1) Eat

2) Sleep/nap

3) Swim in the Mediterannean

At one point I was sitting at a table overlooking the Mediterranean, a glass of white wine in my hand, watching the sun go down. It was one of the most perfect moments of my life and I have never felt so at peace with life and love and the world around me. Our vacations are always packed full of tourist attractions but this time we simply enjoyed the place. There’s not much else to do.

Hydra is a small island with the town built out from the harbor. Most hotels are in town and an easy walk to shops, restaurants, and swimming. This easy access simplifies the experience – no bus schedules to keep up with, no vast city to learn on a map, just a simple walk out of your hotel to wherever you want to be.

Of course it’s a charming town – it’s a small island in the Mediterranean with no cars and stone streets. You can’t walk a few feet without access to an outdoor cafe or scenic views – or in most cases, both. This idyllic island will speak to all of your romantic senses. It will lull you in with the easy life and you won’t want to budge from your ringside seat to the surrounding beauty.

And what makes this island escape even better? It’s extremely easy to get to from Athens. Only an hour and half ferry ride from Piraeus port. Be sure to take the Flying Cat hydrofoil and not the Flying Dolphin. The Dolphin is a tight squeeze with a rough ride and the constant smell of gasoline. But once you arrive you’re in the heart of town. The donkeys are waiting to carry your bags but you probably won’t need them. But hey, how cool is it to say you took a donkey to your hotel?

If you’re headed to Greece and want to include a quick island hop the Hydra is for you. Some even do it for the day but I recommend taking some time off to relax and enjoy this wonderfully unexpected beauty in the Mediterranean.

On Sunday we ventured out into our city by foot to explore the surrounding neighborhoods. We had originally decided to head into the mountains again but as much as I love the nature hikes, I wasn’t in the mood for trees. I wanted solid concrete under my feet. After two years in Seattle, we barely know our adopted city. It was a great way to get some exercise and see some neighborhoods that I usually only drive through with a passing glance. When I travel to other countries, all I do it walk – it’s an invaluable way to really see the town, the culture, and the people. We stopped for lunch in Ballard and the woman behind the counter told us she had once took off from her home in one direction and walked until she couldn’t anymore. In a way, I think that’s what we did on Sunday and it was magical.

What I liked most about the walk was the people we met along the way. Our energy was up and we engaged people in conversation that we normally wouldn’t. The clerk at Radio Shack ogled my new camera and was very helpful as we discussed photography and video. The women at Savour introduced me to a sandwich that wasn’t on the menu when I told them of our excursion and desire to try new things. Note: apple, arugula, brie, and fig spread go really well together on french bread. I’m just sayin’. I spoke a small bit of Italian with the fella at Peet’s when he served me my new favorite drink: Mango Tea Freddo. And we ended our day with some of the best blackened anything I’ve ever had. It was a day of food, friendship, and exploration. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Sunday traffic at Ballard Locks

Starting out from our home in Green Lake, we headed towards the Ballard Locks.  They link several bodies of water and is a huge tourist attraction with the boats, salmon, and Botanical Gardens. It may not seem fascinating to watch them move the bridges to let the boats pass but I guarantee you will be mesmerized with the process. Pass over the bridges and make your way underground to watch the salmon waiting to acclimate to the fresh water before heading off to spawn. If you’re lucky, there will be a tour guide to answer your questions.

After the salmon, we walked to Fremont, along Leary Way and then the path along the canal. The area has an industrial marine feel before you reach the canal pathway. It’s

Salmon waiting to spawn

part of Seattle’s industry and I found it interesting to see the various business all related to living in a port city.  It reminded me that many cities have layers of industry. It’s a great way to see the culture and history.

Fremont, Center of the Universe, was our next stop. If you’re in Seattle you HAVE to go to Fremont. The neighborhood is an eclectic mix of local restaurants, book stores, galleries, and antiques. Every time I visit Fremont, I discover something new. It’s like one large neighborhood art piece. They even have a statue of Lenin. After saying Hi to Lenin, we walked through the Sunday Fremont Market where I had to resist the urge to buy a pair of funky vintage sunglasses. We stopped for a cold drink at Peet’s on the corner of everything and watched the people go by before heading over the Fremont Bridge and towards downtown.

