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Photo Diary Pt. 1

A trip to Eataly, some organic sweet treats, urban explorations, a desert getaway and retreats to nature. These are just few of my favorite things but these are the pictures that I took on the way.....

Madison Sq. Park

Green Market at Union Square

A message I saw around London

Among the ancient Roman city wall in London

Kew Gardens

Scottish countryside

Date tree in Dubai

A dome of Jumeirah Mosque, Dubai

An East Side Exploration

Today was a day to soak in the fact that I am no longer a college student. And there was no better way to cope with the fact that I am now part of the supposed "real word"than going out on a culinary excursion. So Lana and I went off to Pylos in the East Village where we devoured some incredible Greek food.

Pylos

"Light-as-air meatballs"

Amazing grilled baby lamb chops

My new found obsession with octopus obviously distracted me from taking the pic before I wiped the plate clean. 

My lovely Sveta

Me :)

After ravaging the wonderful food, Lana and I got drip-coffee from Arabica. Some of the best coffee in the city I must say. We met up Mansi and then went down to Bond Street where we checked out Herzog and de Meuron's insanely designed residential complex.

40 Bond

Playing around with the settings on my camera

Crazy iron work

A cool theater, also on Bond Street.

We then walked down the Bowery where I finally got to go to the Sperone Westwater Gallery. It's not the art that I was interested in, but more so the architecture. Norman Foster created an innovative design where a moving red elevator can be seen through the glass facade.

And then off the the New Museum one block down on the Bowery.

Then Lana, Mansi, and I met up with Rajshi and went to Union Sq. Cafe to enjoy a drink and their world-famous bar nuts (which was a total disappointment). Afterwards we went to Union Square and caught some cool sand art. 

XoXo Philly

After spending more and more time in NYC, my adoration for Philadelphia has slowly withered away. But after taking a walk, a very long (all the way from U.Penn to Hahnemann), I realized that the city is charming as long as you take some time to observe. I have noticed that a lot of NYC's character has been murdered by modern buildings that keep popping up on almost every block. But since Philly's real estate market doesn't have the same vigor, thankfully the wonderful colonial style homes and the Beaux-Arts buildings have been preserved. But enough of the architectural babel, here are some pictures from my walk....

some cool birdhouse on the side of a home...

I have some obsession with lanterns. I found some beautiful ones in India and Dubai that I'll try to find the pics of.

I heart this picture I took in Rittenhouse Square.

I found this cute French patisserie near Rittenhouse called Miel. The owner of the cafe was so sweet and there was such a great assortment of pastries, which is all that matters to me! They had macarons!...but they were all fruity so I passed. I had a the dijon sandwich which had a peculiar apricot dijon mustard with smoked turkey and muenster cheese. The sandwich was good, nothing spectacular. But their cafe au lait was truly magnificent and I had a dark chocolate mini pastry with a caramel center and topped with sea salt. Simply delicious. 

I love the French Bistro decor with the marble tables with wrought iron pedestals, the wicker chairs, and the fresh yellow roses, magnifique! 

                                                     

Violet Ball with a twist of orange

Once upon a Thursday, I made some fresh orange juice with the juicer my friend Jimmy gifted me for my birthday. I mixed the deliciously sweet juice with some Pellegrino and sipped it out of one of the champagne glasses I got as a favor from NYU's Violet Ball. Along with it is my lunch which I must say is one of the best tasting sandwiches in the world! It's a baguette, with Italian seasoned turkey, gruyere cheese, pear champagne vinaigrette, and mixed greens. 

The champagne glass reminded me of the "Ball" at Bobst....more like a shit show than a ball. It was surreal to see the library where I have spent 100s of hours studying turned into a slip and slide of beer and wine.

My lovely roomies

more pictures to come...

A weekend getaway thanks to good ol' George

Thank you George Washington not just for your great leadership skills but also for your birth. It gives us students a day off from school! So I decided to go to Boston with the one and only Deena. It was a much needed escape from NYC, namely NYU.

Interesting juxtaposition of old and new. Trinty Church (left) and the John Hancock Tower (right)

As I am a student who studies architecture, I feel in love with the city and its many untouched landmarks. We're were very lucky because our hotel was just down the block from the famous Boston Public Library and Trinity Church. We were just a street away from Newbury Street, where Alyssa and I were on a crazy hunt for a pair of heels for herself and a dress for me, oh the stresses of womanhood.

I also had the great opportunity of meeting many of Deena's Egyptian friends. They are such chivalrous and kind people. They were all so excited by the changes in their country. Not to mention, such an intelligent bunch and I thoroughly enjoyed their company.

Here are some of my favorite pics from the trip including two very pretty ladies.

Lysh or Lish?

Sunny but frigid

At Algiers on Harvard's Campus; N. African delight with my fav. 

Egyptian

Algiers on Harvard's campus was such a lovely cafe and a great escape from the freezing temperature. I had a Viennese coffee, not so Algerian. But I got some crazy stuffed pistachio cookie. Harvard was nice but not my cup of tea...even though I was escaping NYU, I couldn't help but miss our campus-less school. All in all, it was a fantastic trip. Just next time I'm bringing a car, a downcoat, and a ski mask with me.

V/B-day

By this point, the roses have withered and the chocolates have been devoured. I'm talking about some people's most loved...or hated holiday. Well I love Valentine's Day because it's my birthday and it makes for a DOB that's kind of hard to forget. So thanks to all who wished me a happy birthday!!! Although it may be a little late to be sending out my love, I just want to take this moment to say that I absolutely adore my family and friends and love them ever so deeply.

I had a fabulous time as always with my girls! We had a mini-party in the West Village. And the following night went to Buddakan in MePa where we devoured the delicious food and marveled at the grandiose interiors.

J'aime ma maman

I had recently come across a posting on Gwyneth Paltrow's blog GOOP about her first trip to Paris. She went on the trip with her father and when they were flying back home he told her, “I wanted you to see Paris for the first time with a man who would always love you, no matter what.” It was such a sweet sentiment and I thought back to my first trip to Paris where I went with my wonderful mother. Paris is the city of love and I am glad that I got to share it with someone I care for deeply and whom I will love forever. 

At the gardens of Versailles

        

Mom listening to the audio tour of the Hall of Mirror inVersailles

I also fell in love with the architecture of Paris. There are so many great places to see and three days was not nearly enough to truly appreciate all the facets of the great city.

Basilica of Sacré-Cœur

Sacré-Cœur is such a young building, only a mere 91 years old! It is such a brillant node in the city, located in Montmartre, marking the highest point in the city. The day I went it was foggy so the views of Paris were not so great. I especially love its domes-a perfect hybrid between Byzantine and Islamic prototypes.

The Metropolitain in Paris has the most fantastical entrances I have ever seen. Art Nouveau is one of my favorite styles of architecture and these stations do not disappoint! They put NYC's subway to shame.

Louvre

Although many people don't like I. M. Pei's pyramid at the Louvre, I absolutely love it. It makes for a fabulously grand entrance into the museum.

Eiffel Tower

Thankfully, the night we went there was a light show and it was truly spectacular. 

Pompidou

I had written a report on the Pompidou in 8th grade for French class so I thought I should pay it a visit.

Hotel le Marquis

Our hotel was a nice boutique style hotel, nothing special. It did have a great location and we could see the Eiffel Tower from our window. The facade, with the ironwork and balconies, looks so chic. I love the facading of Parisian apartments. 

The trip I took with my mom is something I will always cherish.