We left Galixidi and drove through the Parnassus mountains. We drove through the Aegean Sea and the sun reflection on the water was so beautiful in the morning. We arrived to Athens and had a group picture then promptly did a tour of the Acropolis. It was amazing. After the tour I went to lunch in an area called Plaka near the Parthenon. Then I went shopping. Hee hee hee. We all met around 4 then drove to our hotel. At the hotel I packed and got myself ready for my flight. I went downstairs to meet my group at 7:15 then went to Plaka for dinner. It was a great time with lots of delicious food. Not to mention the awesome dancers! We headed back to the hotel after dinner and said our goodbyes. I got lots of hugs!!!! I love hugs! :-) I’m so grateful for the friends I met! I hope to see a new friend next month in Singapore. And I welcome others to my home in LA. I also had an excellent tour guide whose knowledge of Greek Mythology and history was incredibly impressive. It made the trip richer, and more interesting! Not to mention her hilarious personality. Our bus driver was pretty phenomenal, I don’t even know how he maneuvered through some of those roads. All I know is that I always felt safe, and that says a lot. Time to sleep.... I’m headed to the airport at 3am! Good times!
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This morning was the first morning that I walked out to breakfast and it was still a tad dark and chilly. We left the hotel at 8:15 and drove down the zigzag road and began our trek to Delphi. We made a picture stop in Thermopyles at the Memorial of Leonidas, a famous Spartan warrior. We continued driving through the Parnassus Mountains arriving to Delphi at about 4,600 feet. We first had lunch where I enjoyed a decadent dish of grilled octopus! Everyone at our table enjoyed wonderful seafood! A friend of mine emailed me yesterday asking if I had had octopus yet and I shared all my fish and mainly octopus pictures with him via email. Hopefully we will hang out for sushi when I get back! Thank goodness for good WiFi in the hotels! After lunch we went to the ruins of Delphi. First we enjoyed a guided tour of the museum where there are so many ancient statues. We continued the guided tour outside in the ruins. Might I mention it was a clear day, VERY HOT, walking in the sun with little shade. I know I’ve been to a lot of ruins but these were pretty rad! Once the guided tour was done, I took off on my own to the top to go to the stadium. The climb kicked my butt, but when I arrived to the top it was incredible. The stadium was almost intact. And the view from the top of the entirety of the ruins was spectacular. I’m so happy I want to all the way. Several people from my tour group began to go up but only 6 of us made it to the top. On the way down from the stadium, I found a patch of beautiful yellow flowers growing, so I decided to spread Chris’s ashes there. A wonderful couple from Michigan caught me up at the stadium and we took pictures of each other there. I shared a lot of my story with Chris with them and they’ve been so wonderful to talk to and get to know. Once we made it down to ground level we got on the bus, and made our way to Galaxidi. In Galaxidi there are mainly homes, no real hotels. So half of our group stayed at one B & B, and the rest of us went to another. At other high end hotels we have stayed at during the trip they sometimes welcome us with a drink or something. This place gave us water, and the most incredibly strawberry liqueur I’ve ever had. It was DELICIOUS and they make it at home. I asked if they sell it but they don’t. They also gave us these sweet caramelized orange rinds. Once a lot of our group had left to their rooms, I asked if I could have more of the strawberry drink. Then the few that were left also asked for more! So glad I asked!! When I walked in to my room it was the cutest thing ever! I even have a balcony!! I promptly turned in the AC and took a shower. We met with our Tour Director at 7:20 in the lobby to walk to the pier/port to have dinner. We went to a restaurant where we enjoyed a ton of seafood! Greek drivers are insane. This coming from an LA native. I know we joke in LA and say that speed limits and stop signs are suggestions. I’m Greece they truly are! Kudos to our bus driver who has maneuvered some crazy roads and people along the way. Like, legit crazy people!! People will pull out in front of other cars without looking. Cars will drive and suddenly decide, I want to go left, then brake hard and turn in the middle of the street into on coming traffic. I really wonder how people are still alive. One time someone actually allowed us (40+ person bus) to get through a lane and that 90’s song came into my head, “Whoever You Are” by Geggy Tah.
The best is when we are in a two lane highway and cars want to pass us (understandably) so they veer left to oncoming traffic and the opposing traffic will in fact scoot over to let these maniacs through. WHAT THE HELL!!! I haven’t cussed this much in my head before! And don’t get me started on pedestrians!! Jeezus Chris Joseph Mary and the camel!! Visit Greece!!! I haven’t really written an interlude on this trip because there hasn’t been anything out of the ordinary or random. So I thought I’d write about toilets. Actually, this might be a rant. Let’s see when I finish.
