Anniversary Trip: Nafplio

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We reluctantly left Olympia (the best hotel we stayed at on the entire trip to Greece) and drove to Nafplio about 3 hours away.

We stopped to take in the view along the Gulf of Kyparissia.

On our way we took a short detour to see a local beach and walk along the sand.

If we hadn’t had such a great breakfast in Olympia we might have lunched here.

About two hours into our drive we stopped at a coffee shop/bakery in Tripoli.  Everything was so good it was difficult to choose.  With my espresso I bought a package of biscotti that I snacked on for the rest of the week.

A beautiful harbor with plenty of free parking. (The white boat is a private yacht.)

We arrived in Nafplio, the first capital of an independent Greece and easily accessible from Athens. It’s a great home base for touring both Mycenae and Epidaurus so we stayed here 2 nights. The town has a beach, great restaurants, a thriving evening scene, and a good balance of local life and tourist convenience.

The charming town of Nafplio is eminently walkable.

Upon arrival in Nafplio we checked into our room at Omorfi Poli Guest House which had a balcony view of the harbor where we parked.

We enjoyed everything we ate at this unassuming cafe.

We found a lovely restaurant, Taverna Vyzantio, down the lane where we ate multiple meals.

Not sure what this is but it was delicious.

We also discovered a wonderful bakery with cases of freshly made baked goods.  We visited more than once for coffee and pastries — both sweet and savory.

At Epidaurus Amphitheatre we had no trouble hearing the speaker (with no amplification) in the center of the orchestra from our seats halfway up.

We headed out of town on our second day to visit Epidaurus Amphitheatre.

Epidaurus theatre was built in the late 4th century BC

It’s a huge amphitheatre with perfect acoustics and a tiny museum.

Every kind of fresh seafood at the market.

We had passed an open market on our way to visit Epidaurus which we were eager to visit.

Greek produce early in October.

We spent a good amount of time rummaging through the market with locals — no souvenirs sold here — instead fresh food, clothing, housewares.

We stopped at our favorite bakery before we left Nafplio for the last time.

We really felt like tourists in Nafplio eating out for every meal and shopping for souvenirs to take home in local shops.

Palamidi is a fortress in the town of Nafplio is nestled on the crest of a 216-metre high hill. The fortress was built by the Venetians during their second occupation of the area.

Our next destination was the city of Corinth.

Jo

Papering the Primary Bedroom

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A few weeks ago I painted the sleeping alcove of the primary bedroom a calm periwinkle blue:  Riviera Azure.

The lounge area of the primary bedroom is narrow with a spectacular view.

I wasn’t sure how to proceed with the lounge area of the room that overlooks the waterfront.

The sleep alcove in periwinkle is ready to be fully furnished.

Should it be the same color as the rest of the room?  That would be A LOT of blue.

I love the ochre sky.

So I went back to my inspiration watercolor and decided to go with a pale ochre especially since the room actually narrows and I would like it to seem wider.

Benjamin Moore’s #218 –– Beach Haven against the A-Street Prints Equinox non-woven abstract wallpaper.

I was undecided whether to paper or paint the long walls.  Happily I found a cheap (under $22 a roll*, I needed 4) wallpaper that had just the right colors — it went with Riviera Blue,  Beach Haven (bathroom and closet hall), and Alabaster (which could be seen in the living room).

This wallpaper was inexpensive, slightly textured, bright.

I was surprised when I received it how good the quality was and that it was apparently made in the UK.  I would say it is a faux vertical grasscloth on heavyweight paper (not woven and not vinyl), slightly textured, subtly colored.

Painters’ tape was my second pair of hands to help me line up the long piece.

I used the “paste-the-wall” method and started at the highest point of a slanted wall.  The first piece was tall and had to go around the minisplit high on the wall.

The installation got easier as the wall got shorter.

There was no horizontal match so after the first piece was up I could use the roll again just where I had trimmed it. Another plus.

A sliding glass door overlooks the living room downstairs which is painted Alabaster.

I worked down one wall and then across the room on the side overlooking the living room.

When wallpapering there are always a few obstacles to work around.

