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Showing posts with label Trips around the world. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Trips around the world. Show all posts

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Happy New Year!


 
I'm back after 3 amazing weeks full of fun, family and friendship. I'm ready to embrace 2010 with more of it. May 2010 bring you health, love, a greener planet and great projects. And most of all, may 2010 bring all of us together. You know how to reach me.
Love, Alice.

Friday, October 9, 2009

Friday Escape



Le Clos Bourdet in Honfleur
Two hours away from Paris in Normandie. The bed and breakfast is lovely, very nicely decorated if you are looking for something very French and the croissants are homemade in the morning. Don't miss the Saturday morning fresh market by the Church. If you are a gourmet and like fish, you MUST make a reservation at Sa.Qua.Na for an amazing eleven course dinner. Otherwise, just enjoy all the seafood restaurants every corner in the village.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Greetings from Paris



Postcards are so 20th century...
I'm sending you Eiffel Towers from my hometown. xoxo, Alice.

1- Grid Eiffel Tower Chair at 3 Rings 2- Eiffel Tower Fabric at the Fabric Finder 3- Eiffel Tower sticker at Etsy 4- Eiffel Tower plexiglas chair at Barrocomundo 5- Eiffel Tower lamp at Absolument Design

Monday, October 5, 2009

Ah Paris!



Last week my friend Cécile went to France for a wedding.
Air France lost her luggage and she was left with a nice envelope full a AF' cash to make up for the "inconvenience". As a result Cecile, back in New York, arrived at a party last Friday dressed with the best clothes ever. People say French women dress better, this is not a myth. It's because they have great-almost affordable- brands that even New York does not have. (I'm not complaining New York, I'm just stating the truth). Among them: Maje and Sandro.

So, guess who's going to Paris tomorrow hoping Air France will put my suitcase on the Hong-Kong flight?  Needless to say, my luggage will be full of the clothes I was planning to give to the Salvation Army.
Mom, you can start cooking that incredible chocolate mousse. Dad, it's time you open those 1979 bottles of Bordeaux. Camille, please clean your room before Wednesday.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Alonissos

Alonissos' Cemetery overlooking the water

my new friends Petros and Nikkos


Traveling on a plane with my man regularly means being ashamed of his giggling/ laughing to tears over the most stupid movies I usually manage to avoid in New York. A year ago, traveling back to Europe I had to watch Thomas (yep, that's his name) clap his hands with a bright smile on his face for 98 minutes while he was watching Meryl Streep and her 3 boyfriends dance around and sing on a Greek island. (by now, I fear you all know what movie I am referring to).

Well... I spent 10 days on the island in August. No exactly that island but the one next to it in the Sporades: Alonissos. To get there is hell (11 hour flight from New York/ 3 hour bus ride / 5-6 hour ferry), but once you've arrived you're in heaven. There was no electricity in the house and day after day I started to let my hair loose, walk bear feet, drink Resina, eat tiropita like there is no tomorrow... in other words transform myself into a hippie.

A real vacation.



Sunday, May 31, 2009

Family Trip




My parents try to visit every year in May.

So I decided to spice it up this year and organize a little family trip to Cape Cod, MA and Newport, RI over Memorial Day weekend. We left the city around 1:00pm on Friday which could not have been a worse idea. We were stuck in traffic for over 8 hours. Thankfully, the driver-my parents' son in law- is generally speaking a calm person and drove us all the way while I was in charge of the atmosphere. I started with Leonard Cohen that my father loves so much, then a little ABBA to cheer up my mother after 2 hours at Mile 15 (she loved the Mamma Mia movie so much, it's embarrassing). After loosing inspiration and my father asking for classical music, I decided to shut it off and start a game. The "Portrait" game where someone picks a personality and the other ones have to guess who it is by asking questions. Bad idea.... My mother would pick the most obvious celebrities and it would take us 2 seconds to guess. My father on the other hand would pick unknown polish scientists and then would argue that all of us are a bunch of ignorants.

We finally arrived in Harwich Port at 9:00pm at a very cute B&B, Captain's Quarters where any flower lover would feel they've reached heaven. My parents picked the pink flower curtains-pink flower cushions- pink flower pillows cases- pink flower rug- pink flower wallpaper paper- pink flower comforter room. We picked the green plants curtains-green plants cushions- green plants pillows cases- green plants rug- green plants wallpaper paper- green plants comforter room.

