Sicilia

I have many favorite cities and places, but without a doubt, Sicily is my number one.  The island holds a lot of personal history for me, including being the setting for my first love, and it was there that I discovered my real passion for travel.  Sicily is a magical place, it's so different from anywhere else with it's mix of European Baroque and ancient Arab style.  Palermo is like a Fairytale for me, a beautiful crumbling jewel in the Italian crown.  The old palaces with their damaged facades, the palm trees, the markets, it all makes me feel like I've gone to a different, lost world.  The other vibe that Palermo gives me is that of being at the end of the line, the very end of Europe.  You can actually feel that there, it gives you the clear sense of being at at the South Pole of the continent, with the whole new adventure of Africa looming ahead.  I adore Palermo and I'm so thankful that I can now consider it home along with New York.  People can have their own opinions on what makes someone "from" a place, but for me Sicily gave me my first series of big adventures in my life, and though I was not there from childhood (I was 16 when I was there), I still consider myself to have grown up there, because I did.  Almost everything changed for me in Palermo, I went through a lot of big life events during my time there and for me that's what "growing up" is, having experiences etc, and I feel like that was definitely the point in my life where I drew a dividing line of before and after.  Everything now is after Sicily for me.  With all that being said, and after having lived there (with the boyfriend at the time), this is my Sicily guide.  

I lived in Santa Flavia which is a suburb of Palermo, and also spent a lot of time in Torre Artale which is pretty much a suburb of Santa Flavia.  It was about a 20 minute drive into the actual city, and 10/15 minutes from Bagheria.  I still miss that house, it had amazing views of the sea since it was up on a mountain and had an amazing smell that I just refer to as "Sicily" even today when I did things that smell like it.  I can best describe it as a mixture of spicy cologne and fresh towels, as weird as that sounds!

 

 Views from home

One of my favorite areas in Palermo (and perhaps in the world) is Mondello.  I have never seen a more gorgeous beach in my entire life.  The view is unbelievable, the water clear, and the vibe is a mixture of the California and Portugal costs.  There's a fun, arcadey type aspect to the area that feels very American or British (think Blackpool) to me, and the restaurants feel very Portuguese coastal town.  Mix those elements in with the Sicilian mountains and you have Mondello.

Mondello

The other beach I frequented was Sant Elia.  Sant Elia is less touristy, and smaller, mostly a local crowd.  It's farther from the center of Palermo so if you're in the city it makes more sense to go to Mondello, they have a bus that goes there erc.  As far as I know you need to drive to Sant Elia, it's kind of in a random spot, but it's a gorgeous beach lined with little fishing boats and nets and watched over by a large tower house. 

Sant'Elia

Views of Palermo suburbs, Santa Flavia to the right

 Ocean views from Santa Flavia

Palermo itself is such a bizarre city, and that's why I love it.  Down one street you might find 18th century palazzos or statues and down another even older Arab buildings.  You can't really peg the city to any style other than it's own, it's just a gorgeous historical mixture of everything capped with a tiara of Palm trees. 

On the subject of the sketchiness of Palermo, yes, it does have a bit of a shady factor but I don't think it's what has come to be accepted.  There are many gypsies around the main tourist sites to watch out for, and there is a pretty high rate of unemployment and poverty but I don't think it's dangerous.  It's more just shady in the sense of being in disrepair.  The buildings need to be tended to, a lot is abandoned, etc, but to me that's cosmetic stuff, it doesn't actually affect anything else but the rowdy character of the city.  The only mafia things I know of in Sicily are monuments or tombs to dead leaders (you can see one off the highway leading into the city), I don't know of any current activity.  The mafia today is mostly based in Naples.

 Four Corners

 Fountain of Shame

Cathedral

Montreale

Side trips

Sicily is pretty small, you can drive from one side to the other in 2 hours, so there are many side trips to do from Palermo.  To the south is Agrigento, home to a colony of amazing Greek ruins (also the HOTTEST place I have ever been in my life, like center of the sun hot with no shade to be found, be prepared), to the East is Taormina, an ancient Roman vacation favorite which is still home to an amphitheater overlooking the sea from high up on a hill.  Taormina also has loads of small alley type streets with pastries shops, major fashion houses like Versace, and little boutiques.  They have a large market for Sicilian pottery there too.  I like Taormina, I think it's charming but I much prefer Palermo.  Without offense to anyone Taormina is a little "older crowd" for me.  My mother would LOVE it.  Me, I prefer the beach and bars of Palermo to the pastry shops and wine bars on the East coast.

 From Taormina it's an easy trip to Mount Etna, the volcano.  The late eruption was in 2001, but it continuously smokes.  Etna was pretty boring to me, it was freezing cold and I did not have a jacket with me, and there isn't much to do if you don't want to actually climb the volcano. If you don't climb it, there's a souvenir shop as a food court.  That's it.  It just wasn't for me

Mt Etna

 

When it comes to Sicily, I'm very much a Palermo girl.  The city just fits my personality perfectly, a little but classy Baroque, a little bit of Mediterranean beach and spice, a mixed historical and cultural background, and a warm lust for life.

