more exciting by trying to rid ourselves of the local currency before leaving.


Dubrovonik, as seen from 2 different parts of the long wall.

All in all, a most memorable vacation! I wish I could include all the moments here, but time runs short as school beckons, so I shall conclude with much thanks to Yunyan, our lovely cabin steward who always had a kind smile and word at the ready, to my lovely travel ladies who are always unbelievably great to voyage avec and of course to new friends, to the lovely Greeks, Italians and Croatians and to everyone who was praying I wouldn't fall overboard :) much love!

xxoo

Anniversaire!

Momentous occasion approaching, the American milestone of the 21st birthday!

Granted as during the past 9 months or so, I have been able to enjoy pints with friends as well as never being carded while buying a bottle of wine, the day when I am legally able to buy alcohol in the US may not hold the same YAY factor as a stateside birthday, but I am still quite excited. Especially since I will be embarking on a lovely boat from Italy to Greece on the 13th!

Since it is spring break as of now, a fellow April baby, Veronika, and myself threw a little picnic bday celebration next to the Eiffel Tower before everyone jetted off for holidays. As it rained the day before, we were worried about the weather, luckily, we had a semi-sunny snacking session for most of the afternoon. Thanks to everyone for yummy treats and a most fabulous present of a macaroon making kit/recipe book! Also merci for the fam back home who sent cards, definitely feeling the love :)


picnic and macaroons :)

Now off to try and stuff as many sundresses as possible into a duffel bag...

Again, thanks and love from the almost legal, xxoo