Jul13

Picture Happiness

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Picture Happiness

Photo by Lady Stou

I’m gonna tell you a little secret.  Whenever I look at this photo I feel happy and sad at the same time.  Why is that?  How come a photo makes us feel on such ways we can not describe?  And clearly it’s not the photo it self but what it represents, at the time it was shot, at the place, with who, and so on.

The Eiffel Tower, the global icon of France, one of the most romantic cities of Europe, Paris, fighting for the lead with Venice.  You’ll find plenty of pictures of Paris in this blog in the future, all taken by me.  Why?  I’m simply in love with Paris.  And each and one of those pictures remind me that I have being there, twice, and how difficult it is for me to get the chance to return.  Just a picture can make me happy, for a moment it’s like I’m there again.

Another amazing thing I’ve discovered in my photos of Paris, is that, although I’m not a professional photographer, they are all stunning.

Tomorrow I’m going to take photos of another, very well known monument just to compare the quality of my photos.  I’m wondering if it has anything to do with the state of my being at the time of shooting.

Getting back to my topic, I believe we all have an image for happiness, but can we picture it?  If we could, what would that image be?

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Jul13

It’s been a while

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It’s been a while

…Since my last post.  I know.  It’s been a hectic month, June.

To sum things up,

  • I went to Paris, I had a great time.
  • My man proposed in our return.
  • This is my ring, bought from Swarovski store near Arc de Triomphe.
  • I forgot my book on the plane, I hope someone enjoyed it.
  • We work 12 hours a day now, still the only thing I hear is that they have no money to pay us. (I don’t get that)
  • I’m redacorating my home by myself, interior/exterior.  I’ve made plenty of things using pallets.

PS. I missed my blog and I hope I get the chance to write more often.

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May4

Weekend in Paris

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Weekend in Paris

Anxious about my trip and excited as I am, I ordered “weekend in paris” by Robyn

Sisman.  I read reviews about her books and honestly I can’t wait to read them all.  I am a book lover, clearly.  We

are leaving at exactly 10 days for our 4day trip to Paris, can’t wait actually.  I’ll start reading my book, until then…

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Mar26

The Glamorous blogger

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The Glamorous blogger
Cover of "Friends with Money"

Cover of Friends with Money

Do we really have to be glamorous to be the greatest bloggers out there?  Do we really need to have drama in our lives in order to attract readers?  I get that feeling time to time.  I am a big fan of blogging and I’m a frequent blog visitor and love sharing.

But there are times my life is so boring, like most of the people I know, it makes me puke reading others clubbing experiences, sex partners and restaurant reviews.  How does everybody afford all that stuff?

I’m gonna tell you what I did today.  I had family over, watched two movies starring Jenifer Aniston, cause I’m a huge fan “Just go with it” and “Friends with money“.  I had sex with my boyfriend and then started wondering…

Hey, I don’t have money, I don’t have the great job ever but I do have many friends with money and I don’t give a shit about their situation.  .The way things are going I wouldn’t mind being a maid.

Where am I getting with this?  Simple things that people are bored to read about these days.  Stupid, everyday stuff that we do and complete our lives.  Thoughts that come out from a movie or a conversation.  When all of this stopped being the main topic of our blogs and sex, relationships, clubs and other people’s lives came and took place?

Maybe I am the glamorous blogger, because in years I finally understood what blogging means to my life.

So today I had family over, we ate and had coffee, I watched two movies of Jennifer Aniston, I’m a huge fan o Jennifer, she is so lovely and after everything I had sex with my boyfriend, I just went into the office naked and took him by surprise.  I opened my laptop and published a post about my fabulous life.

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Mar25

Top Searches

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Top Searches
Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University 2

Image via Wikipedia

In my Dashboard, in the Top Searches section, just under Stats I read this today “what does Stou mean”.

And it makes me laugh to know somebody googled that.
Seriously, just ask me.  To make things easier.  This is a nickname I have from when I was little. 

Some may have already figured out who I am, so it is not such a mystery.  I’m not exactly hiding behind my blog, cause I knew all along that this could give me away.  Or it could just mean Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University….

But because I know internet world is not revolving around me (I wish), I laughed so hard reading this that I just wanted to share it with you.

