Agrigento - Sicily

The beginning of Sicilian trip was a less pleasant experience than the eventual stay on the island. I am not going to tell much about it. It only has to do with a very early flight, the night was short. Airport was overcrowded. Checking in was just long and inconvenient. Traveling with a budget airline can be a pain in the ass sometimes. But once in our seats we went to the dreamland to catch some sleep. A few moments later we flew over the breathtaking white Alps. And after another nap, Sicily came in sight. It's hilly landscapes and chaotic Palermo looked very promising. I was so excited to set my foot on this amazing land for the very first time.

Picking up our rental car was easy, getting on the highway slightly less. After driving circles aound typical and picturesque villages and their too narrow streets we managed to find the right way. The exhaustion from traveling however hit back. When we finally arrived in Agrigento, we took a delicious nap in our B&B. From now on everything was better and rosier. We briefly walked through the city, had a good dinner, enjoyed the nightlife on the streets and called it a day.

Next morning began with the sweetest breakfast i've ever had. All dolci were home made and it was much! Not healthy but rich in energy for the whole day and we needed it.

The main attraction of Agrigento must be the Temple Valley. It lies just below the city, easy accessible by car. The best time to come there is ofcource in the morning. In high season the temperatures can be very hot. Even now it was already quite warm. The location of this valley is gorgeous. With Agrigento high in the background and the the sea side below, a few Greek temples protrude in the hilly landscape full of bright spring colors. We had a very enjoyable walk along the temples. I could even stay here for the whole day. Some people take some food for a picnic. Which is very clever, the Valley has a perfect vibe for such outing. It's warm, but there're enough shadowy spots. Beautiful flowers are everywhere you look and so are the ancient temples. I was a bit sorry that we had no picnic organized.

Instead we drove to the beach and had our drinks there. This part of the coast is mainly notably by Scala Dei Turchi. It's a white colored cliff, which really stands out and make a beach walk even more special. Unfortunately the water was too cold to swim, but I did have my shoes off for a while which felt really liberating after a too long and a too cold winter.

After, we briefly explored Agrigento itself. On the weekend evening this town seemed very lively. But on Sunday afternoon it was quiet. Some old men were hanging on the streets. There was not much more to do. The narrow, curvy streets of Agrigento in combination with modern, medieval and baroque architecture make the city extraordinary and charming. Just enough for a two day stay, like we did.

  

L'Oreal Paris Color Riche Le Vernis - II

After my last review of the nail polishes I have not stopped buying new colors. The shades that I already had, formed more or less a base on my own collection. The following nail polishes made my collection even more extensive. In total, I now have 16 different colors. They fit perfect with my outfits, moods, holidays and seasons. This color palette is very rich!

107 – Beige Boheme

This is a nice, neat nude look. Unfortunately this is the only nude hue, I would have liked it a bit lighter shade.

209 – Ingenuous Rose

This pink polish looks very pretty and sweet. The coverage quality is a bit poor though. Two layers was not enough. Which is strange, cause other polishes are very pigmented.

302 – Exotic Canaries

A very fresh color, which made me happy. Ideal for holiday. It is not too bright, yet very striking and subtle at the same time.

401 – Rouge Pin Up

Red color made a comeback into my nail polish collection. I was a bit tired of red nails. Yet it is an indispensable color, don't you think? There is little to say about this color. It's just a very deep, bright and classic hue.

602 – Perle De Jade

This color is so beautiful, fresh and contemporary. Also called the Tiffany color.

613 – Blue Reef

A very deep, rich and unique color. A beautiful combination of blue and green.

617 – You Are Worth It

This is such a pleasant color to look at! It seems very simple one, yet it is so refined. I was wearing it with bold silver ring and my hand looked just gorgeous.

618 – Santorini Lagoon

Another unique hue. At first sight it appears very much like the Blue Reef. Only this color is much softer.

702 – Black Swan

Another come back hue into my collection. Black is my all time favorite color to wear. I never get tired if it. And it is always up to date. Pretty much like the red. I like the simplicity which strikes subtly.

I also have some colors combined. I think these three examples are very nice matches. 

Femme Fatale - Chapter II - Madame Sabatier

Apollonie Sabatier was mainly known as a courtesan which is more or less an affront. This influential woman was much more: Art muse, salon host, classic beauty, an 'it-girl' of 19^th century Paris.

If Sabatier would have a muse resume, it would have looked like this:

• She made sculptor Auguste Clésinger famous. Apollonie posed three times for him. 'The woman bitten by a serpent' was Clésingers greatest success.
  
  
• Charles Baudelaire contributed poems to Apollonie.

• Théophile Gautier praised her in three of his poems.

• Gustave Flaubert wrote her many letters and used her character in his great novel 'L'education Sentimentale'.

• Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier has portrayed Apollonie eleven times.

• Gustave Ricard won his very first prize at Salon when he used Apollonie as a model for a portrait.
  
  
• Gustave Coubert immortalized Apollonie together with her long-time lover Alfred Mosselman and Baudelair in 'L'atelier de peintre'.
  
  
• Thomas Couture painted her once.

She was not just an extremely beautiful woman, but also very pleasant companionship. Every sunday, Sabatier invited all her friends and acquaintances of the Parisian art scene for a dinner. These weekly meetings or the so called Salon were the most exciting artistic institutions in the 19^th century France.