flashback friday

yep this is the first of the flashback posts. im totally ripping the idea off of my good friend, and blogging guru, janetha gallegos (she does a fantastic fitness and lifestyle blog that if you havent stalked it yet, check it out here). flashback is what it sounds like, its me poking around the dusty corners of my brain and fishing out fantastic memories.

being so far away from home and living in such a fantastic location (honestly, who moves to australia?) got me to thinking about all the other great places i've been lucky enough to go. in 2005 i went with two of my best friends to europe. hands down one of the best experiences ive ever had.

england:

@ trafalgar square looking towards big ben

@ buckingham palace

went to my very first pub EVER here. it was called the elusive camel, and im totally pumped that they have a webpage (im not just strolling down memory lane, im googling it! BOOYA)! london was fantastic, if i had to live in any foreign city besides where i am now, i'd for sure go to london.

france:

@ arch de triumph

@ notre dame

@ eiffel tower

@ the rue de la foulerie looking towards chartres cathedral

france had the BEST food. except for that one time they gave me a hamburger patty with no bun and fries with no ketchup. rotten french bastards ;)

italy:

@ the basilica di santa maria del fiore (duomo) in florence

 @ the basilica di santa croce in florence

@ the ponte vecchio in florence

@ torre pendente di pisa (leaning tower lol)

@  the basilica of san francesco d'assisi in assisi

@ st. peter's basilica in vatican city

@ the colosseum in rome

@ the pantheon in rome

@ the trevi fountain in rome

@ pompeii with vesuvius in background in naples

 

italy was one of the most fantastic places. loved every minute of it. if you havent been, put it on your list! we were standing outside st. peters and asked this old italian woman (who knew nothing about digital cameras) to take our photo. she held the camera the wrong way, and basically took a photo of her eye. when we pointed out that she needed to switch the camera around, her daughter that was nearby burst into italian and kept yelling "ay yai yai mama mia!" lol it was SO funny. i also mightve developed an addiction to gelato. ice cream is totally cool for breakfast, right mom?

greece:

@ the caryatid porch of the erechtheion on the acropolis in athens

@ the parthenon on the acropolis in athens

so everyone has a favorite place. i have two. i'll save the other one for another post, but this place, delphi, is MAGICAL, and has made my list of favorite places. maybe its because i knew its history, and knew how lucky i was to visit and be a part of it. 

this is a jamie history lesson:

delphi was home to an oracle during the 8th centry bc (for all you non-nerds out there thats about 2,700ish years ago). a temple was built here and supposedly the god apollo would speak prophecies to the head priestess. all sorts of folks, including kings and war-lords, came from all around to hear prophecies from the oracle (badass right?). well as it turns out (thanks to modern science), the temple was built atop a crack in the earth that was releasing noxious gasses, and the head priestess was huffing all this toxic gas and getting tweaked out of her mind...which of course resulted in her rambling like a crazy beeyotch (aka delivering prophecies). HOW COOL IS THAT?!

so when i actually got to go to delphi and visit the remains of the temple of apollo i was in total awe. i know the oracle can be explained by science, but there is definitely something special about that place. and i recommend everyone experience it for themselves :)

@ temple of apollo in delphi

the greek islands are great, mykonos was beAUtiful! if someone would like to give me a squillion dollars, i would definitely own a home there.

@ the island mykonos in greece

greek men were pretty interesting too. i recall five of us girls going out to a nightclub, and being literally CHASED home by ravenous greek men. the best part of the night was watching our landlandy (a feisty old greek woman) beat the crap out of em with a broom, all while cursing violently in greek. it was fantastic.  

i went to germany, switzerland, and turkey as well, although i cant seem to find any of my pictures. damn. i sometimes forget how lucky i am to have had the opportunity to go these fantastic places, and am feeling very thankful right now. life is way too short to not get out there and see the world. i definitely havent seen it all yet, but im doing pretty good so far :)