Day trip to Cologne

Day #103

Hello again my dear friends!
Today i will describe you another one of my little adventures,my day trip to Cologne.
Well ,thank god,in the university that i'm doing my erasmus year,there is an asociation that organises trips for the students of the uni. And thr prices are really good. So i decided to go.

The fact is that when i was little,my dad was going every year to Cologne for an exposition of food,and every year he was taking one member of the family with him. I was like 6 years old (i think),when i had the chance to go with him.And the only thing that i was remembering was a big street with a lot of shops, a mc donalds, a balloon that someone gave me and i wanted to take it with me in Greece, the kidengarden that my dad had left me,when he was in the exposition, a weird apple juice (carbonate) and the shops that selling french fries in a paper.Oh and one weird bottle of evian,that my dad has bought me and i was hanging it everywhere (that i take it back to Greece :p).
Nothing else.

Well, the weird but extremely amazing thing,was that i actually revived some of the previews memories in this trip. I ate the classic french fries and i saw these big central streets (i don't remember the name) with thousands of grand marks shops.But i also saw other worthy things. Cologne for me is the best town,for the people who love christmas. It's everything so christmacy.There are like 7 christmas markets in the town,and they are grand and unique.I visited only 3,well we didn't have a lot of time.And also,it was so crowed that we couldn't even walk. The first one was near to the Dom, a big church.The classic monument. Well i entered there,but i didn't see it all,because of the crowd.And also my friends were hungry,so we left. The next one ,was like a fairytale,with a vintage carousel and with a tree with hanging hearts.I bought the classic hot wine,it was the appropriate thing for the cold weather.Then we went to another market,that it has an ice skating floor and you could or do ice skating or watch the people that they were doing it.I did the second one. I don't have a good balance. I loved it. The last market that we have visited it was the one with angels and stars hanging from the trees. Magic!

Well i didn't see much of the ville, because of the markets that they were in the grand places and also because there were a lot,but a lot of tourists. I would like to visited like in spring or in the summer again.To explore it, a little bit more.

Well it was a good trip.The only disadvantage was the cold. The temperature was very low,and as you know i'm not a person who loves cold.And i didn't have gloves,and it was like  -2 degrees,and i was freezing.But i used my scarf for gloves and i found a solution.

That was it. A very good pause,in my stressed life. Tomorrow i have my exams in dutch and ok i have studied a bit. But in Wensday i have exams in linguistics, and the lesson is soooo difficult,i don't understand anything and i don't have any idea how the heck i'm going to pass it. Pfff i'm really freaking out....I hate exams.

Patience...i only need a little bit of patience.And then...Athens,Rhodes, here i come!

Woop Woop

Day #95

"-so speak greek!

                       -but i don't have anyone to speek greek with!

-speak with your-self!

                      -how?if i speak with myself they'll think that i'm crazy!

       -so what?!You are crazy!!"

Finally,after 3 months living in abroad, someone actually understand the real character of me.I never believed that a foreign language could be a barrier to understanding the character of another person. But yeah,it does. I can't express myself in french.I think everyone thinks that i'm quiet,antisocial and not a party animal. Three things that they are completely opposed to my character. 
Me, quiet??!No,no,no! 
    I speak french and yeah i can communicate, i can participate in a dialogue but no i can't be me. No one understand my jokes, or my sarcasm, or the times that i want to do and say crazy stuffs. No one except my new friend. 

   Yesterday i had soooo much fun. I realised who i am and how much i have missed being me.The little things, are the most powerful. I missed being crazy, and don't care about anyone and nothing. And with this girl, that we don't ressemble a lot, i feel that i can be myself. She listens me.She doesn't ignore me.She is there. That's the most amazing thing. The point is to find people that we're completely different. 

The same, is boring.

   So yesterday we went to an exposition,that we don't really enjoy, so we decided to leave and go to the nearest commercial center. Here in Lille, the winter is definately here. The temperatures are so low, that we loose our envie to go out. And I, personally, hate cold. And i moan a lot. But i thought that i have to stop moaning and find a way to resist. Because i'm Human Sunshine,according to Stargirl (my new friend). And as human sunshine, i have to find the sparkl in everything that annoying me,or that i hate. And then, change them, so i can live with them. I have to find a way to like the cold. Basically i thought to become one with the cold. I will start drink granitas so much that my body temperature start to fall...and then i'll be cold as much as the cold outside :p .
Or i can start drinking.Yeah and we arrived at the commercial center and we bought granitas (resistance) , and we enter to a photo booth and we take pictures and then....she had to go,because we're both tired and we've both so much work to do. 
But yeah i laughed so much,woop woop! 

Now unfortunately, back to my stress. I have to finish a dossie with a difficult subject and i'm freaking out. Jesus, the person that said that if you're an erasmus, you don't have to study,said the biggest lie ever!Thankfully in two weeks,i'll go back to home,so patience,is the only thing that i have to do. Oh and study.
Patience and study.

