Athens, Greece + Charlottesville, Virginia
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Alison is obsessed with her new foundation by Il Makiage, even her 15-year-old is commenting on how on point her makeup looks. Can’t get a better endorsement than that. Lulu is obsessed with Publix’s Tavern Ham after a very successful casserole this past weekend.
Alison is wishing for a new laptop case, hers is literally disintegrating. Lulu is wishing for her lights to be able to be turned off without having to get up. She recalls the “clap on, clap off” light…but doesn’t want to make noise. She struggles to understand how “Alexa, turn off the lights” actually works…hint: you need smart lightbulbs.
Lulu decides to go big on her visit to the capital of Greece. $7,583 gets her two nights in the Executive Grand Suite of Hotel Grande Bretagne, a neoclassical century-old former home with awe-inspiring views of the Acropolis. (Psst…everywhere in Athens has a view of the Acropolis).
A rooftop restaurant and bar, a cigar lounge, and an awarded spa and hammam make you feel right at home, if your home was an opulent historic landmark. The most elite of guests can be found in this hotel, "from rockstar royalty to heads of state", so it's no surprise that this is the place to see and be seen. It is a popular location for wealthy Athenian families to host lavish wedding celebrations.
Lulu wants to crash one of these fantastic weddings. Not in an obnoxious way, more of a like an elegantly-dressed-observer-holding-light-conversations-in-the-corner-of-the-room-while-sipping-a-sparkling-wine kind of wedding crasher. This ~$1700 Philosophy de Lorenzo Serafini Embellished two-tone satin maxi dress from Moda Operandi fits the bill perfectly.
Off to an educational start, Lulu embarks on this "Make Democracy Great Again" tour. For those looking for a deep dive into history and politics, this “walking seminar” is a must! A local guide takes you down paths that follow in the footsteps of famous philosophers and politicians, engaging you in delightful details most tourism books miss, as well as conversation about the creation of democracy in the western world, and what we can take from it today. This is right up Lulu’s alley! The tour ends at Monastiraki Square which boasts a plethora of places to eat and shop, and is a good place to start the rest of your Athens explorations!
Odysseus Elytis once famously said, "if you deconstruct Greece, you will see at the end that what is left is an olive tree, a vineyard and a fishing boat". This statement is right in line with the M.O. of chef Lefteris Lazarou and his restaurant Varoulko, where Lulu sits by the water and enjoys seafood that is beyond “fresh”.
Now for some exploring! Pittaki Street in the Psyrri neighborhood was a worn-down area until some creativity and some community development came together to revitalize the area. Now home to interesting bars, vintage shopping, and a dazzling display of lantern lights, it is also a great place to see some unique street art. Next in the same neighborhood, Lulu is heading for a sugar coma with a visit to coffee and dessert spot, Little Kook. This enchanting cafe is fairytale themed, like seriously themed, the wait staff even dresses in costume!
Next Lulu heads to see the Poet Sandal Maker of Athens. 91-year-old Stavros Melissinos is well known in Athens and around the world. His books of poetry, plays and essays have been translated into English, French, German and Italian and his best known work The Rubaiyat is on the curriculum of a number of American universities. So like, legit-professional-established-published writer…who just so happens to spend his days making sandals.
When asked why he continues to work a regular job as a sandal maker, he replied "A writer who does nothing but write is like the moon, which gives off some light, but borrowed from the sun. A writer needs first-hand experience, which only working in another field can give him. Otherwise he is rewriting what he has read in other books." So a pair of sandals and book of poems from this profoundly astute man are going to be Lulu's souvenirs!
For dinner Lulu takes a cable car to get to Orizontes Lycabettus for more breathtaking views and some exquisite dishes. She orders octopus, a summer salad, the Aegean fish of the day, and a peculiar dessert of Greek yogurt ice cream that comes with tomato marmalade, fresh mint and basil oil.
To close out her day, Lulu heads for a nightcap at rooftop bar A for Athens which offers yet another great view of the Acropolis. Literally, everywhere in the city has a view of the Acropolis…it’s on a hill in the middle of the city. So that everyone she sees can also enjoy the ubiquitous Acropolis view, Lulu purchases this Yanni 25 Acropolis Anniversary concert tour 2018 shirt, and wears it on the plane ride home.
Alison is escaping to Charlottesville, Virginia where she has booked this picturesque Vineyard & Mountain View Retreat through Airbnb that is located about 30 minutes from city center. The home is directly adjacent to King Family Winery and has breathtaking views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. This 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath home can sleep up to 13, as their are daybeds, rollaway beds, and a guest room with two queen beds in it. There are multiple dining areas, including a large back deck with a 4-burner stainless steel grill and tables and seating for al fresco dining. Spacious outdoor settings like a fire pit with Adirondack chairs and a complimentary coffee bar with a 22 cup coffee maker mean this small home packs a punch when it comes to hosting guests! This rental is $1500 a night, so for two nights plus fees Alison is spending $3773 on her accommodations.
