We’ve added a new feature here at Tamara Tattles for off topic discussions in an effort to keep the main posts more about the shows and less about …well, me. 🙂 And you. But mostly me. Let’s chat in the Daily Tea comments about things that don’t relate other topics.
Paros is one of the Greek Islands in the Cyclades cluster. Santorini and Mykonos are also in this grouping of islands. I’m thinking if I go here I’d spend time on Paros, Antiparos and Syros instead. Santorini and Mykonos appear to be over run with young Brits on spring break and discotheques. Ain’t no body got time for that. I looking for less touristy islands with lots of fresh seafood where I can spent time trying to learn to like fried sardines and grilled octopus and maybe even ouzo. All of those seem like acquired tastes to me.
In Tamara news, It’s raining in the ATL today which is fantastic because I crapped out on you guys yesterday onacountta the pollen count was in the 6000 range and even though I’m not that allergic to spring pollen when it literally chokes you and fills your lungs it makes you kinda tired from all the gasping to breathe and stuff.
After a cup of coffee and the last episode of Game of Thrones season 4 I promise to get right to work on something. I’ve been rewatching GoT because it seems like it has been ten years since I watched it and I couldn’t remember a thing about it.
Have been planning a call to Comcast, to try and coax them into a free HBO package so I can get my GOT! I blew thru the entire True Blood series over the holidays, which helped distract me from everything that’s been going on. GOT would be perfect …
This is a great new feature! And though I don’t have much to add in the way of sharing experiences from travels to so many places as you, I love hearing of your adventures and living somewhat vicariously through you. Oh how I would love to go to Greece. Did you ever see that movie from the 80’s with Darryl Hannah and Peter Gallagher called “Summer Lovers”? It was a cute movie that made me want to go to Greece, stay in one of those white hillside villas, jump off a cliff into the sea and then go to a disco (they also had a threesome but it didn’t make me want to do that, lol). Do you think you’ll be going soon?
I need to rewatch Game of Thrones as well and for the same reason. Looking forward to the new season which has taken forever to start.
I wish it would rain here in California. Not only do I love the rain as
I’ve gotten older and now detest the heat but this drought is getting scary. They are saying we haven’t had a drought like this in 1,200 years! Yikes!
Have a great day TT, luv ya!
Meredo, I also reside in Pasadena, Cali and the drought is scaring me more than the probability of the “BIG ONE”here(earth quake). I’ve had my lawn removed and had it replaced with drought tolerant plants.
That pic of Greece is “everything”
Bravogirl, Yes,it has surpassed my fear of that too ( I went through a phase where I refused to go to S.F. as I thought if the big one came that would be the worst place to be with all the tall buildings, bridges and such). I’ve heard that if we have one more year like this it’s time to freak out! I’m hoping that’s not true. Could you imagine if it got so bad that we had to worry if we had enough water to drink? OMG, that scares me shitless! Oh, sorry, I’m sure I’m not helping your fear. Let’s just pray it doesn’t come to that and we have another El Niño, we need it. I commend you on doing your part to conserve with your drought resistant plants.Good job.
I wondered if in California there has been a ban on new permits to build swimming pools?
I live in Northern CA (Humboldt county) & it feels like we got more rain this winter than last year. But it wasn’t enough to get us out of this drought. It’s scary.
There was no snow at all where they measure. It’s really scary. We So. Cals need to dig up all the gardens and golf courses and plant a lot of cactus. Time to face reality that we are living in a desert.
TT glad you guys got rain to help clear out the pollen that you’re not allergic to but was thick enough to choke God. Just be happy you were not in North Carolina the last two days. You would have freaked. Wednesday night we started getting the severe thunderstorm warnings on TV and in about 15 minutes it began. We had hail the size of golf balls coming down so fast it covered the ground. Sounded like baseballs being thrown at the side of the house. Broke 2 trees in the yard and dented the hell out of the cars. I usually like thunderstorms, but the last 2 nights have frightened even me. Don’t see too much yellow today.
We had a hail/thunderstorm like that some years back ( 7 or so) and they were thisclose to totaling my husbands brand new car because of the extensive hail damage. Also, call your insurance company… You may be eligible for a new roof. We had only been in our new house for about 3 years at the time and we were told to get a new roof because of the hail. It has something to do with how much of the asphalt on the shingles was removed by the hail.
I saw those baseballs on TV. Never have experienced such a thing! People are always worried about earthquakes in CA, but thunderstorms and flooding scare me more.