Badass traveller

days 82 and 83

Hello again my dear readers (if i have any). This was the best week-end of this month. The greatest last week-end of November. I lived a great adventure, that is definately worth two pages, of my adventure book.

Why? Because I travelled. I travelled not only in a different town, but i also travelled with my mind,discussed with myself and finally,found the little sparkle that it was missing from my life.

Well, i visited Paris. 

It's funny, because for some reason i thought that Paris is a bit bigger than Lille. But i was wrong.Paris is HUGE! My first hours, i was socked. 

Paris is a beautiful town, a very historic place and a grand cultural influence. It was amazing to walk there, that a huge revolution happened, there, that grand artist and poets, have lived. This feeling, so precious.

Of caurse, time wasn't enough to visit all the things that i wanted. But I did the classic sightseeing ,so i'm happy.And i don't live so far from Paris. So I can visit it again. I will visit it again.

Before go to my trip,i bought a map. Well, i found maps very useful. If you are alone, they are your company,your safe. But this time, this map wasn't my friend. It was aweful. I got lost most of the time. Thank got i know french and i can communicate. But i count this ,as the funniest little adventure of this trip. I rememered the times that i got lost and i laugh. And you know is not that bad,to getting lost. I can say, that is better. Because you see things, that nobody know. And you're not litterally lost. Every road leads, where you want to go (open translation from greek).

I found the shop from the film "Amelie" and i got so exited. For a minute, i felt like i was her. And then i woke up.

I also experienced the french ghettos. Yo. I was living in the residence of a friend from Rhodes, that he is studying this year,also in France. We had great time i think. We kind of experience the same weird things,of a first year student in abroad, and this is so funny because ,each has something different to narrate to the other. Though i believe, that his experiences are definately more awesome than mines.But ok.I'm still proud.

The most important thing of this adnevture, is that i remembered my goal of this year, that i have forgotten. And my goal was to travel. To see new things ,to meet new ideas ,new culture,different ways of life. Neither to find international friends for life nor to find the love of my life. My soul is desperately seeking new routes. This is my sparkle. That is when i'm fearless and ready for everything.

My old me is finally awake!I start to search my new destination and prepare my new little adventure.This is the point of this year. I forgot it,but i have time to fix it. 

So for this reason, i found my optimistic side again. And i'm feeling so badass.And yeah,i am!

No more problems.Ok the money for travelling, might be a problem, but i will find a solution.

Yeah!

Now the badass traveller,have to go to the super market :P . Yeah, we can't survive without food. Hahaha.

Goodmorning my fellows,

it's a new day,it's a new start.

Go for it!

Day #76

Well this is not exactly an adventure...But is the most wonderful thing,that i heard this week.
It came from the mouth of a young french guy,friend of my erasmus buddy. Well this guy,he has a girlfriend,that he seems to love her a lot.So today, he was saying goodbye at her,and after that he came to us and said "shh don't speak,so you can hear the heartbeats of a "falling in love" man".

I'm dead. What a nice thing he said. So romantic,so naive. Ι want this man!!!

Everybody says,that in erasmus you can easily find your other half. Well i thought that it will be like this. But yet,nothing special happened. Exept that i kissed, an aweful guy with pink t-shirt (JESUS)!I don't say that i'm desperate and i want to have a man here. I'm just saying,that i prefer the french or the spanish guys and here, there are a lot. So,where the hell are you my dear,romantic,other half ??Stop hiding,i need to get over the previous love.

So that's for today.I'm happy that i have to write only the epilogue,to finish my first dissertation (3 more left...). Though i said,that i'll wrote it today,i did nothing (classic) :p Exams in less than one month,i'm getting a bit freaked out.

Oh i just remember one little adventure ,that i'll be lucky to participate in. I will play in a scene of "La leçon" de Ionesco,in 10 days in our university.We will have an international week,and all the classes of foreign languages here at the uni, we will play the same exact scene,in different languages. I will play it in french, but there will be also in greek. Isn't it that sooooo amazing??!YEAH!!

Well, à bientot!!

Day #71

Day #71

Well, after two weeks that i've had a little bit of depression, i must admit that,this weekend i had an amazing time. (compared to the previous ones).

"Are you crazy,depression in Erasmus? "
Well actually yes.

Everyone thinks,that once you get to the university,you make friends instantly,with other erasmus people, and you go out and partying hard and everything is cool and amazing. But based on my very recent experience, i think that this happens only after a few months. And only if you're a person like that.
So my first two months, i haven't met anyone who i could travel with him, or do the simple things like go to a museum, to the cinema or just for a walk or eat together. I made some friends,but let's say that we weren't exactly the best combination. And I felt that I don't count as a friends for them. At first , I felt sooo disapointed. I was seeing other erasmus students that they have found a company and i was asking myself "what's wrong?" . But finally,i realised that the problem wasn't ,me. And thankfully,i have met other few people ,so i decided to find them and try to built a foundation for a good friendship with them.
So now, i can say that this plan worked! And i'm so happy and releaved. The only thing that i was needing, was time, a plann B and a little bit of faith. Et voila! The best recipe.