Walking to downtown from Fremont is easy, just follow Westlake. Where Westlake turns, we had the option of catching the South Lake Union Trolley which will take you to the heart of the retail area of downtown. I was tired at this point but I’d experienced so much from walking that I didn’t want to miss out. Not too much further and we were at Pike Place Market, just as they were closing. We discovered that downtown closes at 6 on Sundays. A little disappointing when trying to find something to eat. Not all of the restaurants were closing but we were left with few options. Surprisingly, even as the city shut down, people were still out and about. Seattle’s downtown area is THE tourist hotspot and they weren’t ready to give up the experience just because a few shops were closing. There are still all of the beautiful views of the sound as the sun was beginning it’s descent on the horizon.

We opted for a bus ride home because our feet were exhausted from the 12-mile trek around town. I was both exhausted and exhilarated from the day. We had finally experience Seattle in a way I’d been dreaming of since we arrived. There’s an energy in this city that demands to be seen and experienced by foot. Next time we’re heading to the U District and Capital Hill. We’ve only just begun exploring!

If you’ve been to any of the places below, let me know what you thought!

the ‘top 10′ list:

1.) Tokyo – because it’s TOKYO!

2.) Iceland – who wouldn’t want to visit the land of fermented shark?

3.) somewhere near the Arctic circle, Finland – I hear it’s in a parking lot. cool.

4.) Mumbai – sometimes I want to know the realities of life on this planet.

5.) Pilgrimage along the Santiago de Compostela – perhaps to test my faith.

6.) Hiking the Appalachian Trail – also to test my faith.

7.) The Netherlands – to know Van Gogh.

8.) Norway – to see the Northern Lights.

9.) Ireland – home of my ancestors

10.) Cinque Terra, Italy – because everyone I know has been and they glow with excitement when telling of their travels through these 5 towns.

What’s your top 10?

Coloseo, Roma

Rome had been a dream. It was a place I fantasized about as a young woman watching Roman Holiday over and over. I was Audrey Hepburn having her hair cut and styled from an admiring hairdresser, then buying hand-made sandals from a street vendor while licking un gelato cioccolato. It would be wonderful and worldly and I’d wear large dark sunglasses while taking an espresso in a charming sidewalk cafe. The people would walk by, hands speaking, the robust Italian language lingering in the air. Semplicemente favoloso!

To understand the beginning of my love affair with Italy we have to go back even further. Before I discovered Audrey Hepburn and Roman Holiday in my late teens, I was enchanted by the TV show Bewitched. I am a product of the generation brought up on daily doses of Gilligan’s Island, Brady Bunch, and Bewitched. Connections in my life today can be found in particular episodes of these shows. Books, music, and TV all crafted my sense of style. I do not regret this (even the <insert any 80s attire here>). Therefore, to understand my fascination with Italy, I have to take you back to an episode of Bewitched – you know the one where Darren has to learn Italian to impress a potential client but Endora can’t resist and puts a spell on her not-so-beloved son-in-law. What’s-his-name soon finds that he can only speak and understand Italian. In that moment, this little girl can’t imagine speaking anything but that bewitchingly animated language. Ever. I put accents on every word (not in a clichéd stereotype kind of way) and made up words so that I could pretend I only spoke Italian. Che bella lingua! I was hooked and the passion never died.

Many years of Italian classes, Italian films, and Italian literature passed, and even though I never lost my passion for Italy, I could never make it to the actual country. I went to Paris, London and Madrid but Rome usually got put aside. It always seemed like a good reason at the time – not enough money, there’s an art exhibition in London, free ticket to Madrid. Rome was so illusive and became such a fantasy that in some way I put it off for fear the reality would not love up to the Rome I created in my heart.

Then, in the summer of 2007, I finally arrived in the Eternal city. It was fabulous and the sun was bright and real and burned with the fire of the city. It lives on with its history to explore and culture to experience. Its simple existence stays with you when you leave. Walking through every street, every alley, I sought to grasp the structure and foundation of this new reality of Rome. I spoke the language. I ate creamy chocolate gelato.  I bought brightly colored scarves from the street vendors. And, I sat on the Spanish Steps, feeling a little like Audrey Hepburn with my own Gregory Peck at my side. It was my Roman Holiday and Bewitched and the magic was every bit I imagined.