I’m glad we finally got a front in to blow our humidity out, but poor people in Illinois! I’m glad I moved out of tornado alley. Even though central Texas was the end of it.
kk bella, I had a duck pond in my side yard after the hail and rain. It’s still there actually. There is a low spot there and if you were to walk through it, you’d be ankle deep. It’s only about 20 feet from the side entrance to the house. At least the pontoon is on that side too in case we needed it lol.
I saw that on the news and thought how scary it looked and I also like thunderstorms. What you described would have had me under a table! Glad your OK.The weather is so crazy right now with record breaking snow, tornadoes, flooding on the East Coast and the South then the drought on the West Coast. It’s from one extreme to the other. Hope it’s not a sign of worse things to come, but it does make me wonder.
Let’s put swans in that duck pond!
Thanks meredo. We’re fine but you are right the weather is crazy. Don’t remember having thunderstorms like this as early. Even had a couple of thunderstorms not quite as bad in January. My mother who was a wise lady always told me that when it thundered in the winter that it would snow in 7 days. Although we had had no snow in NC all year, she was right and we had snow in the time frame. kk Bella, I like the idea of swans like Lisa VP for the duck pond in my side yard except they probably wouldn’t get along with the geese who are already living in the large pond in our backyard lol. There would be feathers flying everywhere (pun intended). Lol.
Greece! OMG, I want to go. TT and all, have you read the GOT books? They are huge, but really good. George R. R. Martin better not die before he finishes the last two! I’ve heard this season is veering away from the books’ story line, so that should be interesting. Dragons! (okay, I’m a geek. I confess.) I am binging on Walking Dead. I think I’ve gotten myself addicted to being scared. I watch it on my lunch break at work. I always have to go back to work when something really really bad is happening.
The Walking Dead is good! I spend half the show with my hands over my eyes during the really gory zombie scenes though. ewwww…
Gingersnap, I fast forward. Then my boyfriend laughs at me! Carl needs to stop trying to kill himself, stupid kid!
So excited for the next book! Did you read ahead of the show?
I loved athens and santorini. I have unbelievable photos (the hotel carved into the volcano actually uses my photos on their website!) I love how cheap it is to eat there, how they don’t mix meats (gyros are 100% lamb, beef or chicken), love that they always are topped with fresh salad abd French fries and yummy garlic aoili. All for 1.25 euros. Berlin and Brussels also have great kebabs/gyros for under $2. And once you have real Belgian waffles (Bruxelles or Bruge) you will never eat another waffle outside of begium!
@Shay, I started reading the books when the show started. I got ahead and finished them between seasons. Each book is 1000+ pages long, so it took me a while to finish them. But well worth it–great reads. I heard George promised to finish the next one before the season after this one starts. I’ve been as far as London–for a week in the mid 90s. Loved it! Three years and I retire, and then it’s time to see the world!
@lisamia: I’ve always loved traveling and put experiences above possessions! I just turned 37 but have traveled around the world to over 30 countries. My parents always said they would travel when they retired (they’d take a trip every 5 years or so), but now my dad’s health isn’t great and he has a hard time walking/standing. I saw so many older folks being pushed up the steep cobblestones in Europe (I’m picturing a particularly older gentleman being pushed up to the acropolis by a stranger with an ID) and I think you should travel whenever you’re healthy. We will never have “enough” and if we wait for the stars to align we may miss out on a lot or lose some of the enjoyment.
@Shay. I wish I could, but right now I am taking care of my parents (86 and 91) and my son, who is disabled, but making huge strides to becoming independent. My mother fell and broke her femur at the hip two weeks ago. She had to have surgery. Fortunately she is healing and has had no infections or other complications. Can’t leave her, though. My son just registered for college! Anyways, no pity here. I am so proud of my family and how they keep getting up and I am blessed with a lot of love. Traveling can wait.
@lisamia: I always say, “I’d complain, but who would listen!” Sometimes I try so hard at finding what’s good in my life (or my past if my present is utterly shitty) and it comes across as braggy. I don’t mean to do that. I know life is hard for people in different ways (manufactured complaints is most common, sadly), but when your stars align and you are away at some fabulous destination… I hope you are very present in that moment. I hope you find a peaceful, healing spot and soak in the sun warm on your face, the sounds of leaves rustling or the ocean crashing, the smell of Belgian waffles or the salty sea or unnamed meat-bread thing smoking on the grill in northern Africa and just drink it all in. And when you go back to your life and whatever problems await you or are to come, you can close your eyes and go to your peaceful place… and it’s almost as good as the real thing. all my best to you and your family.