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Mar25

Rome was everything I expected & more

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Rome was everything I expected & more
I searched and I searched for the must list.  You know, the list of places I should visit, the list of food I should try and the list of things I should do when I go to Rome, especially what I should be careful of.  Just like my blog there are numerous sites where you can find answers, and if you visit Rome for the first time and you are only going for a few days you should probably know how to spend them, where to go, what to see, were to eat and of course your transportation options. 


My first list was: what do I wanna see list, so I made a map plan with Google’s Earth software. And here you can have the file in .kmz format.  

Must visit: 

  • Villa Borghese, 10 minutes walking from metro Flaminio-Piazza de Popolo station.  Worth the walk. 
  • Piazza de Spagna, Spagna metro station.  Worth going at night since lots of people gather around the steps and sing. 
  • Colosseo, Colosso metro station, or maybe better go with hop on-hop off busses.  It drops you there and picks you up from the very same location.  Take a lot of pictures.  We might not like the history very much, but the remainings of the building is an art.  Roma Pass will let you bypass the line and get in without paying.  I’ll write about
    Roma pass later and explain as much as I can.

  • Piazza del Popolo, again you can go with the same hop on-hop off bus and take a walk to via del Corso where you can buy jeans for only 20 euros, I bought two.
  • Vatican city, many metro stations to go there.  We all know that the line for tickets is big, so the best thing you can do is to book your tickets in advance from their site, Vatican,and go around 10:00 in the morning, so you won’t wait in the line.

  • Castel Sant’ Angelo, near the Vatican and just across the Tiber river.  You’ll have spactacular views from the Castel and you can drink a glass of wine on the last floor in a beautiful small cafe.  About the tickets, it is not expensive but you can pre pay a roma pass and you can go for free, you just show your pass and you get in.

  • Fontana di Trevi, metro station Barberini, you’ll have to walk a little, but since you are in a new city you won’t mind.  You’ll see plenty of fountains in Rome, I couldn’t believe my eyes but fontana di trevi is the one you shouldn’t miss.  We arrived at the fountain around 21:00 and we had ice cream from a small shop across, many flavors you’ll
    have the chance to taste there.  Make a wish and throw a coin in the fountain.  I hope my wish comes true.
    Capitolio, you can go with the hop on-hop off bus as well.  That
    was my favourite of all buildings in Rome.  It was night, we were on the bus returning from Trastevere to our hotel, when I saw this beautiful big white building, illuminated from the lights around it.  I felt so moved that I wanted to cry.  I couldn’t believe everything I saw on the internet and movies or photos, I was there.
Must do:
  • All the above, when you visit all you wanna visit is doing exacty what you should have. 
  • It’s a must to go for a tiber river cruise, it cost’s like nothing and it’s sth I should have done but didn’t have the time to. Hope with Easy Jet I fly for a weekend to take that cruise.
  • Take the hop on-hop off bus, it will take you everywhere, from early morning to late afternoon.
  • Buy a souvenir.
  • Throw a coing to fontana di trevi.
  • Eat ice-cream across fontana di trevi.
Must eat/drink:

Unfortunately I didn’t have a plan on where to eat, I thougth “hey, two couples, we’ll find sth in the way, let’s not plan everything“, well that didn’t turn so well.  On our last night we ended up in a cheap (all the way cheap) restaurant, that I don’t remember it’s name and I don’t want to ever.  It was near piazza navona and that I remember because our friends weren’t that excited to spend lots of money at an expensive restaurant there, well we walked and walked until it was too late for kitchen.  Let me tell you sth, 20 euros per plate is expensive but then again, you are in f…Rome.  As much as you would like to be on a budget, give your self a treat.  It is your last night there.  Indulge your self.  Generally 10 euros per person at a restaurant is pretty good. 4 euros for sandwich, 7 euros for pizza, it’s ok.  Coffee is little expensive near Colosseo but it’s Colosseo, what can you do.