I've dressed Alice in Dolce and Gabbana because they are Sicilian and understand what the island is about.  Lace is a huge industry in Sicily, which is why they incorporate it into many of their designs.  Their pieces are also classically Italian and sexy, the Dolce woman is unafraid of vibrant color or print, and embellishes herself with statement jewelry.  The clothing is Sicily embodied, classical shapes and structures sometimes drawn from historical inspiration and adorned with Byzantine gold and jewels.  I love how well the essence of Sicily is captured  in their designs, and if you want to get a feel for the Sicilian vibe, slip into one of their outfits.

Wardrobe Wednesday- Chanel

One of my big enjoyments in life is fashion.  I also personally think that fashion and travel go hand in hand, and that one doesn't have to get on a plane to go and visit a foreign land.  One of the best (and my favorite) examples of fashion travel would be Chanel.  My favorite Chanel collections tend to be the destination based ones like Paris-Shanghai, Paris-Edimbourg, etc.  I love pieces that take elements of different cities and incorporate them into a wearable bit of whimsy that can make you think for a second that you just might be in the location in question.  Today, I'm going to keep things a little more localized and focus on traveling to Paris via Chanel.  

There are many newer designers that I feel capture the essence of Paris through their clothing, but the most iconic encapsulation for me will always be Chanel.  It is because of the simple jersey dresses that Coco Chanel debuted in the 1920's that the Paris aesthetic of today is so sleek and modern.  Typical Parisian dress is always more relaxed and low-key with a palette that tends to lean towards versatile blacks and neutrals.  This is not the land of heavily layering bracelets or rings or any kind of accessory.  Items are carefully chosen to complement the outfit without complicating things and making them too busy and try hard.  It is because of this simplicity that I feel Chanel is so timeless and Parisian.

My other favorite thing about Chanel would be Coco Chanel herself, someone who understood that great voyages could be made without even leaving the comforts of home.  I am obsessed with Coco's apartment and its incredible mix of styles from Asia, Baroque Europe, and modern times.  Her apartment for me epitomizes just how closely related travel and fashion truly are, and how travel can inspire someone to create ethereal pieces of art that allow the owner to take a voyage for themselves, either back in time, or to another world.  I also just love Baroque or Asian-influenced style in general so for me her apartment is like a dream world!

 The Chanel designs for me always capture the opulence of Paris aside from the simplicity.  The designs themselves remain true to Coco's simpler aesthetic, but when Chanel goes ornate, it is with a capital O.  In these designs I can see the history of Marie Antoinette, the Eiffel Tower, the grand avenues, gold plated wrought iron, opulent hotels, the 20's, the 40's, all the elements that so many people seek out in Paris.  I find that fairytale Paris through fashion, since for me, that is the only place that it truly exists, in the artistic world of interpretation and imagination, and sometimes we must call on oracles like Coco Chanel and now Karl Lagerfeld to pull these places into the realm of reality.

 

Victoire's View: Paris (Neighborhoods)

When I travel, I like to get a feel for the real city that I'm visiting rather than the tourist version of the city.  Recently, I came across a discussion about how some people who have visited Paris were disappointed with what they saw because it didn't live up to the incredible fairytale-like hype that Paris has had for decades.  We've all heard about that Paris, the one where you sit at a cafe eating pastel colored macaroons watching the Eiffel Tower glitter at night and walking through rows of pink cherry blossoms on your way to the Arc de Triomphe.  That's not Paris.  I feel like too many people forget that Paris is a real, functioning city that people inhabit, it isn't Disneyland.  I find Paris very whimsical and magical, but that vibe for me has absolutely nothing to do with the Eiffel Tower or pastries.  

With that being said, I would like to talk about "my" Paris, the one that I fell in love with, and what I believe to be the REAL Paris.  I'll start with neighborhoods.  I know many people who think that the most Parisian parts of Paris are Montmartre and Invalides.  I'm not a fan of either of these areas, I just find them really cheesy and touristy rather than charming.  My substitutes for these are Saint Germain and the Marais.  Both can also be touristy (well all of Paris is touristy, it's a major city) but I find them to be so much more real.  Saint Germain is my favorite area not only because it's my old neighborhood but also because it's a great mix of the different sides that Paris has.  Half of Saint Germain is very chic and flashy, especially being so close to Invalides, but the other half is historic and weird.  Saint Germain is the land of boutiques (rather than large flagship stores), small bookshops, and tiny cafes on streets from the 1600's.  I feel the same way about the Marais but the difference is that Saint Germain has more of a balance between old and new while the Marais is more historic in my opinion. Saint Germain is probably best known for being the capital neighborhood of 60's bohemians and 20th Century bon vivants who put Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots on the map, but to me the area just has a charm to it that makes me prefer it over the other areas.  It's also incredibly central.  My friend asked me recently why I said I barely ever used the Metro while in Paris and the answer is simply because I didn't need to.  You can walk to almost everything from Saint Germain. It's bordered by Invalides (Eiffel Tower, Musée Rodin), Quartier Latin (Sorbonne, le Cluny), and Montparnasse (Catacombs). While a lot of the main sights around Saint Germain are officially in other areas, I consider a lot to still be Saint Germain. The Louvre is right across the river, Notre Dame, Jardin de Luxembourg, Jardin de Tuileries etc.  Saint Germain is an ideal home base for exploration.  