My new friend at the Bug Zoo, Victoria, BC

If you like finding the unexpected when you travel then you will be thrilled to find the Bug Zoo in downtown Victoria, BC. After your high tea at the historic Empress Hotel, walk around the corner (no, seriously, just around the corner) and enter the tiny Bug Zoo. You can’t miss the signs. The front door is located on Courtney (631 Courtney Street ) but you can get to it through a maze of shops starting on Douglas.

It doesn’t seem like much when you first arrive. We thought it was just another shop. After you pay the fee, you enter the back room filled with glass containers housing everything from scorpions to tarantulas. They have guided tours one after the other so you can usually walk in and listen and pick up what you missed on the next go-round. And the best part is that they let you hold them! Yes, that’s me with a tarantula. I also held a scorpion, a millipede, and a few other creatures that I can’t remember. It was fascinating to handle something considered so frightening and for it to sit still in my hands while I looked at it from all angles. The guides are full of interesting tidbits about each of the bugs – you will find yourself leaving with a little more knowledge of the creepy-crawlies than you ever cared to know.

I’ve been to Victoria many times but usually stuck to the shops on and around Government. First to Murchies for tea, then next door to Munro’s Books to flip through Canadian lit. I can be such a creature of habit when I travel to a familiar city so finding the Bug Zoo added a new love for this capital BC town. How great that you can have high tea and then a couple of hours later you’re petting a tarantula. The unexpected in Victoria, BC, Canada.

Petting the Scorpion at the Bug Zoo

Menil Collection – Dominique de Menil’s collection of modern art. You’ll see all the big names from Magritte to Rauschenberg.
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston – 6th largest museum in the US.  Don’t miss the Turrel tunnel and the Sarah Campbell Blaffer Galleries on the 2nd floor of the Beck Building.  Catch  a Friday afternoon lecture if you have time.
Contemporary Arts Museum – across the street from MFAH. Changing exhibitions. Always interesting.
Houston Center for Photography – around the corner from the Menil and worth a stop. Changing exhibitions.
Lawndale – contemporary art space just down the street from MFAH. Changing exhibitions.
Diverse Works – on the edge of downtown with its own edge. Great space and works. Always surprising.
Fotofest 2010 – biennial photography exhibition. Large exhibition space that gives you a chance to see a range of photography in one place.
Aurora Picture Show – micro-cinema in an old church in Houston’s historic Heights neighborhood.
Rice University Art Gallery – one room but sometimes that’s all you need.
Blaffer Gallery, the Museum at the University of Houston – great space with changing exhibitions. One of my favorite spaces in Houston.
Rothko Chapel – across the street from the Menil. Houses 14 black paintings by Mark Rothko. I promise you will see something new each time you go.

This is just the short list. As you visit each museum or gallery, ask the person behind the desk their favorite place in town to see art. I find that most of them are very well-informed about the arts scene.

All of the museums and galleries are within a short distance of each other. If you are driving, all them have ample parking. If you don’t have a car, these places are close enough to walk, take a short ride on the light rail, or take bus 65 or 34 from MFAH.

I hope you get a chance to experience this rich and diverse arts scene in a very unexpected place.

Stuck in Customs - amazing images

National Geographic – a standard go-to

Trek Earth – anyone can post and good thing because you never know what you’ll find

What was your favorite image? What place would you most like to photograph?

Caddo Lake, near Jefferson, TX

This was going to be our quick weekend getaway in mid-winter to see the ghosties of Jefferson, TX.  It was unseasonable cold for December and being from the south, we didn’t have enough winter-wear to make this journey comfortable. I wanted to go to the hotel and sip hot tea but our hotel room wouldn’t be ready and so we decided on a side trip to Caddo Lake. The day was overcast and gray, I was tired, and it was bitterly cold outside (did I mention how cold it was?). I thought I would stay in the car and just pass through the main road by the lake but as soon as we arrived I knew I had to get out and explore. My hands shook as I maneuvered the camera to get just the right angles and capture the desolate feeling of this magical lake. I can’t imagine that this place would have the same impact at the height of a humid summer.

The canoes were put away for the winter but they were the only hint of color amongst the various gray tones of the trees and the lake. We were the only people there and it felt like we were at the edge of the world. The trees drooped towards the water and felt old and majestic. The canoes of summer were set aside in observance of the trees and their lake. They were letting us observe the daily winter life. I took a few shots and probably even uttered a thank you as we left.

This was written and posted for Texas Photo Tuesday on  Wandering Off – A Texas blog.

Happy travels and happy writing! See you December 1.