Ouzo, TT? Ouzo tastes like seven-up mixed with coconut water but packs a punch. You don’t realize you are tipsy until you get up.
I lived in Greece from 2003-2004. Loved it, the people, the food, the shopping, the atmosphere. It was fantastic. I have this great benefit where I can stay at a resort for a week for $359.00, but don’t want to travel alone. Can’t wait to go back. Volos and Corfu are among my favorite islands, though.
I had words with a waiter in Santorini when he kept filling my mother’s glass with with Ouzo. She gets lit on a couple sips of wine – so you can imagine with this stuff! He kept refilling her glass & she loved it so much I had to fight her for it. I ended up tossing it into the water at our ocean side table & yelled at him “NO more”! It was a rough day.☺
BTW: I recall it tasting like anise / black licorice.
@addie2u, When I had Ouzo (not in Greece) it totally tasted like anise/black licorice as well.
Yeah it does taste like licorice. And sardines are taste like sardines and octopus tastes like….chewy toys. As I said, I am going to put in the effort to like these things in case I ever end up living there and never coming back.
On Fri, Apr 10, 2015 at 2:35 PM, Tamara Tattles wrote:
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@addie: I walked from oia to fira. (Started my period 10 minutes into the walk. By the time we got to fira it was a crime scene.)
I have never had anise or black licorice, must try them then.
I week won’t even cause you that much on most islands in most places. I fourn 6 nights lots of places where the total was less than $300. Greece is broke and the Euro is pretty much one for one for the first time….. um EVER maybe?
I haven’t looked into flight routes, flight times yet. I’m a long way from being travel ready, just looking at options now. Looking at options is fun whether you go or not.
On Fri, Apr 10, 2015 at 1:34 PM, Tamara Tattles wrote:
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God. I miss the frappes. The whole afternoon sidewalk frappe experience!
A small fishing village, with simplicity? Walk to the market, or the corner bar filled with older men who grew up there? Hear the water outside your window? Sounds like a great place to spend a Friday. Thanks.
Tamara! I hate to admit I do have to take my tribe grocery shopping with me sometimes, but I definitely avoid it whenever possible. It never fails I get asked over and over “are they all yours?” Or, the ever so helpful and intelligent, “My do you have your hands full!”
Here we’re not allowed to take the giant carts out of the store, but I live in small town USA, and I imagine it’s different at Costco, etc.
And I HATE the kiddie carts! So much fun until my kids get tired of it at the back at the store and I am left corralling kids AND carts! 🙂
I’ve always thought that Greek men were the most attractive in general. With Spanish women being the most attractive in general. Spanish women age so gracefully.
I used to be a little afraid of visiting Greece, because I thought it would kill me to have to come home.
That is a good one!
Watch the movie Shirley Valentine. She runs away to Greece. It’s on Netflix. It’s from the 80’s.
Hey guys-
All you world travelers are impressive. you guys are so worldly!
Today I have to get some shit done. I have been on those site for 48 straight hours with very little sleep. Clearly TT is my new addiction. My husband has some buddies up this weekend and so we need to get the boats in. The ice thawed on Monday and they actually put the docks in yesterday!! (A first!!! It usually takes them at least a couple weeks after the ice melts). My house needs a good cleaning, too!
I will be in and out of here throughout the weekend. But I need to get my arse moving! Have a good day!
By the way… I’m a huge Game of Thrones fan. But I need to rewatch season 4, too. I have kind of forgotten where it left off.
No need to be too specific, (keep your privacy), but are you in the mid-west? Clearing ice and setting up boats?
Hahaha! Yes! We live in Minnesota. Our snow usually thaws in mid March and the lakes usually follow suit a couple weeks later.
Aha, thats what it sounded like. What, no ice fishing? 😉 Just teasing.
My husband LOVES ice fishing. He has an ice house… Seriously. It’s a guy thing here up in the NortWoods, dontcha know…
Two words: cheese curds
Only at the State Fair in August! They’re bad for you… I’m health conscious!
Hey Pip, where are you?
Your life sounds interesting.
Pip, Oops I just saw your reply.
I love the Minnesota accent.
Omg that photo! I want to go to there!! Will also be rewatching the last season of GOT. I am often confused even while I’m currently watching it. So many characters and so many similar sounding names!
Yes, I binge watched but not in order, so I was really confused. I’m hoping just reaching the last season will be enough to put everything in order and for it to make sense to me.