  • Spaghetti alla carbonara, the famous and very differnet from the Greek one (good for me I learned how to cook it)-ate it at a nice-small restaurant near Piazza de Spagna called Vitti Pizza, the most famous italian pizza with mozzarella and tomato-ate it allmost everywhere.  All around Rome you’ll have the change to taste it and from anywhere it will be delightful.
  • Drink Espresso/Cappuccino opposite the Colosseo, no milk or with milk it will become your favourite coffee (buy some for home). 
  • Sandwich traditionally with mozzarella and tomato, it’s tasty and big and it will keep you full.  Cheap & chic.
 
As far as your transportation options, actually you won’t need options, the metro and bus line works perfect in Rome.  I do recomend using them and pre pay your tickets, it worths it.  Roma Pass gives you free access to 3 museums and/or historical attractions and discounts for all your other visits.  It did come handy.  You have options for the days you’ll use it and what you’ll pay.  You get your passes when you arrive at the airport, just ask in the information where the roma pass office is.  But of course if you love a piaggio you can rent a motorbike.  We didn’t even think about it since, we didn’t actually need it.  Subway worked fine for us.

I hope someone finds my posts helpful, have a nice trip.  Rome is beautiful.

I believe our trip has been fabulous. Suvenirs, memories and lots of photos to remember. The return wasn’t bad, but I was definitely sad for leaving so soon.
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Mar22

Booking Airtickets & Accomodation (Rome)

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Booking Airtickets & Accomodation (Rome)
Easy Jet (Madrid Barajas)

Image by Patxi64 via Flickr

Round Trip Athens-Rome-AthensTwo persons with one luggagePrice: 193.88 euros / 248 $


Not that much ha?  And I’m pretty sure I could find a lower price.A couple we know were planning a trp to France. They said they left the booking of the ticket to some friends who traveled Europe often. That meant “We want to fly with a well known airline company”. So
they paid double money than I did. People are afraid to fly with companies they hardly know, but what they don’t understand is that if it’s meant to happen it will happen. Pay attention to news of planes crashing, it realy doesn’t matter if it is Air France, Qatar Airways or Olympic Air.  Before booking the tickets, seeing that huge difference between Easy Jet and other airline companies made me wander “How come EasyJet is so inexpensive?”, so I started searching on the internet, gone to their website, finding information was easy.  Flying with this airline you have cons and pros and I came up with many websites giving an answer to my question for example Wikianswers.      

The main cons of EasyJet is that you have to go early for check in, at least two hours ahead, they won’t wait for you and you are not given a seat, you must choose one, so the
earliest you go the better chance you have to find a good seat especially if you are not flying alone.  You don’t get meals in your trip, you have to pay water etc. The aircrafts are very small, I felt like I was in a crowded bus.  Plus I heard not to many good things if you want to cancel or change your flight.But lets think it this way: It’s not like you are flying from Athens to Australia, don’t eat anything on the plane.  Go two hours earlier, why not, you are anxious to leave anyway.  Get in, find a seat and stop complaining, you get what you pay for, the only thing that
matters is to arrive safe to your destination, easyjet provides that. Plus you don’t pay extra taxes, easyjet says 20.99 per person and means 20.99 per person with one handbag, no 20.99 plus taxes: 50.00,  That’s a pro!!
I was very pleased flying with Easyjet and I would fly again, if sth on the way goes wrong, be sure that I’ll write about it.

Accomodation  3 nights Double room-bed and breakfast2 persons Price: 256 euros / 326 $ 

Not that much either ha?  And I’m sure I could do better@I searched Booking.com (we all know booking.com), for the cheapest hotel with breakfast in Rome.  Of course I took a look at the not that cheap ones too, but mainly I was interested in a hotel near the center with breakfast, since
I wouldn’t stay at the room so long, only to sleep.  If you are going for more than a week you’d propably need a half board plan. 

Everyhing depends on our budget and on what we are made of.  Simply ask your self, if you can’t handle the idea of returning and admitting that you stayed on a 2 star hotel then you probably shouldn’t read this blog. 
So I found a realy nice hotel, called Cinemusic Hotel, near to almost everything I needed and I booked with confidence.  I called the hotel, I confimed my booking and everything was done and I would’t change anything.  Actually I know read someone agreeing with me in my tripadvisor’s review and I kinda liked it. I deffinetely recomend this hotel and I am planning to go again when I can afford it, because I loved Rome.