June 5th, 2008: [upon arriving in Greece] ...The bus ride - surreal. I'm finally here, in Athens, Greece! After the short bus ride, we arrived to a part of downtown Athens. Now the really stressful part - getting a taxi. Normally this isn't a problem but when cab drivers see people with a lot of luggage, they don't want to stop, get out of their cars, and help you. So we had to 'hide' our luggage until we got a cab. I was so nervous we were going to lose our luggage. These cab drivers just throw your suitcases in the trunk with no rhyme or reason and "secure" the whole situation with a rope. I was relieved, needless to say, once we arrived to our destination, with all luggage arriving with us.
June 6th, 2008: R and I went to the Acropolis today, which is something I've been so looking forward to. On the way there, we ran into an older couple from Baltimore, MD. They weren't sure where to go and asked R for help. They were so grateful so they paid for our way in! The Acropolis was absolutely amazing. I couldn't get over the fact that I was standing on the land where civilizations once lived thousands of years ago. The Parthenon, the amphitheater, the Temple of Zeus - it was all so fascinating....
June 7th, 2008: We got up and went to the beach today. I wish we had this kind of scenery in Iowa - sand that sparkles, crystal clear blue water, and a mountainous background to complete the picturesque scene. We claimed our lounge chairs and I began to apply sunscreen (safety first.) All of a sudden, I felt something that I've never experienced before. I didn't know what to think at first, and then realized - omg, this is an earthquake. The ground was shaking, the goods at the snack bar were falling, and everyone was rushing out of the water to get back onto dry land. After about 15 seconds, the earth stood still again. We later learned that we were very close to the center of it and were grateful we were outside when it happened. Our first beach day was cut a little short when our driver, who is a doctor, was called into work to help with all of the injuries caused by the earthquake. As we drove back into the village, we saw all the devastating destruction that was created by the earthquake. It wasn't the best moment of the trip, to say the least...
June 14th, 2008: The alarm went off at 6 this morning and we were forced to crawl out of bed and quickly get ready for our trip to the island. Chris and Dimitri picked us up and off we went to Skiathos. The drive, although entertaining thanks to Dimitri, was unpleasant due to both the tiredness I felt from being out late the night before and the very windy roads we took up the mountains to get to the ferry.
June 15th, 2008: After a quick breakfast, we headed to the beach. We soaked in the sun, walked up and down the beach, played a little volleyball, and of course swam. It was so relaxing to just be laying on the beach, not having a care in the world. Bobby and Dimitri 'helped' me relax by sitting by my side, reading excerpts from the book I was reading. Bobby would read in English and Dimitri would translate in Greek. They had me rolling with laughter. My favorite quote from Dimitri today: "I like you, as a volleyball player. As a woman, I like you very much" [R and I kept a log of all of our favorite quotes from the boys during the trip]
June 16th, 2008: ...We went to a scenic restaurant this evening and sat overlooking all of Skiathos, the water, and the mountains. They ordered a lot of appetizers so that I could try a little bit of everything - stuffed zucchini, fried zucchini, churropitas, souvlaki, and more - absolutely amazing!
June 20th, 2008: ...although I had the best vacation of my life, thus far, it feels good to be home.
The Acropolis- Amphitheater
The Acropolis - Parthenon
The Acropolis
One of the many beaches we went to - I think
this one was in Patras.
With R and Spiros at Rosa Negra
With Bobby and Dimitri - night out in
Skiathos
Relaxing at a cafe in Skiathos on our
last day there
Last night - in Athens
Two of the many takeaways I got from this trip:
1. Carpe Diem - Anytime you have the opportunity to travel, take it. (esp when your hotel expenses are obsolete)
2. Ladies - if you ever want a self-esteem booster - get yourselves to Greece!
I am so grateful I had the opportunity to take this trip. My extreme gratitude goes out to R and V for being the best hostesses and to all of their family and friends for their welcoming hospitality!
I can't wait for my next adventures overseas, whenever that may be!
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