Hi TT have you ever been to Portugal. That’s where I’m originally from. Beautiful beaches, awesome food and wine. I highly recommend it as a vacation spot 🙂
Went to Greece a few years ago with mom sister neice and daughter. Fabulous memorable trip. No tours just rented a Villa with a beautiful pool on a mountain overlooking the sea and took day trips or overnight to different islands but not the touristy ones. We were in the Peloponnesian part and had to go over 2 mountains to get to the nearest grocery store. We took boat to Hydra and Spectra (spelling?). Most relaxing vaca ever
Were these real mountains? I remember being in Montreal and people kept talking about “the mountain”, “the mountain”. Finally I said, what mountain? They pointed to the gradual slope that the city sits on, no mountain in sight I tell you. It was a hill. I am from Vancouver and we have MOUNTAINS here. Lol a bit off topic but thinking vacays and mountains brought it up. 🙂
Sigh, love Vancouver, love love love.
Maybe they went up a hill but came down a mountain? Just kidding, there’s a movie with that title so I couldn’t resist. It’s not the exact title but close!
Yes real mountains with memorials on the side for folks who missed the hard right. We always made it back to the Villa before dusk no matter what!
Mais, Oui. Absolument
On Fri, Apr 10, 2015 at 8:06 PM, Tamara Tattles wrote:
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I want to go to Greece too, Santorini would be my choice.
TT may we take a class trip to France?
Greece is sun-splashed fabulosity.
But what I want to post is quasi-housewives related. However, since it’s about a book – and I know talking about books in the RH threads is often frowned upon – I will play it safe and post it here.
Just finished So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson and am still absorbing it. The perspective is mostly focused on internet shaming, some “deserved,” some not: people losing jobs after a hue and cry from the Internet community over events like fabricating material for books and articles, or making tasteless jokes on twitter or FB. Social media has given us all a voice and we have become judge and jury.
Fascinating stuff on what shame does to the human psyche, with the most egregious examples from our prison populations. Long story short – being shamed, humiliated, mocked, etc, is one of the powerful predictors of bad behavior, with the severity of the subsequent behavior predicated on the severity of the shaming.
So why would ANYONE sign up to be on a reality show, knowing that some degree of public humiliation is guaranteed, particularly the housewives shows, where nearly everyone is mocked and shamed and called out at some point?
If you got this far, thanks for indulging me. 🙂
I have never been to Greece and always wanted to go. Sounds like I would love it. Anyone watching True Detectives (name right??) or Sons of Anarchy? I haven’t bothered yet. Still feel like major ass today, really need a hangover cure-paging Kim Richard please. Sick and wrong that I am admitting this to y’all— I made a pallet on the bathroom floor. Gross on very many levels. I am not in college or residing at a Tulane frat house currently. Although I suppose I could be a house mother and be a real beotch. But not that bored yet. Any remedy for my self inflicted “illness? P.S. Cannot do hair of the dog, believe I would be dead, super fast.
âTomato Juice, or V-8, Electolytle water (SmartWater or store brand from Whole Foods or Trader Joes) Something salty and something greasy…Burger with saltly fries. Water Water Water.
On Fri, Apr 10, 2015 at 8:46 PM, Tamara Tattles wrote:
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TT, perfect call on smart water. And fries. And burger. Clearly have become a serious vampire who never sleeps regular hours and needs a 12 step program for this site! Or a fabulous class trip vacay as someone else suggested, I’m in and will go anywhere.
Love True Detective. There’s a trailer for the new season. Drink a lot of water.
Sons of Anarchy — a son just told me what happened
in the last season that I missed. I almost reached over the table to choke him.
Dumb ass, I’m still ticked at him.
Yes let’s plan a class trip. If it’s done far enough in advance it can be cheap. I vote for anywhere on this planet.
Aaaaaahhhh I forgot the game of throne marathon!!!!! I hope I can catch up on on demand!!! Oh for fuck’s sake
Alas, never been to Greece. Would truly love to go! The scenery and culture seems so enticing. Have family members that went every year and had amazing stories to tell. I don’t have a lot of free time for pleasure travel these days. I started a small business a few years ago. Praise God I’ve had some measure of success but have taken on a lot of additional responsibilities as well! My downtime is in the evening, a daily stop at TT’s blog (thank you Tamara) and my goal of getting 8 hours of sleep! (That can be quite challenging at times). Looking forward to a girls long weekend at the beach in May. Can’t wait for that! I’m talking all the single woman (and married ones that want to go) at work as a reward for their major contributions and collective efforts toward success. We have a great group! Should be a much deserved break for all of us. Of course our computers and VoiP phone have to come too, but we’ll keep work to the bare minimum. It’s amazing how your perspective changes when success or failure is strictly on your shoulders. No excuses. Faith, positive thinking, and a secheduled daily quiet time in prayer is what keeps me centered. It took me a while to figure that one put! Prior to my now daily discipline, life was literally helter-skelter, and I doubted I’d make it. Now I can honestly say, all things are possible through God who strengthens me. Once I yeilded to the desires of my heart, everything changed. We doubled in size last year. I expect we’ll double again this year as well. The fundamental change was me and what I was feeding my consciousness. The cliché garbage in is garbage out and it begins with your mind. Clean up your thoughts, you’ll clean up your life. It really works! Have a great evening one and all. And a special thank you Tamara for providing this form to share and learn. You are outstanding & oh so gifted! How I wish I could entice you to join our team!