Most of you may already know that several countries in Europe do not offer toilet seat covers. So for women you have the added time to pull toilet paper, wipe the seat, then pull more toilet paper to cover the seat. That brings me to another point. In Greece, some bathrooms don’t have toilet seats. Do you know how difficult it is to use the restroom without a toilet seat? Each time I’m afraid I’m going to fall in! I’ve been doing yoga on my own in my hotel rooms to improve my balance so I don’t fall. So this isn’t common, but today I went to a monastery where the bathrooms are like China: a hole in the ground. This hole wasn’t in the dirt. It actually looks like a toilet bowl is pressed into the ground and you have to squat over it. It also flushed and everything. With these types you have to make sure your shoes and clothes don’t get wet. Also, I took my jacket off, left my bag on a shelf and my camera because I didn’t need those dangling on me while I used the restroom. There was water all over the floor and I don’t know if that’s from the flushing toilets in the ground or something else. I’m totally washing my shoes when I get home!! Just thinking out loud, if you went out of your way to buy a toilet bowl and place it flat in the ground, why not just buy the whole stand and everything? And before you ask, no I can’t hold it, and the nearest restrooms or next pit stop is at least an hour away usually, so I have to use these restrooms. I drink a ton of water to hydrate after hikes and what nots. I’m only talking about public places. This doesn’t apply to bathrooms in hotels. Those have been lovely. Rant over. Today we left the hotel at 8:15am. We had about an hour drive to a small town called Metsovo. It’s a cute little town where they sell a lot of wood and leather products. I bought myself a honey wand made of wood. I also walked up to a church but was not able to enter since there was a service currently in progress. I forgot today is Sunday. Metsovo is a beautiful village in the middle of tall trees in a forest-type area. Lots of walking sticks and it’s on a hill. Reminds me of Austria. During this stop, our tour director gave us baklanva. BEST. BAKLAVA. EVER!!! Meteora means suspended in the air. Monks went there during the 9th century AD to be isolated and closer to God. In the 12th and 13th centuries they began building churches and monasteries. It was 135 steps to go up to the monastery. Once you’re there the view is incredible. We also encountered a funny priest. He was teasing our tour director for standing on a small platform where only Priests should stand. This was a Greek Orthodox Priest wearing a long black robe with A LOT of facial hair. While up there we also saw the biggest wine barrel in the world (I think), 12,000 liters. You can almost live in the barrel it’s so huge. On the way back down to the bus, I spread some of Chris’s ashes on the side of a cliff. They actually fell into the wind and spread quite a bit. This is the romanticized way spreading ashes is portrayed on tv. Normally it falls straight down because it’s actually quite dense. After visiting the monastery we drove to a look out point to take pictures of the whole shebang. Then we drove out of town for almost two hours to a cafeteria/store to get a snack. We didn’t really eat lunch because of dinner plans. We continued on for another 1.5 hours or so to arrive to our hotel in Portaria. The bus couldn’t take us to the hotel so we were dropped off, then walked uphill to our hotel. After about an hour of rest I got ready for the next outing. We met at the lobby at 6:15 and began our trek down the hill to our bus. We drove into town and walked through a beautiful hillside area to see a waterfall and the cute shops in town. After touring the town, we went to the restaurant where we were all having dinner. I had osso buco with pasta. It was delicious! We had a great time! Once finished, we walked back to our hotel. Thankfully I had my phone so I could use it to light the way through the cobblestone streets. It was a beautiful night! ”If you like piña colada, and getting caught in the rain!” We left Corfu on the ferry and returned to the mainland. We had about a one hour bus ride from the Port to our next destination. First we enjoyed a wonderful lunch at a restaurant by the lake. After lunch we toured the castle in Ionnina. Once we toured the city, we went to our stunning hotel right on the lake. As soon as I arrived I went out to the lake and spread Chris’s ashes. The view was gorgeous!! I returned back out to the city center and went to the police station. I traded police patches with someone in the station. She literally took the patch off her uniform and gave it to me, then I gave her a CHP patch. When Chris and I would travel we would exchange patches with local police departments. I figured, why not continue. It was awesome! While I was in the city, it suddenly began POURING RAIN! I was walking toward a restaurant I wanted to try but I quickly became SOAKED! I had no umbrella since the weather forecast had no indication of any rain. So I was caught in the rain, drenched, and hungry. I hopped in a cab and returned to my hotel. When I returned to the hotel I showered and went down the the bar where I found several of my tour mates enjoying cocktails, so I decided to join them. I had a gin and tonic. Several of us decided to continue the party and had dinner together. It was a great evening and so much fun!! Today we toured a good portion of the island of Corfu. We began with a tour of Elizabeth’s summer palace. South of Old town Corfu. Afterwards we headed to the other side of the island to visit an old monestary on a hill. Some of us hiked up to see the monastery. Others stayed behind to enjoy the beach. I hiked up to the monestary. On the way back down I encountered goats. They started to head for me so I quickly took their picture and ran! Once I got away, I found a beautiful spot with a beautiful view and I spread some of Chris’s ashes there. After the monastery we headed back to Old Town Corfu to the Castle. We toured the grounds and then were given the rest of the day in our own. I decided to hike up to the top of the Castle. It was a strenuous hike but worth it in the end, the views were amazing! After two uphill hikes I went to my hotel room to rest a bit and shower. Then I headed into town and explored a bit. I went to another side of the island. I came across more beautiful views and buildings. I didn’t really eat lunch so I was starving by 7, so I headed to a restaurant that I read was excellent. It was called Pomo D’Oro. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves. Tomorrow we head back to mainland Greece and continue heading east.