I am pleased with the finish.

The room is very long and narrow.

It was easy to work with and has an aura sandy beach.

View from the closet hall which is the next project on the list.

My next primary bedroom project will be to paint the hall and bathroom to change the slightly pink tinged white paint to a brighter sandy color:  Beach Haven.

The price changed dramatically in less than a week.

*I just looked it up again and the same paper is now $120 per roll. Hmmm?  No longer cheap.

Jo

Muraling the Dining Room

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After hanging a new lighting fixture in the dining room I ordered a mural for the wall.

Abstract and bold mural to set the dining room apart from the adjacent living room.

“Grounded” mural by York, which was offered by Anthropologie, seemed to go with the colors and vibe I was going for in the public rooms of our house on the Chesapeake Bay.  Before purchasing I did a Google search and found someone selling it secondhand on Ebay which saved quite a bit from the Anthropologie price.

The dining room is an 8-foot wide area near the kitchen and attached to the 24-foot wide living room.

The dining room transformation started with painting the walls Alabaster by Sherwin Williams and laying my vintage blue rug.

The new light hangs over the central medallion in the rug.

Then I changed out the lighting fixture.

The entire mural is 15 feet wide by about 11 feet tall.

The mural came in one long roll which I cut apart into 10 panels.

I taped the first panel in the middle of the wall at different heights until setting the horizon line above the back of our dining room chairs.

My wall is about 14.5 feet wide and a little under 8 feet tall.  My first decision was how to center the picture from top to bottom.

The first 2 panels went up easily.

Prior to installation I trimmed the top of the panel to just 4 inches above the top line.  I used the “glue-the-wall” method of installation.

Five panels hung — a little over halfway.

After the first panel the mural design needed to be matched in the middle then smoothed out top and bottom.

I hung the final 4 and half panels before trimming.

I was eager to finish and almost ran out of wallpaper paste.  Wallpaper paste is the consistency of pudding and needs to be applied evenly but generously.  I applied with  roller.

The wallpaper mural with the new lighting fixture.

After trimming all the panels  I stood back to admire my work.

I love how it connects to the foggy day.

Due to the size of the original mural I have a good collection of trimmed pieces that I might be able to use for another project.

The dining room area is ready for furniture.

I’m waiting until the end details of another project before deciding whether to paint the switch plates or paper them with the off cuts from the mural.

Jo

Anniversary Trip: Olympia

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On our way from Delphi to Olympia we saw some beautiful scenery.

The scenery was ever changing.

Coming down the mountain we passed miles and miles of olive groves.

We passed over and beside lakes, inlets, and olive groves.  I was happy to be the passenger taking it all in while Charlie drove.

A unique bridge in the distance which we were destined to cross.

Charilaos Trikoupis Rio – Antirrio Bridge

We crossed over the Gulf of Corinth on the Charilaos Trikoupis Rio – Antirrio Bridge, one of the largest in Europe.

It’s difficult to coral this many unruly goats.

The goats were fun to watch and they didn’t hold us up for very long.

We saw something we don’t usually see in the US — a herd of goats stopping traffic to cross the road.

The view from our deluxe accommodations at the Hotel Europa.

When we finally arrived at Hotel Europa in Olympia we were in first class territory.  We could have toured the local ruins but decided to take full advantage of our overnight stay at the hotel.

Charlie tried a chocolate cream concoction served by the pool bar.

For an incredibly reasonable price he also enjoyed a grilled sandwich and frites.

We snacked by the pool.

Every bit of food in this on-site restaurant was delicious and served with style.

We did not leave the premises for dinner either as we found a lovely alfresco table and ordered our evening meal as the sun set.  The wait staff was lots of fun especially teaching Charlie how to say “thank you” in Greek — “Efcharisto” .  We all laughed and laughed.

On the breakfast buffet — real Greek yogurt among other fresh foods.

Try making a choice here at the condiments bar.

If dinner was excellent and well-priced, the included breakfast the next morning was out of this world.

A few fresh pastries from which to choose.  Who am I kidding — two full tables of goodies.

Last but certainly not least — hot offerings.

We could have stayed to eat for hours.