There is also a large barn/annex building next door, which can be set up for dining if you're hosting an event or with complimentary mats for some mountain view sunrise yoga if you prefer! Alison does prefer the latter, and hires a private yoga instructor from Santosha Yoga in nearby Crozet, Virginia to come out to the barn and help her master her sun salutations.
For her adventure Alison needs a truck so she rents a Ford F-150. Her first stop is for fuel, a quick breakfast at the charming Farm Bell Kitchen located on Main Street in downtown Charlottesville. Filling her need for cute and comfort, she’s indulging in some Southern staples like crab beignets, biscuits, fried green tomatoes, and their “game of scones”. A carafe of mimosa, a carafe of Bellini, and a pitcher of “cider-mosa” are ordered as well. That is a lot of alcohol first thing in the morning and you know what, its 2020.
Alison is heading out for a serious hike in Shenandoah National Park, about an hour away from Charlottesville. First she has to load up her truck with all the gear she could possibly need. Her recent in real life hiking-in-the-mountains vacation has her proclaiming the awesomeness of these Columbia Newton Ridge™ Plus Waterproof Amped Hiking Boots.
Her other essential gear includes these ten essentials:
NAVIGATION
Garmin eTrex 30x Water - Resistant Handheld GPS Navigator with Compass - $249.99
HEADLAMP
GearLight LED Headlamp Flashlight S500 [2 PACK] with Red Safety Light - $13.99
SUN PROTECTIVE CLOTHING
She gets a hoodie, a LS crew, a SS shirt, hiking pants, a mask, and a hat, all from Patagonia’s Women’s Sun Protection Clothing landing page.
FIRST AID KIT
First Aid Kit - 163 Piece Waterproof Portable Essential Injuries Kit - $14.95
KNIFE
Atomic Bear Paracord Bracelet - 5 survival gear essentials in one bracelet: knife, fire starter, compass, loud emergency whistle, and 12 feet of military-grade paracord - $10.99
FIRE
took care of this with the above purchased Atomic Bear Paracord Bracelet, such a great buy!
SHELTER
Zmoon Emergency Sleeping Bag - $15.99
EXTRA FOOD
You always want to carry more than the minimum expected need, Alison overshoots with this 4-Week Survival Food Kit - $197.00
EXTRA WATER
Reinos 2-Liter Hydration Backpack - for Running, Hiking, Biking, Festivals, Raves - $25.99
EXTRA CLOTHES
See above number three, where she bought out Patagonia’s Women’s Sun Protection Clothing options. Not really, but she got A LOT.
NOW Alison is prepared to hike the Old Rag Loop, a popular hike with a distance of 9.2 miles that will take around 7-8 hours to complete. After a two-mile switchback ascent through thick forest, the trail scrambles around granite boulders, up a natural staircase of quartz and feldspar, and tops out at numerous false summits before reaching the true summit and the best view of the sprawling, 200,000-acre Shenandoah National Park. This hike is not for the faint of heart or the unprepared!
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![GearLight LED Headlamp Flashlight S500 [2 PACK] - Running, Camping, and Outdoor Headlamps - Best Head Lamp with Red Safety Light for Adults and Kids](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b25d45fb40b9dae6db5141e/1602038685121-6YFJHOW3VMKT277FJT0Z/Screen+Shot+2020-10-06+at+1.01.29+PM.png)
Back in Charlottesville, Alison returns her Ford F-150 and rents a Chrysler 300, which suits the rest of her day much more than the pickup truck. Now for a trip to the spa, to rejuvenate her sore muscles! She hits up the Oasis Spa for their Deep Relief Spa Package which includes a ginger and juniper warming wrap followed by a 60 minute deep tissue massage.
Successfully rested and recuperated, it's time for some wine. Since King Family Vineyards is right next to her Airbnb, she heads there for a tasting. But that's not all, she is joining their Barrel Club, a 4-year membership that involves learning from their winemaker, Matthieu Finot, about the art of winemaking, and 6-12 bottles a year depending on your selection. You can choose their Chardonnay, Meritage, or Petit Verdot Barrel Club programs, each one is $1200 for the four years. Alison joins all three, which means she is getting 24-36 bottles of wine per year for the next four years, and she gets to keep the barrels at the end! This is luxury at its finest (and smartest, making her 10K stretch to a four year long wine delivery is pretty clever).
Time for dinner, and she has some room and calories to spare after hiking 9 miles, so she ordered everything off the catering menu of Tavola. This rustic Italian food and wine spot has some scrumptious sounding dishes. Alison orders the bruschetta, linguini, melanzane alla parmigiana (breaded eggplant), cavolfiore caramellato (caramelized cauliflower), and tiramisu. This order was off the catering menu, mind you, so each dish serves FOUR PEOPLE! She also orders the old fashioned off the cocktail portion of the catering menu, so she has 500ml of the boozy beverage coming her way!
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