"Somebody that I used to know"... that led me to...

Fact: I'm shamefully behind in the music scene. However, I am LOVING the act of catching up that's ensued. 

It's a bit like missing seasons of a show then getting to rent the DVDs so to watch ALLLL the episodes all at once (some like to refer to this as a "cinematic marathon") instead of having to wait at one week intervals for the next new episode (PAINFUL!) I'm not a show follower, I have a hard time committing myself to a bumper sticker, let alone something that will keep me inside every Thursday at 6pm when there are better things to do..................................................



....Oh, sorry, back from my deviation..... I was introduced to this song ("Somebody that I used to Know" By Goyte Feat. Kimbra which I love MASSIVELY for a number of reasons)...

Not unheard of by any means, with it's 12 million and some odd views, but it led me to THIS ("Settle Down" by Kimbra) which I love just as much or possible more than the previous. 

Such a unique voice and some of her other songs are even more amazing... have a dig, see what you come up with from Kimbra... and please SHARE if you find something particularly appealing. 

Enjoy!

Goodnight all!

El. 

In the Blink of an Eye. Vol. I

 Blink... Southern France...

Shutters in Mouans Sartoux; Cote D'Azur, France; Photo By El. K. B. 

Flowers in the Alley; St. Paul De Vence, France; Photo By El. K. B. 

Musee; St. Paul De Vence, France; Photo By El. K. B. 

Blink, Blink... Cinque Terre, North-Western Italy....

Vernazza Architecture; Cinque Terre, Italy; Photo By El. K. B. 

Old sign towards hiking trail to Corniglia; Cinque Terre, Italy; Photo By El. K. B. 

Although this was my first trip to the Cinque Terre, I think we did it the right way. Not a moment went by where I felt "I wish we had planned this" or "maybe we should have stayed there". I'll let you in on my few tips (I'll limit it to a few because you should really experience this for yourself and part of the beauty of the Cinque Terre is the undeniable feeling of discovery): 
1. Stay in Vernazza. It's the third of the Cinque Terre villages so its right in the middle of the trail. Hike to the northern villages one day and the southern another day... or more if you have it. Also, Vernazza wasn't nearly as crowded or touristy as some of the other villages. Psst.... little secret at Gianni Franzi... ITS AMAZING! Stay here if you can. Some people I know payed double the price and it wasn't nearly as nice :). 
2. Eat the Fried Shrimp in a Cone... they are only 5 Euros and you deserve it after all that hiking!
3. Pack lots of Water because the hikes were harder than we expected them to be! Eek.... but you have a beautiful beach waiting for you at the end. Super rewarding. 


Blink.... Florence.... Blink, blink... Chianti Wine Region....

Street Art; Florence, Italy; Photo By El. K. B. 

Wee Car (this is the extent of my car knowledge); Florence, Italy; Photo By El. K. B. 

Oldest Wine; Chianti Wine Region, Italy; Photo By El. K. B. 

Terracotta Wine Barrel; Chianti Wine Region, Italy; Photo By El. K. B. 

With Florence's roots lying in Renaissance Art, it was naturally an instantaneous love for the cities historical heart. The back alleys are filled with little known galleries with big artists (randomly ran across a Salvador Dali exhibition in an old Church our first afternoon) and stunning juxtapositions of street art.

Our second day in Tuscany we took a Vespa Tour of the Chianti Wine Region and, while it was quite an expensive day, I couldn't have imagined a better way to explore this area. I recommend this to EVERYONE and ANYONE! It may have been my favorite day in Italy (which says a lot, there are a lot of highlights).

blink...blink..............................blink.......................Dizzying

So as not to overwhelm (let's be honest, I'm overwhelmed with the daunting task of filling you in) you all at once, I will name this the first of two installments of "In the Blink of an Eye", perhaps this will become my official way to update you when I shit the bed and have a lot to update you on?
Stay tuned for more to come but in the meantime, here's a teaser...

ROME!!!!

Sculpture at Vatican Museum; Rome, Italy; Photo By El. K. B. 

Hope you're as excited as I am!

Big Hugs,
El.

PS. If any of you are planning on spending some time in the UK, France, Italy or Greece (or a number of other Mediterranean countries)... please feel free to ask about places to stay, eat, drink, lay out, etc. in the comments box below! I can't talk enough about my travels there and would be happy to help you maximize your stay as well :)