Europe Archives - shm notes & posts

Travel

One man’s return to Greece after half a century

20 July 202420 July 2024

In which I recount taking my dad to his alma mater in Greece after 52 years. Open for a chronicle of the best father-daughter trip you’ve ever seen.

A fun fact about my dad is that his Doctor title comes from studying veterinary medicine in Greece. He graduated in 1972 (during the junta) and hasn’t been back since, until this year. For his 75th birthday, I decided to treat him to a trip to Greece, primarily in Thessaloniki (where he went to school) and Lesvos. . Choosing the island Anyone doing research on Greece knows there are many, many options to choose from when visiting the Greek islands. Knowing that my father likes beaches, olive oil, and ouzo, I decided on Lesvos. I got a few weird looks...

Travel

There’s no place like Rome

18 September 2022

In which I recount my summer trip to Rome. Open for good times and begrudging respect for Italians and their food.

Full disclosure: I was biased against Rome from the start because of their attempts to colonize my homeland of Ethiopia. That said, the city pleasantly surprised me. It wouldn’t be the worst thing to return to Rome, perhaps in addition to other Italian cities. Though I only spent five days in the city, it felt satisfactory without being tiring. A family friend also did a lot of the heavy lifting when it came to planning activities. Plus, I’m definitely a “one activity per day” type of person, with the rest of the time being for relaxation/wandering. So getting into the...

Travel

One month as a Lisboeta

24 May 202219 January 2023

In which I detail my efforts cosplaying as a Lisboeta. Open for observations, insights, and struggles on adjusting to life in Lisboa.

Time flies when you upend your life, let me tell you. For the last month I’ve lived, worked, and navigated Lisbon, primarily in the neighborhood of Alfama, where I live. It still feels insane to say that. Even though I don’t feel like I know enough about Lisbon to have been here a whole month, I’ve learned quite a bit. . Accessible? More like ascend-the-hills Now this one is partially on my landlord for not informing me. In order to get to my apartment from the car-accessible main roads, I need to climb NINE flights of stairs. Eight flights of stair are...

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