Over the two days we went for walks across the Cape, visited cutes places and had meals in different types of restaurants one of them being Bucca's where we had dinner twice. My mother is tall, skinny, and out of my 3 sisters and myself she has the greatest body. She cares about healthy food, olive oil and steamed vegetables. Well... the virus got to her over the trip (I'm not talking about the swine flu). I'm talking about my mother eating fried clams, fried calamaris, French fries, four cheese raviolis in a creamy mushroom sauce, goat cheese risottos... and don't get me started on the cheese cakes.

We left early on Monday to drive to Newport spend the day and cut the road in half. We went for the touristy walk on the harbor, had lunch there and then went to the Castle Hill Inn for dessert and coffee. We sat in Adirondack chairs and ended up spending the afternoon watching the sail boats on the water. We did absolutely nothing and it was just perfection. That's when I knew my parents were really happy.

One last thing: at some point on our way back to New York, I saw my mother take a serious look at a McDonald's drive-thru. (Yes Mom, I saw you!)

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Coney Island


I took Yvonne to Coney Island yesterday (how brave of me)... She sort of behaved. It took her about an hour to get ready and still managed to forget to put sunblock on.

We took the F train and went straight to the New York Aquarium. First, there was a sign that the walruses were "off" (they probably went to Manhattan for the day). Second, a class of 30 kids arrived at that same time. So we ran off and went for a walk because the amusement park wasn't opened yet. We sat on a bench and started talking the way only two good and old friends do. Meanwhile Yvonne still hadn't put sun block on. Then, we went to Brighton beach for lunch, sat at Tatiana's terrace, ordered a bottle a Sauvignon blanc to a Russian waitress who understood English as well as Yvonne does, ate a "Russian salad" that was as Russian as I am.

Yvonne took a little nap on the beach while I was taking pictures of people around. Asked a man if I could take a picture of his daughter, he answered I could take a picture of his son... Decided it was time to take off and look at the Cyclone from a bit closer. Yvonne chickened out when we were about to purchase $8 tickets for the roller coaster ride. She got into a fight with a man at a stand (clearly taking advantage of tourists), threatening her to call the cops.
That's when I decided the day was over. We quickly headed back to the train station.

We had a great day. Yvonne got back safe to Manhattan with a lobster tan and tank top marks. As for myself, I'm just hoping my pictures will turn out well this time.



Saturday, May 9, 2009

Daddy's little girl



A while ago, when my 3 sisters and I all lived at home with our parents we had this contest.

On weeknights, we all knew that between 8:00 and 8:30pm my father would be back from work. The second we would hear the key in the door, the hallway would become a battlefield. The four of us would run, run as if we were running for our lives... to be the first one to "kiss welcome" our Dad. While we were running, we were also screaming, tackling and catching each other's poneytail. He might have been disappointed not having a son, after obviously trying so hard... But I doubt sons run evening after evening, year after year, relentlessly the way the four of us did.

Truth said: we were all Daddy's little girl...

My father's birthday is May 20th. To make sure he would get his gift on time this year, he planned a little trip to New York with my mother to spend some quality time with me (or so he says...). People, the pressure is on! I need to find a great gift for my Dad's birthday. And NO, we are not thinking recession gift, I want to treat my father. If I asked him what he wants he would say:1)a nice drawing or 2)for everybody to get along (which we do) or 3)grand kids. Let's agree that none of these are gifts. I thought about a 12 minute helicopter tour over Manhattan with my mom during their sightseeing but I'm afraid he doesn't like helicopters, or 3 nights in a nice B&B in Cape Cod over Memorial Day weekend but I'm afraid he won't accept that kind of a gift. So please help me with your ideas! I need to find the greatest gift for one of the 2 greatest men.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Un café de ciudad



San Telmo, Buenos Aires, Argentina
...that where these pictures were taken, right before a road trip in Patagonia. Printed on paper and painted over with acrylic. Part of the experience is to listen to Celos by Gotan Project while looking at the pictures.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

The Wild Wild West


Grand Teton, Yellow Stone, Glacier National Park...

...that's the road trip I'm talking about.
It's a safari, it's spectacular views with a wide variety, it's fly fishing, it's hikes in the mountains. Just make you sure you get some pepper spray in case you run into grizzly bears (not kidding here, attacks are not that rare). Go with your boyfriend, go with your girlfriend, your friends, your kids, but GO! If it's just the two of you, rent a convertible Mustang. If it's with the kids, rent the motorhome.
One more thing, coming from Jackson's airport to Grand Teton, put the soundtrack of Laurel Canyon (the movie) on, track #9, Harmony by Clinic, it's part of the experience

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Pine Island



Pine Island -New Caledonia

This place looks like heaven...
and it would be if there weren't so many French people on vacation there, only because they don't speak any other language!

Spread the word

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