We left Ancient Olympia at 8:30 this morning and began our long journey to the Island of Corfu. We made a pit stop at the end of a very long bridge. We climbed stairs above the toll plaza to take photos of the suspension bridge. It was VERY WINDY; as the Brits day, hold on to yer nickers! One side of this bridge is the Ionian Sea and the other side is the Aegean Sea. We continued our journey through windy passages and arrived to Amfilochia (pronounced Am-fee-loh-hee-uh). This is a local town where no one really speaks any English. They are known for their sea food so that’s what I enjoyed. I ordered calamari and it was the best I’ve ever had. It was lightly battered and the texture was perfection; I could cut it with a fork. I also had a glass of white wine. It was a GORGEOUS little restaurant with tables on the sidewalk with the sea water from the Ionic just beneath my seat. After I finished eating I walked to a little outlet on the water and I got down on my knees and bent over to spread Chris’s ashes into the clear blue water. I knew he would have enjoyed visiting Greece as much as I am. As I type this, Green Day’s, Time Of Your Life, just started playing :-) After lunch we continued driving along the coast toward a city called Igoumenitsa. This is where we boarded a ferry to Corfu. The trip was only about 1.5 hours. In that time I sat with the two Chinese ladies and we talked business and real estate since we all work in real estate. Excellent conversation; made me miss work a little. Just a little :-) They're both close to my age andwere really enjoyed discussing business and international real estate! We arrived at Corfu and I went off exploring again. Found a lovely restaurant called, Rex. Had some amazing scallops and then I returned to my hotel to enjoy more cocktails at the rooftop bar. The city is still going strong and no sign of going to sleep! What an island!!! Random: the hotel is meant for people under 5’10”! I think anyone taller than that would have a difficult time here. :-) I’m officially mosquito food. I have about ten bites and that’s just in one day. Good times! Today we left the beautiful hotel in Nafplion and headed west to Olympia. We saw the ruins of where the Olympic Games began. It was interesting to see the ruins and walk through where former Olympian’s competed. After the ruins we went to town and into some museums. Lots of statues that are thousands of years old. It’s amazing to me that these still exist! We had lunch in town and I had my first gyro! It was great! We went to our hotel and had some time to rest. We met up for dinner at 6:30pm and drove to a local olive farm. The olive farm had a lot of vegetables it grew as well as farm animals. Recently a friend said I was Snow White because animals seem to flock to me. Well the chickens, rabbits, goat, and ponies seem to come to me when I was around. I wish I could pet them all but I’m so allergic! We enjoyed a glass of wine and some canapés when we entered a pressing room to listen to a demonstration of how olive oil is made. Then we tasted different types of infused olive oils. We wandered around the property and saw a on THOUSAND year old tree! It was beautifully lit up with lights. We headed into the restaurant area for dinner and had a great meal. At the end we had a blast dancing to some Greek music. Today was jam packed and so much fun!!! Today was a full day of sight seeing. We left the hotel at 9 and drove to Mycenae to see the Castle there as well as Agamemnon’s Tomb. During my free time I chose to climb up the castle and enjoy the view. It was a steep climb so I hooked my camera on to myself with a carabiner and took a backpack with water. This means there are not as many pictures today because I was trying to not trip! While I was up there I spread some of Chris’s ashes. While I spread his ashes, I saw two butterflies fluttering around and took it as a sign that he was happy with where I was spreading his ashes. I made my way back down to ground level, then went to see Agamemnon’s tomb. It was pretty amazing to see these sites that are over a thousand years old! Afterwards we went to a winery! We toured the grounds and then tasted four wines. I bought a library wine. I was in heaven. After the tasting I decided to spread Chris’s ashes in the vineyard. We continued to a restaurant for lunch and I ordered chicken skewers with French fries. Everything here has french fries. Afterwards we went to a place where we saw how they make ceramic items. It was pretty interesting! We headed back to the hotel and I took a nap. We met up with the group again at 5:30 and we went out for gelato. It was DELICIOUS!! We walked to see two old churches as well. Afterwards we were in our own for dinner, so I went to a place called 3Sixty. I had steamed mussels and a Greek salad. It was delicious! I sat outside which was lovely; however, there were a lot of mosquitos and I was being eaten alive. I left promptly and returned to my hotel to shower and pack to leave early tomorrow morning. |
AuthorHave passport, will travel. Archives
November 2022
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