Report from Greece: Boots, Knickers, and ANTM

Let's start with this. The view from our hotel room in Chania, ancient port, best known as a Venetian port. It was absolutely lovely, quiet, and perfect for leaving the balcony door open while napping in the afternoon (one of my favorite travel passtimes).

The view from our room at the Best Western in Chania

(where they have the bestest breakfast in the whole world)

But this was the middle of our trip. Fashion, as I said before, in Chania was tourist-centric, though there were lots and lots of little artisan jewlers with sweet and sassy pieces. My only treat to myself: a huge mother-of-pearl (knuckle-to-knuckle) cocktail ring.

Athens had more to its style. Big slouchy boots and equestrian boots were everywhere. Made me want to rush out and buy a pair that I didn't pick up in the States. I tried, but alas, none fit right. Given the weather (I really had to laugh at how bundled up they were), the Greek women were in tights, boots, and skirts or dresses, or in knickers. That's right. Knickers. Maybe I missed the trend stateside, but it's one that works well in transition - from season to season and from day to night. Worked especially well for young, hip mommas.

Athenian family out for a stroll in the shadow of the Acropolis
(note the equestrian boots and knickers; love the bright jacket)

More boots and knickers in the shadow of the Acropolis
(my very own MIL and one of my now multitudes of Grecian cousins, who always seems to be infuriatingly perfectly attired, despite having two children and a full-time job)

I tried desperately not to look like the American tourist, but I'm not sure it worked. I can usually successfully pass for a Northern European (which is sometimes an advantage, sometimes not, depending on the country). But I felt like I had a big stamp "American" on my forhead. Worse, "American Tourist." And so I was. There's no mistaking that I was a tourist. Thank goodness I was - there are really so many gorgeous things to see, like the Acropolis (where the Parthenon is) and Sounio. Most of it is just stunning, and who the heck cares if you're a tourist; if you weren't, you wouldn't see it.

Playing model (I pay attention to Jay's instructions on ANTM) on the cliffs of Sounio, upon which rests an ancient temple to Poseidon. The site's most famous visitor? Lord Byron, who somehow made his mark (literally) all over Greece. Practically every ancient site we saw had a Byron story. Kinda the George Washington (Washington ate here, Washington slept here) of Greece, oddly enough.

The best part of all? Family. I now have about 1000 Greek cousins (picture the scene in My Big Fat Greek Wedding where Gus introduces his whole family to the new wasp-y in-laws: "Nick, Nikos, Nicki..."). Better yet? Some of them live on Crete. That would be a Greek island. I have cousins who live in the Greek islands. How exotic do I sound (to a tried-and-true wasp, that is)? Even better yet? Some of them have a garden in which lemons, oranges, and avocadoes (didn't know they grew on trees - they do - I'd just never thought about it) grow. And a basement in which they make their own wine and rachiu,* a sliwowitz/grappa/palinca/weinbrandt-like liquor that'll knock you on your rear faster than you can say "opa!"

Basement with winecasks, one of the cousins, and H. (Note the ubiquitous layered T, tank, and tummy sleeve over jeans.)

As my MIL advised me ahead of time, the shoes were to die for, with colors, styles, and materials galore (lots of great patterned fabrics for spring and summer), but alas, I found nothing that fit that wowed me (even when in Europe, I have a strict "if I don't love it, and it doesn't feel really good, I don't buy it" policy). So I stuck with my star flats and Grasshoppers

The Grasshoppers (topped with the Citizens) rest in front of the National Archeological Museum.

*Probably totally butchering the spelling. Since Greek is in Greek letters, and the translation I get of it is really Romanian, that's the best I can do.

Report from Greece: Overdue

Yeah, yeah, so I'm a little behind.

And so I overpacked a little. With good intentions. Problems with my packing:

1) It never got really warm in Greece - not even on Crete, though there were some jacket-free days there.

2) The M khakis I brought, while perfect for the plane (very comfy and lots of room), were/are really too big. I wore them out one day in Athens, and found myself hiking them up constantly. I wanted a belt, but M pants don't come with one. At least not that pair.

The result was that I wore my jeans 24/7 (except for Easter night, when I wore a dress). Tummy Sleeves saved my fashion life. I played the Layer Game. Almost every day was a combination of Tummy Sleeve, tank, and sweater or T. Flats, too, as my Grasshoppers were lovely, but not broken in enough (I should know better).

So here's the edited list of what I took/wore:

2 Old Navy tanks (one in True Blue, one in a berry color that doesn't seem to be on the website)
orange sparkly Indian-inspired Chrome Hearts tank
INC sheer blue T (didn't wear at all)
4 summery, flowy tunic-y blouses lent me by a marvelous GreekGoddess friend who just gave birth to her first daughter (only wore two. One regularly, one one day only. They currently make me look much bigger than I am, and that's just not a good thing. They're hanging back in the closet for later.)
an iie
blue Motherhood Maternity dress
linen Old Navy halter dress (for some reason not on the website - wish it were - it's so non "M") (never got warm enough to wear)
a standby cami
tummy sleeves (one black, one nude)
underwear (of course)
socks (in case my feet get cold at night)
trouser socks (eew, I know, but just in case it gets cold over there - it's possible) (and I couldn't have lived without them. Note to self: shoes with teensy star cutouts leave teensy star blisters on bare feet.)
tights (see above comment, but without the "eew") (never really got cold enough)
Old Navy rollover waist khakis (Babsie D, you were right, right, right - don't knock 'em til you try 'em - and I never want to wear anything else ever again - but also can't find these online)
Citizen standby jeans
an old standby printed Ann Taylor skirt - just in case (didn't even pack)
favorite brown merino v-neck sweater
favorite black cowl neck sweater (again, just in case it's cold) (not cold enough, though)
a black cotton motorcycle jacket (Gap, 300 seasons ago, but it's still one of my favorites)
red cotton raincoat
teal silk pashmina-like shawl - perfect for the plane!