My favorite was bougatsa — essentially warm custard pie with phyllo dough.

We were really sorry to leave Olympia even though we hadn’t stepped from the hotel.  It was a much needed sojourn in the middle of a busy trip.  We should have scheduled at least 2 days here.

This was a highlight of our tour through the Peloponnese.

Next we’re on to Nafplio for a couple of days.

Jo

The Downstairs Bathroom

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Charlie has all but dismantled both the powder room and ensuite full bath on the first floor.

The full bath was tiny.

We’re hoping to redesign this area into a more usable space.  After all, the shower was the size of a telephone booth — remember them?

For now the space is as open as we can make it and still be able to use it.

It is my task to decide on possible  finishes for this area which will also include a closet for the bedroom.

I have chosen  the Nanterre 49 in. Single Sink Desert Birch Bath Vanity with White Natural Carrara Marble Top

A light colored vanity that comes with its own hardware in both silver and gold should easily fit into the space where the powder room sink had been.

Delta’s Saylor Champagne bronze wide spaced faucet has matching shower fixtures.

I plan to use brass/gold colored Delta fixtures in the shower and on the sink.

The former closet is about the right size for a shower.

I also have designated the space that used to be the closet as a walk-in shower, hopefully without a threshold but we’ll have to wait for a contractor to determine that detail.

The wall between the bedroom and former closet will be closed and the shower entered from inside the bathroom.

If, in fact, there is no threshold  then the floor tile will need to flow from the room into the shower and be a small mosaic.

I’m considering this tile for the shower walls and vanity backsplash.

I have  tentatively chosen allen + roth white 10-in x 11-in Polished Glass/Stone Patterned Mosaic Wall Tile from Lowes.  Since the bathroom has no natural light I believe this tile will keep things bright.  I will probably choose to use this tile as the backsplash to the vanity as well.

Since we are removing 2 toilets I’m planning to save the ADA height Toto model to reuse.

Something simple and smart — on the hunt to find a look-alike bargain here.

I would also like a bright, simple lighting fixture — perhaps with a little touch of brass.

Angorra Geometric floor mosaic picks up the sand in my sea, sky, sand color triad and will influence my paint color.

And finally I need a wall paint color to coordinate with the pale gray Yarn by Magnolia Home that is in the adjoining bedroom and a mosaic tile for the floor.

Mood board for the downstairs bathroom.

Next step is to select a contractor who will say what can and cannot be accomplished. Then I’ll start ordering the above items starting with paint.

Jo

Light in the Dining Room

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When we first saw the house on the bay we were excited by the view but knew we would need to change a few things.

The dining room was originally decorated with a table, chairs, buffet, and a chandelier that had been swagged to let it hang over the table.

The dining room, for instance, had been set up for AirBnB renters but not for home use.

The living room and dining room are all one large room.

The first design element in the dining room that I amended was the color of the wall — now Alabaster by Sherwin WIlliams since the dining room area is connected to the living room in an open plan.

There is really only one wall in the open plan dining room.

Next I laid the carpet that had been in the primary bedroom at our former residence.

Dining room curtain area is open plan with the living room.

I also hung some curtains on the sliding door that match the others in the connected living room.

This fixture is down and banished.

Since I have been changing lighting fixtures in the entire house including removing  fluorescent units I was eager to get rid of the black and white hanging fixture in the dining room.

I really loved the look of this giclee shade but I couldn’t find it with brass details.

I was headed in one direction with an over-table chandelier.  Then I started thinking about a mural on the wall which would be a little busy with this multi-colored fixture.

This 20″ shade holds four 60-watt light bulbs.

Then I saw this one which I hoped would go with the one in the kitchen colorwise.

The dining room and kitchen fixtures complement each other.

When it arrived I was actually surprised how well it went with the burnished brass ceiling fixture in the kitchen but was more dramatic — something I would want for the dining room.

When lit the fixture casts a warm glow on the ceiling and, eventually, the dining table.

The lighting fixture is centered in the dining area and the rug medallion needs to be centered under the light.

I’m awaiting a wallpaper sample to be sure of the color tint before I purchase.

