Monday, July 21, 2008
Dead Mouse
Recently, and unexpectedly, I found myself at Disneyland. My hubby had to go to Anaheim for work, and one of the perks was that he got free passes to the Magic Kingdom. While Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion thrilled me just as much as they did throughout my childhood (perhaps even more so now that they have added Johnny Depp to the slew of animatronic singing pirates), I have to admit the the rides were not my favorite part of the trip.
While I certainly appreciate the creativity behind some of the rides at Disneyland, I am generally sickened by the Disney culture. By this I mean adults who are trapped in their childhood obsession with a mouse and his cohorts. I had a colleague once who used her wedding registry to try and complete her set of Winnie the Pooh dishes. I am all for maintaining a connection with one's childhood and relishing in eternal youth, but there is something saccharin sweet about the Disney experience generally. It kinda makes me want to yack (and yes, that is even before I consume mass amounts of amusement park food). Maybe I am the sicko, but the frenzied Disney obsession makes me kind of sick.
It is because of this feeling of nausea and my disturbance that Mickey Mouse hats now come with optional earrings, that I derived (perhaps an obscene amount of) pleasure from lobotomizing Mickey, spilling his brains on the bathroom counter, and recording the evidence. I hope you are able to delight in the ghastly image as much as I do.Labels: rant, travel
tidbit posted by Mosa @ 5:47 PM
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
New Beach
Ok. I admit it. My head is still in Greece. My thoughts are swirling around with memories of my recent trip. My husband and I started our trip in Athens and then went on to Santorini and Crete. We absolutely fell in love with Santorini, so when we arrived in Crete, after five nights in the perfectly charming Santorini, we were both a little disheartened to find such a sprawling, filthy city. It didn’t help that we had spent the night prior to our arrival on the floor of a dingy ferry trying to sleep with backpack pillows and American infomercials blaring on the television.
After a quick, and mandatory, visit to the Palace of King Minos at Knossos, we had both had our share of Crete’s beaten track, and zoomed away as fast as our “micro” rental car could take us. We headed south, through picturesque vineyards and herds of goats, into the mountains. Our goal was the southern coast of Crete where we’d read there were some beautiful and unspoiled beaches. We would have to find something pretty spectacular to top our Santorini experience.
I was finally able to get over my concern that I had ruined my husband’s vacation and taken him to a hideous lump of dirt in the middle of the ocean when we reached the beach at Agios Pavlos. Agios Pavlos is little more than a couple of hotels and a taverna or two, but I think it is technically a town. It is home to one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever encountered. Our last few days in Santorini had been a little chilly, and we had not yet gotten to have the stereotypical beach day we both envisioned would be a part of our Grecian holiday.
On a bright, sunny day in Agios Pavlos, we packed up our beach goodies and headed down to the sand. We had carefully scouted the perfect spot from the cliffs that rose above the crystal blue water. We staked our camp near the mouth of a cave that we had seen a family inhabiting the day before. We spread out our things, and I settled in to write postcards while The Mr. set off to explore the numerous caves and rock formations that surrounded us. We were both completely content. Not more than ten minutes passed when I heard my husband approach; those caves must have been smaller than I’d thought.
“We have to move! Right now!”
“Why?”
“The next beach over is even more beautiful than this, and the one after that is a nude beach!”
“A nude beach? Really? How do you know it is a nude beach?”
“There is a couple there, and they are nude.”
After some discussion, we decided it might be best to start our own “nude beach” at the next beach over, rather than disturb the couple on the preexisting “nude beach.” Quickly we made our move. Before I could talk myself out of it, I stripped off my bikini and my husband, a bit shocked I think, followed suit with his trunks. I was amused by the cool breeze caressing my bottom and felt giddy with the thought of my public exposure, despite the lack of a public.
A few moments later, a public arrived. It consisted of two adult-type people and what was, presumably, their offspring – a boy of about eight or ten. We froze like deer – bums up, eyes open. Our whispered discussion of what the hell we should do next concluded with a stealthy donning of our swimsuits and a move to the real “nude beach.”
The beaches at Agios Pavlos are separated by rock formations. When we made it around the rocks to the next small bay, I was shocked to see the nude couple right there. I had imagined them some distance away from us. We walked briskly by them with a courtesy sand gaze. We found a spot as far away from them as possible, yet still on the beach. It was decidedly more difficult to remove our clothes the second time around; being “caught” the first time had made us a little more anxious.
Ultimately, we were able to get comfortable. I even managed to smear sunscreen on my hubby’s bum (the one spot, we would later learn, that I had missed on my own body back in our hotel room). As the day progressed, we basked in the warm spring air and even splashed in the cool, blue water.
The original couple did us the same courtesy that we did them and basically ignored us. Eventually, they left. Their departure, however, did not mark the end of the nude beach. One by one and two by two, other people arrived throughout the day. Each would look around, see that this was the “nude beach,” and comply with our dress code.
I didn’t talk to anyone but my husband the whole day. By late afternoon, there were a dozen or so people on the beach, and none of the small groups intermingled. I have spent the last few weeks relishing in the thought that we “created” a nude beach in Crete. I was delighted to think that everyone wanted to be naked, and all they needed was the motivation of other bare bottoms. A brief Google search just proved me wrong – at least a little bit. According to several websites, while Agios Pavlos is not officially a nude beach, it has a naked reputation. So much for American ingenuity.
Despite the fact that we did not invent it, I would still like to take some credit for the nude beach at Agios Pavlos. Perhaps if we had remained suited, others would have taken our lead just as we took the lead of the first couple we encountered. By baring all, we set the tone for other beachgoers that day. Perhaps they’d read about it before. Perhaps they hadn’t. We helped create the nude beach for those fleeting hours while my bum baked in the sun and my head rested in the fine sand, and I am ever so happy about it.Labels: body image, travel
tidbit posted by Mosa @ 4:33 PM
Monday, May 12, 2008
Greece Moved!
I had a fantastic time on my recent trip to Greece. So much so, that I did not take the time to write an elaborate description of every detail. Instead, I drank ouzo and coffee and romped on a good number or exquisite beaches. I enjoyed the bliss of my husband's company while stopping at goat crossings in the middle of nowhere with road signs I couldn't read. Ahhh.
In the week since I've been back, the thought of posting all of my travel details at Pretty Please Me has not appealed to me. In fact, I have done lots of laundry and eyebrow tweezing in order to avoid writing all together. I realized that if I gave my travel adventures their own spot, they would feel much happier flowing from my brain to the page, and I would have space to write about stuff more "Pretty Pleaseable" in this spot meant for that. So, my adventures in Greece have flown the coop. Their new address is:
www.travelinglarens.blogspot.com
Please visit them there.Labels: travel
tidbit posted by Mosa @ 3:44 PM
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