We Went to Greece

Dedicated to the all those intrepid riders of the Sonstebus.

 

Athens. Pleasant surprise.

                We went to Greece. Me, m’wife, m’mom, and over 130 of our closest friends. Packed days, waking up at hours that most of us have never seen from the backside, funny food, ill-advised throwing star purchases, and food, food, food.

                Here, then, is Greece as seen through the journal I took so much good-natured abuse for. I will continue to attest that it’s stickers and word-smithing, not scrap-booking.

The notorious journal. 

                Reading someone write about a trip is about as painful as the one-time practice of holiday slide shows, so I’m simply going to break each day down into the best part and worst part and let you go from there.

Saturday, April 19^th

Easter in Glyfada.

J            Watching a midnight Greek Orthodox Mass ringing in Easter in Athens is special, and a lot more exciting than I remember Catholic masses being. Must’ve been the fireworks and kissing. . .

L            Jet lag sucks, but when you go travelling in Europe, do stuff! Sleep is for planes, buses, and home.

Sunday, 20^th April (Easter and m’wife’s birthday)

J            Athens is a much nicer and cleaner city than I had been led to believe. It’s a lovely place to explore on foot, especially on a 20+ April day, and extra-especially when you know it’s snowing in Calgary.

L            A 45-minute train ride with 130 people plus locals is an awful experience in a country where 20 degrees is cold and thus the heat is on.

Monday, 21^st April

J            If you’re going to tour Greece, see the islands. Cruise ships are decent and the Louis Olympia was dated but respectable. Mykonos has the best sea food on the Mediterranean.

L            Mykonos is also a labyrinth. Leave yourself lots of time to get back to your tender boat. Especially at night. Extra-especially when your wife falls in love with every second shop on the way back.

Tuesday, 22^nd April

J            A taste test of Turkey reveals that its culture is mostly parallel to Greece’s, just like it’s history.

Turkish apple tea. High-pressure rug sales. 

More lush than you’d think, but that wonderful culture is superseded by Roman, Greek, and Christian sites drawing most tourists. Ephesus is impressive. Apple tea is good.

L            Why is it every time I’m in an Islamic country I get caught in a high-pressure rug store?

Wednesday, 23^rd April

J            Rhodes is my personal favourite island. The Acropolis in lovely Lindos, the Old (Medieval) Town of Rhodes itself. It is a destination all on its own, and they drink beer out of three litre glass boots. My kinda place. Also, wine tastings are served in full glasses. Be warned.

L            There will always be people who choose beaches over culture, shopping over conversation.

Thursday, 24^th April

J            Santorini is all it’s billed to be. Gorgeous blue and white buildings hanging off of the side of a mountain. It’s what you’ve always imagined Greece to be.

L            The Island of Crete proved the greatest let-down of the trip. Knossos is interesting, but an ill-advised reconstruction of King Minos’ palace leaves the experience far lesser than most of the rest of Greece’s ancient sites.

Friday, 25^th April

J            Even if you find 2000 other tourists there, including those loud-mouthed-pointing-out-the-obvious American groups that seem to show up everywhere, at Delphi you will find beauty and you will find peace. I

The Delphiselfie.

guarantee it.

L            No matter what you tell some people, they still only see rocks and trees. Also, sea legs are much harder to lose than to gain.

Saturday, 26^th April

J            The Acropolis of Athens is crowded, hot, in rough shape, and a hike up. It’s also one of the most worthwhile postcards you can visit. I picked a poppy off the ground and put it in my journal.

L            The coastline drive to Sounio is worth it, but too many will stop at busy beaches before reaching the point where Aegeaus threw himself into the sea he would give his name to when Theseus mistakenly flew the wrong sails.

Sunday, 27^th April

J            Windsor is a heckuva place to spend a layover.

L            I have crossed the Atlantic ten times and the Pacific four, and I still haven’t got a fool-proof cure for jet lag. 

The Acropolis by night.