While we are still waiting to move our furniture I have made a mood board to “picture” the finished dining room.

Jo

January, 2025: Aims

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Here we are at the beginning of a new year in a new home with renewed spirit and energy.

We are awed on a daily basis by sunset.

We have no concrete plans for travel but we still have places we want to visit.

I’m going to try an adventurous bronze chandelier for the dining room which I’ve decided to differentiate from the living room with color.

My 10-point plan for the month of January:

  1.  Decide on interior door color.

    The interior doors all have an orangey colored stain. I want something more neutral.

  2.  Decide on finishes — tile, furniture, paint — for future downstairs bathroom.

    I’m considering this tile for the shower walls.

  3.  Put away all Christmas decorations.  Hoping to downsize our collection yet again.

    Everything goes back into bins and is stored in the backroom closet.

  4.  Decide on a secondary paint color for the primary bedroom to go with the one in the sleeping alcove which I painted last month.

    I’m using this pillow cover and a new piece of art as my color inspirations.

    Some shade of sky, sea, or sand.

  5.  Read a book. Still working on Chesapeake along with rereading of Outliers.  
  6.  Hem living room curtains.

    Time to pull out the sewing machine.

  7.  Plan future travel.

    I’m thinking of an exotic trip like Portugal to Morocco.

    Maybe New England or Morocco.

  8.  Review possible contractors for home upgrade projects.  First project new bathroom/closet.
  9. Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word: VISION.
  10.  Write a goal list for February, 2025.

Jo

December, 2024: Did It

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Charlie and I were very busy in December not only decorating and celebrating the holidays but also traveling and continuing projects at the Bay House.

Maybe next year I’ll add lights.

I worked on making the house, without furniture, a little Christmassy. Along with our traditional Christmas decorations around the house, I also put together a dog-themed driftwood tree.

End of November at The Glade

Beginning of December at The Glade

In addition to the numbered list below:

  • I cleaned the grimy hanging lights in the living room with a Magic Eraser.  It worked a charm.

    Before

    After

  • Charlie continued gutting the 2 downstairs bathrooms.

    The closet, toilet, and vanity are gone.

  • I visited a local train garden.

    The local train garden was enormous and detailed in many ways I’d never seen before.

  • Charlie harvested some fresh mistletoe.

    This big wad of mistletoe is just waiting for the right couple.

  • Charlie built me a compost bin in the enclosed yard near the shed.

    I started clearing this area last month and now I have a place to throw my used coffee grounds.

  • I painted half of the primary bedroom and put together a new bed frame.

    Riviera Azure by Benjamin Moore in eggshell finish.

Here’s the 10-point plan I had for the month of December:

  1.  Celebrate Christmas.  We were happy to celebrate almost the entire month while visiting with different members of the family.

    Sister applies her creativity to my theme (Greek Christmas) with custom ordered wrapping paper.

    We opened gifts and oohed and aahed while together.

  2.  Work on a project at the Bay House.  I continued to work on the curtains and tile around the base of the hearth.

    A tad unconventional but I’m not finished yet.

    Charlie continued demolishing the downstairs bathrooms so we can build a big modern one.

  3.  Measure the vanities in the Bay House and search for reasonably priced replacements.  Primary ensuite:  78″ will become 60″; Secondary ensuite:  43″ will become 48″; Downstairs ensuite: 24″ + 60″ will become 49″.

    I’m thinking of something like this for the downstairs bathroom.

  4.  Attend a Christmas Market.

    The first market gave us all kinds of inspiration of things we could make ourselves.

    Charlie and I met son and daughter-in-law at a local market.  We also attended one at the art gallery then joined the crowd to watch a traditional nighttime parade in the freezing weather.

  5.  Read a book.  I’m enjoying Chesapeake by James Michener which deals with the history and culture of our new neighborhood.

    We live on the edge of the brackish bay waters of the Chesapeake. The long dock is ours.

  6.  Visit Florida.  We traveled to both coasts to meet and celebrate with both of our families.

    We visited a peanut farm so Charlie could get some fresh boiled peanuts — them’s eats.

