To begin with, anyone who knows me can attest to the fact that I love to be warm. For example, in church, I’m always the one still in my coat (barely comfortable) while everyone else around me is fanning themselves to prevent heat exhaustion. What can I say, I’m a desert rat. That being said, I love summer. I grew up in Mesa, Arizona. One has to have somewhat of a high heat tolerance if one is going to survive the Phoenix area in the summer. (Which, incidentally begins in April and ends in October.)
So when I travel, I like to be able to move around without the burden of a coat. However, I typically travel internationally in off-peak seasons. Off-peak being fall, winter, and spring. A few years ago, I went to India in the summer. India in the May/June time frame may or may not have been a mistake. Don’t misunderstand, going to India itself was not a mistake, but going in May/June when the temperatures hang out around 115 degrees made it feel like I had a constant hair dryer in my face. Sure enough, I didn’t have to pack a coat. Yes, I like to be warm, but that was brutal. When it’s 115 degrees outside, native Arizonan’s head for the AC, they don’t gear up and walk around mausoleums made of red sandstone. But India was amazing. Hot and sticky though it was.
And I digress…
The reason I bring all of that up (and the ultimate point) is that when we (Kristy, Brooke, Aaron, Brian, Stephanie and I) went to Greece in November, I thought it may be cold. Having been to Athens in the April before, I remember it being significantly chilly. But Athens in the first part of November was a dream. A lot like Arizona at that time of year.
It
was
beautiful.
In fact, I may go so far as to say it was perfect…. Just take a look.
(And in typical fashion, a top ten. For Greece. In no particular order except the first one is definitely number 1.)
1. Great Travel Companions.
Really. Card games. Lots of laughs. Great chats. Fun company. I LOVE those people. Thank you so much for making that trip amazing. Great people make great trips. And that makes all the difference.
2. Food.I realize that this comes up in every one of my top ten lists. Food is REALLY important to me. And, like any good travel companion, it can make or break the trip. We had amazing Gyros, of course, but one of my favorite things about being in Europe is picking up a loaf of bread (and pulling out only the middle soft part) and eating it with cheese. On this trip, my preferred cheese was Gouda. Then there was the crepe. In Santorini, on our last night, there was lightning storm. And lots of rain. We wanted something to eat, so we all grabbed our jackets and hoofed it into town for a late night treat. I ended up at the crepe shop with a few others and hooked myself up with one savory and one sweet crepe. The savory was good, but the sweet one was the best crepe I’ve ever had in my entire life. Typically a nutella girl, I branched out and tried the White Praline (consistency of a thick, melted, white chocolate but much sweeter and a different taste) with fresh strawberries. That White Praline whatever sauce was simply amazing. It maybe blew my mind. Just sayin.
3. Baklava.This one gets it’s own number. I’ve had baklava in the past, but never liked it. In fact, I could never figure out why people loved it so much. Until Kristy made me try some. This is why I love her. She bought a piece and gave me some. And the rest is history. I couldn’t get enough of that stuff.
4. Acropolis and Museum.I have actually been to Athens once before. And seen the Acropolis. But I didn’t know anything about it then. Its huge. There is a museum at the base of the Acropolis now that in itself is an architectural beauty. The architecture is modern and made with concrete interior walls. The floor is made of brick shaped stone and set in a soldiered pattern. The lobby floor was black stone and the other areas in the museum had a light, creamy beige stone floor. I loved it. But the best part about the museum was the glass tile floor. When they were excavating, they happened upon an old Athenian neighborhood. So, they built above it and created a glass floor in many areas so that you can look down at the ruins. Fanstastic.
5. Jumpy and our adventures outside of Athens.One of the days we were there, we rented a minivan-ish. Jumpy was it’s name. We set out to see Delphi. Because why not. It was hilarious. Kristy drove and I was her map. She did awesome, driving like a local. I loved it. One of the towns we passed through was ……………. The only thing that would have made it better was if Aaron had taken his shirt off.
6. ChurchSometimes being LDS and living in the West has it’s limitations. Sometimes I find that having so many LDS people around each other makes it easier to slack off in understanding and testimony. Am I wrong? Being at church in Athens was a moving experience. We met in a room the size of a typical primary room and half the members in attendance were missionaries. (I think the number of missionaries was 16 or so). Not very many members, but what they lacked in bodies, they made up for in spirit. The people who spoke (Some from England, and some from Germany) exuded testimony. It wasn’t flowery and over the top, it was simple, honest, and it really hit home for me. I learned more about commitment to the gospel in that one hour of church than I have in years. I loved their fresh outlook and inspiring messages. An experience I won’t soon forget.
7. Marathon
This was the reason for the trip. Thank you Kristy and Stephanie for letting us all come and share the experience. Three of our group tackled this thing they call a marathon. Steph, Aaron, Brian. The Athens marathon is the original marathon and is considered one of the hardest (if not THE hardest in the world.) Why, you ask? Because it is mostly uphill. And if you aren’t familiar with the origins of the marathon, the quick synopsis goes something like this. Athens is involved in a battle in the town of Marathon in Greece. Athens wins said battle and a soldier runs the 26.2 miles back to Athens to say, “We won.” And then? He dropped dead. So the next logical thing to do is to try and best this man and run it without dying. Which millions of people do all over the world in hundreds of locations. Hats off them. I, myself, like my spot on the sidelines with a baklava in one hand and a camera in the other.
But, Brian, Stephanie, and Aaron… You did AMAZING!!
8. Santorini.This is literally the view from our balcony. Literally. If anyone wants the name of this place, just email me or leave a comment and I will give it to you. It was one of the most picturesque places I’ve ever been. I loved the few days we spent there. It’s a small island, with a lot of down time, but it was a nice vacay. A good time to pull up a patio chair and enjoy the sunset. I’m gonna stop talking about it now and let you enjoy the pics….
9. 4-WheelersOn Santorini we rented 4-wheelers. This was, by far, my most favorite part of the trip. It was hilarious and we had a great time. We drove the length of the island, starting out on the black beaches in the south and ending up with a sunset in Oia.
10. Million dollar views.In Athens. In Santorini. So much to see that your eyes may be blown!
And for your viewing pleasure, you can see more on Kristy’s blog.Thanks for playing.