Shoes are a little extensive...but here goes
Mia stars flats - like slippers - with stars! (for some reason, 3 of the last 4 pairs of shoes I've bought have been Brasilian-born - something to look into there)
my orange flats (didn't bring 'em along)
standby black heels (just in case)
gold strappy sandals (we didn't go out, really. I was too darn tired the whole time.)
my favorite bought-in-Miami with BlueSuitGirl ankle wrap sandals (never got the chance to wear them)
my new Grasshoppers
slippers (oddly enough, also with stars)

Back from Greece - Full Report Coming Soon

I'm back.

Exhausted.

Waking up at 4am and not going back to sleep. (That's fun, let me tell you.)

I've met every relative H has (very nearly). My Romanian is better, and I can count to 10 in Greek, courtesy of a lovely diva of a 10 year old.

Short version of the trip...

Athens is full of great fashion - shoes especially - I wish I'd found some that fit. I tried, unlike on our trip to Italy, but nothing fit just right.

As a tall, Germanic-boned woman, I felt totally comfortable walking the streets of the ancient modern city. It was delightful, after our two last European trips were to Romania, land of the Skinny Minnie. Greek women have curves, and wear them proudly and stylishly (though the full-length winter coats on a 50-degree day were rather amusing. I suppose it's all relative.). I'll go back any time.

Chania, the second largest city on Crete, was quietly touristy. Our hotel, with views out on to the Old Venetian Harbor, was delightful (love those real continental breakfasts). Walking through the old city and through the local hills and seashores with newly met family members was amazing. Fashion and style were less obvious, more touristy. But I do feel like we were in on a secret that no one else knew, really - it was so quiet.

More to come - pictures and style discussion. And, of course, the list of what I really took to and wore in Greece (let's just say a joyful thank you for the Tummy Sleeves, flats, and ancient Citizen jeans).

Packing for Greece...if I ever get to it.

Let's just say that I'm thankful I've traveled a lot. Packing happens for me in about 30 seconds. 60 if it's winter and I'm trying to stuff things into a bag.

Everyone has different packing styles. Take, for example, me and my mother-in-law. My style? I just told you. List in head for a week (or not), then pack on the fly. Invariably I end up with a few too many tops, but worse things could happen. MiL? She's been packed for a month. I kid you not. MiL's a very planned and "get it done now, so I can play later" kinda gal (dinner's often cooked by the time I get up in the morning). It's served her well. So she started packing in the spare room about a month ago. She'll be packed, then think twice, pull something out, replace it, see a weather report, change it again...

So when I left this morning, already mildly stressed about trying to get further with the aforementioned thesis-type project thingy and transition my projects to coworkers for the next two weeks, I really wasn't even considering packing. It'll happen. Someday. Our plane departs tomorrow dinnertime, so I figure I'll get it done at some point. No worries. Jae and Erwin tomorrow morning are much more important (I'll feel good, even if I have nothing to wear) than getting my crap in a bag.


[12 hours after I started this post...continued...]


But I did find 10 minutes before a meeting and again after my brain conked out on work & school to make a list of the things I think I should pack. I'll spare you all of the vitamins and face products, but here's the pre-packing clothing list.


2 Old Navy tanks (one in True Blue, one in a berry color that doesn't seem to be on the website)
orange sparkly Indian-inspired Chrome Hearts tank
INC sheer blue T
4 summery, flowy tunic-y blouses lent me by a marvelous GreekGoddess friend who just gave birth to her first daughter
an iie
blue Motherhood Maternity dress
linen Old Navy halter dress (for some reason not on the website - wish it were - it's so non "M")
a standby cami
tummy sleeves (one black, one nude)
underwear (of course)
socks (in case my feet get cold at night)
trouser socks (eew, I know, but just in case it gets cold over there - it's possible)
tights (see above comment, but without the "eew")
Old Navy rollover waist khakis (Babsie D, you were right, right, right - don't knock 'em til you try 'em - and I never want to wear anything else ever again - but also can't find these online)
Citizen standby jeans
an old standby printed Ann Taylor skirt - just in case
favorite brown merino v-neck sweater
favorite black cowl neck sweater (again, just in case it's cold)
a black cotton motorcycle jacket (Gap, 300 seasons ago, but it's still one of my favorites)
red cotton raincoat
teal silk pashmina-like shawl - perfect for the plane!


Shoes are a little extensive...but here goes
Mia stars flats - like slippers - with stars! (for some reason, 3 of the last 4 pairs of shoes I've bought have been Brasilian-born - something to look into there)
my orange flats
standby black heels (just in case)
gold strappy sandals
my favorite bought-in-Miama with BlueSuitGirl ankle wrap sandals
my new Grasshoppers
slippers (oddly enough, also with stars)


And, of course, accessories...but I haven' t decided on those yet.


MiL says that the shoe shopping in Greece is to-die-for - lots of little boutiques. I promise a full report - and I'll tell you if I actually packed any of what I listed, let alone whether or not I wore it.


See you on April 11th! I'll let you know how visiting the relatives in Athens and Chania, Crete, was!