My other favorite area is Bastille.  I've said it a million times and ill say it again, I love Bastille.  As a nightlife girl, and specifically an NYC nightlife girl, I seek out places like Bastille.  It reminds me a lot of places I go to here at home (mostly I'm in the Meat Packing District) and the bars tend to have a bit of New York flair to them.  I also love the convenience of Bastille, if you get bored of one bar on Rue de Lappe, go to the one next door or across the street until you find one that suits you.  As someone who likes to do multiple bars in a night (that's the Roman in me) it's an ideal street.  I also like that the area means business, it's not filled with cafes for older couples or quiet little restaurants, these are party bars and I love it.  I like quaint restaurants and things during the day but at night I like to go all out and be with other people my age. 

Aside from the bars, Bastille is filled with historic little gems and oddities that you can find by wandering around. I remember a few years ago I found a bunch of space invaders graffitied on a random building, I love things like that!  Bastille just has a vibe that I go for, I know it might not be for everyone but for me it's amazing.  I always remember being on the metro with my Parisian friend who told me "Every time I see someone who's oddly dressed, they get off at Bastille"

Other areas I find charming-

- Canal St Martin (so many great restaurants!)

- Île Saint Louis 

3 Days in Paris

While in London, my friend and I planned a short getaway to Paris.  This was my first time taking the EuroStar and I was surprised by how quick it was!  We were in Paris in about 2 hours and set out to explore Saint Germain, my old neighborhood, the first day.  It was ridiculously hot, as they were experiencing a heatwave at the time, but it was still great to be back in Paris wandering around.  

Le Bon Marché department store hiding behind the trees

I did a bit of shopping at Zara, and then we went to Le Bon Marché, which I love.  It was pretty empty at the time, and air conditioned (I would have been happy to move in there at that moment to be honest, the heat was killing me) and I love to wander around the maze-like boutiques that surround the main floors.  It's just such a different store, it reminds me of being in the 1960's and 80's all at the same time.

Notre Dame

Lunch at Café Buci

Down the Rabbit Hole...

After our day exploring Saint Germain, we decided to stick with that area for nightlife as well since it's the area I know the best aside from Bastille.  We thought Bastille would better be conquered the following day when we had had a proper rest (we had to be up at 5:30am to get the train from London to Paris).  First, we went to Cafe le Petit Pont, across from Notre Dame.  The place is pretty touristy but we went because my friend told me she had gotten flaming mojitos there once (they put some kind of big sparkler in the drink) so we wanted them, but sadly they didn't seem to have them!  We got regular mojitos instead

Afterwards, we headed over to one of my favorite bars, The Long Hop, because that was much more of a party bar.  It was just how I remembered it except that they now have a Foosball table where they used to set up beer pong.  We had a good night there and got a bunch of glow sticks for our drinks so that kind of made up for missing the flaming mojitos!

The following day, we went to Montmartre since it is my friend's favorite area in Paris.  Honestly, I cannot stand Montmartre.  It's out of the way, overloaded with tourists and cheesy tourist shops, and just not the real Paris to me.  I feel like it's like Times Square, it's just not really a representative of the real city.  There's also a lot of sketchy characters who hang out there and we had our own bit of a run in with some, but I'm not going to go into detail on that.  So anyway, Montmartre really isn't my favorite place, but it makes for some great pictures!

Lunch in Pigalle

Sacré Cœur and views of Paris

Back Streets

Down the Rabbit Hole...

For our second night out, we got to do the one thing I had been wanting to do the most in Paris- go out in Bastille.  I've talked before about my love for the area, I just always have such a good, wild time when I go out there,  I love it.  We headed over to Rue de Lappe, which is a street completely filled with bars, and decided on a place called Charlotte Bar.  I was intrigued because my guinea pig is named Charlotte!  and also because the bars on Rue de Lappe change pretty frequently, I had never been to this one.  It reminded me a lot of New York style bars, it had air conditioning (my elation was unmatched when I found this out) and inside the look was very modern red and black decor mixed with massive wall collages of all types of iconic pop culture images.  The music was mostly American hip hop which isn't really my style but we met some great people and had a fun night

 

Jay Z and Kanye above the bar

The ceiling!

Epic awesome wall

After Charlotte Bar was Balajo (which I believe used to be called Balajo Latino), a place I know but had never actually been to before.  The inside is really hard to describe, they had these weird decorations on the wall that were like things out of one of those Halloween fun houses.  It was such a surreal experience!  I don't have any pics from there as it was really late at night and we were wrapping things up, but it was interesting!

A bit of whimsy at home after a long night

The next day was our last, so we didn't do much, but we grabbed lunch at a cafe at the end of our street called La Barrique, and they literally had the best cheeseburger I have ever had in my life!  Definitely recommend it!