| I just returned from a 10 day trip to Greece!!! It was absolutely amazing. After a overnight flight to Paris (it is impossibly hard to fall asleep sitting straight up in a chair), and a layover, we made it to Athens! The taxi drove us past the new Olympic Stadium and many unintelligible signs written in Greek (which made us worry as we only knew how to say "Hello" and our guide book told us silly words like "cheese shop"). After getting settled in our hotel, we walked to the Plaka, their huge market. On the way, it was really neat to see orange trees everywhere along the streets. We arrived in downtown after attempting to figure out the subway, (we took Megaro Moussikis to Monastiraki.. which we only got right because there were little pictures, the Greek being a lot more thoughtful towards foreigners than America). From the market, you could see the Acropolis glowing! We stopped at a small off the street restaurant that had outdoor seating. One of the crazy things about Greece is that there are stray cats and dogs (and sometimes children) everywhere! Almost everyone of them is friendly too. So we enjoyed watching kittens play nearby as we ordered a Greek salad, which you would expect a salad to have lettuce but it is almost impossible to get lettuce on your salad.. crazy huh?, and lamb, tzakiki (a creamy dip for bread), beef with eggplant, one of the very frequent vegetables, and I ordered fish, which I got to pick out which one for myself, and then was served it whole! (We gave the head to one of the kittens) Overall, one of the best nights, simply being able to soak in the culture!
At the Acropolis, we visited the Parthenon, the Erechtheion (which has the Porch of the Caryatids, which has girls standing as pillars), the Propylaia (the gate into the city), the Theater of Dionysus, the Areopagus or Mars Hill (read Acts 17:16-34), and the Agora (ancient marketplace).
After that we headed to Crete, where we walked through the partially restored Palaces of Knossos, a Minoan civilization! We also enjoyed their beaches, where the water is so clear, that you can be standing in shoulder deep and see your toes perfectly!
After that we went for two days in Santorini, which is famous for its blue and white building and incredible sunsets. We checked out their black beach, made of volcanic ash, which was my first time seeing one. Not too fun to swim in as it makes the water look dirty. Dad and I rented a moped, while Ginna and Mom rode a fourwheeler. Dad and I got up early in the morning to watch the sunrise and then explored the island, (we went to the very tip of the island literally and the Red Beach). As a family, we also hiked the volcano and rode back up the island on mules! (Ginna was the only one on a donkey!) We also found the famous church that is in so many postcards and paintings. We also watched the sunset 2 nights in a row.
After that we rented a car and went to Corinth in the Pelopponese. We saw the Bema, where Paul was brought before the court. (Read Acts 18:1-17). After that we rode through the Pelopponese literally being silly tourists and not following the route along the coast. We were riding for hours through mountains which barely had guardrails ever and the roads were for one car only most of the time and when we would pass through villages no one could speak English. I thought it was breath-taking. Mom was a little freaked, but almost every second was picture-perfect. And we ate a real Greek restaurant (I wanted to have rooster with macaroni !!! but they were out so I had roasted rabbit.) and stopped by a roadside stand to buy cherries. Also, the hotel we finally found (as our map did not have any of the roads we were on on it) was this little cove of a village, which must have thrived on people traveling to resorts; it was very Greek and very exiquisite. Everything was natural, homemade, and cute. (Like our sheets and towels were hard because they had dried out in the sun.) We finished our excursion throughout the mountains, by arriving at THE mountain in Greece: Mt. Olympus. There we saw the temple of Zeus and the original Olympic Stadium. Funny sidenote: When we first went to the Museum, Ginna was freaked out because all of the statues were naked. However, it was interesting to note that almost all of the pagan god statues left, either were missing their head or other essential body parts. Could it be coincidence?
Coming back to Athens for a last time, we reminisced over the little things we would miss:
Restroom= Water Closet
You are not allowed to throw toilet paper in the toilet EVER. You must use a nearby trash recepticle.
Square paper clips and square toilets.
Diet Coke= Coca-Cola Light
Most street lights were on the side, and definitely were not taller than the buses-- so who ever knows when its green or not??
Funny translations of English in shops and on shirts. "Give is you extra strength", "I shoot the sheriff"
No ice in water, which I LOVE to eat, and usually you have to buy it in big bottles because the water is not safe to drink, which was an inconvience considering how in America it is always free (from the tap)
A lot more slack on giving children alcohol publicly in restaurants
You would usually put your key to your room in a slot near the doorway in order to have electricity
Q-tips= Cotton buds
A lot of SmartCars and mopeds!!
You can make your own discount through bargaining. 
A symbol found everywhere in Greece: the eye
We flew into Paris on a layover, and visited the Louvre, the Seine River, Notre Dame, and the Eiffel Tower. We went to the top but it was really rainy and cold, so we couldn't see much, but it was still magnificent. And we strolled down the Chauntelaise (sp?).
Overall, an AMAZING trip!!!!!! I have uploaded a few pictures on Xanga. If you would like to see more, let me know. (I have a lot of historical and scenic pictures, for those interested in those types.)
I'm looking forward to seeing many of you at GLCBS, Onesimus, and OCBC.
With love,
Ana
I Peter 1:3-9
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. |
