Thursday, October 13, 2011

Greek ruins and blue sea





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Back from Italy; it was an amazing trip.

Was talking to Miss Shell last night about tours and trips. I am so glad my family stopped going on packaged tours - every family trip until I was in my late teens was the same tedious compendium of ridiculous early morning wake up calls, 10 minutes of photo time at the "sights", Chinese food at every stop (usually bad Chinese food too) and being driven to like 8 stops per day.

I mean, how can you say you've been to any country when you've had a grand total of THREE actually local meals over 10 days? Or when all you've seen of it are industrial towns flashing past you on the bus and the inside of the obligatory bad chinese tour group restaurant?

Gah.

this trip was not like that in the least. It was leisurely, all meals were local - we were often the only out of towners in the place - and we had so much time to just wander.

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how I like to get to know a place: First, eat what they eat. Second, wander about and woolgather. Third, check out the local markets and chat with locals (if language permits). Fourth, sit in cafe (or whatever drinking/eating spot there is) and write stuff down in notebook. Fifth, go off season.

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The second picture up there - the model in the picture is the little sister. The girl is 3 inches taller than me and therefore looks all model-esque and gorgeous in shots like these. I just look mildly like a stump.