8 Months On The Road: Part Two Madrid, Jerusalem, Athens, Nafpaktos, Syros
All of this in March and April...
I traveled to a city that I have always turned to when my life was in transition, Madrid.
It's a glorious city full of culture, stunning architecture and happy people all round. It also has amazing food and some of my favorite wines. Many years ago when I wandered around this lovely city for what turned out to be months and figured out what was not working, corrected it and fell in love, with a city.
My second and third destinations were Israel and Palestine.
I was there for a work related conference but it was my second time to both destinations and I had forgotten how special both of these places are to me.
Tel Aviv a modern metropolis that has an energy I can't accurately describe and the stark contrast of Jerusalem a place that is magical.
I'll focus on Jerusalem here because I can't describe my over-whelming love for this city. It's mystical (for all of the obvious reasons) so cosmopolitan but steeped in tradition. You never for one second forget where you and I honestly feel like I need to go back as soon as possible.
Then there is Palestine. The possibilities endless but harsh reality (in the form of a rather large wall) seem almost surreal. The obstacles to peace tho are evident so it feels strange almost wrong that in the midst of the chaos there was a new luxury hotel built opposite (but facing) that wall.
In fairness to what might seem like an insensitive place to open an art hotel the property The Walled Off Hotel is an entirely independent leisure facility set up and financed by the artist Banksy. It is not aligned to any political movement or pressure group. The Palestinian management and staff offer an especially warm welcome to young Israelis who come with an open heart. Its aim is to break even and any profits will be put back into local community projects. I'll write a specific post about this lovely hotel and its initiative in the future.
No visit would ever be complete without a visit to the town that always feels like home, Athens.
I should mention that I grew up in a suburb, went to high school here and still wander the streets like the wide-eyed little kid I used to be. I realized early on that I was always going to be a city girl at heart.
I've always felt the most comfortable in large, gritty cities. The energy is infectious and I find myself returning to Athens as often as I can because the changes are incredible. The art scene, wine bars and overall creativity that has sprung up out of considerable adversity is amazing to me as is the courage and heart of its people.
Easter I spent in a town in Western Greece that I have grown to love, Nafpaktos. In addition to having one of the most picturesque harbors in the country it is also known for its elaborate Easter festivities so I joined friends, went off and WOW! No Easter Parade anywhere ever compared to this!
Syros is a Greek Island in the Cyclades often overlooked in favor of the neighboring Mykonos and Santorini.
It is also the island my mother was from. As a child I would wander the many staircases looking for something I clearly am still looking for since that was the start of my wanderlust. Life took me in all kinds of directions, exotic destinations, places that others could only dream of but I knew that I would someday return. I chose this time to come back, alone to see if it would be what I remembered but it was better.
The #DiscoverSyros project came from this visit (more on that later.)
I did travel to one more place in April but I will save that for my next post because I stayed there for almost two months and met some incredible people that I will introduce you too.
I'm incredibly lucky and privileged to see the things I do but it's all nothing if you don't get to share it with great people and I try to surround myself with people that inspire me to be better and stretch my limits.