What are you trying to sell?
I think it’s a cult.
So is this where you post when you need advice and already know that you’re a cunt satchel?
It can be….
On Fri, Apr 10, 2015 at 10:38 PM, Tamara Tattles wrote:
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I want to go back to Croatia but to Dubrovnik this time. Most folks speak some English and learning a little Croatian isn’t hard – and the coast at Dubrovnik is like the Greek coast. I also want to go back to Oyster Bay on Siint Maartin. Gorgeous, not overrun with Americans, happy people and good grocery stores 🙂
I want to go to Greece so bad. To stay in one of those hillside villaS, you know the white ones In this pic. I’ve always wondered how big they really are. Go bike riding and hiking, play in the water, eat healthy Mediterranean style.
In 1998 I used a free round trip ticket to fly to Athens and my 8 yr old son came along. We took a bus from the airport to the port and our first stop was Mykonos. It was easy and inexpensive to travel around the islands. We went to Paros, Kalymnos, and Samos. From Samos it’s a short ferry ride to Kusadasi, Turkey. Loved Turkey, especially Ephesus. I love traveling w/o hotel reservations because you never know how long you’ll want to stay (or leave) a new place.
I would like to do the islands with out reservations. However, I was looking at a week during the summer and things seems really full already. There are several places I could not get into. Plus I will have a wheelie carryon and a large heavy “laptop bag” I’m not sure I want to traipse around with. It’s all hypothetical right now anyway.
On Sat, Apr 11, 2015 at 9:40 PM, Tamara Tattles wrote:
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There are hundreds of guest houses/apts. Maybe that’s not your thing. I enjoyed meeting the local Greeks. In Kalymnos, we stayed above a sponge factory and the owner invited us to her home (a few miles away) for dinner. Her entire family gathered around the small living room tv to view Baywatch before dinner, lol. The best part was when she taught me the recipe for Tzatziki. I make it often 🙂
Ephesus was amazing! I can still clearly remember the library, coliseum, chariot tracks, & the community toilets. While you were there did you go to Mt. Koressos where many believe Mary spent her last days (& did you drink from the fountain)?
No, unfortunately we didn’t go to Mt. Koressos. As you probably remember, Ephesus gets so incredibly hot as the day goes on. Next time maybe? However, I did see “Mary’s well” while in Nazareth last year. What a huge disappointment. It was dry and cluttered with trash 🙁
Hey Tamara – do you think it would be good, in the Daily Tea posts, for us to maybe put SPOILER before we type anything about a show that just aired? I was just wondering, what with how many people said they love GOT and how it might come up here.
Is that silly––what do you think?
It’s not silly at all. Let’s just not discuss too many shows in detail here. I’m worried about the GoT leakes myself.
So please do not discuss GoT here and if you must talk about a story liken please mark the post with SPOILER.
On Sun, Apr 12, 2015 at 3:50 PM, Tamara Tattles wrote:
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OK great – just ignore me over on Monaco, where I just re-posted this. I’m not looking forward to missing all the GOT’s fun either!
I’ll post my response here too. It’s worth repeating. 🙂
It’s not silly at all. Let’s just not discuss too many shows in detail here. I’m worried about the GoT leakes myself.
So please do not discuss GoT here and if you must talk about a story liken please mark the post with *SPOILER. *
BTW, I just got caught up on Finding Carter. After a slow season premiere, things are getting good again.
On Sun, Apr 12, 2015 at 4:00 PM, Tamara Tattles wrote:
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I haven’t been keeping up with Finding Carter…will do tomorrow. I’m really hoping it gets better from the season premier.
I think you will be pleased.
On Mon, Apr 13, 2015 at 9:22 PM, Tamara Tattles wrote:
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TT, I am not sure you read comments from old posts. But if you are serious about the Greek Islands go during the off season.
When we went there were no tourists and the people were very friendly and glad to have us.