Well let's pass to an another topic. 
Cooking!
Cooking- Danae= 1-0
Oh god i'm such a bad cooker!Hahahaha the WORST ,i think. 
I decided this week, to shop different food from the previous weeks. I don't want to eat pasta or hot dogs anymore. So I buyed eggs and potatoes (wow). For lunch i boiled the potatoes,with oil and lemon,it was nice,i liked it.For dinner i decided to cook an omelette with cheese and bacon...very easy,isn't it?! Well I managed to burn it! I'm dreadfull....

At the afternoon, i got really sad and hurt by my kind of very good friend,back in Greece. She didn't send me a message on my birthday....First big mistake...And then she said to me some things that they really hurt me. I mean ok she is anxious of her new role and so on , but she supposed to be also my friend.

I'm a girl guide (scouts) for 15 years now...it's the first time that i stop, because i am away from my team in Athens. I miss it soooo much. Volunteering is my life. I want to be again,in action. And i miss my team,my kids,our funny moments. And my friend,put a fence between me and my team,with no door in it. I can only see... I want to help and she doesn't let me. It's fucking VOLUNTEER my dear, you cannot deny the help. Well she hurt me before.... 

And now, after two cup's of tea,i'm coming to my conclusion. This weekend was beyond so good! I went to a vintage market, i ate candyfloss, then i went to a bar with my erasmus buddy, i cooked with my new friend,i visited a very cool exposition. Yeah,was a good one.That's for tonight.

Bonne nuit,Good night, Buenas noches, Kαληνύχτα,Noapte bună

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeuvegBZFuM

Day#58

Day #58.

Σήμερα επισκέφτηκα ένα τεράστιο πάρκο,δίπλα από το μουσείο σύγχρονης τέχνης,εδώ στη Lille.
To φθινόπωρο ήρθε.

Πάντα μου άρεσαν τα μεγάλα πάρκα. Ίσως γιατί στην Ελλάδα δεν υπάρχουν τόσα πολλά όσο στο εξωτερικό. Πιστεύω ότι τα μεγάλα πάρκα,είναι τα κατάλληλα για να ζήσεις μικρές περιπέτειες.Είναι η είσοδος στη μαγεία,η είσοδος στο διαφορετικό, το περίεργο.

Πεσμένα φύλλα,καταπράσινα τοπία,μια λίμνη και μικρά ποταμάκια με πάπιες και κύκνους,δέντρα που ψιθυρίζουν λόγια στον άνεμο,παιδιά ανέμελα και χαρούμενα, άνθρωποι με τους σκύλους τους,νέοι που κάνουν πικνικ. Και ένα Λάμα που αποφάσισε να ζήσει μια μικρή περιπέτεια και εξερεύνησε το πάρκο, ανακαλύπτοντας τις εισόδους για κόσμους μαγικούς.
Περπάτησα πολύ.Κάποια στιγμή με πόνεσαν τα πόδια μου,κουράστηκα.Αλλά όχι κάτι μέσα μου με έκανε να συνεχίσω. Η δίψα για περιπέτεια ίσως. Έκανε κρύο. Και κάπου εκεί βρέθηκα σε ένα σταυροδρόμι. "Όλοι οι δρόμοι οδηγούν,εκεί που θες να φτάσεις". Αυτό έχω συνειδητοποιήσει μετά από καιρό. Οπότε ακολούθησα το μονοπάτι ευθεία και βρέθηκα σε ένα άλλο μονοπάτι με ψηλά δέντρα, ήταν ονειρικό, σαν από ταινία. Ακούγοντας μουσική, ένιωθα σαν να είμαι κάποια άλλη. Ένα χαρούμενο κορίτσι,που δεν φοβόταν τίποτα και ήταν έτοιμη για μεγάλα πράγματα.Έπειτα, βρήκα ένα ωραίο ξέφωτο που κοιτούσε στη λίμνη και αποφάσισα να καθίσω λίγο. Τόσο ήρεμα,τόσο όμορφα.

Κοιτούσα το χορτάρι που ήταν σαν να χόρευε υπό τους ήχους του ανέμου.Και σκέφτηκα πόσο θα ήθελα και εγώ να χόρευα σε αυτό το ξέφωτο με τον άνθρωπο μου. Ή να κρατιόμασταν χέρι χέρι,σ'αυτό το παγκάκι ,και να απολαμβάναμε μαζί τη μαγεία της φύσης.Και μετά ξύπνησα πάλι,και συνέχιζα να κοιτάω τις κινήσεις του γρασιδιού.

Έπειτα και αφού είχα περάσει 2 ώρες στο πάρκο,αποφάσισα να φύγω. Μετά από αυτή τη μικρή περιπέτεια, κατάλαβα τι όμορφα που θα είναι να περνάς κάποιες από τις ώρες σου στο πάρκο.Είτε μόνος,είτε με παρέα. 
Θα ξανά γυρίσω λοιπόν. Και όταν ξανά γυρίσω θα έχω μαζί μου το γιουκαλίλι μου.
Είναι υπόσχεση.