  7.  See a movie.  Naturally I viewed Wicked which is very popular. We saw the Broadway show a few years ago.

    The grand drape on Broadway for Wicked was a map of The Emerald City and surrounding Land of Oz.

    The film is visually beautiful and engaging but a little long for me. Warning:  This is not like the Broadway musical and is only Part 1 of a 2-part series.  Part 2 will come out next December I think.

  8.  Pack up Glade pantry and move to Bay House.  I packed up everything I could in the pantry as well as my beloved coffee cupboard.

    Emptying kitchen cupboards is not an easy task.

  9. Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word: GRATITUDE.
  10.  Write a goal list for January, 2025.

Jo

Just a Little Cleaning

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I wanted to clean the area around and under the king-sized bed in the primary bedroom.

The king-sized mattress is extremely heavy and unwieldy for one person to manage.

I pulled the very heavy mattress off of the bed frame along with 2 box springs.

Everything was put together with multiple long nails.

That’s when I discovered the bed had actually been built into the room. (We had been told that the former owners were leaving the bed because it was bolted to the wall.)

That’s quite a pile of lumber for a bed.

I started knocking the bed apart but made slow progress because the frame had been fastened with long (20d maybe) nails instead of screws.  With Charlie’s help I finally got the whole thing apart only to find out that the wall-to-wall carpet did not go under the bed.  I had been planning to also remove the shelving behind the bed but was fairly sure it would have also left a gap in the carpet.

Since cleaning was my original intention I vacuumed the area very well then shampooed the carpet.

With the bed cleared out and the carpet cleaned I decided to paint the walls.

I painted this alcove section of the bedroom including the shelves Riviera Azure by Benjamin Moore — a deep periwinkle blue.

The bed frame came with 2 sets of instructions — both in French.

I also ordered a simple bed frame from Lowes which was delivered the next day.

I like that there is space under the bed for some storage.

I put the bed together while waiting for the first coat of paint to dry.  I always give at least 2 coats.

My inspiration watercolor looks good over the bookcase centered under the window.

I was not sure about painting the bookcase but in the end I wanted to erase as much brown from the room as I could.

The sleep alcove in periwinkle is ready to be fully furnished.

When I put the room back together I was happy with the transformation.  I’ll have to wait until our furniture arrives from The Glade before I can properly make up the bed with a mattress and box springs.

Riviera Azure by Benjamin Moore in eggshell finish.

In the meantime the set that had been on this bed is now in the second bedroom.

Jo

Merry Christmas and Some New-to-Me Stuff

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As I’ve been furnishing and painting the new house before our own furniture arrives I have been gifted a number of really nice stuff in addition to buying a few things on my own.

This is a large piece (18″ by 24″ plus matte and frame) by Seymour Thomas.

My sister gave me two pieces of original art inherited from my mother.

The colors of the painting tie in with the ones already in this room.

The first is a large waterfront scene which I have hung in the downstairs bedroom.

I love the ochre sky.

The second piece is a watercolor (by Hilt) she took right off of her guest room wall.  I have hung it in the primary bedroom and am using the vibrant colors as inspiration for that room.

The Christmas mantel is filled with Greek ceramics.

Charlie’s mother gifted us a bunch of Greek souvenirs which had been given to her by Charlie’s grandparents.

The porcelain vase was ours. It formerly graced the kitchen at The Glade — 3 Graces??

Since We are celebrating a Greek Christmas this year I have temporarily lined then up on the new mantel.

I almost bought white stools at twice the price. I like these sand colored ones better.

I had been looking for 2 counter height stools with a coastal vibe so we could sit up to the kitchen island.  I found cream colored rattan stools on Ebay that had originally been sold by Target.  They were both new-in-box and priced at well under the original selling price.

The brass screen picks up details in the rest of the decor.

I also bought a brass fireplace screen from Facebook Marketplace for $20.  The size is not quite right and I think it had been painted but in the meantime I’m deciding if I like it enough to keep it.  Perhaps its function will prove valuable.

We have multiple small trees all over the house.

As I write this I haven’t yet opened what’s under the Christmas tree so perhaps I’ll have something else to report later.

Jo